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03-20-2011, 06:57 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Solo Rvers Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Yuma County, AZ
Posts: 10,868
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Payback guesstiment anyone?
Any math genius ever tried to figure out how many saved gallons of generator gas it would take to pay off each $1,000 spent on solar panels on a mh? With gas prices up and generators so noisy, I am seriously considering solar now even if I have to borrow the money.
__________________
Barb (RVM18) with Morkies Lily & Bebe RIP Sena FMCA#F466348
"Homer" 11 Shasta Cynara, pulling "Ranger" '97 Ford Ranger toad
The Journey is Our Destination. Full-timer May 2011 - July 2021
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03-20-2011, 07:08 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sonoma County, CA
Posts: 6,398
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My 5.5 generator burns about 1 gallon per hour. If my math is correct, and gas at $4, I can run the generator about 250 hours for about $1000.
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Wayne & Roberta
08 Winnebago Destination 39W Gas UFO Workhorse Chassis......It's really weird being the same age as old people. I thought getting old would take much longer.
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03-20-2011, 07:15 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 5,314
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So if you move to solar are you really going to shed the gen? Think about where you normally park and is there sufficient daylight to charge the batteries.
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Tom
2016 Newmar Bay Star Sport 3004
2021 Jeep Gladiator Sport Willys
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03-20-2011, 08:11 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Solo Rvers Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Yuma County, AZ
Posts: 10,868
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wthomas1
My 5.5 generator burns about 1 gallon per hour. If my math is correct, and gas at $4, I can run the generator about 250 hours for about $1000.
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So how many months of solar use will it take to replace 300 generator hours? Mine is a 4kw gen so I adjusted your number. I plan to full-time soon so if I could save 3 hours of gen time per day using solar, it will only take 200 days to pay off a $2000 solar system?
I'm a newbie so I have NO idea how many hours a day my gen will run.
__________________
Barb (RVM18) with Morkies Lily & Bebe RIP Sena FMCA#F466348
"Homer" 11 Shasta Cynara, pulling "Ranger" '97 Ford Ranger toad
The Journey is Our Destination. Full-timer May 2011 - July 2021
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03-20-2011, 08:14 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Solo Rvers Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Yuma County, AZ
Posts: 10,868
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wildtoad
So if you move to solar are you really going to shed the gen? Think about where you normally park and is there sufficient daylight to charge the batteries.
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Oh no, just wanna save $ and noise.
__________________
Barb (RVM18) with Morkies Lily & Bebe RIP Sena FMCA#F466348
"Homer" 11 Shasta Cynara, pulling "Ranger" '97 Ford Ranger toad
The Journey is Our Destination. Full-timer May 2011 - July 2021
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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03-20-2011, 10:49 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sonoma County, CA
Posts: 6,398
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You have to have battery capacity to store the solar energy so that adds to the cost. I don't dry camp often but when I do, I run the generator about 4 hours a day. I have a 130 watt solar panel, 300 amp hours of battery, and a 2000 watt inverter. The combination of generator use and solar works for my use, but may not work for you.
__________________
Wayne & Roberta
08 Winnebago Destination 39W Gas UFO Workhorse Chassis......It's really weird being the same age as old people. I thought getting old would take much longer.
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03-21-2011, 12:48 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Solo Rvers Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Yuma County, AZ
Posts: 10,868
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It looks like adding solar may not be a diy project for me. I'm in the Oklahoma City area until early May and then headed to Rockport, TX for a week. After that I am planning to go east to Florida. Are there any competent rv solar dealers down south? Houston area, maybe? I'd like to get solar asap. Gas prices are just too unpredictable.
__________________
Barb (RVM18) with Morkies Lily & Bebe RIP Sena FMCA#F466348
"Homer" 11 Shasta Cynara, pulling "Ranger" '97 Ford Ranger toad
The Journey is Our Destination. Full-timer May 2011 - July 2021
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03-21-2011, 03:45 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Full Timer / Vagabond
Posts: 609
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Using solar instead of a generator makes you a premium neighbor.
