I'm thinking about getting a solar panel. My dealer suggested 125 Watt Go Power system. Around $1400 installed out the door. My Lance is pre-wired and I have two 12v batteries. I mostly camp three to five days at a time and I have a honda 2000. Knowing that, is solar worth it? We have yet to run out of battery, just don't know if I'm doing any damage to my batteries by allowing them to get down a bit. For what it's worth my Lance control panel usually stays "green" and has only once gotten down to yellow (Fair)?
1400 is pretty high priced especially with a pre-wire in place. Lead acid batteries love to be charged--but not over charged. I believe that if you go with sufficient solar you may nearly eliminate generator use except for high wattage items.
For solar to work well the range of wattage is best between 60 and 150 watts of panels per 100 amp-hours of storage. Less than 60 watts may not be able to equalize the battery bank (but even 12.5 watts per 100 will, given enough time, fully charge the bank). There are reasons to use more than 150 watts (such as possible elimination of other charging sources)--but after the battery bank is 85% charged there is not much point in attempting to charge faster than the c/8 rate (exception AGM batteries).
Charging a battery bank is somewhat like a frog on a log who can jump 1/2 to the end of the log in any jump. Every jump takes about the same time but the amp-hours returned to the battery become smaller and smaller. That's why solar, with a good charge controller, is one of the better ways to recharge batteries. It is not uncommon for me to see my solar panels "putting in" just one amp to 875 amp-hours of storage.
For small solar (up to 500 watts), I very much like the Rogue Controller. It may be cheaper to buy more panels and use a lower cost PWM controller (so long as it includes a three stage charger, and a temperature sensor), but that will add extra weight and require more holes in the roof.
H2oSprt wrote: I'm thinking about getting a solar panel. My dealer suggested 125 Watt Go Power system. Around $1400 installed out the door. My Lance is pre-wired and I have two 12v batteries. I mostly camp three to five days at a time and I have a honda 2000. Knowing that, is solar worth it? We have yet to run out of battery, just don't know if I'm doing any damage to my batteries by allowing them to get down a bit. For what it's worth my Lance control panel usually stays "green" and has only once gotten down to yellow (Fair)?
Funny you should post this as at our local outdoor show a vendor was trying to sign me up for 120W of solar for $1200.00 (installed).
Came home and checked out some prices to see how close he was and found this at Costco
$150 OFF
Coleman
260 W Monocrystalline Solar Power Back-up Kit
2 Monocrystalline 130 W Solar Panels
200 W Inverter
30 A Digital Charge Controller
Item # 293913
$849.99
Shipping & Handling included
Now it is not installed but considering that it is twice the solar for $350 less I think that I will take this and do the install myself.
2002 GMC 2500HD 4x4 4 Door
1992 Northern Lite 9'- 6" Camper
Homemade Cargo Trailer for hauling supplies
Advanced Elements Kayaks
Border Collie Guard Dog
Solar is well worth it, yet not at $1,000 for a 200 watt system. Although that is about what my system cost back in 1994 - 1999. The prices have come down a lot in the past 2 years.
Installing the system is a no-brainer. Think about it, some high school kid moved up from washing RV's to installing roofs and solar panels is working at the local RV place, and has been shown how to install a solar system, they are one of the simple things that I have installed.
I can tell you how to make the brackets, or you can look up "View Posts" and put in solar as a keyword, and see panels that I installed in my RV, how I recommend making brackets for the roof, and where to run the wiring.
You can have a 200 watt system installed for about $500 if you provide the labor.
I think $850 for what you are looking at is still on the high side. Depending on what the components *really* are that is. What make and model of charge controller?
I think $850 for what you are looking at is still on the high side. Depending on what the components *really* are that is. What make and model of charge controller?
It is on Costco.ca and does not have a lot of information on it as what makes the parts are. I do not need the inverter so that is a waste of money. I am just happy that the prices are dropping, I may be able to afford them soon.
I saw the same solar kit at my Costco. not a roof mount but a tri-fold, free standing setup. It will cost me about $350.00 to add a 140 watt Kyocera to my existing rooftop solar setup. For a new setup of 280 watts, Morningstar 45 amp MPPT controler, wiring, mounts, etc.... I'd say to expect to spend 350+350+400+150=1250.00 and tax just for the materials. More for installation by others
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