Dancing Bear wrote: Not for nothing but my 45 watt Harbor Freight setup provides enough power for our camper. For now I have two size 27 12volt batteries being charged through a solar battery minder unit and even on lightly cloudy days it maintains a full charge. Mind you we don't use as much power as some may. Water pump, frig, radio and 1-2 hours of TV is about it. Lighting use is minimal, I use garden style solar lights for "night lights". Second year of running this setup. Last year during a full week of camping I did start up the genny on the 4th day , because it rained the previous day.
Thanks for the info. For the price and convenience, I may pick up this package for our summer trip. In our 18ft TT we have two Trojans and without much charge, they last a long time. Sure, we will use the Honda to run the 5000 btu window unit to stay cool. I will post our results.
I think people didn't understand my excitement upon discovering that Costco Mexico is now selling solar packages. After my 20 plus years here, it is a real step. In fact, I went back last week and now they are carrying larger panels and more kits. I guess solar is taking off here outside of the rural areas.
I agree Dancing Bear ... there's a lot to love about the Harbor Freight, 45 watt-(three 15 watt panels) kit ... I think it's currently on sale for $199 ... and will provide more than enough power for conservative power users ..
I run two 130 watt panels with (6) 6 volt batteries. My unit raises to 45 degrees and tracks the sun. I don't have to climb on top of the RV to move them. It is all done with a hand held remote from the ground. I can run the entire trailer for up to 6 days when it is cloudy before I have to run the generator. As long as the sun is out I do not need to run the generator. I have the pamplet on my system downloaded on my pc. If you want a copy of it give an email. System is a bit spendy, but the rising gas prices have put money back in my pocket. I don't know about the rest of you, but the fuel for the truck to get somewhere and the fuel for the wheelers is bad enough without packing more fuel to run the generator. As long as we run the fridge on propane, run A/C and microwave spareingly we are in good shape. I have not found any current bushes in the mountains of Idaho so we are saving money as well as getting the enjoyment we set out to get with the 5er. Happy camping.
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