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StirCrazy
Kamloops, BC, Canada
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Joined: 07/16/2003
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valhalla360 wrote:Huntindog wrote:I have what most would consider to be a healthy solar/battery system. But if I were to add a 12V fridge to the draw, I would come up short a lot.... And adding to what already have is not so easy. It would be quite expensive, and make my roof so full that I would not have room to do maintainence up there.
Saying the additonal cost would be minimal. just shows that you do not have a clue as to what is involved. Another controller, another wire run up to the roof more fuses, more panels, more batteries more cables etc. Using what I consider to be quality stuff (to match what I already have), would be at least 3k. Probably closer to 4K
If you really have a "healthy" solar/battery system, you shouldn't have any problem running a 12v fridge.
I'm borderline with a 50w panel and a couple of basic 12v batteries. I'm light on solar but not by a large amount. Adding a 100w panel and it would cover it easily. That's a pretty minimal solar/battery system.
So far I haven't bothered as we only boondock on occasion and running the generator for an hour or two for other purposes, typically gets the batteries back up where they belong.
If you are looking at $3-4k to add an extra 100w of panels and maybe 1 extra battery, you are getting taken by your installer.
you have a pretty high opinion of the 100 watt panels, that is about 30AH per perfect solar day or more realisticly 20 to 25 for most. on a warm day a 12V fridge is going to consume up to twice that, you get buy because you run a generator like you said. and if its costing 3 to 4K to get a single panel put on run away a 350 watt panel is only 200 bucks CDN so probably 160ish US?
Steve
2014 F350 6.7 Platinum
2016 Cougar 330RBK
1991 Slumberqueen WS100
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Huntindog
Phoenix AZ
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Joined: 04/08/2002
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valhalla360 wrote:Huntindog wrote:I have what most would consider to be a healthy solar/battery system. But if I were to add a 12V fridge to the draw, I would come up short a lot.... And adding to what already have is not so easy. It would be quite expensive, and make my roof so full that I would not have room to do maintainence up there.
Saying the additonal cost would be minimal. just shows that you do not have a clue as to what is involved. Another controller, another wire run up to the roof more fuses, more panels, more batteries more cables etc. Using what I consider to be quality stuff (to match what I already have), would be at least 3k. Probably closer to 4K
If you really have a "healthy" solar/battery system, you shouldn't have any problem running a 12v fridge.
I'm borderline with a 50w panel and a couple of basic 12v batteries. I'm light on solar but not by a large amount. Adding a 100w panel and it would cover it easily. That's a pretty minimal solar/battery system.
So far I haven't bothered as we only boondock on occasion and running the generator for an hour or two for other purposes, typically gets the batteries back up where they belong.
If you are looking at $3-4k to add an extra 100w of panels and maybe 1 extra battery, you are getting taken by your installer.
First off, I installed my system, so I KNOW what I am TALKING about.
Second and finally.... Your way of camping doesn't appeal to me anymore.
If I still camped like you, I'd probably still be tent camping
Huntindog
100% boondocking
2021 Grand Design Momentum 398M
2 bathrooms, no waiting
104 gal grey, 104 black,158 fresh
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1860watts solar,800 AH Battleborn batterys
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valhalla360
No paticular place.
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Joined: 08/19/2009
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StirCrazy wrote:valhalla360 wrote:Huntindog wrote:I have what most would consider to be a healthy solar/battery system. But if I were to add a 12V fridge to the draw, I would come up short a lot.... And adding to what already have is not so easy. It would be quite expensive, and make my roof so full that I would not have room to do maintainence up there.
Saying the additonal cost would be minimal. just shows that you do not have a clue as to what is involved. Another controller, another wire run up to the roof more fuses, more panels, more batteries more cables etc. Using what I consider to be quality stuff (to match what I already have), would be at least 3k. Probably closer to 4K
If you really have a "healthy" solar/battery system, you shouldn't have any problem running a 12v fridge.
I'm borderline with a 50w panel and a couple of basic 12v batteries. I'm light on solar but not by a large amount. Adding a 100w panel and it would cover it easily. That's a pretty minimal solar/battery system.
So far I haven't bothered as we only boondock on occasion and running the generator for an hour or two for other purposes, typically gets the batteries back up where they belong.
