Coleman 40w solar panel.

CanuckTabber

Found one for $99 (canadian pesos) last night..regular 250.   Its a 40w will this effectively charge the t@b battery while boondocking?  Thanks for any insight you can provide.

Playc

I'm new to solar panels and like to learn.  Is it worth the investment?   What's the 'best' one for our TAB.  Plan to use on day trips to parks while no ac connect.

Is there a list/summary what having solar panels can and cannot do to set the right expectations? 

TIA

JandJ92010

There have been several discussions here on solar panels, if you have time to do some digging you will find them. I bought a 120 watt panel, haven't tried it yet, but 40 watt seems a bit on the "not enough" side.

Playc

Jand - what are the right expectations for 120w panel?   AC? Fan? Hot water? 

mash2

AC requires shore power.

40w is very small.... would offer modest addition (maybe an addition 15-20 amps per day in mid summer).  If you were extremely frugal, it would certainly augment your capacity.  

Probably better use as battery charger between outings...would keep the battery charged when not in use (there are draws on the system when in storage and this should keep the battery conditioned for outings), but it is a bit weak to assume that you can make do with it (but it does depend on how much/little power you will use while camping.    

There are some deals out there on larger systems....renogy has a 100 watt system for $150 and others deals are out there.

Playc

Hi mash2 - with renogy100 watt system for $150, wIll it allow the refrigerator on/use all day on battery,  assuming sun light during the day? 

Or what folks make the best use?  As I am interested in getting solar but not for storage charge purpose. ..

Nomad

Playc - Which fridge do you have 2 way or 3 way? They draw different amounts of power.

Playc

Hi PXL - Thanks.  My refit is 3way.

The question is adding solar power equal as connect to a 110 ac? Or just to allow lights and Jensen thru the night? 

Verna

Playc and CanuckTabber, your fridge runs efficiently on propane, but it will eat up your battery power very quickly. 120 watts of solar power is considered to be the minimum to be able to regenerate your power consumption. But, that depends on your usage and the amount of sun on a given day. 

mash2

Bottom line, with the exception of as a recharger for the T@B in storage, we all seem to be saying you'll be disappointed with performance of the 40W system.  How big it needs to be is a bigger discussion about your anticipated needs and usage when you are camping.

Nomad

Yep, run the fridge on propane, even 120w won't let you run the fridge on battery - don't know why one would though..
An example, right now I've got great solar - clear sky, bright sun - but I'm charging my computer thru an inverter and running the ceiling fan on low. That's about it for the moment or my battery monitor will drop lower than I like for recharging for tonight. At that, the monitor jumps between 12.8/13.2.

Note-Added: It takes twice as long to charge the computer thru the inverter as with AC/generator but I hate to haul the generator out just for that.
Some of this (what you can run and for how long) depends on your battery setup, not just the solar input.

Playc

PXL - thanks as always.  so it just seems to me a lot of investment ~ $800 to buy solar panel (not counting the hassle to haul the panels) just able to charge computer or turn on lights ...

CanuckTabber

Wow.  Thanks for all of the feedback.  I was in touch with a canadian distributor that has a 150w "rv" set up that is sub $500 (our dollars).   All of these expenses keep adding up and we havent even bought our trailer yet !!  

Thanks again, great community vibe here!

CanuckTabber

ps.  I dont think the clamshell fridge works on propane does it??

Lisa33

I'd never spend $800 for a 120W system.  For $800, I got two new Trojan T-105 golf cart batteries (225 amp hours), 300 watts of panels, a charge controller and all mounting brackets, cables and connectors.  With that system, I run two 12v fridges (Norcold 12v and ARB) and everything else in the trailer without worry.  Instead of the Coleman 40 (too small as others have said) or the over-priced Zamp,  I'd suggest the Renogy 100w suitcase (or two) for approx, $250. 

CanuckTabber

So many options....Canuck is overwhelmed.

This started off as a very stupid "link" that I sent to my wife one night....

jkjenn

Lisa33 said:

I'd never spend $800 for a 120W system.  For $800, I got two new Trojan T-105 golf cart batteries (225 amp hours), 300 watts of panels, a charge controller and all mounting brackets, cables and connectors.  

I just upgraded my battery to 2 Trojans. Great move. Ran the fridge on propane and kept everything going with 120 watts of GZ solar panels. I had plenty of battery left over.

