Give it to me straight: Pacific Northwest RV Solar Practicality

[amwbox]

This might help - in my experience with rain, yet with *some* sun peeking through, once you able to faintly detect any shadows, the panels will be producing about 10% of their rated output. Usually less. No shadow - forget it.

Have you actually heard how quiet a Honda EU-2000 or 3000 generator is? Perhaps if you had a demonstration, you might consider this stealth, unless of course mere visibility of it makes the crowd go wild.

I'm with Inetdog on the alternator. At this point under your limitations, your best bet would be to beef up your alternator to one that can handle HUGE amounts of continuous current, and invest in an AGM - which typically are C/4, but I'd go one step further with something like a Concord SunXtender or similar that can just gobble as much as you can throw at it as long as it is voltage regulated.

Hmm. I should begin investigating a system that is more centered on a heavy duty alternator than solar. Solar still sounds worthwhile for the other half of the year, but on a much smaller scale than I was planning.

I realize how small and quiet these generators are, but they are simply incompatible with urban stealth conditions. The idea is to be able to park the van wherever when I'm on the road for work and get some sleep. The generator would work great when I'm out in the sticks fishing and camping, but I can't exactly have one sitting there running next to me while I'm parked on some public street somewhere.

The impression I'm getting is that solar is completely inadequate for half the year in my climate.

I've looked into the SunXtender batteries. Expensive, but as far as charging voltages they seem to fit within the profile of my alternator. A concern I have about the alternator is the profile of its regulator. I think an alternator would start tapering off current pretty quickly at a pretty unfavorable voltage. Which is of course why alternators make crappy battery chargers...but with the quick charge rate and lower voltage needs of these AGM batteries, this might be less of an issue than with the traditional flooded batteries? And realizing that these will probably rarely get fully charged, unless I am able to plug them in from time to time, or its the sunny half of the year, am I facing as bad a sulfation issue as I would be with flooded batteries?

Idling the engine for power is far from ideal, but it beats the hell out of a thousands bucks dropped on a solar setup that only functions for 6 months of the year.

[amwbox]

a) My 3,000 array puts out 200 - 300 watts in cloudy weather. So I would expect 600w of panels to give 50-60w of power, for 3 hours in winter, not much.

b) the little honda eu1000 will be quieter than any automobile, except a EV

c) There is now some production Lithium batteries for drop-in automotive replacement. 1 would cost about the same as 3 auto batteries , and if you gently cycle them 20%-80%, they should last years. Very different charging scheme than lead acid. There are some threads here about them if you feel lucky.
http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showth...YPo4-questions

At least that is something. I'd still never catch up my batteries.

[russ]

At least that is something. I'd still never catch up my batteries.

10% is nothing

[Sunking]

To use the alternator you have to use a battery isolator.

The electronic isolators have a regulator built into them.

[jony101]

I have a 240 watt solar panel with an ecoworthy 20 amp mppt controller. In san diego its almost always sunny but sometimes its cloudy and even rare it rains.
I use the panel mostly to run a swamp cooler to keep me cool. In sunny conditions I can get 12 amps, when cloudy I can get 4 to 5 amps and even when its raining I get about 2 amps. I always get something. For me the best part is when its cloudy it's not hot where I need to run the swamp cooler so the reduce power I get doesnt impact me too much.
My advice definitely is get the large panels and use MPPT, it will extract as much power from the panels as possible no matter what the conditions. If I was using PWM, I would not get much usable power in cloudy conditions. Also get some rtech foam insulation ( they sell it at home depot 4x8 feet sheets 8 dollars) and insulate your camper, that works very good in keeping you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. I got the entire rear of my van covered in insulation from floor to roof, all rear windows are covered in 2 inch thick foam which was where all the heat comes in. I have a vortex roof electric vent fan (about 3 amps) but never use it, I just rely on my 3.5 amp swamp cooler which never lets me down. But the foam insulation is the secret to keeping cool or warm.

[russ]

I have a 240 watt solar panel with an ecoworthy 20 amp mppt controller. In san diego its almost always sunny but sometimes its cloudy and even rare it rains.

WTF does that have to do with the thread?

[FlyLow]

Amw "incomparable with urban situations"

Have you heard an eu2000 first hand? Youtube doesn't count. It makes less noise than a vehicle idleing. If in fact it's not steath enough, build and sound attenuating enclosure and add another muffler.

[russ]

Amw "incomparable with urban situations"

Have you heard an eu2000 first hand? Youtube doesn't count. It makes less noise than a vehicle idleing. If in fact it's not steath enough, build and sound attenuating enclosure and add another muffler.

I see many generators here for the power cut times - often I have to look close when walking by to see that they are running. The noise thing does not have to be true today - as FlyLow pointed out.

[Mike90250]

Ah, I see the point, parked in the 'burbs, with a power cord running to a silent genset, is going to attract attention.

[mschulz]

To OP:

Can you clarify some things for us?

1) Your "House" is a Van- Full size or Small?
2) Where are you planning to stay? Are you stealth camping in neighborhoods, city parking lots, or subburbs?
3) How much power do you really need? Can you ditch the electric blanket and mattress pad heater if you installed a propane furnace? Your house batteries at sufficient amp should run your laptop, games, and tv for the evening.

I spent some time in Portland as I grew up there. I had a Westy that I used in Hoodriver and the coast for kite boarding during the cold winter months. Never had a generator, used a 45watt solar panel on the roof that I could move around, along with a secondary battery for running lights and my inverter. I combined the batteries with a battery isolator http://www.gowesty.com/ec_view_detai...ory_parent_id= . The fridge killed all my batteries so I ran it on Propane. Installed a small Propane heater that vented to the outside and my 3 gallon tank would last me 3 weeks running the fridge, stove and heater.

If you do go with a generator, the 2000 is over kill, stick with the 1000.