Solar panel and solar generator options / recommendations

calishooterone

calishooterone

Adventurist
Hey everyone, looking to add solar to my build but I’m really unsure what’s needed any info or if there was a previous post about how to setup a system I’ll take all the info you got . Thanks in advance Dave
 
When I started my build on my trailer I didn't want any shore line connections. I wanted everything to be solar. My whole entire solar set up is Renogy. I have (2) 100 watt Renogy suit case panels (one only shown in photo) , my tongue box houses 125amp VMax battery, battery meter gage (auto shut off), fuse block w\ assorted fuses, battery shut off switch, Renogy 30amp Wandener Charge Controller, 20 ft. 10 agw cable, Renogy 30 amp fuse (between the solar panel & charge controller), & the Renogy Battery Temperature Sensor. Also I have rocker switch for lights on the tent rack, & 3 12v exterior socket outlets. You can built what type of system you wish from a system that is elaborate w\ swine inverter to a simple basic solar system like I have.

I power the interior LED tent light strip, & 2 filtered green LED exterior lights on my tent rack, Engel 12v. 22 qt. fridge freez, my Propex Heat Source H2000 tent furnace (seasonal use) & Zodi Hot Shower system (that I converted to 12v).
Mitch (member here) gave me a lot of information I needed to know when wiring, size wires, fuses & what to use as of quality components. Most solar companies will help you on a system that will fit your needs & wants if you give them all the information data on each 12v. gear used. This information can be obtained by the manufacture of the gear\equipment used in the technical\spec page or calling them.

I can run one single 100 watt suit case style panel(shown in photo for cooler weather camping) or run the second 100 watt suit case panel parallel "if" I need more charging wattage when I add more 12v. gear. I like this set up because of how much 12v. equipment I want or need on that particular trip.

I found that Renogy customer service is every bit of what I was hoping for as a great experience & their recommendations for what solar system "I" needed for the gear I was going to use: on demand or continuous use with time frames & how long, with power draw.
Basically I have a fail safe system that is reliable for "me & the wife" that will fill's "our" needs.
Renogy uses German built cells, anything built in Germany IMO or German technology is good & reliable long lasting. My charger controller is in the nose box (tongue box) of my trailer, separate from the panels for this reason, to keep my solar system weatherized or water proof.
Everyone has their preference in gear & equipment what they feel is ideal for them & their reasons why.
My battery VMax Tank 125amp hr has a 10 to 12 year life span as long as I do not run it down beyond discharged recommended. My system is a basic 12v system that supplies me plenty of power & keeps my battery @ a full charge. Lastly if any suggestion is taken, buy the best solar you can afford, cheap solar is what it is.

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calishooterone said:
Hey everyone, looking to add solar to my build but I’m really unsure what’s needed any info or if there was a previous post about how to setup a system I’ll take all the info you got . Thanks in advance Dave
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While you can go the superb route Don did, you don't have to to start out. A solar power setup can be as simple as a PV panel you lay out in the sun in camp and attach to your auxiliary battery with alligator clips. You then just monitor the voltage to ensure you don't overcharge (highly unlikely). One step up from that is to add a charge controller, which will monitor voltage for you and reduce or cut off the input if necessary, and also eliminate the small bleed-back in charge if you leave a panel attached all night.
 
Thanks guys for all the great info, are most of you running it only to a secondary battery or are you using it for 2 battery set up ?
 
I believe what Dave stated "Your first step is to determine your total power needs - end state. Reverse planning begins there :)"
I totally agree, this is were you need to figure how elaborate or basic you want your solar system to be. The question to ask yourself: what are "you" going to power from this: how long, how much & what the overall draw from each piece of equipment or gear. Another is to understand facts about the sun and solar energy & why the term "the reasons of the seasons."

Many good suggestions were offered in this post. Once you figured what gear & equipment will be powered, then you will have a direction to shoot for as of coming up with a reliable solar system.

Me I researched my solar for well over 6 months, reading & talking with reputable companies about their system & my needs "I" want. I became a very good "listener" to their proposals. My post above stated what company I went with & why.

Most builds are personal to the individuals. For me "I" knew were I was headed. I planned this build for a year before I started my actual build. I spent lots of hours behind my desk with pencil & paper.