Nomad

Playc - I don't just charge my computer and run my fan. I live on solar. Normally the only time the generator comes out is on rainy days. If I need to keep my computer charged to do some heavy duty photo editing like noon, I usually hit a campground with elec. - I'm currently in the boonies and no campgrounds with elec. anywhere even close.
Now, I wish I had a bigger battery - the dealer was suppose to do that but didn't - but I consider my solar investment as the best thing I did besides the T@B. And, in spite of the harping about high price by some, the Zamp has served me well and it's plug-n-play. I didn't want to spend hours, and hours, and hours researching and cobbling together a system to save a few bucks and gain not much. And, a year ago, there weren't as many solar options as now.

Now a question for some - Why in the world is solar and brands such a rabid issue?
Stop it!

CanuckTabber

Id love to get off the beaten path and explore the nature that is generally not seen from a highway or a hotel.  This is the reason my wife and I are so interested in a t@b.  You guys are making it sound so awesome.   I picture pulling off a road, surrounded by massive boulders or fly fishing in a stream where all I can hear is the water rolling by.  That to me is living....

mash2

I spent $350 for two new batteries, three 68 watt panels and an MPPT charger.  The plug and play like penology are less than $150 for 100 watts....

JandJ92010

Playc said:

Jand - what are the right expectations for 120w panel?   AC? Fan? Hot

water? 

Well, we use a Dometic portable fridge (2-way) so, keeping that running is top priority. I do have two batteries and the fridge and a small fan run each of them down in a day and a half. Haven't tried the panel yet, but will in Sept. Hope it's enough. Have to wait and see.  A/C only runs on 110volts, and we heat our water on the stove or campfire.

sabel

We just spent 7 days off grid using the Zamp 80 watt ( monocrystalin ) panels. Started with a fully charged battery. Used power for water pump, Alde hot water, fan, lights, radio, and charging phone. Each day was mostly sunny and by 10:00am the battery was fully charged again. IMO it's the perfect setup. I would not recommend any less wattage. 

CanuckTabber

That is awesome.  Thanks.

Nomad

The biggest thing with solar and battery setups is you first have to decide/know what kind of camping you're going to try to do, for how long, and what you expect to run for how long. There's people that want to go completely off-grid for a month or two at a time, that's a totally different deal than boondocking (or hitting campgrounds with no services) for a weekend or a week.

CanuckTabber

Yeah I think a few days "off grid" would be the most we would attempt initially.  You all make it sound so awesome, but I also realize there is a learning curve involved that is why I am attempting to pick your enlightened brains !

Lisa33

Sorry, PXL if I offended you.  I fired off that response in too much of a hurry.  I, too, bought Zamp panels originally.  When I said that I wouldn't spend $800 on 120 watts of solar now, I'm just being direct and honest with my opinion and trying to help the newcomers.  Sometimes people assume that because something costs more it is of higher quality, and it simply isn't true when it comes to Zamp.  I really liked my Zamp panels.  It's definitely a nice product, but I feel that new customers to LG are being steered toward a product that is unnecessarily pricey because LG installs Zamp's quick connect.  The Renogy panels are of equal quality to Zamp and cost a fraction.  I'm being emphatic because I want to help people who are new to solar understand that they don't need to overpay for Zamp.  I actually hold the Zamp company in high regard.  I had a problem with my panels, and the customer service was wonderful.  I've found the same with Renogy.  I just think Zamp needs to be more competitive in their pricing.  

Verna

We all have our own opinions about how we spend our money. There is no clear cut answer for each of us. We just need to give our opinion of the product, state our facts and accept that others won't always agree with our decisions. We do not need to be putting down a specific brand because of our opinions about their pricing. The buyer can make their own decision about how much they are willing to spend.  I have found the prices for various brands thanks to others who have shared their information. 

I chose an 80 watt Zamp suitcase for my Silver Shadow. It did very well to power my needs while wintering last winter in Arizona. I am now waiting for a 200 watt Zamp suitcase to use with my new T@B. I priced buying 2 Renogy 100 watt panels and all of the parts needed to duplicate a Zamp suitcase. I would have had to build the sturdy suitcase myself, taking time and effort to build it out of wood, the media I am most familiar with. The cost came out close enough that I felt it wasn't worth my while to build my own suitcase.  This is my decision and I'm fine with it.

