Conversion to solar or ideally, dual power for battery?

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Conversion to solar or ideally, dual power for battery?

Postby DoctahDeane » Fri Jan 24, 2020 12:54 pm

Hi folks - started a new thread because some of the postings in this category were as much as 14 years old. Anyway, just bought a wonderful little trailer after trying to complete a build for years. It just popped up and hard to resist. As currently set up it has a plug on the side that will charge a deep cycle battery - sort of a standard RV type set up. I'm hopeful that I might be able to convert to solar without ripping anything apart or ideally, have the option to do solar OR standard plug-in through the side. Any feedback or opinions? Here she is -

160957
I keep stimulants handy in case I see a snake, which I also keep handy. W.C.Fields
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Re: Conversion to solar or ideally, dual power for battery?

Postby John61CT » Fri Jan 24, 2020 3:17 pm

Of course it isn't the "plug on the side" that charges your deep cycle bank. That would be a shore charger, and there are hundreds of different kinds, most of which suck.

What does the other bit on the inside actually go to?

Solar panel wiring will get routed through another point in the skin, usually via a waterproof "clam" in the roof.

These go to a solar controller located close to the storage bank, and no problem keeping that hooked up and going while the shore power charger is also active.

Many setups are designed around staying at powered campsites, so a fuse panel and some distribution box where mains devices just plug in like at home.

To run that stuff off grid requires one or more inverters, which is much less energy efficient compared to using native-DC load devices, avoiding inverter usage as much as possible.

The simplest scheme is, only the mains charger plugs into shore power, all AC devices get powered off the inverter(s) only.

Otherwise you need expensive switching and safe ground management to absolutely ensure only one AC source feeds any given circuit at a time, and only one connection to true Earth Ground, best to get a pro to deal with that IMO.

Hope that helps
safe
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Re: Conversion to solar or ideally, dual power for battery?

Postby Trebor English » Fri Jan 24, 2020 6:26 pm

$78.99 https://www.amazon.com/HQST-Watt-Polycr ... 018BOK9WU/
$10.57 https://www.amazon.com/EEEKit-Controlle ... B07R8TRJ8C
These are what I have.

Another approach is the folding panel.
$149.89 https://www.amazon.com/DOKIO-Monocrysta ... 0748FYFSK/

If you park in the shade you can run a 25 foot 12 gauge extension cord from the solar panel in the sun back to the battery. Mounting a flat panel on a curved roof will be a problem. Be sure you have a 20 amp fuse very close to the battery.
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Re: Conversion to solar or ideally, dual power for battery?

Postby tony.latham » Fri Jan 24, 2020 6:50 pm

As currently set up it has a plug on the side that will charge a deep cycle battery - sort of a standard RV type set up.


Sweet teardrop. Has she got a name yet? (We're treating as if she's an inanimate object.)

I take it that she doesn't have a battery? Is there an obvious place for one like in the treasure chest?

You might snap of pic of that "sort of standard" thing. Is it for a 120V cord or something else?

:thinking:

Tony
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Re: Conversion to solar or ideally, dual power for battery?

Postby rjgimp » Wed Jan 29, 2020 12:20 am

That tongue box is fantastic!

:shock:
-Rob


I hope to make it to a Procrastinators Anonymous meeting someday...
just as soon as the steering committee gets around to scheduling one!
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Re: Conversion to solar or ideally, dual power for battery?

Postby Shadow Catcher » Fri Jan 31, 2020 10:31 am

Solar panel, wire, solar controller, battery,. Converter charge wire from TV and controller play well together. Big wire (less loss from DC is a good thing).
Us High voltage panel (70+V open circuit) Morningstar SunSaver MPPT controller 150AH AGM battery. The system has been working for 10 years.
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