Battery and Solar

[Tacostan]

So, back on topic. I understand the temptation to buy a kit and so on but some basic homework will help a lot with the decisions and probably save you a lot of money on unneccessary solar bling. MPPT is really a neat approach but it primarily benefits us in colder climates or when a battery's voltage is very low and a solar panel is getting excellent sunshine, and some other specific situations. As I mentioned before, an "old school" $60 dollar charge controller may be just fine.

My Engel 45 fridge is quite happy with just one blue top battery. When I was in Death Valley just one 54 Watt panel and a dead simple on-off solar charge controller kept the battery very well charged. Probably less than $400 bucks in cost for the panel, battery and controller if you shopped around.

Before you can pick the number of batteries or the size of the panel you need to estimate the amperage draw over the course of the 24 period. Also, will you have uninterrupted sunshine or will you have clouds very often? Along the freeways you'll see the emergency phones with a solar panel on top of the pole. In desert regions that solar panel looks mighty small compared to one in a coastal region.

How about if you list the devices you will use and their voltage and amperage specifications. Also list how often you might use the things besides the fridge.

I was just wondering how you transported your rigid solar panels when traveling? How strong are they? I have a bajarack on top of my tacoma and was thinking of laying the solar panel on the bottom and putting other light items on top such as ten pads and the like, nothing heavy or sharp. I was also considering making a sleeve of some sort to protect it if required. I am considering a 100 to 140 watt panel as of now. 25" x 61" maybe.

Thanks

 

[Aspen Trails Trailers]

I would not lay anything on the solar panel, but maybe attach to the bottom of the rack. They are pretty strong, but the possible abbrasion of the rubber backing may cause problems down the road, also the bouncing of things on top may break the rubber seal around the frame.

Bob

www.aspenXtrails.com

Home of the strongest, most trailworthy
Off Road Tear Drop made.

 

[M35A2]

You want the yellow-top Optimas as they are a true deep-cycle battery. The red-tops are conventional, and the blue-tops are a mix between the red and the yellow.

You will get better life (recharge cycles) and better 'draw' from the yellow top (their voltage curve over discharge time is flatter).

 

[teotwaki]

I was just wondering how you transported your rigid solar panels when traveling? How strong are they? I have a bajarack on top of my tacoma and was thinking of laying the solar panel on the bottom and putting other light items on top such as ten pads and the like, nothing heavy or sharp. I was also considering making a sleeve of some sort to protect it if required. I am considering a 100 to 140 watt panel as of now. 25" x 61" maybe.

Thanks

The long panel in front of the truck is packed in a lightly padded canvas rifle case from WW2 and is on top of other items rather than let anythiing bang on top of it.

The square panel for the trailer is stowed in a pull out set of equipment slides that are held in by pins while moving.

 

[Aspen Trails Trailers]

If you want the best battery available, it is the Concorde Chairman AGM 12255, nothing even close. 255 amp hours with a 7 year warranty I think. It is a single battery and will out last anything on the market, they retail for over 750 bucks. If you are local to SoCal, I can get them at a very healthy discount. PM me and I will quote the price. I use this battery exclusively in my trailers, but they make the standard group 31 like the optima. These are military grade batteries. I have group 31 types in my solar towers, the majority being on site for over 12 years. State of the art solar batteries.

Read about them here,

http://www.concordebattery.com/otherpdf/chairman.pdf

Old Sarge let his run in his trailer for three weeks running his fridge in Houston. Was still working and was @ 12.6 when he noticed it. That even amazed me, as it has been quite hot in Houston over the summer. Will your fridge work for 21 plus days with out charge to the battery, and this can be verified by Old Sarge.

Bob

www.aspenXtrails.com

Home of the strongest, most trailworthy
Off Road Tear Drop made.

 

[teotwaki]

You want the yellow-top Optimas as they are a true deep-cycle battery. The red-tops are conventional, and the blue-tops are a mix between the red and the yellow.

You will get better life (recharge cycles) and better 'draw' from the yellow top (their voltage curve over discharge time is flatter).

Sears Die Hard Platinum series instead of Optimas is my choice based on experience with both.

