Solar on my truck camper

[thepartyhound]

I've just recently picked up a pop-up truck camper. It is currently designed to run off the truck battery, but I do not like that idea. I have bought a battery (120 A/h deep cycle) and plan to get another one of these to double the capacity. The battery needs to run a fan for the furnace for a whole day, (I do not know the draw of this heater for sure, but 12 amps is what google is telling me), a couple of lights which I plan to change out for LED lights, and possibly a 3-way refrigerator (11.2 amps is a number I came across for the fridge running on DC) if there is enough battery capacity. Perhaps a couple other small incidental things like a car stereo on occasion and a cell phone charger at night would also be used.

I need to take some measurements to see if it will fit, but I've got my eye on a solar world 260w 60 cell panels this panel to charge the batteries. I'm open to what charge controller to use. I also plan to install a 600 watt inverter, although I don't anticipate using it for much...mostly just want to have it there if I need it. I want to keep costs as minimal as possible. Please, help me out here. Am I on the right track? If not, please get me there!

Also, another thought that came up... I have already wired in a connector into my trailer wiring to allow my truck to charge the battery while I'm driving. Currently, this is connected directly to my battery in the camper. Once I get a solar panel and charge controller installed, will I want this connection to run through the charge controller or leave it connected directly to the battery? Also, I have thought about wiring in a 3 stage battery charger to the AC system so that when I'm plugged into AC it will charge the battery without having to open up the battery box. I'm assuming this would connect directly to the battery?

Sorry, lots of questions packed all into one post. Let me list them out to make answering them easier...

1. Will the solar panel that I have listed keep up with my DC power demands? I live in Montana...that may equate into the sunlight availability.
2. Will the batteries provide sufficient capacity? I believe they are SLA (they say "maintenance free" on them...I assume this means they are sealed?)
3. Recommend a charge controller.
4. How does everything that I have listed need to be connected together (Circuit from trucks charging system, charge controller, 3 stage AC battery charger, and solar panels)?



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[Naptown]

In the screen shot you had 4 in the cart.
How many are you going to use or more important will fit

[thepartyhound]

I'm planning on using only one of those panels, assuming it will fit the roof of my camper. Not sure why, but that page defaults with 4 in the cart...

[Naptown]

Probably that price is based on buying 4 at a time
That should fit on top
The issue is going to be how you park the camper to keep some kind of orientation to the panel.
Perhaps fabricate a mount that will tilt up as laying flat particularly at this time of year will give you little output
That panel will require an mppt controller as it is above the voltage of what a pwm controller can use efficiently
Perhaps a 30a charge controller.
That will support a 12v 250AH battery bank. I suggest 2 6v golf cart batteries in series
Certainly install a battery isolated and connect it to the alternator of the tow vehicle.
You can run multiple charging units into the battery
Look also into inverter chargers which will have the dual purpose of a 3 stage charger and inverter in one unit and will bypass the 110v away from the inverter when plugged into shore power. These are commonly available for the marine market. The smallest one you can find is best

[thepartyhound]

Can you recommend a charge controller and inverter/charger?

[Naptown]

Magnum or Xantrex for charger inverters look in marine, RV suppliers
Morningstar for the charge controller
The tristar mppt 45 is sufficient.

[Wy_White_Wolf]

...The battery needs to run a fan for the furnace for a whole day, (I do not know the draw of this heater for sure, but 12 amps is what google is telling me), a couple of lights which I plan to change out for LED lights, and possibly a 3-way refrigerator (11.2 amps is a number I came across for the fridge running on DC) if there is enough battery capacity....

Just some quick numbers

12A * 24 hours = 288AH
11.2A * 24 hours = 268.8AH

556.8Ah not figuring in the lights yet so lets go with 600AH daily load

Batteries shouldn't be discharged more than 20% in a day.

600AH * 5 = 3000AH battery bank

Looks like you'll need a few more batteries

3000AH / 120AH = 25 batteries needed (better beef up the suppension under your truck)

I'd suggest you find a different battery as that many in parrallel won't work.