With a good solar system a generator is only needed for A/C.
See my post under boondocking "Solar That Really Works."
Learn how a proper solar system should be installed and settle for NO LESS. No there are very few solar experts.
Get a battery meter to see what is going on with the batteries. It measures power in and power out and power left in the batteries. Every RV should have one.
I do not know about the cost of a generator and gas but if you compare the cast of boondocking over CG's solar pays for itself in one year.
__________________
Ralph & Snickers
2006 3500 Chevy Dually - 8.1 - Allison
2006 30' New Horizon - Solar
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03-21-2011, 04:01 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,043
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wthomas1
My 5.5 generator burns about 1 gallon per hour. If my math is correct, and gas at $4, I can run the generator about 250 hours for about $1000.
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Wow, a gal an hour? Must be gasoline. My Onan 7.5 diesel is 0.21 gal/hr no load, 0.40/gal/hr 1/2 load and 0.70/hr full load. Even with both A/C's running (which I metered at 12 amp each) Im only at 3000 watts, or about 50% of my genset capacity.
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94-Newmar Kountry Star 40-KSDP
Spartan/Cummins 8.3C-300HP/Allison 3060 WTEC-II/25yr RV Tech RVIA Certified/Onan-Cummins Certified
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03-21-2011, 04:06 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sonoma County, CA
Posts: 6,398
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 94-Newmar
Wow, a gal an hour? Must be gasoline. My Onan 7.5 diesel is 0.21 gal/hr no load, 0.40/gal/hr 1/2 load and 0.70/hr full load. Even with both A/C's running (which I metered at 12 amp each) Im only at 3000 watts, or about 50% of my genset capacity.
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That's what I get for not proofreading better. I meant 1/4 gallon per hour or 1 gallon for 4 hours.
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Wayne & Roberta
08 Winnebago Destination 39W Gas UFO Workhorse Chassis......It's really weird being the same age as old people. I thought getting old would take much longer.
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03-21-2011, 04:26 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,365
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wthomas1
That's what I get for not proofreading better. I meant 1/4 gallon per hour or 1 gallon for 4 hours.
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You had me scratching my head and counting on my fingers, It just didn't add up to me. I have a couple of 10k gensets I use when the power goes out at the store that don't use a gallon an hour.
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2021 Trail Runner 211rd 25'
2015 GMC Canyon
Mark & Carole Big Bear, Ca. RVM 54
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03-22-2011, 06:42 AM
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#12
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Right Now: San Diego, California
Posts: 41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by okmunky
It looks like adding solar may not be a diy project for me. I'm in the Oklahoma City area until early May and then headed to Rockport, TX for a week. After that I am planning to go east to Florida. Are there any competent rv solar dealers down south? Houston area, maybe? I'd like to get solar asap. Gas prices are just too unpredictable.
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Sunelectric in Miami Florida has great prices on solar equipment. I'll be there this week getting some.
I trust myself for all installs and can't offer assistance on an installer down here but look for a post or blog by wheelingit. They had someone in south Florida install their system "properly".
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03-26-2011, 08:00 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: North America somewhere
Posts: 30,655
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Read ralphers advice closely. It may save you expensive headaches in the future, plus_ you know what to look for and expect if you contract a company installation.
__________________
2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD , ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG 11B5MX,Infantry retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA. " My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy
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04-04-2011, 10:19 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: California
Posts: 788
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battery meter
Quote:
Originally Posted by ralper
Using solar instead of a generator makes you a premium neighbor.
With a good solar system a generator is only needed for A/C.
See my post under boondocking "Solar That Really Works."
Learn how a proper solar system should be installed and settle for NO LESS. No there are very few solar experts.
Get a battery meter to see what is going on with the batteries. It measures power in and power out and power left in the batteries. Every RV should have one.
I do not know about the cost of a generator and gas but if you compare the cast of boondocking over CG's solar pays for itself in one year.
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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Which battery meters do you like?
What (and where) should I look for in a good one?
Thanks!
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