Solar requirements

barcar

I do 99% of my camping in non electric sites, so battery power is important.  I have the standard 12 V battery that was included with the T@B.  (2018 320s)  I use power for the lights, water pump, radio,  Alde and fridge.  (Yes I know, I run the fridge and Alde on propane but am assuming there is a small electrical draw)  Assuming decent sunlight and a fully charged battery to start with, would a 100 watt solar system allow me to run these items for an extended time?

VictoriaP

Maybe. Potential issues off the top of my head:

-There’s no real “standard” battery for the 320s, it’s whatever the dealer installs, and that varies. Usually it’s a group 24 deep cycle, which typically have 70-85 amp hours, half of which you can use before needing to charge. You need to know exactly what your battery was capable of at the time of purchase.

- Your battery is now at least two years old, so it will not have that full capacity any longer. When you replace it, upgrading for more AH is a smart move.

- Different brands of solar panels vary in efficiency even in perfect conditions. 

- There are few places with perfect conditions. Your campsite can be shaded, or facing the wrong direction. You’ll get less sunlight for fewer hours at optimum angles the further north you go, and time of year matters. If you’re in the Pacific NW, 100 watts = 10 watts some days even in midsummer at noon, between light cloud cover and trees, and at absolute best I max out at 75 watts out of a good Renogy panel for a few hours around midday. In the desert Southwest, you’d get more consistent performance and for more hours than I do.

So it really depends. A 100 watt system is a good starting point, but you may find you need to reduce your consumption to make it work. Many people use solar lanterns in place of the trailer lights, and skip the radio (even when turned off, the radio has parasitic draw, so you may want to install a kill switch on the 12v line, likewise with the TV if you have one). 

Sharon_is_SAM

As long as you have consistent sun, you can get by for a long time.  Although there are several members who boondock with 100 watts solar and a 100 amp battery, if you intend to boondock for long periods of time, it is best to have reserve battery capacity.  You can always add another solar panel, but that only helps when there is sun.  So, the extra amperage comes in handy when you run into cloudy weather.  Some members have 2 12 v batteries of the same amps, others have 2 6v batteries, we have a single, large 150 amp battery, and some use lithium.  

Best to know your daily usage before you make a decision.  Then you will know how long you can go without being able to recharge.  Also, a generator can serve as a backup.

pthomas745

I have the stock battery (almost 4 years old now) and a 100 watt panel.  I run out of tank capacity long before I run out of power.  Some days in the rain I've had to "conserve" but I have never gone below 50 percent on my battery.  The Tab just doesn't use much power.