solar power

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mrbirdguy

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 25, 2010
Posts
68
I am looking for ideas on solar power and how to use a travel trailer with it how do you do it how many amp hour would a travel trailer need for like 2 days to normaly run except for the ac but would if need heat would use. The trailer I am trying to get is a sunnybrook 267rl thanks
 
  Its hard to say w/o knowing your needs and battery bank. For example if you had two 12 volt batts it would not be feasible to install three 130 watt panels. Likewise if you had four 6 volts it's not feasible to expect 130 watts will fully charge up with power hog use.
  You will not run A/C or A/C heaters with battery/inverter if thats what you are referring to.
  If you can advise what your battery bank is first and power use you will get good ideas what to install for solar charging.
 
Nice to see another TT guy...

For two days batteries are cheaper than solar power.

One of the facts to consider is that solar power is dependent upon sunshine.  So, works better in LA or Miami, than in Seattle.

I figure I need around 100 Amp-hours a day in the fall in Minnesota when the days are short (=lights on for more hours) and the nights are cold (=furnace running).  In June I would use very little by comparison, maybe 20-30 Ah a day to run controls, water pump, and a few lights.

How much can you expect from the panels?  I dunno.  Maybe half an amp hour per day, average, per rated watt, in sunny places.  Panels run $3 and up per rated watt, plus brackets and charge controller.  I'd spend the money and put in 300 watts of panels and call it good if we had sun here, which we don't.

A disadvantage of Airstreams is that the curved design limits the number of panels you can install, especially if you have two A/C units as I do.  I'm guessing that you can put up as many as you're willing to pay for.
 
Depends on how much power you use. We use a lot...TV, internet, lights, etc. Some people use very little, maybe only lights.

Wendy
boondocking at Mittry Lake, Yuma
 
If I was to mount solar pannels to the roof how woul I asteticly conceal the wire to the charge controller below in the storage compartment
 
Usually people snake it between the inside and outside skins.  Can be a hard job.  Some trailers are prewired for solar for this reason.
 
The refer vent is the best place to feed in the wire. That will get you into the coach and near cabinets etc.
Many RVs are prewired for solar and have a blank cover in the roof(like a 4" round or square config.). You might check the storage compartments for a pair of #8 or #10 stranded wires not connected to anything.
 
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