What size solar panel for T@B 400

jpi68

We have been researching solar panels to recharge our 2019 T@B 400’s two sealed batteries. We are looking at buying a Zamp suitcase style panel system. We see all kinds of numbers thrown around from 100, 140, 180, 200 Watt panels. We dry camp quite A bit and have a Honda 2200i generator that we use to recharge our batteries. The Honda is pretty quiet but still generates noise. So we would like to go solar. We run our Two-Way refrigerator full time, water pump intermittent, fantastic fan intermittent, bathroom fan intermittent and LED lights as needed. We have noticed that we need to run our generator 3 to 4 hours in order to fully charge our batteries, and can run them down to 50 percent charge after a day or so.... So far we are limited to about three days camping because of our fresh water supply... Does anyone have a suggestion as to the size of solar panel that we should get? Thanks...

pthomas745

Usually, the recommendation is to match your battery capacity and the solar capacity.  200 amp hours of battery = 200 watts of solar panel. 

Dutch061

The factory installed panels on our 2020 BDL are 190 Watts, this works very well for us. I think the total AH for our 2 AGM 6 Volts is 224 AH for reference

Brad

Verna

I have two 100 watt Zamp flexible solar panels on my roof and have spent 
6 months in AZ the winter of 2018/19. I was in dispersed camping with water to my campsite, but no electricity. As the 3 winters before in my T@B S Max, I needed nothing else but the 200 watts of solar. I don’t take a generator, and I just watch to make sure I charge my DeWalt batteries on the 1000 watt inverter one the mid morning so there’s plenty of time to charge the batteries to full every day. 

I also make liberal use of rechargeable solar Luci lights. Charge them during the day, and use them in the evening. I watch a lot of basketball, so I have a smaller inverter to power my Dish receiver. The setup works very well. 

Tundra57

For external solar cells, the larger ones take more pysical effort to put out. My Renogy 100watt units (i have two) weigh about 25 lbs each. The 200 watt units even more. So i would say if you want external panels, check the folded size and weight before you buy them.

N7SHG_Ham

It probably isn't the cheapest solution, but I would get the factory panel installed. Very clean install and works good.

Sharon_is_SAM

If you are using about 100 amps in a day or so, I consider that a whole lot of power needs.  Not sure where you camp, but if you don’t seek out too much shade, the roof mounted panels would be very convenient and you may consider a second 100 watt portable panel.  I agree with Verna - the Lucci lights are a good way to reduce your battery requirements.  I also agree that if you get only portables, the 200 watt are heavy and much larger.  We carry 2 Renogy 100 watt suitcases.

Verna

Yes, the Zamp 200 watt suitcase weighs 49 lbs, but I don’t go camping without it. 

jpi68

I like the idea of two 100 Watt suitcase panels... My question is how do you wire the two together?

Sharon_is_SAM

Parallel wiring.  Check out this Renogy page.

https://www.renogy.com/learn-series-and-parallel/

pthomas745

There are many ways to link the panels together.  The wires coming from the panels will/should have MC4 connectors, and there are MC4 "wyes" that allow you to hook the four wires coming from the panel into two wires, and those 2 wires would go to your solar controller.

Look for "suitcase" panels with separate solar controllers.  A controller should be close to the battery.

Solar panels have changed greatly in the last couple of years.  Compare the size and weight of single 100 watt panels to the 100 watt suitcases.

Here are the cables I'm talking about.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0822QMRCW/ref=dp_cerb_2