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New small solar set up for caravan - opinions/advice please!

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  • #31
    If the package system cost $300, then my calculations would need to come close to bearing out $300 'less' of generator run-time cost, which is basically the additional FUEL.
    I always find that there's another consideration with solar versus a generator.

    Not having the noise of a generator every time I want power: PRICELESS

    Not having to lug fuel around: ALSO PRICELESS

    Being able to hear those birds (and letting your neighbors hear those birds or whatever): etc

    Personally I don't like those temporary solar rigs, like most people my first solar install was like that, and I found it much easier and more efficient to just to keep it on the roof. Hell, the roof is where I'd carry them anyway. And I'm on the NorCal coast where a little sun on the roof is welcome. If shading was a big issue I'd probably keep extra panels for off vehicle installation when needed since they're so cheap.
    Last edited by Wrybread; 09-04-2019, 05:07 PM.

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    • #32
      Originally posted by Wrybread View Post

      I literally have to laugh at how wrong that is. Modern solar in an RV works well enough to be able to live full time in an RV without ever starting the engine or a generator. I'm proof of that, I've been living in an RV most of the time for years and now full time (I'm now a campground host), and I'm off-grid and the camper never moves, I never start the engine for charging, and I don't have a generator. And I'm not miserly with power, I use all I want, I literally never give a thought to power consumption. And my system is dirt cheap and simple.

      930 watts of panels (3 310 watt panels)
      4 Trojan T-105 batteries (5400 watt hours)
      Morningstar MPPT 60 charge controller (previously the Tracer 40 amp charge controller, which also works beautifully)
      Xantrex 1000 watt inverter
      With good design and a prime fixed location, that can work (you are proof) But not everyone has the same conditions, and being able to place nearly 1Kw of panels on the roof is a huge advantage many folks don't have.
      Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
      || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
      || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

      solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
      gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

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      • #33
        With good design and a prime fixed location,
        There's nothing prime about my location as far as solar goes, I'm right smack dab on a northern California beach with the constant haze and fog and clouds. And plus the seagulls love to poop on my panels...

        And I'm currently at a mostly fixed location but I've driven all up and down the Pacific coast from Baja to Washington and throughout the Eastern Sierra, for months at a time, and my solar has never let me down. And it's a long story but I don't even have my battery bank connected to my alternator, just 100% solar for all my electrical needs.

        being able to place nearly 1Kw of panels on the roof is a huge advantage many folks don't have.
        My RV is a 24 foot Class C, probably one of the smaller vehicles on this forum. If I can fit them, so can most people. My roof isn't one of those blank slate roofs either, I had to get creative to make them fit, but with that creativity I could even fit one more if I needed it. It's not pretty, but it doesn't need to be. And my old turtle top dodge van fit all the panels I needed too.

        Honestly I'm really surprised that the prevailing view on this forum is so negative to solar, it's like we're talking about different things. And frankly I think we are. It seems that most people with a negative view of rv solar have some mix of crappy old style 12 volt panels or PWM charge controllers or externally mounted panels or tiny systems or no solar at all. Modern solar (mppt charge controller and high voltage panels) with sufficient panels (600 watts or more) works great for everyone. I'm long term proof of that. And there's absolutely nothing unique about my situation, except that I completely depend on solar full time.
        Last edited by Wrybread; 09-04-2019, 07:14 PM.

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        • #34
          Originally posted by Wrybread View Post

          Honestly I'm really surprised that the prevailing view on this forum is so negative to solar. I've never seen anything like it. And invariably it seems that the people with a negative view have old style 12 volt panels or PWM charge controllers or externally mounted panels or tiny systems or no solar at all. Sufficient modern solar works great for everyone.
          I would say the view is more negative towards improperly designed systems and zero tolerance for unsafe practices or advice. Solar has its place but its not always the correct answer for all people or all situations. Sometimes for the weekend warrior a bigger battery bank is all that is needed. Not everyone is living out of their RV full time.

          And whats with the beef towards old crappy 12v panels and PWM. My 4Runner has had the same "crappy" 12v 75w panel (BP Solar) paired with a Morningstar SunSaver 10 (PWM] since 1993. It has and continues to run an ARB compressor refrigerator 24/7 365.

          Frankly I am surprised that you have not convinced everyone in your campground to go solar. Maybe offer a tour and explanation of how well your system works. I am also surprised that you havent gone full electric for your refrigeration and cooking needs.
          Last edited by Suprasoup; 09-04-2019, 09:48 PM. Reason: edit: fixed grammatical errors

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          • #35
            Originally posted by SunEagle View Post

            And I still get asked why I moved to Florida from up North.
            +1. Avalanches...Hurricanes. Both giant walls of water. Hope you and yours are safe in Florida.

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            • #36
              Originally posted by Suprasoup View Post

              +1. Avalanches...Hurricanes. Both giant walls of water. Hope you and yours are safe in Florida.
              We got lucky and dodged the mortar round and stayed safe. Unfortunately the East Coast of FL was not as lucky and the islands were decimated.

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              • #37
                Frankly I am surprised that you have not convinced everyone in your campground to go solar. Maybe offer a tour and explanation of how well your system works.
                Of course I advocate for RV solar in person. I love helping people install solar, and I do it every chance I get. I've installed solar for all the employees here (we're all off-grid) and helped a lot of the campers get going with solar. Every generator that sits unused makes me happy. And on a sidenote I keep meaning to print up a pamphlet for people who are running their gennies in the middle of a sunny day with links to everything they'd need to build a good solar system. Someday.

                I would say the view is more negative towards improperly designed systems and zero tolerance for unsafe practices or advice.
                Again it's like we're talking about different things. RV solar is so simple, and so easy to do safely, and there's so many people willing to help (on this forum for example) that it's dead simple for anyone with the desire to install it. But most of the criticisms of RV solar on this forum aren't about implementation or safety, most people here simply don't realize how well it works in an RV. They call it a "gimmick" over and over. Truly amazing!

                Sometimes for the weekend warrior a bigger battery bank is all that is needed. Not everyone is living out of their RV full time.
                Batteries are by far the biggest expense in a solar system, I can't imagine why someone wouldn't want to install a few panels to keep their batteries topped off and give themselves the freedom of going on longer trips? And power needs aren't easy to anticipate. Seems like a recipe for finishing every trip in the dark, and needlessly so. It just doesn't make any sense given how cheap the solar charging component is (a 40 amp MPPT charge controller is $130, two 300 watt panels are $120 to $400). I spent more money on my stereo than on my solar system.

                And whats with the beef towards old crappy 12v panels and PWM. My 4Runner has had the same "crappy" 12v 75w panel (BP Solar) paired with a Morningstar SunSaver 10 (PWM] since 1993. It has and continues to run an ARB compressor refrigerator 24/7 365.
                Don't get me wrong, I loved my 12 volt solar panels and PWM charge controllers in the 90s and early 2000s, and I'm glad they meet your needs. But comparing it to modern solar is like comparing a solar lawn light to your system. The system you describe is, at best, about 5 amps, which is just better than an automotive trickle charger. A modern solar system easily gives 40 amps or more, which is easily enough to live off of.
                Last edited by Wrybread; 09-06-2019, 04:16 PM.

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                • #38
                  Originally posted by SunEagle View Post

                  And I still get asked why I moved to Florida from up North.
                  I am with you.

                  Part of the reason for building this rig is to be able to run away from that nasty white stuff that falls from the sky in northern climates. If I can help it, I will NEVER be in a circumstance where I have to clear snow off of my panels.

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