Solar systems

[w6pea]

Okay here is a question that has probably been beaten like a dead horse
: poke:

I am very seriously looking into put a couple of solar panels on the RV....I don't like running the generator exhaust smell and the noise and fumes (I know buy a exhaust pipe) to power the RV. I have 6 coach battery's, :jitter: I figured that if we were going to dry camp for 3 or 4 days at a time I would probably need 2 panels. To keep them at 90% charge.

I have found prices that seem outrageous....to some that are reasonable. I figured if we use 175 amp hours a day (and that is being way over est,) 2 panels will do good, right now we only use the RV one to three weeks in the summer, and two weeks, in the fall......and maybe a week in the winter. I kind of think that after a while they will become cost effective but in what 20 years. I am almost wanting to get a wind turbine.....because a lot oplaces we go seem to be very windy.

73 de w6pea

[photog101]

I took a little different approach. I went with a bank of 4 Trojan 6 volt batteries and they last me for 24 hours and I probably draw at least that much if not more. I use 90 Watts of Solar Panels, from Harbor Freight with a 30 Amp controller. I have a dedicated 1200/3600 watt inverter, also from Harbor Freight, that is for the microwave and coffee maker plus a plug strip coming off of it for other things. I too have an afinity to noise in the morning when people are making coffee and breakfast while running generators.

During the day, there are times that I will run the generator to top off the batteries. To get the recovery that you are looking for, you are going to have one heck of a panel farm on the roof. My 90 watts take up about 18 sq. ft. You will probably need to use the gene, like I do to meet your needs. I run the gene about 2 to 4 hours per day during high noise hours. I have left the gene off for a couple of days when I am not using to much power. This is also a good thing for the gene, as it keeps things in shape.

[N7OQ]

I had thought about doing the solar panel thing too but you are right they cost to much. I guess the oil company's don't want us to have cheap solar panels sense they own all the solar panel manufacturing plants. I would love to have a roof full of panels at the house too.

[wa8yxm]

Decent solar systems start right around one thousand more or less. However, consider gas, though dropping is still "ABOUT" 4.00/GALLON, My Onan 5500 sucks about 0.3 GPH, at full load 1.3GPH, so figure 4.00/hr to run

250 hours, that is 12 days full time, About a month as we use generators. You have recovered your kilobuck

And what's more.. You never ran out of gas :)

[AE5BI]

From a different perspective (investing :) ) there are several companies coming out with inexpensive, a-morphus solar materials so this issue may go away in the coming years. Imagine your whole roof being and inexpensive solar panel AND reducing the heat from the sun. Cool (literally and figuratively :) )

[w7wv]

Decent solar systems start right around one thousand more or less. However, consider gas, though dropping is still "ABOUT" 4.00/GALLON, My Onan 5500 sucks about 0.3 GPH, at full load 1.3GPH, so figure 4.00/hr to run

250 hours, that is 12 days full time, About a month as we use generators. You have recovered your kilobuck

And what's more.. You never ran out of gas :)


Have you ever considered turning the big genset off?
I have the Onan 6.5 KW and rarely use it.
I have in the past used a very cheap to run EU-2000i. At idle it would produce enough voltage and current to run a 25 amp AC powered charger to resupply my batteries.
I got rid of the genset with the last RV but I will have another before we go full time as we do boondock it at times.

[wa8yxm]

Yes, I have and used to turn the big genset off... However the little genset grew legs

[w7wv]

I caught a guy unplugging my unit one time. I was just coming back to the camp site after taking the trash about 200'.
He claimed he was just looking at it when he picked it up. He was as nervous as a cat at a dog fight.
Anyway, I was convinced he was trying to steal it and I made him stay right where he was while I called the LE folks for the forest.
They came in and talked to him. Guess what, he had a long record of theft!They could not arrest him as he had no taken it yet.
But he was asked to leave and did.

[wa8yxm]

There are, in fact, several charges that could have been brought against him just for unplugging it. Of course it takes a professional LE type to know that.. Your park ranger likely is not up on those sections of law.

[w7wv]

We were all convinced he was about to walk with it. Maybe I should have just waited until he did. I was armed at the time.
The Forest Service did send their LE types. They wanted to make an arrest but the problem of course is getting the district attorney to take and prosecute the case based on what happened.
Being LE is not all it's cracked up to as most of us know. Tough job.
I know a few that have had these little gensets walk. It's pretty tough to protect them.
I just got into the habit of putting it away when we left.

[wa8yxm]

Yup, prevention is the best course

[w6pea]

Well I am going to take the plung, when I get home from this trip my solar panels will be there waiting to be installed. We were going to go to AM Solar in Oregon and have it done but I can get a friend who is a Auto Electrial specialist to help me install the set up, he said he would do it for all the beer and pizza he could consume :eek:
We went to school together almost like a brother. Now I hope I can get him to become a Ham :radio:
I think it would be cheaper to drive to Oregon :bleh:

73 de w6pea

[w6pea]

Well tomorrow is the big day. I am going to install my solar panels. I will take the RV out to a mobil rv repair and save the $75.00 trip fee. Gave me a quote of $250.00 to do the install plus the trip fee if he came to my location. I figure I can drive the rv about 46 miles round trip for a lot less than $75.00 :jitter:

I will take the digital camera with for pictures. :hello:

73de w6pea