I have decided to add a solar system to my 90 Bounder. I have checked many web sites and the most reseaonable package I could find was $1400 for two 130 Keyocera watt panels, Xantrac charge controller, mounting brackets and wire. Does anyone have any other suggestions as to where to buy.
It sounds like you have done your research and found the most reasonable price. You night look at Camping World or RVSOLARELECTRIC. Solar is nice for silent battery charging. It does not work well in the shade or on cloudy days. If your panels and controller are 100% efficient on a bright day you could get about 21 amps of charge. Needless to say they are not that efficient So plan on maybe 15 amps. You probably have a generator already so using it is more cost efficient than than solar.
Here are some web sites about solar.
http://store.solar-electric.com/
http://www.rvsolarelectric.com/
http://www.phrannie.org/solar.html
http://www.ccis.com/home/mnemeth/12volt/12volt.htm
Good luck.
93 Ford F350 Turbo Diesel, DRW, Crew Cab. PullRite Hitch. 35' King of the Road 5er, 192 Watts Solar, 2800 Watt Yamaha Generator, 1750 Watt Inverter, 2 Trogan T105 Batteries, Me, my wife and 2 maltize furkids.
A WHOLE other solar system??? Isn't one enough? I mean, c'mon Jupiter's pretty large, and heck they just found another 2 moons around Pluto. Where the heck do you attach the new one anyway?
That would suck riding behind you and you've got a bunch of planets and a whole star dragging behind you down the interstate.
Later!
John P.
1996 Dodge Ram 1500 Club Cab SLT 360/4 speed auto/3.55
1991 22' Gulfstream Innsbruck
All opinions are my own and are subject to change based on new information. Having said that. The solar prep from Newmar is worthless and is unusable for any real installation. It consist of two 10 gauge wire that run from the middle of the roof to the AC electrical box on the opposite side of the coach from the battery box and one inline 30 amp fuse.
We also ordered the coach with a 2000 watt inverter and two extra 6-volt batteries for a total of 4-6 volt batteries.
I have purchased and had installed 2- 120 watt panels with a Heliotrope PV RV-30SE controller. I got two panel (1598.00), controller (229.00), easy access brackets (60.00) , 40’ 10 gauge wire (52.00) , RV-30 Shunt/wire kit (62.50) , and wall mounting bracket (29.00) as a package (2030.50) for $ 1410.00 including shipping. It all arrive via UPS 5 days after ordering. Under optimum conditions we have generate ~12 amps in full sun light directly overhead.
The controller has pulse width modulation, taper charge strategy, auto equalization or float, temperature compensation. I understand that essentially protects the batteries from over charge and provides for best battery maintenance. It is located on a panel above the microwave accessable by opening the cabnet door.It is about 2 Wide X 4 Long X 2 inches Deep.
The shunt is necessary to protect the system for a catastrophic failure and allows the controller to monitor the using amps as well as the charging amps and battery voltage. I ordered solar prep for our Dutch Star at a cost of ~133.00 which ran from the roof to the AC electrical compartment not the battery compartment as stated by Newmar. In order to use that arrangement I would have had to put the controller in that compartment
I paid a RV place 303.00 to teach me how to install the items. I was quoted 253.00 ( I was to be a gopher) but felt I owed another 50.00 because I was under foot all day trying to learn how it was being installed. The panels were installed on two one inch bars mounted using L brackets so the panels do not touch the brite tec roof. The L brackets are mounted to the side wall rafter of the coach. The wiring is run down the refrigerator vent to the controller which is mounted in the cabinet above the microwave on the vent cover. The wiring then returns to the refrigerator compartment down into the furnace compartment, then across the rear wheel well into the inverter compartment and then into the battery compartment.. We were able to remove four screws and “fold up” the body panel to get access to the enclosed body cavity above the wheel well. The wire is not exposed to the out side elements except for on the roof. The shunt is mounted in the battery compartment. The temperature compensation and the shunt wiring all follow the path described above. It took about 5.5 or 6 hours to get every thing installed including running for parts a couple of times. I now think I could have installed the system myself but it would have taken me a lot longer.
We installed it in September 02. We have run on solar power for 4 days with out starting the generator. We normally run the TV and sat. box for the TV. We have used the microwave/convection oven for up to 15 minutes. In addition we run far to many lights most of the time. We have fan in the bedroom and even run it at times. I monitor the voltage in the batteries to make sure I do not run the down. Most of the time we run the inverter only when we need AC power.
I ordered from RV Solar Electric @ http://rvsolarelectric.com/ or phone 1-800-999-8520. I bought here because of a reference from a relative who is more experienced in solar stuff than I am. Also they are close to where I live ~400 miles away. And if I had real problems I wanted to be close enough to drive there with out much of a problem. Be aware that Shell as bought out Siemens.
I attended a seminar put on by these folks at the All American Rally at Pomona this summer.
http://amsolar.com/
This is another site on solar stuff.
www.backwoodssolar.com
Complete systems cost and warranty is about the same from all of them.
Got this site from another forum and it seems a little cheaper but I could not find a package system. You have to order the pieces separately.
http://www.solar-electric.com/
DONATE THAT OLD CELL PHONE TO SUPPORT SOLDIERS click here
Keep the wire runs as short as possible, use as multi strand large gage wire as you can. I used #6 between the panels and the Heliotrope's HPV-22 charge controller and #8 directly to the batteries with a 20 amp fuse.
With 4 T105's and about 200 watts of flat mounted panels we have gone a week with some rain and clouds without a problem. That includes a couple pots of coffee a day, some microwave use, some TV and conservative use of lights.
The Beave
30' 1997 Beaver Monterey
(The shortest DP we could find)
2005 Honda CR-V
Remco surge brake
As a general rule, I use camping world as a source of last resort.
There are many dedicated solar supply sources, do a google search and you will find dozens of them.
Most, if not all, will be considerably cheaper tham c/w.
Al C.
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robatthelake wrote: Your Camping Neighbours are going to THANK YOU!
Yes a Generator is still more Cost efficient, but that QUIET CLEAN SOLAR (Electric)SYSTEM is WAY NICER!
My only problem with our solar system is that our neighbors don't know to thank us because they can't see what's up on top of our rig. All they see is a 40-foot motorhome with an internet dish on top, and they're scowling and pulling out the earplugs.
Earlier this year, we went four weeks on just solar, until we got kicked out of there on a time-limit rule. Even using the microwave, TV and satellite, computers and motosat, etc., we had enough electricity every day to divert some to the electric water heater, so we could have stayed there indefinitely without ever using the generator. Well, until we needed air conditioning.
When we were thinking about going solar, we decided that we wouldn't even try to justify it monetarily, and would instead decide whether it was the right thing to do. I couldn't be happier with our decision.
Probably, but my solar keeps my batteries very happy. I am on year 7 of my heavily used batteries, and I believe the solar gets some of the credit. If nothing else, it compensates for my poor memory.
NOTE: Any incorrect spelling is intentional to prevent those annoying popups.
84 Barth 30Tag powered by HT502/Thorley/Weiand etc, Gear Vendors OD.
Siamese Calvin and Airedale Hobbes, 4WD Toyota toad
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