Grid interactive RV

[CraziFuzzy]

So, here's a question.. has anyone seen solar panels on a mobile home?

[SunEagle]

So, here's a question.. has anyone seen solar panels on a mobile home?

"Mobile Home" is a misnomer. Most of then are "manufactured" homes that are moved to the home-site and then their wheels are removed making them permanent installations.

Of course you can put the wheels back on and move them again but they won't be connected to "any" utilities when that happens. So no longer "grid" connected.

[J.P.M.]

Exactly- It really comes down to an excel spreadsheet. If saying you have solar panels on your roof helps justifying paying 4 times more for energy, then by all means go for it. "Keep it Simple Stupid" E. Deming comes to mind on this one.

KISS: Use less, pay less.

[thastinger]

The high cost just for 'camping convenience' was the reason I was looking to tie it to the house. This takes the cost aspect out of the equation, and it becomes 'do i want to save on my electric bill at home while ALSO gaining the ability to camp without worrying about hearing the generator'. I also, realize, don't have a built-in generator on my trailer, it's a portable that takes setup, pull start, etc.

I don't have a built in gen either but for less than you're going to spend on a PV system with limited capacity (not going to run a Dometic 13.5 AC) and limited use, you can buy a blue or red 3K inverter gen with key/remote start and you can stand over it and have a normal conversation while it is running your AC.

[jimindenver]

It's all personal preference. We don't use campgrounds dry or with hook ups due to the noise. The only dry campground we were in had 4 out of the eight spots running generators, one with a EU3000is ran 24/7. We both said never again, it's just not camping for us. Even if it takes a while to recoup the $700 I have into our system, the silence is priceless. Other things are no gas can to store, no gas smell, no running to town to get more gas, more wildlife in camp without the smell and noise, no loading or unloading a 120 lb generator or partially charged batteries due to limited run times and a crappy converter.

[CraziFuzzy]

So, it seems like regulatoraly this is not going to happen. So plan B on making the RV's solar work for me when not camping would be:

- Configure a shorepower/generator assisting solar array on the RV. One that would produce for trailer loads, supplementing added load via shore power (or generator when dry camping), but would not sell back to the AC IN.
- Install generator transfer switch on home with external generator inlet plug.
- When trailer is at home, feed transfer switch from trailer.

In this case, the trailer is acting as a mobile generator - it just happens to be supplementing itself from the grid when not enough solar is available for the loads on the transfer switch.

When taking the trailer away for a trip, transfer those loads back to the main, and disconnect the trailer. Little to no extra work here, and honestly sets me up for a better arrangement at home by having the generator connection anyway.

[Sunking]

When you are on Shore Power (aka utility) or generator solar will NOT be used because utility or generator is a harder/stiffer source of power. Solar will just collect dust.

[jimindenver]

I could set the system up here at home and run some stuff off of a inverter but replacing the inverter bank that will be worn out will cost more than the power did in the first place. I've been looking around with the thought of replacing my three year old banks as they are showing their age, it's pricy.

[CraziFuzzy]

When you are on Shore Power (aka utility) or generator solar will NOT be used because utility or generator is a harder/stiffer source of power. Solar will just collect dust.

That would depend on the inverter I guess. There is nothing technical stopping an inverter from producing just enough to maintain the AC-IN load at zero, effectively not selling, while utilizing as much solar power as is available as there is downstream load to accept. Now, I'm not sure any inverters are programmed to work in this fashion. The Outback GFX in my first post would not do this smoothly. It would have to operate in HBX mode, where it would either run everything downstream on inverter, or all on shore power, switching based on battery voltage. This would needlessly cycle the batteries - something that would not be required with an inverter that could be configured to run maxing out at either zero AC IN, or low selling battery voltage. I'm not familiar enough with the inverters on the market to determine if this is something any are capable of or not. Essentially, this would be a 'limit' on selling, that is able to be set to zero.

[CraziFuzzy]

Without this capability, the only other way would be to decouple AC-IN and AC-OUT completely, set the AC-DC charger to maintain lower than the Solar charger, and run all downstream loads through the inverter, hurting overall efficiency.

Just being able to sell from the trailer would of course be much easier.

[Amy@altE]

The Outback GFX is not UL listed, it is not intended for US installations, it is designed for Latin America. Even if you got past all of the other issues people mentioned, you will not be allowed to net meter with it with your grid. The amount of solar you can fit on the camper would barely make a blip in your home usage, so not worth the hassle, in my opinion. Maybe you can use the RV as an extension of your house when you are home, and run some of your appliances out there, if you can't stand the thought of the solar power not being used.

We have many, many RV'ers who use solar when dry camping. I suggest one specifically design for mobile use, as it gives you modes to charge via solar, shore power, or generator, and some will provide generator assist when needed for high loads. The hybrid Magnum MSH3012M is a sweet product. The Outback FX2012MT may be a good fit as well. Don't get any inverter that is intended to receive grid power for charging, and plan on tricking it with a generator. The generator output is not as clean as the grid, and most inverters won't accept it. Be sure to get one specifically with a genny input.

Amy

[CraziFuzzy]

Be sure to get one specifically with a genny input.

Like the Outback GFX?

[Willy T]

There is nothing wrong with the GFX. A couple issues for what you want to do, it has no neutral / bond built in for switching from shore / inverting as a Mobile inverter would ( UL458 ). It's a bit picky on the power it accepts and will drop out from line voltage drops on shore power. A Inverter Generator works fine, but if in ECO throttle it can have a hard time if the charger is on with some loads. It will cause the generator to fault and get into a cycle of accepting / faulting you have to manually break, that doesn't work well with anything with a compressor short cycling.

Overall it's good, Inverter plus mate = $1,300

[Amy@altE]

Like the 2 mobile ones I listed that are allowed in the US, and are UL458 listed for mobile applications, the hybrid Magnum MSH3012M and Outback FX2012MT, and others in their families.

[harryn]

Maybe consider to just run a few home appliances directly from the RV with an extension cord instead of a complete grid tie. Example TV, house furnace, internet modem and / or fridge.

If you can run those (or some of them) from the RV power, then you now have an emergency backup already in action and are covering the non-challenging home loads. Let the grid run the lights and air conditioner and don't bother with the full grid tie power.

A couple of modern LED flashlights can get you through most short term grid failures, so that is not a serious challenge.