I NEED MORE POWER.....

[Mopar1973Man]

Well since you not very handy. You could pick up all this stuff and just clip it on the battery and use it but the setup time and weather factor will be a issue. That's how I started out originally.

(Attachment below)

As for stick and bricks I've got a bigger system... 

(2nd Attachment)

 

[Carl L]

That seems complex - or at least more than I know how to do. 

I am literally needing something I just attach to battery for $225 or less.

Okay, we seem to have established that generator will not work for you based on a combination of noise and price. You're not going to be able to get enough solar charge your battery for $225 or less.

The issue of theft was raised and could be a consideration depending upon the sociological pathologies in your area.  (In my area, I doubt if batteries last more than a weekend or two.)

What we seem to be left with a simple solution: buy one or two deep cycle batteries. Maintain them at home on a charger plugged into your house current. When you head to camp, take the batteries with you and hook them up to trailer when you arrive. At the end of the weekend, disconnect the batteries, load them into your vehicle, and go home where you will put them back on the charger.

This solution will be quiet and cheap. I recommend deep cycle, sealed, AGM batteries ? these have a low risk of spillage making them easier to transport.  I further recommend getting 2 batteries since you will be running 100 percent on them over the weekend.  Even with 2, power will be tight.  You will be able to use lighting, fridge, and maybe some heater (I recommend sleeping bags if the nights are at all chill.)  Oh, yes, there will be a bit of schlepping of lead filled batteries  -- you cannnot have everything.

Good luck. 

 

[Mopar1973Man]

Carl does have some good suggestions that come at a price though. AGM batteries tend to cost more and may or may not have a very good life span. Lugging around heavy batteries can be a job. Also being careful of hooking everything back up. One mistake of hooking up the wrong way might do some damage.

I would consider finding a local person that is handy with electrical and having him do the wire work for you. At least if everything is wired to the RV then you have less things to lug around and deal with.

 

[Utclmjmpr]

Looks like he has nothing but "the habit".>>>Dan :

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

For what he described, he doesn't need an inverter. No 120v usage, so no requirement to create 120v power.  Hook a modest sized solar panel to a half-decent battery, say a Group 27 or 30 size marine or trolling motor battery, and 40 watt solar panel should probably do the trick. Under $200 for the solar panel (e.g. Home Depot online) and around $85 for the battery at Walmart.  Gotta have some wires to connect solar to battery and this battery to the trailer, but that's a necessity no matter how you do it.

I think a 40 watt panel is ok without a charge controller - maybe 3 amps top. I figure the battery might last two seasons, or maybe even three.

The biggest issue is theft - this stuff is real likely to grow legs during the week. The other problem is somewhere to place the panel, near the trailer but out of the way, in full sun and safe from accidental harm. Some sort of rack or table, preferably angled toward the summer sun.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Nature-Power-40-Watt-Monocrystalline-Solar-Panel-with-Aluminum-Frame-50042/204005724
http://www.walmart.com/ip/EverStart-27DC-6-Marine-Battery/16795212

 

[Old Blevins]

What Gary said.  You can either schlep your battery (and given budget constraints, I've schlepped my share of flooded-cell batteries - no big deal), or use a small solar panel to charge it.
Were it me, I'd get these:
http://www.amazon.com/RENOGY-Watts-Solar-Panel-Listed/dp/B00DCDQKII/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1430893406&sr=8-3&keywords=40+watt+solar+panel
http://www.amazon.com/RENOGY-Watts-Solar-Panel-Listed/dp/B00DCDQKII/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1430893406&sr=8-3&keywords=40+watt+solar+panel
http://www.amazon.com/RENOGY%C2%AE-Adaptor-connectors-Connecting-controller/dp/B00GF8UUJM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1430893669&sr=8-3&keywords=renogy+mc4

bolt the panel onto the roof of your RV so no one steals it.  Use the brackets in the link above because you need a little air flow under the panel to keep it cooler.  Seal the holes with dicor (in fact, put some in the holes before you run the screws in).  Plug the wires in and drape them down the outside of your RV and connect them to the battery.  Probably a Real Good Idea to put a 10amp fuse on the hot line.  And if security is an issue where the rig will be, find a way to chain down your battery.

