I NEED MORE POWER.....

So we can't have a generator up at the mountain land (they are just too loud).  We can't afford a quiet one.

Was thinking maybe doing some solar for a boost?  We have maybe $200-$300 to spend and want a system that will absorb and store energy every day and then we can take advantage of two weeks or stored power for the one weekend we come up. 

Is that how it works?
Any systems you suggest in price range?
Is the power absorbed by pannels used to charge your battery OR to actually plug into your camper and power things?

An adequate solar system will probably cost you double what a quiet generator will cost.  Panels, charge controller, and batteries can run multiple thousands for a decent system.  A good generator like a Honds or Yamaha 2KW will cost you around a grand.  You decide!

So let me ask you this. You have a water tank that holds ten gallons, and you leave the hose running to fill it. It takes one day to fill it completely up. If you leave the hose run for 2 weeks will you have 10 gallons of water in the tank, or 140 gallons?

Your battery(s) only hold so much energy. That's your limit. For more capacity add more batteries, or a way to charge what you have while you're there. A solar charging set up will help charge the batteries, and allow you to use energy that is immediately replaced (up to the limits of the system) but won't increase the amount of energy storage you have.

Solar panels charge the battery(s). They typically do not directly power anything.

Ken

Right - the one battery is going to run lights for a couple hours just fine.

But I don't want to lug the battery down the hill to charge it and don't want a loud generator.

The trickle charger can charge the battery back up while we are not around and it has a stop feature so it doesn't overcharge or cause backcharge. 

That way the next week we get there and the lights will work again.

We only need lights and maybe 1/2 hour a heater fan.  We won't be using anything else.

Tell us a little about your RV, your setup, your typical power usage and your camping environment. Do you have a travel trailer, or... ? How many house-batteries do you have and what is their total amp-hour (AH) capacity? (Usually printed on the batteries). Is there a lot of shade where you camp or are you often in direct sunlight? Remember, solar panels will generate electricity to recharge your batteries, but to store all the electricity they generate, you'll also need an adequately sized battery-bank. The two go hand-in-hand.

Based on what you've said so far, you could get a system, in the price range you're talking about, that could keep a small battery-bank trickle-charged (topped off), as long as you had good sunlight, but it wouldn't keep up with most RVer's daily power usage. Answer the questions above for us and we'll be able to help you make some decisions.

Kev

So keep in mind this is for ONE DAY. We only camp for one day a time then come home. 

We do not have a battery yet - was going to go buy a DEEP CELL from walmart today (any suggestions when I am shopping).  Figured if we run out of juice it could trickle charge all week and be full again by the next weekend.  We only use the camper for sleeping and getting out of weather basically.  Not for living in.

Here is what we use:
- Lights (2-3 hours a day)
- Heater fan (1/2 hour)

Fridge, heater, stove all work off propane (not electric).

What we DO NOT use:
- shower
- toilet
- sink
- a/c
- microwave
- tv
- built in stereo

What we might like to use:
- charge our portable speaker or cell phone if it runs out of juice from home charge (http://solrepublic.com/deck-wireless-speaker.html)

Before buying a battery, I'd recommend that you read Gary Brinck's article about RV batteries in the Forum library. I think it will help you decide which type/size of battery would be best for your needs. If you're only going to get one battery, I'd recommend a true deep-cycle battery with at least a 100 AH rating - not a marine-type battery. Car part stores often sell, so-called, "deep cycle" batteries and they usually don't last very long. They've often got an AH rating of about 75 to 85 amps.

Let's assume you get a 100 AH battery and your RV is NOT shaded during most of the day (that's important). If you were to install a 100 watt solar panel, they're typically rated to generate about 5 to 6 amps of power each hour. The solar industry uses 5 to 6 hours as an average for how many hours per day a solar panel can generate electricity. So under IDEAL conditions, that 100 watt panel would generate about 30 to 35 amps per day. Now... in reality, a 100 watt panel is actually going to be able to put no more than about 4 amps into your battery-bank each hour - on a good day, in direct sunlight. That's due to wire-run, wire thickness, solar angle, installation errors etc.

Your usage requirements are somewhat different than most off-grid RVers. Most want their solar systems to replenish as much of their daily power usage as possible, but you said you're only going to be using your RV one day each week and the remainder of the time there will be little (if any) power use. For the "typcial" RVer with "typical" power usage and a single 100 watt panel, I usually recommend that they NOT buy/install a solar charge controller, because a single 100 panel won't be able to replenish all the power they consume in a day. There's no chance that a single 100 watt panel could overcharge/damage their battery bank. In your case, however, I would recommend that you buy an inexpensive PWM charge controller. Since your RV won't be used during most of the week, which means it will have little, if any, power draw, and since you'll only have one battery, a single 100 watt solar panel could overcharge that battery - especially if the battery wasn't low to begin with and the solar panel was in direct sunlight. An inexpensive PWM charge controller will prevent overcharging.