If you are looking at $3-4k to add an extra 100w of panels and maybe 1 extra battery, you are getting taken by your installer.
you have a pretty high opinion of the 100 watt panels, that is about 30AH per perfect solar day or more realisticly 20 to 25 for most. on a warm day a 12V fridge is going to consume up to twice that, you get buy because you run a generator like you said. and if its costing 3 to 4K to get a single panel put on run away a 350 watt panel is only 200 bucks CDN so probably 160ish US?
Steve
On a perfect summer day, I would expect somewhere around 500-600w-hr out of a 100w panel. 400w-hr would be a more typical output.
My fridge uses about 50w when running and is typically on less than 50%, so 600w-hr will cover it.
But since I said "adding 100w" I would be at 150w with a typical daily output of around 600w-hr matching pretty well with consumption.
200amp-hr of batteries is around 1200w-hr with 600w-hr usable.
This is all a very small and basic system that can handle the fridge.
So if huntingdog's "healthy" system can't handle that, it doesn't sound very healthy.
PS: I wasn't the one suggesting thousands of dollars for a small to medium size solar system.
Tammy & Mike
Ford F250 V10
2021 Gray Wolf
Gemini Catamaran 34'
Full Time spliting time between boat and RV
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StirCrazy
Kamloops, BC, Canada
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Joined: 07/16/2003
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haha ya I know its only 5000 to have a 480 watt system installed from the stealership.. same set up would cost about 500 if you did it yourself.
are you sure all the watt hours are coming from your panel and not some from your generator, 400wh is about 33Ah which is above the practical maximum output for a 12V 100 watt panel but who knows not all panels are the same and you might be in a place that give you perfect solar all day or a movable mount so many factors.
I tried testing my set up to see if I could run the outside kitchen fridge on the invertwe while I was camping.. I can for about 2 days then I am down to 50% and time to shut off the inverter. thats with 480 watts of panels and 4 210AH 6V batteries. I do plan on upgrading to about 1000 watts of panels and 900AH of LFP batteries in the 5th so maybe I'll be able to do it then.
* This post was
edited 01/16/23 08:24am by an administrator/moderator *
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Huntindog
Phoenix AZ
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Joined: 04/08/2002
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My Coach has an 18CF fridge. I have yet to see a 12V fridge that big. I have looked at the specs on some 8CF ones. They are remarkably similar in specs. All of them would drain a 100 AH Battle Born battery every day. So I am pretty sure an 18CF 12V would need two 100 AH batteries each day. To keep my current amount of headroom for bad events, I would need to add 3 Battle Born 100AH batteries. Then I would need to add enough solar to feed them. That is not happening. Not enough room on the roof, and my Solar controllers are maxed out.
I am not interested in going on a electricity consumption diet.
I will keep my gas fridge, thank you very much
* This post was
edited 01/16/23 08:28am by an administrator/moderator *
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Fisherguy
Vancouver BC
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Joined: 07/31/2003
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StirCrazy wrote:
haha ya I know its only 5000 to have a 480 watt system installed from the stealership.. same set up would cost about 500 if you did it yourself.
are you sure all the watt hours are coming from your panel and not some from your generator, 400wh is about 33Ah which is above the practical maximum output for a 12V 100 watt panel but who knows not all panels are the same and you might be in a place that give you perfect solar all day or a movable mount so many factors.
I tried testing my set up to see if I could run the outside kitchen fridge on the invertwe while I was camping.. I can for about 2 days then I am down to 50% and time to shut off the inverter. thats with 480 watts of panels and 4 210AH 6V batteries. I do plan on upgrading to about 1000 watts of panels and 900AH of LFP batteries in the 5th so maybe I'll be able to do it then.
I'm not sure what you based your prices on but the previous owner had this 600 watt system installed May of last year for $1995 US.
600 watt package
Also would like to know where you can get parts for a 480 watt system for $500? I'd like to add another 200 watt panel and upgrade wiring and controller.
I'm also in BC, turned on the AC fridge for 24 hours, used 40 Amp/hrs but temps at the time were hovering around 0*C.