 

[Robert Bills]

Although not a sophisticated setup at all, I have had success using a relatively inexpensive WallyWorld EverStart Maxx Group 29 marine/trolling/RV battery (made by Johnson Controls), currently rated at 114 aH @ 1 amp (previous versions were rated at 124). I'm not sure of the current price ($82??). I purchased my first one many years ago for about $65. It came with a 2 year warranty, and has been replaced three times under the original warranty (every 23 months) without any pro rating. My calculation is that with the warranty replacements, it has cost me only $9/year to own it. At current prices and with one replacement at the end of two years (I think WallyWorld is now limiting replacements), it would cost $20/year over the four year period, still less than brand name batteries of the same capacity.

Admittedly, my trailer doesn't have a huge power requirement, just an ARB/Engle fridge, a 600w interverter that is hardly used, and a couple of lights. I can do a typical 3-day weekend excursion without any additional charge and not discharge the battery below 50% capacity. I imagine that if I spring for a solar panel that I could run the fridge and lights indefinately.

This is not to say that I don't lust after a "top of the line" milspec battery, but based on the use my trailer gets, I don't camp enough nights each year to justify the cost.

 

[JIMBO]

:sombrero: 60w "Sunforce" solar panel and OPTIMA Blue top battery have satisfied my trailer and camp for over 4 years-

I have a 700w inverter on the trailer along with a 7-amp solar controller, so I have AC/DC caps-even ran my little AC chain saw, in camp--(quiet) !

:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO

 

[Tacostan]

The long panel in front of the truck is packed in a lightly padded canvas rifle case from WW2 and is on top of other items rather than let anythiing bang on top of it.

The square panel for the trailer is stowed in a pull out set of equipment slides that are held in by pins while moving.

Hey thanks for the information! I was considering something similar, putting the panel under the baja-rack so that it would be protected. I can buod some sort of slide like you have. I am limited to 47" long by 25" wide if I remember correctly. That should still get me a big enough panel for my 50 qt ARB.

Thanks again.

 

[JIMBO]

:sombrero: Just remember the "Fragility" of the panel and having it PERMANENTLY attached to a trailer means you better camp in the desert, or park your trailer PERFECLY for sun exposure, because

The solar cells need FULL sun exposure and even then it's only semi-effecient from 10 am to 2 pm--with no shadows-

Thats why mine is moveable !

Good luck

:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO

 

[teotwaki]

:sombrero: Just remember the "Fragility" of the panel and having it PERMANENTLY attached to a trailer means you better camp in the desert, or park your trailer PERFECLY for sun exposure, because

The solar cells need FULL sun exposure and even then it's only semi-effecient from 10 am to 2 pm--with no shadows-

Thats why mine is moveable !

Good luck

:costumed-smiley-007:wings: JIMBO

Ummmm, if you look at my pictures you'll see that the panel is removeable. That is it perched up on the truck's roof rack. My trailer rides on full suspension and I am not limited to desert terrain.

 

[JIMBO]

:sombrero: Taking kinda personal, aren't ya??

-- JIMBO

 

[teotwaki]

:sombrero: Taking kinda personal, aren't ya??

-- JIMBO

Nope, just re-providing facts and pictures that you seemed to have missed :wings:

 

[General Automag]

I need help picking out my battery(ies) and solar.

I can get Optimas through the company plan at a great price and like either the Yellowtop D27F(140 amp reserve) or Bluetop D31M (155 amp reserve).

Will be powering a fridge (likely the ARB 50), LED lights, fantastic fan on occasion, maybe a small electric blanket for short bursts.

One or two batteries?

I'd also like to try and keep it/them topped with solar on longer stays. I like Martyn/Mario's flexible solar panel but a hard-mounted panel would be much easier. This 145 watt panel looks pretty good.

Any suggestions?

Before you buy anything, take a little time and read "Handyman Bob's" blogs on solar http://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/. More specifically, read the "RV Battery Charging Puzzle" http://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/the-rv-battery-charging-puzzle-2/.

He has a LOT of great and FREE information which saved us a lot of money on our trailer battery and solar setup. More importantly, we learned what not to buy. 'Hope this helps.