Now for the solar panel or do yo want me to quit? I can already say the roof of your camper is too small to hold that many panels.

WWW

[russ]

Maybe a trailer is required - maybe an 18 wheeler?

[Mustang65]

Here is how I set up our RV for SOLAR. Currently I have 2 Trojan T-145 (6 Volt) batteries and will be adding 2 more before we start camping in February 2014. I will also be adding an additional 250Watt Solar Panel. We went out west this summer and the current setup worked flawlessly. Not sure if the picture will get inserted at the bottom of this post but you can click on the link to my album to see it and others.

Good luck with your install.
Don

2013 Jayco Eagle 284BHS
250Watt Grape Solar Panel, MorningStar MPPT 60 Charge Controller
1500 Watt Ramsond PSI, 2 Trojan T145 Batteries
2 - AirSight Wireless IP Cameras (used as rear view cameras)
EnGenius WI-FI extender, Netgear wireless modem (n)
MagicJack Internet Phone
2012 Ford F150XLT, EcoBoost w/3.73
157" Wheel base, HD Towing Package

Our Solar RV - Album [URL="http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/album.php?albumid=145[/URL]

[dkpro1]

20%

Just some quick numbers

12A * 24 hours = 288AH
11.2A * 24 hours = 268.8AH

556.8Ah not figuring in the lights yet so lets go with 600AH daily load

Batteries shouldn't be discharged more than 20% in a day.

600AH * 5 = 3000AH battery bank

Looks like you'll need a few more batteries

3000AH / 120AH = 25 batteries needed (better beef up the suppension under your truck)

I'd suggest you find a different battery as that many in parrallel won't work.

Now for the solar panel or do yo want me to quit? I can already say the roof of your camper is too small to hold that many panels.

WWW

20% doc you need to do the math 50% is the best pack sizing man

[Sunking]

20% doc you need to do the math 50% is the best pack sizing man

So what do you suggest on cloudy days, or you do not like replacing batteries once a year?

[dkpro1]

Can you say

so what do you suggest on cloudy days, or you do not like replacing batteries once a year?

honda.......

[dkpro1]

So what do you suggest on cloudy days, or you do not like replacing batteries once a year?

also build aray much bigger then neede ..... ah .55 a watt set CC to limit amp out put to a C/8 charge rate
then on clody days you can still fill batties I know this works I do it 450 watts in pouring rain

[SunEagle]

also build aray much bigger then neede ..... ah .55 a watt set CC to limit amp out put to a C/8 charge rate
then on clody days you can still fill batties I know this works I do it 450 watts in pouring rain

Hmmmm. Liquid sunshine.

[Mustang65]

[QUOTE=thepartyhound;89021] and possibly a 3-way refrigerator (11.2 amps is a number I came across for the fridge running on DC) if there is enough battery capacity.

Just so you know, on a 3 way fridge you can run it on LP and the only electric needed is a few mW of 12 volt power to run the circuit board.

Running a heater fan on even my batteries will bring them down by morning to 12.4 Volts, and I do not like to drop below 12Volts.

If you decide to purchase a Gas Generator, understand campgrounds do not allow the noisy ones, that everyone can afford, pretty much it has to be the silent running ones like Honda (about $2k)..

You can only run the generators between the hours of 9 and 9 at most campgrounds, if they are the quiet types.

LED's are a must

With my setup I can watch TV (inverter), listen to the radio, laptop computer,charge phones... all day (solar charging) and at night until about 11PM, with LED's for lighting, we have not had much need for heat, but that is a battery killer (the fan).

Good Luck
Don
2013 Jayco Eagle 284BHS
250Watt Grape Solar Panel, MorningStar MPPT 60 Charge Controller
1500 Watt Ramsond PSI, 2 Trojan T145 Batteries
2 - AirSight Wireless IP Cameras (used as rear view cameras)
EnGenius WI-FI extender, Netgear wireless modem (n)
MagicJack Internet Phone
2012 Ford F150XLT, EcoBoost w/3.73
157" Wheel base, HD Towing Package

Our Solar RV Album http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/album.php?albumid=145