solar panel

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grampy

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Jun 23, 2015
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hi hope everybody is enjoying this camping weather my question is what is the best replacement for solar panel on a 2001 35ft adventure and can i go higher than 10 watt we don't much boon docking,thanks hope everybody stays safe
 
hi hope everybody is enjoying this camping weather my question is what is the best replacement for solar panel on a 2001 35ft adventure and can i go higher than 10 watt we don't much boon docking,thanks hope everybody stays safe
Did your RV come with one of those mickey-mouse ten what panels? My Y2K RV did, I have 80 watts up there now, as those were put on many years ago, but I would go with more I were doing that job today. The nice thing about having those little mickey-mouse solar panels is you already have the wiring and should be able to add a lot more. Best to remove the old one, or it would need it's own controller and wiring. Different size solar panels should each have their own separate solar controller to the house battery.

Another option is to get portable solar panels and controller and leave it as is on the roof or change it to get even more solar.

I have 80 watts on my roof and another 100 watts of portable solar on the ground when I boondock with my Y2K RV.

I do similar with my newer RV.

-Don- Auburn, CA
 
Don't do much boondocking? Don't waste your money. A small, 2000 watt generator could be more useful.
I think of the purpose of solar is to reduce the hours on the genny, save some gas and some genny time.

But it needs to be monitored (with a SmartShunt or whatever) so you don't run the genny longer than necessary.

-Don- Auburn, CA
 
hi mark something about $200
Oh, OK. Send me $200 and I'll send you the "best" panel ever.

Cost is a factor, but you haven't quantified any other requirement like wattage, size/mounting or other operational goal. My idea of "best" would likely be different than some others and dollars isn't a guarantor of success. So unless you want what somebody else thinks is "best", the more closely you can define that term for yourself the more likely the solution really will be "best".

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
Really get a noise,that needs gas and oil ? My EGO 3,000 watt solar generator with 2 100 watt panels can run AC, coffee pots any thing you need and no noise no mess.
 
Really get a noise,that needs gas and oil ? My EGO 3,000 watt solar generator with 2 100 watt panels can run AC, coffee pots any thing you need and no noise no mess.

Home | EGO PST3042 - Generator

EGO PST3042 - Generator MowersAtJacks.Com
 
Don't argue with me - try to convince Grampy, he's the one asking for advice.

Tell him why the EGO is better than the Honda. Price, longevity, ease of setup, transferrability, retained ownership...


 
I agree with Donn, get a Honda 2200 inverter genny.
I always assume everybody already has a genny, but I should realize that isn't always true.

But I agree the inverter genny makes a lot more sense if you're only going to have one or the other.

-Don- Auburn, CA
 
hi hope everybody is enjoying this camping weather my question is what is the best replacement for solar panel on a 2001 35ft adventure and can i go higher than 10 watt we don't much boon docking,thanks hope everybody stays safe
If I remember correctly, the 10 watt solar panel wiring is only 14 gauge but you should be okay with a panel putting out 7 or 8 amps. There is a circuit breaker (pop-out type) in the electric bay (that's where mine was located) for the 10 watt panel.
 
Really get a noise,that needs gas and oil ? My EGO 3,000 watt solar generator with 2 100 watt panels can run AC, coffee pots any thing you need and no noise no mess.
Yes but don't the EGO products only have a handful of Wh? For instance the EGO PST3041 3000W is stocked with batteries but it's still only 840Wh which is less than a single 100Ah 12v. That can run 3000W for about 15 minutes, which is extremely limited. Do they have a more powerful model?
The Grid Point power box has over 8400Wh of capacity, a 3000W Xantrex inverter, and all Victron DC charging components. It surges up to 6000W and can run a 3000W air conditioner for hours.
 
Since you're asking specifically about solar panels...

Today, you can find 200 watt panels for about $200, but the tiny controller that Winnie installed with their 10 watt panels won't be able to handle it. If you don't envision ever expanding your solar array, buy a cheap PWM controller with the new panel, bypass the original Winnie solar install and be done with it.

If you think you might want to expand your solar array someday, spend a few more dollars and buy an MPPT controller, sized for the amperage you envision.

Kev
 

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