Battery type for solar app

[Terapined]

I just purchased a 2024 GD AIM RB15 a couple months ago. I'm going through my solar setup and I see battery type is AGM. I checked my actual battery and it's a Interstate SRM-24. Looks like that's a flooded battery. So I changed the settings on the solar app from AGM to flooded. Is that a big deal? Kind of disappointed the dealer didn't give me a AGM instead. Oh well. Should I upgrade to a AGM and is there a brand recommendation. How common are they at a a Wal-Mart or car battery place?

[Terapined]

[Country Campers]

There should have been no damage done by having the solar controller set to AGM. In my opinion there is no need to upgrade to the AGM model. If you want to upgrade to something much better go to a Lithium model, plenty of them around the $300 dollar range which is not much more than a flooded but the gain in usage is fantastic. Not sure if you are planning on lots of dry camping but the solar panel and the flooded battery may not keep up to your needs.

Brian

[Terapined]

I'm just using the battery to power my 12 voltage fridge while on the road and at rest stops between campgrounds. If boondocking, how long can I run a fridge with my battery and a 200 watt panel? How long with a lithium battery and a 200 watt panel?

Ed
2024 Grand Design AIM RB15
2016 Ford F150
Full time RVer over 3 years

[Jkwilson]

IMO, and I’m an engineer with many years of battery experience at a level much higher than RVs, AGMs give minimal life improvement and no performance improvement for the extra money. Conventional flooded cells are much cheaper for the performance and service life, and lithiums are much better performance than AGMs for the price difference.

[Country Campers]

I'm just using the battery to power my 12 voltage fridge while on the road and at rest stops between campgrounds. If boondocking, how long can I run a fridge with my battery and a 200 watt panel? How long with a lithium battery and a 200 watt panel?

Ed
2024 Grand Design AIM RB15
2016 Ford F150
Full time RVer over 3 years

If you do some reading, there is lots to be found here, through the Electrical and Solar channels you will find a lot of information on the power draw of the 12 v cd fridge as well as other items in the RV. This will help you in setting up your RV for what you will want to do.

Brian

[acoleman43]

I'm just using the battery to power my 12 voltage fridge while on the road and at rest stops between campgrounds. If boondocking, how long can I run a fridge with my battery and a 200 watt panel? How long with a lithium battery and a 200 watt panel?

Ed
2024 Grand Design AIM RB15
2016 Ford F150
Full time RVer over 3 years

I will second what Brian recommended. There are member who have done extensive work on this.

We have a Norcold N8DC 12v fridge. We are seeing about 8A or about 100W. I'm assuming your RB15 has an equivalent fridge. You need to also consider "parasitic" consumption of all electrical systems.

You will find a 200W panel will not always produce 200W of energy. Our 1260W panel array seldom produces more than 1000W. We can count on 800W-1000W on a sunny day. I am assuming your 200W panel will seldom see 200W, but will likely be enough to keep your fridge going as long as there is sun.

[Terapined]

I have a Norcold N2175. It's a little smaller then yours. In over 3 years of full-timing , a lot of traveling but a full hook up every night. If I do decide to start boondocking, seems those solar power stations with a 30 amp RV outlet that are running around 2k to 3k seems the easiest solution

[Jkwilson]

I have a Norcold N2175. It's a little smaller then yours. In over 3 years of full-timing , a lot of traveling but a full hook up every night. If I do decide to start boondocking, seems those solar power stations with a 30 amp RV outlet that are running around 2k to 3k seems the easiest solution

Thats an absurd amount of money for a battery and an inverter. You can upgrade to a nice lithium setup for less money and have better performance.