06 Dodge Ram 3500 Cummins 6 spd std with a few goodies.
2007 Komfort 274TS, 480 watts solar, Trimetric 2025RV, PD9280, Honda EU2000i, Xantrex SW600
2019 Timber Ridge 24RLS, 600 watts solar, 3-100Ah Lithiums, 12volt Norcold Fridge
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StirCrazy
Kamloops, BC, Canada
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Joined: 07/16/2003
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that was what it added to my 5th wheel price in 2016 before I realized how much I could have saved by doing it myself, which I did on the camper.
a 24V split cell 325 watt panel two years ago cost me 200 bucks, but if you look around and contact companies who do solar installs and ask if you can piggy back panels on a order you can get them fairly cheep. but that 500 bucks was US pricing and a PWM controler which are cheep. I did my system in my camper for around that price not including the batteries, it is the 325 watt panel and a MPPT 40 amp controler from renogy. the panel I got from a company in sask but I picked it up in Vancouver at the importer so there who be no shipping charges.
eventualy I am upgrading the system on the 5th wheel by replacing the panels with larger 24V ones and changing out the PWM controler for a MPPT one. the issue I am having now is finding a good MPPT controler that fits and mounts like the go power mppt ones so I don't end up having to patch a hole in the wall.
40AH on AC.. I have never looked to see what my consumption on AC is as when I use AC I am pluged in and don't care. I know in DC my 3 way in the camper uses 12A so thats kinda crazy. I tend to use propane all the time in the camper and 5th unless I am pluged in then I push the auto button. if I am dry camping in the 5th I am on gas only.
Steve
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edited 01/16/23 08:30am by an administrator/moderator *
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dsrace
home
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Huntindog wrote:My Coach has an 18CF fridge. I have yet to see a 12V fridge that big. I have looked at the specs on some 8CF ones. They are remarkably similar in specs. All of them would drain a 100 AH Battle Born battery every day. So I am pretty sure an 18CF 12V would need two 100 AH batteries each day. To keep my current amount of headroom for bad events, I would need to add 3 Battle Born 100AH batteries. Then I would need to add enough solar to feed them. That is not happening. Not enough room on the roof, and my Solar controllers are maxed out.
I am not interested in going on a electricity consumption diet.
I will keep my gas fridge, thank you very much
With out a doubt, 12 volt comp fridges do not fit everyone's needs. All of my sand dune trip are at parks that have either full hook up or a min of water and electricity. Based on real world trial and the specs in my previous post, our 10 cu ft domestic 12v will easily run 24 hrs on battery only. Im only using 1 200 ah renogy agm. If I were boondocks long term, then the fridge would require a gen or more solar then my current 200 watt system. 200 watts is more of a battery maintainer then a charging system, imo. I thought I saw domestic offered a 13 cu ft 12v but not 100 % on that. I have had 6 campers and 5 of them had absorption fridges. None of those fridges perform like our current domestic 12v as listed in previous post. For our application, I wouldn't willingly go back to an absorption fridge.
This 12v is food safe in 4hrs after start up. Much better for our application as I don't have to turn it on 24 to 48 hrs before. Only the 2 of us and a 10 cu ft is massive over kill. On a 7 day trip we didn't completely fill an 8 cu ft. I doubt the 8 cu ft is any diff on power consumption.
* This post was
edited 01/16/23 09:16am by dsrace *
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Fisherguy
Vancouver BC
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StirCrazy wrote:
...
40AH on AC.. I have never looked to see what my consumption on AC is as when I use AC I am pluged in and don't care. ...
Steve
Sorry, that 40Ah was with my 12 volt Norcold.
I have room for one more panel, maybe I should go bigger than 200, hmmm...
You ever deal with Riverside Solar in Kamloops?
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StirCrazy
Kamloops, BC, Canada
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Joined: 07/16/2003
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Fisherguy wrote:StirCrazy wrote:
...
40AH on AC.. I have never looked to see what my consumption on AC is as when I use AC I am pluged in and don't care. ...
Steve
Sorry, that 40Ah was with my 12 volt Norcold.
I have room for one more panel, maybe I should go bigger than 200, hmmm...
You ever deal with Riverside Solar in Kamloops?
on my camper I installed a split cell 24V 325 watt panel I am usaly at 100% before noon but I use propane for the fridge and have no real 110 in there. I concider 200 a trip extender size if you use 110 at all or are very power hungry 12V users. what I did was measure the space I had and got the biggest panel that would fit, I still have room for 1 more but unless I put a inverter in I don't think I'll need it. the 5th wheel we use ythe inverter more so I want to upgrade that a little bit.
no Riverside is fairly old but just recently you see there signs poping up and install jobs being done. so I never even knew they existed untill a year or two ago. I was going to see if they could give me a estimate on my house as thats the only way you can qualify for the low interest lones and grants.
Steve
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