Solar Basics , Who? What? When? Why?

[Country Campers]

Speaking of which, I don't intend to add a B2B charger either for the same reason but I have been reading where we are "supposed" to disable the pin in our 7-pin connector from the truck to stop the battery charging or we can damage to truck's alternator. Have you heard this discussion? What are your thoughts and, I guess more importantly have you done this?

Paul

I have not seen this info on disabling the charge wire on the 7 pin, can you point us to a link on the discussion?

Brian

[Cate&Rob]

And remember, the solar runs while traveling down the road too. I don't have a DC/DC converter, and I'm always fully charged when I get to my location. And that's while running my DC compressor refrigerator and my beer fridge through the inverter.

Jim

This presumes that travel is mid-day under sunny skies. (which is probably the usual situation for most of us). There is a contingent that prefers to travel at night where trailer battery charging from the TV will be more important . . . even with a solar system on the trailer.

Rob

[Guest]

This is an interesting thread. There are many reasons people install a solar system, and they usually are quality of life decisions, rather than economic decisions. We camp almost exclusively without electrical hookup. We prefer to be in rustic campgrounds, frequently in the National Forest or National Parks, or on BLM land in the winter in Arizona. We like a lot of space and quiet - neighbors that aren't too close and no generators running at all hours. We have two free-standing 100 W panels with 60 feet of wire. They meet our electric needs almost all the time. My goal in the summer is to have the camper in the shade and the panels in the sun. But like Brian Country Campers mentioned, sometimes in northern Michigan or other heavily forested areas in the east, you can't get enough sunshine to meet even the most basic electrical needs for the camper. We can go several days with the small amount of charge we get in the shade. Then we usually move on, or if we are staying longer, will use the generator for a short time. I bought the generator before our first winter trip to Arizona for a backup incase we had too many cloudy days, or it was cold enough that running the furnace we couldn't keep up with solar. We found that hasn't happened to us in Arizona, but we did need the generator when the furnace stopped working. Then our only source of heat was the fireplace with the generator running.

Air conditioning usually isn't an issue. In the summer, we camp in the north, on lakes, or at higher elevations. Traveling between our destination spots, if it is really hot, we will stop overnight at a place with electricity so we can run the air conditioner. This solar system works very well for us, with two Trojan 6v batteries, and a 12v as a backup. We are able to camp in the rustic areas we like with the camper. Once in a while we need the generator, but not on a regular basis.

Dave

Dave,

I think this is a personal choice where if I were spending winters in AZ, I would have solar too. We spend time on a private wooded lot in PA and solar there will not cut it. The generator will charge my lithium pack efficiently and quickly. So my point is that folks need to understand the hit on efficiency when they do not have a clear sky and would still need a generator. Probably the top pick in accessories after a lithium conversion if your in the NE. If we are cooking inside and would like a comfortable meal inside, we will run the AC with the generator.

Jim

[Guest]

Paul

I have not seen this info on disabling the charge wire on the 7 pin, can you point us to a link on the discussion?

Brian

Brian,

The general advice in doing this is to not parallel connect two different battery technologies. So a DCDC or a fully charged lithium pack while traveling will take care of the parasitic loads. Throw in a residential fridge and you will need a DCDC charger or solar.

Jim

[Paul & Deb]

Paul

I have not seen this info on disabling the charge wire on the 7 pin, can you point us to a link on the discussion?

Brian

Here's one thing I read on one of Nate Yarbrough's site: These comments were cut from a discussion regarding using an Li-BIM battery isolator.

"Lithium batteries can draw a SIGNIFICANT amount of power at one time due to its low internal resistance. This is great for rapid charging, but this high-amperage draw can potentially overheat an alternator."

I've read other discussions on this topic mostly regarding the need to install b2b chargers.