Now, if your RV is shaded during most of the day, that will have a significant impact on how much power a solar panel can generate. Only you know how much shading your RV has. In that case, if you still want to move forward with solar, I would recommend that you buy a single 100 watt panel with a PWM controller (you can get panels and controllers in kits), and see how well it keeps your battery topped off. You may find that you need to install additional panels to overcome the shading affect, but a PWM controller, rated at 20 to 30 amps, will allow you to expand your system safely up to about 300 watts. Beyond that, you'd better be looking at an MPPT controller - more expensive but more capable. With a single battery, I don't see you needing an MPPT controller.

Good luck.

Kev

thcguy12 said:

Fridge, heater, stove all work off propane (not electric).

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Almost all RV refrigerators require 12 VDC to run the refrigerator when running on gas.  I would be surprised if yours doesn't also.

When you say a heater fan, what exactly are you referring to???

In reference to the Fridge and Heater mentioned,(if if you are referring to the furnace) and the water heater, if required, all require 12V in conjunction with propane. The furnace fan itself is a BIG consumer of 12V power. You would be lucky to get 1 night out of a single battery installation if the furnace has to run a lot.

An electric heater with a fan uses 120V so, without a generator or plugged in, it cannot run. The furnace fan uses 12V (and a LOT of it!!!) but does not function without the furnace running. The fan switch on the thermostat refers only to the air conditioner fan which is 120V AC  and which, again, you won't have without a generator or being plugged in.

Good luck!!!

I am talking about the heater that is permanently installed in camper.  When I turn on the thermostat the fan for heating the camper comes on...that runs off the battery.  It's under a cupboard.  Then the gas creates the heat which blows out.

The A/C has nothing to do with that - that is on the roof.

True, BUT it is a very large consumer of 12V power, see above!!

On top of that, it is VERY unwise to discharge a deep cycle battery to more than 50% of its capacity. If you do, the chances of recharging it repeatedly and successfully diminish greatly. A trickle charge is only used to maintain an already fully charged battery, a discharged battery requires a much more capable charger.

thcguy12... What they're trying to tell you is that you may have more power consumption than you think - most RVs do. The 12 volt blower in an RV's propane furnace consumes a relatively high amount of power. They can easily drain a single RV battery if used for any length of time. And you're mistaken about a propane fridge not consuming power. They need 12 volts - not a lot of amps - but some.

Kev

With  one fully charged 12 deep cycle battery, I can't get through one night if I run my furnace.  I found this out the first year we had our TT and it wasn't even a particularly cold night.

We run the heat for about 1/2 an hour then go to bed.  We don't have it on constantly.

Go with a generator. Here's a brand new one on Craigs List for less than $900.00. I know you can get them cheaper. I bought a brand new Yamaha 2000 last fall for $710.00. It's basically the same as the Honda. Super quiet. I like it better than the Honda because: It has a fuel gauge, fuel shut off valve and cables for charging a 12 volt battery.

$900 - ha ha ha.

That is almost what we paid for the whole camper.

I maybe have $100 left in the bank for something.  I would never buy a $900 generator to use one day a month for 3-4 months a year.  Seems like a waste.

We only sleep in this - other than that we are never inside it.

Well... with all the information you have received, you don't seem to get it just yet. Go ahead and try a couple of days of camping with one Walmart battery and in the manner you described. If it works for you, Terrific!! If not come back and ask more questions, perhaps we can help clear up the mysteries.

(BTW, nothing wrong with Walmart batteries, I have 2 installed in my trailer, but my use is nowhere near what you would like to do!!)

No it's all great info.  I appreciate it.

I just think everyone thinks I am a typical RV person running everything in the rv.

I literally run lights for a couple hours once a month - that is it. 

My father in law uses one battery to do that all summer long without charging it - not sure why it would be different for me?!

thcguy12 said:

  My father in law uses one battery to do that all summer long without charging it - not sure why it would be different for me?!

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You might want to check with him and verify what's you're saying to us. You may be right but to me it sounds far fetched.

Without furnace you can get by with one battery for a cole of days easy.  Add in a furnace and it will be dead before the night is out.  Its just the facts of life!  Charge the battery at home, take it, install it, run one night.  Take the battery home and recharge it.