I was thinking of selling my overland trailer w\RTT to switch over to a teardrop, but now I decided to hang on to it. I will still purchase the teardrop I was looking at this winter so I can start penciling on paper what I think I want. I know this will change with new ideas until I get a actual direction I want to go. This will give me many months of planning & serious thought what I & the wife want in this teardrop. This will be my last hoorah. In time I will hand down my overland trailer w\RTT to my son.
What I am explaining is... plan out what you think you want, talk with a good trustworthy solar based company, be open minded to their suggestions. Then weigh your options. Like Dave's post "Your first step is to determine your total power needs - end state. Reverse planning begins there :)"
 
calishooterone said:
Thanks guys for all the great info, are most of you running it only to a secondary battery or are you using it for 2 battery set up ?
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Products like the Blue Sea Automatic Charge Relay 7622, the CTEK D250S, and other devices that combine when they sense a high enough charge voltage, will combine the batteries while using a solar setup.

The general rule is to attach the charge controller to the auxiliary battery, because this is the battery that will bear the current load when your vehicle isn't running.

IDEALLY, you want a solar setup that provides more amps into the system than you intend to use during the day, so that really, the solar panel is powering your devices, and the excess is going into the battery, the less load you use throughout the day, the more amps go into your battery.

Example, my fridge uses about 1.5 amps to maintain temp (granted it doesn't run constantly, maybe two minutes every 5 to 10 minutes depending on outside temps), my USB port uses about 5 amps while charging something, and about 2-3 amps background operations. Roughly 9 amps draw, so a 200 Watt panel setup calculating for efficiency (200 watts divided by 12 volts = 16.6 amps, at about 60% efficiency will provide about 10 amps. The better placed your panels are and the better the panels you choose, will keep efficiency high).

See why it's important to figure out your loads?
 
Wow I'm astonished on the disparity between the fridge and USB power draw? With everything under the sun using USB ports it is crucial to do the math
 
for the figures you have their in your post Mitch, what size panels, hours per day (depends on seasons) you recommend?
 
thanks all, I had already planned running the 2nd battery for just the accessories while sitting thats why I had asked. I had always run a second battery for large audio systems using a solenoid from PAC but I see theres a bunch of other ways to go, for now ill calculate for the fridge we plan on getting a couple charging ports for various tablets and phones and a few interior led lights and research a few other goodies that may add in the future just to see what that draw will be ..
I really do appreciate all the info
 
calishooterone said:
thanks all, I had already planned running the 2nd battery for just the accessories while sitting thats why I had asked. I had always run a second battery for large audio systems using a solenoid from PAC but I see theres a bunch of other ways to go, for now ill calculate for the fridge we plan on getting a couple charging ports for various tablets and phones and a few interior led lights and research a few other goodies that may add in the future just to see what that draw will be ..
I really do appreciate all the info
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what is this project?
 
ArkansasDon said:
for the figures you have their in your post Mitch, what size panels, hours per day (depends on seasons) you recommend?
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I concluded that paragraph with a recommendation. For roughly 9 amps of draw, 200 watts of solar would be plenty. 300 watts if your sun and solar setup isn't optimal.

Generally, since I don't charge phones all day, and my fridge doesn't run every minute of every hour, and if the sun is shining, I have my panels set up, there will be excess charging that will make its way into my battery, keeping it topped off all day long.
 
I have had a portable suitcase unit from overland solar for about 5 years now. It is their 90 watt unit which they no longer produce. I really only use it to top of my batteries, I have a dual system. I power my fridge off my aux battery. Overland solar is a quality set up and I would highly recommend them.....

While in Anza Borrego the wind blew over my unit and cracked the center panel, still works fine. Continued to charge my system for the remainder of the weekend.

However, my OCD has gotten the better of me and I just ordered another overland solar suitcase, this time their 120 setup. I will be sure to secure this new one in the desert from now on.

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Maxcustody said:
I have had a portable suitcase unit from overland solar for about 5 years now. It is their 90 watt unit which they no longer produce. I really only use it to top of my batteries, I have a dual system. I power my fridge off my aux battery. Overland solar is a quality set up and I would highly recommend them.....

While in Anza Borrego the wind blew over my unit and cracked the center panel, still works fine. Continued to charge my system for the remainder of the weekend.

However, my OCD has gotten the better of me and I just ordered another overland solar suitcase, this time their 120 setup. I will be sure to secure this new one in the desert from now on.

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Thanks for the response, Bummer about the panel
 
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