solar panel recomendations

B

bmiracle

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Joined
Feb 21, 2014
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Location
Bend, OR
I have a FWC Eagle with the factory instaled plug and am looking to put a solar panel on top. What brands and how large do you solar folks recomend. I will be using the camper daily in a pretty constantly sunny location without the ability to charge batterys via hookups.

thanks
 
I would put as much panel as reasonably fits if you will not be running the truck every few days. I left my truck parked at Lake Powell during very hot weather, and the solar panel could not keep up with the demand from the refer. The batteries were very low after 5 days. I believe my panel is a 90 watt unit. A few hours of driving, and things were back to normal.
 
1. Buy an MPPT charge controller instead of a PWM charge controller. It makes much better use of the solar energy your panels collect.
2. Compute how many watt hours you will use in a day's time with your energy using devices.
3. From the watt hours, compute how many amp hours you will need to replace daily.
4. Determine how many hours of sunlight you can expect to receive in the area where you will rely on solar power.
5. Divide the hours into the amp hours to get how many amps your solar panels need to produce in good sun.
6. Buy solar PV panels that can provide at least 50% greater amps than you computed in 5 because your panels will be installed flat instead of at the ideal angle and because full sun is not always available. Be sure your MPPT controller can handle max amps.
7. Expect that you will need to rely on running your truck to supply any shortfall or just carry a 1 KW or so generator.
8. Monitor your battery charge religiously to ensure you don't drop their voltage to the point that you shorten their life.
9. Have fun anyway.
Paul
 
I put two of the Renogy 100W panels and their 30 Amp PWM controller on top of my camper and so far have been very happy with it. Once it was up and running I left the compressor fridge on 24x7 without any issues, lights and furnace only get used occasionally. I have had the camper isolated from the truck the whole time as well so everything is coming from solar.
 
As everyone advises it depends on the total amp hours of the 12 volt devices you are using.

you don't say which fridge you have. If compressor fridge and furnace blower are the biggest amp users. Fridge cycles 24 hours per day. Furnace fan probably 12 hours in winter time.

If you have an absorption type(3-way) it will run on propane off the grid. Then our usage will be very low -say less than 2 amps per hour.

Roof panels are either bendable type (low 4 pound weight) or the regular aluminum framed (16-25 pounds 100 watt). In the winter when sun is low the panel will put out 50-60% % of rated amps because you can't tilt it toward the sun. 100 watt panel put out 5.7 amps in late June and and about 2-3 amps in January

Our Eagle uses 5 amps per hour if we run everything (fan, LED lights, Engle fridge, charge IPAD and plane batteries). Mostly we just run the compressor fridge.... say 2 amps per hour.

We bought the 100 watt Renology Bendable (4 pounds) because it added negligible weight on roof. 100 watt performs like a 60 watt in winter more than adequate for our needs. Battery percentage of full averages 98% sunset to 87% after 12-13 hours of darkness.

Recommendation: Buy twice as much as you use if you camp mostly in the fall-spring period.
 
Beach

I like Handy Bob's " 9 rules....of solar..."

We love our Trimetric too.

Reading more on that site I am happy having a small basic system.
 
My system is only 50 watt, I would like a bigger system but bought my Hawk used and it was in place already. Right now we use the fridge on propane when off the grid and the solar keeps up with all my electrical needs, lights, fantastic fan plus another 12v fan, fridge coil fan. If that fridge ever takes a dump I will be going to a compressor fridge and will upgrade the solar at that time. I see high 14 volts and up to 15.1 on bright sunny days at the battery and always worried about over charging until I read what Bob was saying. Battery is a Optima AGM 4 plus yrs old, so I apparently the high input volts isn't hurting anything.
 
billharr said:
What you are running and what batteries you have makes a big difference on what I would recommend. This is what I have $170 and I am up and running.I am sure there are better systems but the price was right for me. You can read about my install here on my travel blog.

Bill
Click to expand...
Hi Bill,
I purchased the 100 watt panel you recommended after looking at the reviews. What kind of connectors did you use to connect to the batteries? I have two batteries that FWC installed in my 2014 Hawk and had the plugs installed for solar on the top and back. Excited about this purchase.
 
Hobart78 said:
Hi Bill,
I purchased the 100 watt panel you recommended after looking at the reviews. What kind of connectors did you use to connect to the batteries? I have two batteries that FWC installed in my 2014 Hawk and had the plugs installed for solar on the top and back. Excited about this purchase.
Click to expand...
Make sure that your Solar panels hook up to the batteries through a solar charge controller and not directly. Otherwise, things are not likely to go well with keeping your batteries alive and well.

Paul
 
PaulT said:
Make sure that your Solar panels hook up to the batteries through a solar charge controller and not directly. Otherwise, things are not likely to go well with keeping your batteries alive and well.

Paul
Click to expand...
Got a 30 amp charger that came with the solar panel kit
 
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