Of course, this only works if your RV will be where it can get a few hours of sun a day.  It shouldn't take much since the panel has lots of time to charge your battery between uses.

 

[thcguy12]

I should probably know this but I don't since I barely own a screw driver.

If I get solar panels to install on roof do I just screw them into the roof. Won't that cause a leak? Does there need to be a bolt on opposite side or will whatever the roof is made of hold them?

---

Also another question - if we bring up a second battery just to have around in case can we store in in the closet of RV?  Or does it need to be outside in open air?  Maybe just toss it under the rv in a crate or something?

(no change of theft - we own the gated land)

 

[Mopar1973Man]

I've got 2 batteries on my RV and can run roughly 24-36 hours on a single charge that living in the RV. As for storage it will hold a charge for a very long time. But all batteries AGM, Gel Cell or lead acid will self discharge over time. So even bring a spare battery you'll need to find a way to charge the batteries again. Like said before you'll end up hauling batteries back and forth.  :

 

[Kevin Means]

You don't necessarily have to drill holes in the roof to install your solar panel(s), some folks say that 3M makes a double-sided tape that can stick the panels to the roof, but I've never personally seen it done, or talked to anyone who's done it, so I can't say how well it works. Here's how our solar panels are installed...

We have six fairly large panels and each is mounted to the roof with four "Z" brackets. Those brackets hold the panels about an inch above the roof. A hole is drilled in the roof for each bracket, then Dicor (a self-leveling sealant), is squeezed into each hole. A nylon expansion plug is then tapped down into each Dicor-filled hole, and then the solar panel (with "Z" brackets) is put in place. A coarse-threaded stainless steel screw is run through each "Z" bracket and screwed into the expansion plugs. As the screws are tightened, the expansion plugs expand slightly, tightening themselves against the underside of the roof. That holds each panel firmly in place.

Apply more Dicor over the top and sides of each bracket to prevent water from getting in, and then clean, inspect and re-seal each bracket once a year and you're good to go.

Most lead-acid RV batteries need to be vented, because they can out-gass under certain conditions. We've got AGM batteries and they're supposed to be totally sealed and (supposedly) won't vent. I wouldn't trust them though. I'd recommend keeping your batteries somewhere that they can vent to the outside, not inside.

Kev

 

[Mopar1973Man]

Just keep in mind that if the solar panels are mounted to the roof the RV must be park in full sun. Like talking to my Barber as I was getting a hair cut. He's done the same thing and had 2 solar panels added to the roof and complains of poor performance. I asked where he's parking at? Of course he's parking the RV in the shade to keep it cooler. So of course the panel being screw to the roof he has zero options to move them now. So he's using a generator for power. He's also a boondocker too.

Now I can understand it if you down in the southern states that is mostly desert and little trees to mount the panels on the roof. But here in the northern states where trees are plentiful it would be a good idea to leave them free standing. 

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I've screwed all sorts of things to RV roofs without issues. Just pre-drill and squeeze caulk in the hole before inserting the screw. I prefer a fairly coarse thread screw to grip well in what is usually a thin wood substrate.

However, if you aren't moving the trailer, holding it down with an industrial grade double-sided tape might work well enough. 3M makes a good one - their Extreme Mounting tape:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009NP1JQC/ref=s9_simh_hd_bw_p229_d0_i5?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-2&pf_rd_r=0XER64XYTKD7XH2QA6G9&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=2071195782&pf_rd_i=1069324

 

[Old Blevins]

Also another question - if we bring up a second battery just to have around in case can we store in in the closet of RV?  Or does it need to be outside in open air?  Maybe just toss it under the rv in a crate or something?

(no change of theft - we own the gated land)

It's handy to put it next to your first battery and wire them together in parallel (+ to + and - to -).  The two batteries combine to function as a single battery.  It's best if they're very similar batteries in age, condition and capacity.  Hook up both your trailer power leads and solar leads with the Hot wires to the + of one battery and the ground wires to the - of the other battery.  That way your solar will charge both batteries.