Community Forums

SMertens · 11-29-2018, 01:10 PM

Has anyone added solar to their 4018. I'm looking at solar, but with a residential fridge, trying to figure out if I should go with Lithium batteries or stay with AGM's. I know there is more usable energy in lithiums. There is not a lot of room on the 40 foot roof, curious if anyone has done it, and what your experience is?

"007" · 11-29-2018, 01:24 PM

In this link you will find two detailed installations of Solar with pictures.
QT's # 3 has info also on Solar.
i am they will have other answers for you.

Dutch Star Don · 11-29-2018, 07:59 PM

On my 2014, I added three 100 watt panels, end to end between the A/C units. On my 2019, they placed the sat dish between the A/C units, but it looks like I can still add three units side by side.

I know that three 100 watt panels is not enough to run the refer all day, but we're not big boondockers and just looking for a little boost. This time I'm looking at Zamp products with some better panels.

DS15 · 11-29-2018, 10:57 PM

SMertens,

We have a 2015 Dutch Star 4018 all electric. Had AM Solar install a 1100 watt solar system with a Victron 85 Amp Controller with a Bluetooth interface to the BMS. We have five 180 watt panels and two 100 watt panels on the roof. If we wanted we could replace the two 100 watt panels with 180 watt ones for more power, however, we found 1100 watts to be more than adequate for us. AM Solar does a pro install, they are great to work with and the system has exceeded our expectations. The system was installed June 2018 and we are very satisfied. AM Solar is pricey, but, you get what you pay for!

If your wondering if there is enough real estate up there, I can tell you there is!

Hope this helps

Bruce

SMertens · 11-30-2018, 04:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DS15

SMertens,

We have a 2015 Dutch Star 4018 all electric. Had AM Solar install a 1100 watt solar system with a Victron 85 Amp Controller with a Bluetooth interface to the BMS. We have five 180 watt panels and two 100 watt panels on the roof. If we wanted we could replace the two 100 watt panels with 180 watt ones for more power, however, we found 1100 watts to be more than adequate for us. AM Solar does a pro install, they are great to work with and the system has exceeded our expectations. The system was installed June 2018 and we are very satisfied. AM Solar is pricey, but, you get what you pay for!

If your wondering if there is enough real estate up there, I can tell you there is!

Hope this helps

Bruce

Do you by chance have a photo of your roof after the install. That hump in the rear bath, were they able to add panels to that. I'm pretty sure they can mount to that. I'm looking at an 1100 watts of panels. I think he said he MAY be able to get 5 160's and fill in the remaining with 100 watt panels. Did you get tilting panels, or did they just mount on stand up brackets to get them as high as possible near the top of the top rails that hide awnings on the coach?

DS15 · 11-30-2018, 06:58 AM

SMertens,

2016 was the first year of the bathroom cathedral ceiling, we do not have that on our 2015. However, we have one 160 watt panel in that area. I do not think that you will have an issue there with placing panels on that area if you need to. AM Solar placed the panels on higher stand-offs because of the awning rails and I did purchase stand up rods in case I wanted to get on the roof and angle the panels, but I have not found the need to do that yet. Reading your original post, I forgot to answer your question about lithium vs. flooded cell batteries. There are definite advantages to lithium batteries, however, I chose to stay with flooded wet cell. There are a number of reasons why. First, our 2015 has batteries mounted on a tray in the first compartment right behind the left tire on our coach and is an unheated open compartment. We live in Las Vegas, NV, (hot) which according to other posts is not a big deal, but, we travel quite a bit and snow ski. That means we spend a lot of time in cold weather. For example, we are in Maryland right now visiting friends and the temps at night have been getting into the 20’s and day temps hovering around 34. Lithium batteries don’t like cold weather like that, so instead of working that aspect we opted to stay with the flooded wet cells and use NO-OX-ID on the terminals and since the replacement of our batteries in June 2018, have had zero corrosion - NO-OX-ID is great stuff!

I can get a photo for you but you will have to wait a day or two since we have commitments with friends.

Bruce

C.Martin · 11-30-2018, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMertens

Has anyone added solar to their 4018. I'm looking at solar, but with a residential fridge, trying to figure out if I should go with Lithium batteries or stay with AGM's. I know there is more usable energy in lithiums. There is not a lot of room on the 40 foot roof, curious if anyone has done it, and what your experience is?

007’s link will take you to a lot of resources. My Ventana installation is one of them. My system started with adding the ME-BMK battery monitor. I zero’d out the counter and did an energy audit with my residential fridge running. I started with 6 x 180w panels. But solar doesn’t alway put out in real world conditions what is specified on paper...so, I increased the array to 8 x 180w panels. This is a sweet spot.

Your 4018 and my 4037 install would only differ because of the height of the surround on your awnings. (Ventana has no surround). Ideally, you would want a raised mounting system to keep the panels near flush with the awning surround. If you want to run an air conditioner...over 2000 watts of panels, would be needed, in order to keep up with the demands and run one 15k A/C unit...during daylight hours. We weren’t designing our system around that.

We can...while driving...run the front air conditioner...as the BIM joins the alternator with our solar to provide the amps needed to power the air conditioner. And we pull into our camp with fully charged batteries. One caveat...you have to rewire the air conditioner breakers, and install a MicroAir Easy Start. We have a switch so we can run the A/C of the normal Main AC bus...or the Inverter.

If you later decide that you would like to install a system like mine. I am always happy to answer questions...to help you thru the installation process.

Lithium vs. AGM... both are potentially great storage systems. You have to look at individuals specs. All AGM’s aren’t created equally...and not all Lithium’s are created equally. The temperature range, charge profiles and rates are important factors to consider. Not to mention price. I’m getting by with Interstae Flooded Lead Acid. I’m processing information to see what system I will use to replace these when the time comes. I would like to keep the ability of combining solar and alternator while driving in Florida...and the Lithium will add some complexity to help accomplish that...so, my research continues.

DS15 · 12-13-2018, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SMertens

Do you by chance have a photo of your roof after the install. That hump in the rear bath, were they able to add panels to that. I'm pretty sure they can mount to that. I'm looking at an 1100 watts of panels. I think he said he MAY be able to get 5 160's and fill in the remaining with 100 watt panels. Did you get tilting panels, or did they just mount on stand up brackets to get them as high as possible near the top of the top rails that hide awnings on the coach?

SMertens,

Sorry it took me so long to respond. Weather has not been good where we are right now. Trying to upload pictures. No luck.