Solar for a Beginner

@mburke79,

A few lessons, but first a few things to consider:  

Solar panels charge your battery which in turn operates your 12 v appliances.  You don’t run appliances off of your solar panel.  A Keurig or any other 110 v appliance requires an “inverter” and adequate battery capacity.  Appliances that create heat such as a coffee pot, hair dryer, microwave etc require a much higher amount of amps and probably a bigger battery.

1.   How many amps a day will you use on average?  I can tell you we easily get by on less than 25 amps a day running some lights, Alde, pump, ARB frig.  Here is a handy discussion with member jkjenn’s famous chart:  
https://jenngrover.com/2015/11/guilty-as-charged-rv-battery-use-management/

2.  What is your battery capacity (amps) at the 20 hr rate?  Is it a true deep cycle?  New TaBs have dealer supplied batteries that typically provide 75 amps or less.  You can only use half of those amps before recharging to extend the life of a deep cycle battery.

3.  How long do you expect to camp without power?  If only a couple days at a time, with modest use of power, you may be better served by simply increasing your battery capacity to 100 amps or greater.

4.  If you determine that you will be camping beyond the limits of your battery, then increasing your battery capacity and adding a single 100 watt solar suitcase is typically sufficient for many people.

5.  You will need a charge controller that regulates the energy from the solar panels to the battery.  Some solar suitcases come with a charge controller already in line and these units are plug and play.  Others have separate charge controllers.  

I suggest starting to read here:  

http://www.jackdanmayer.com/rv_electrical_and_solar.htm

https://www.thefitrv.com/rv-tips/how-much-solar-do-i-need-on-my-rv/


https://roadslesstraveled.us/rv-solar/


https://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/rules-of-thumb-in-sizing-solar-systems/

Does your TaB have the solar charge port on the front tub?  Was the TaB purchased new?  I ask because you will want to confirm the port wiring arrangement.  

Can’t go wrong with jkjenn!

I bought a 100 watt solar suitcase recently myself along with a smallish solar “generator” and have been doing some experiments to learn how solar works. One thing I’ve learned is that orientation of the panels with respect to the sun makes a measurable difference in the amount of power you harvest. I’ve run across a few really helpful resources.

https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/cub_pveff_lesson01 Explanation of how solar elevation affects solar panel output

https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/grad/solcalc/azel.html Calculator to help you determine optimum solar panel angle based on time of year and latitude

https://www.simplysolar.app/ An app for your iPhone that helps you adjust the position and angle of your solar panels. Works like the NOAA calculator but does all the work for you.

@gbhaney, if you have a 2017, it has the zamp port as standard. It was discontinued as standard equipment for model year 2018.

I learned a lot about solar & battery power from @jkjenn.  By using one of her spreadsheets to list our expected power consumption for a 5 day trip without hookups, I quickly realized I needed some solar and a battery with more Amp-Hours capacity.  We got a battery monitor, a solar panel & a 150 AH 12V golf cart battery, then a few months ago we made our first trip using solar, which I documented here..

http://tabforum.nucamprv.com/#/discussion/7926/boondocking-our-first-experience-documented

I've been very busy for a while and only now finding time to do some of these things.  We purchased a 200 watt suitcase panel from Renogy when they were on sale.  With a lot of suggestions, I bought the required extras, and there it sat.  I pulled it all out last week when we had our faux spring and tried it out.  My 40 watt panel that came with the camper does nothing.  The cables are a bit stiff and maybe I should tape them together to perhaps get them better under control.  I attached the cables to the panel and then put on the attachment in order to plug into the Zamp.  I appear to be charging well.  I will digging deeping to this as well.  I'd be curious if anyone has a routine they follow for the day...  Also will look into the discussions here about battery charge monitors.  









Here is the difference from my old panel... grin...

Thanks Sharon,
I’ll give a highly technical answer.  They are the kind renogy recommended and sent me.... The cable says “Encore wire/Corp 8awg type photovoltaic wire gr2.  We are ordering stuff right now and I’ll add the loom.  Also adding a few glass fuses.  Still haven’t gotten around to running a ground for the Alde..

It depends where I'm camping. I spend most of my summer in a provincial park on the shores of Lake Huron that's in a nice area and don't worry about theft. However, if I camp near an urban centre or go way up north where the situation is different, then I pack the panel away when I go out. Less charge time, but I can't see a clear way to secure the panel - those aluminum legs can be broken off pretty easily, so a lock and chain through those won't do much.

Olena said:

It depends where I'm camping. I spend most of my summer in a provincial park on the shores of Lake Huron that's in a nice area and don't worry about theft.

Even at nice provincial parks, I still live by "don't leave out anything you are not willing to lose."  I will not be heartbroken if somebody steals my $100 panel, but I'd think twice about anything more valuable. 

ScottG said:

However, I spend most of my days away from the campground, and those are the hours I need that solar panel out doing it's job.

That's pretty much true.  I guess to use any portable panel, you have to be willing to leave it unattended.

Cbusguy said:

Panels are getting very inexpensive.    

I install all of the expensive electronics in a locked tub screwed to the trailer frame,    Solar tech is improving almost monthly someone snags my panels I view it as an opportunity to upgrade.   100 watt panels are less than a $1 per watt, the last two I bought was HQST with are out of the same production plant as the renogy were $80 each.   

Solar suit cases are another marketing gimick,   I can add hinges and a handle to mine for less that $20 and have twice the wattage for half the price.

As a result, solar panels are getting more an more popular.  I'm not too paranoid about my 40W panel getting stolen, because chances are, there are 5 more just like it, a few campsites down....

Sharon_is_SAM said:

Hey @TerryV6, you may like to bundle your lengthy extensions with 5/8 inch black loom.  Much easier to roll up one set of wires.
What gauge wire did you use?

This is funny @Sharon_is_SAM,  I read your message but saw the pic.  I am now the proud owner of 25 ft. of 1/2” split foam...  It struggled with this for 15 minutes trying to get the 2 wires in that foam..