New FWC Hawk - PNW Solar&Battery?

[CamperSam]

Hi
I’m about to collect a new Hawk which was a showroom model so it was close to my ideal spec.

It has 1 battery and the 65L compressor fridge.

How long can I expect this battery to last when out camping?
I’ll likely add a 100W solar panel to the roof soon - but living in the PNW a lot of the camping is in trees or cloud anyway.

If I need to add another battery, how complex is the install and is there already space provisioned for 2 batteries if that config wasn’t ordered from the factory?
Thanks!

 

[Vic Harder]

I believe there is room for two batteries on all new builds.

a typical DC fridge is going to use about 20+ AH a day. Mine uses 17AH overnight most nights. Recharges via solar during the day. Without solar, you only have what the factory battery (75AH I believe) can provide. 50% of that 75 is usable. Call it 40AH. With nothing else drawing power (fridge IS the biggest draw, but still) you have 2 days max without recharging. A weekend.

With the showroom solar setup (160AH, charger, monitor) and two batteries you get 3 days easy, and potentially forever if you manage to get some sun.

 

[Batman]

If you add solar I'd be looking for closer to a 200 watt module. Here in the sunny SW corner of Colorado our factory installed 160 watt solar panel and two AGM 75AH batteries does a good job during sunny or even partly cloudy weather. One totally overcast day starts to pull the batteries down too close to the 50% limit overnight.