To those who are asking questions, we can only give you our opinions based on our knowledge and experiences. Be sure to research for yourselves and to remember your budget. You can always get bigger and better later. 

Nomad

I wasn't offended, it's just that for one it's against the forum rules since LG sells Zamp and your's wasn't the first - a couple in just a week or so. Seems people are getting a little too passionate about their favorite brands, cheaper or not. Can't recall what one needs to go thru to set up Renology but the Zamp's are an absolute no brainier, probably why LG chose to integrate them. Not everyone is a tinkerer like you and some others here and LG has made it easy for them. I picked up my T@B and a week later my Zamp showed up. Hooked up, pressed two buttons and it's been working flawlessly ever since - no fuss, no muss. There's some muss with other options. Is that ease of use/install worth extra, maybe not to you but to me it was. And that's for each to decide.

mash2

In the midst of this discussion, let's not lose track of original question.  There seems to be a resounding lack of support for the coleman....How much more of what maker of solar is an ongoing discussion (zamp, renology, gz) and how many and what type of batteries.  I think there is common agreement that size and capacity depends on a more detailed assessment of their needs.  Focusing on options to add incrementally and/or calculating ultimate need and purchasing now  should be considered as well.  I brought up renology because there was a system for a good price advertised...Beyond that, we've gone different ways with our systems and I suspect that each is as viable as the next. We also made decisions based on size/price available at the time, and the components are changing price over time.  I know if I were starting over today, I'd probably have a different configuration, but my setup serves me extremely well.

Lisa33

I just think it would be a shame for people to be put off of using solar because they don't have $800 to spend.  Pretty much all of us are on a budget of some sort.  Of course everyone has the complete right to decide how to spend their money.  I stand by my opinion, though, even though it isn't popular.  I do regret ruffling feathers, though!  It wasn't my intention--I am just trying to help.  

To use the Renogy suitcase panel with the Zamp port, you simply need to swap the two wires on the Zamp quick connect as they attach to your battery terminals--super easy to do and would take 30 seconds.  If you are buying a new T@B, you could even ask your dealer to do that for you.  The additional benefit of swapping those two wires is that it will also allow you to use the Zamp port to connect a Battery Tender since both Renogy and Battery Tender have the same wiring requirements, which are opposite of Zamp's.  If you want 200 watts, you could buy two of the Renogy suitcases without their charge controllers and connect them to one, larger (20-30 amp) solar charge controller of your choice.  That would be a little more involved, but still not all that hard.  The upside of two suitcases is that they'd be easier to handle and store since they are half the size and weight.  Hope someone finds this helpful

jkjenn

I think Zamp gets the nod for being the first to really cater to travel trailer crowd. LG/PV were smart to jump on the wagon early and install a Zamp quick disconnect. I think it is fair to say, that there are now other quality brands out there, providing good solutions. LG has started selling GZ gear in their shop, for example. GZ is not cheap. It is the higher end stuff and it is also plug and play. I am sure LG/PV does not want to get into the business of solar advisor, so I can see why they have limited their offering to one panel. However, I agree with Lisa - it is cost prohibitive and there is some implication that the Zamp stuff is better than Renogy or other brands.  Also, the plug and play argument holds less water with Renogy now uincluding the SAE cables in their suitcase kits. For the price of the Zamp 120 watt setup, I could install 2 Trojan batteries and get 200 watts of Renogy.

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask LG if they would consider carrying the Renogy panels. I am sure they could work out a situation where the Reongy kits sold all contained the SAE cable.  I know there is disagreement about the quality of the controllers, but there will always be differences of opinion.  In addition, Renogy would give owners more options as Renogy sells the flexible panels and Zamp does not.

I have been collecting small GZ panels as I had a little extra money here and there, and as I found deals on them. It was just an affordable way to get started for me. They daisy chain together and then I use the GZ controller and connect to the Zamp port. Last weekend, I left my GZ SAE cable that has reversed polarity at home, accidentally. I simply had to switch the positive and negative quick disconnect leads, as Lisa described, to be able to use my panels. I don't think it would be supper-hard for people to be able to figure this all out.

I try very hard to stick to the forum rules and not recommend products that compete with items the Teardrop Shop sells, but this is a reoccurring topic and solar is a big deal for people who camp, not limited to the T@b crowd. The fact that the topic comes up so often might indicate that the Teardrop Shop needs more options or that perhaps an exception should be considered when it comes to solar.