Portable solar July 12, 2018, 12:28:25 pm Hi Everyone. I am lucky enough to be able to go on a year long RV road trip starting in Mid August. I have a 23.5 foot 2001 TK which I have owned 6 years. I’ve gone on extended road trips and usually stay in RV parks or national parks in the past but nothing as long as this. I am about to turn 60 and I am a woman and will be traveling solo. I am not very technical so I expect to be posting more. I would like to get some solar but I don’t need it except for lights and maybe for my laptop. I was told about the Zamp portable system 120 watts, 6.9 amps, 2 panels which are 21in x 35 in by 3 in, which go in a carrying case and can easily store in the RV. Has anyone had experience with this, and will I need an inverter for the computer? If so what kind? I dont want to put holes in my 17 year old roof, and don’t want to spend a lot. Also I am considering getting an electric bike, and wonder if anyone has had experience with the Thule Easy Fold XT2 9032 bike rack. It has a ramp, which is the reason why I am looking at it as I don’t think I can lift the bike onto a conventional rack. Thanks!!
Re: Portable solar Reply #1 – July 12, 2018, 01:47:30 pm What's in your rig at the moment? How many batteries? Is there an existing panel on the roof?Bob
Re: Portable solar Reply #2 – July 12, 2018, 03:09:41 pm Quote from: alphpup - July 12, 2018, 12:28:25 pm...to get some solar but I don’t need it except for lights and maybe for my laptop. I was told about the Zamp portable system 120 watts, 6.9 amps, 2 panels which are 21in x 35 in by 3 in, which go in a carrying case and can easily store in the RV. Has anyone had experience with this, and will I need an inverter for the computer? If so what kind? I dont want to put holes in my 17 year old roof, and don’t want to spend a lot. Also I am considering getting an electric bike, and wonder if anyone has had experience with the Thule Easy Fold XT2 9032 bike Portable systems are OK but if you plan on owning your LD for a few years, your money would be better spent on a permanent, roof mounted system, with more panels. 120-watts will not fulfill your needs doing the short months of the winterWorried about holes? Your roof already has hundreds of holes that have been properly sealed. Any new holes can be permanently and safely sealed. When sealed correctly, holes are a non-issue.An electric bike will take much more solar power than what a small, 120-wtt panel can provide unless you want to wait a few days between rides.For your laptop, a simple 200-400-watt inverter will do. Consider buying a 12-volt power supply for your laptop and foregoing the inverter.Larry 2 Likes
Re: Portable solar Reply #3 – July 12, 2018, 03:58:24 pm You are asking great questions. I tend to agree with Larry's above comments.You may also want to consider how much fiddling you will have to do with such a portable system. Each time you stop, you'd need to set it up and take it down. And then unfortunately there is the security issue. Would you have to put it away and set it back up every time you wanted to be away from your camper to keep it from walking off? As for power, on my previous B-class RV, I had a single 100 watt panel. After changing all the lighting over to LEDs (LEDs use much less electricity) and installing a low current draw ceiling ventilation fan, 100 watts was just enough to run lights, the water pump, the ceiling fan, charge telephones and power a laptop. That assumes not hooked up to grid and full sun on those days. However, even with full sun, 100 watts is realistically not enough to keep the batteries charged while also doing things like running the furnace blower motor in the winter and powering small appliances through an inverter. 1 Likes
Re: Portable solar Reply #4 – July 12, 2018, 04:20:19 pm One way to get a feel for how much solar / battery capacity you might want to consider is to use one of the online capacity calculators. You can find several with an online search.I did a quick search and here is a link to a one such web page that will guide you through the thinking process. Be sure to download the solar sizing worksheet as that is the meat of doing the evaluation. Many of the solar supply companies have similar aides to assist in the planning process.Go Power! Solar Sizing Guide | Go Power(Not an endorsement for this company's products... just the first example of a sizing guide that I ran across...)There are a number of people on the Lazy Daze site who are knowledgeable about solar & battery capacity sizing who I'm sure would be glad to share their experience and help you think through your new system.
Re: Portable solar Reply #5 – July 12, 2018, 05:20:07 pm Have an old 85 watt panel on the roof installed by LD (as an option in 04) and an 80 watt GoPower suitcase panel. Nice panel. Got a good deal on it.Also have an inexpensive 300 watt PSW inverter. When running through the cigarette plugs provided in the rig you won’t push more than about 100 watts through it as they have a 10 amp fuse behind the wall. I have a hot wire I can utilize with a fuse built in if I need to run directly off the batteries. I just use a cigarette male plug into the cigarette female receptacle most times. More than enough pop for a computer.165 Watts has been okay for the 220 amp hour T105s when boondocking. There is always the backup plan of the genny when needed.Dave
Re: Portable solar Reply #6 – July 12, 2018, 05:41:22 pm As with anything there are advantages and disadvantages to both portable panels and roof mounted panels. Others have pointed out the advantages of roof mounted so I'll be the devil's advocate here so to speak. No installation cost for one. Another thing is you can get more power on a sunny day if you are around camp to tend your portables than similar size roof mounts because you can follow the sun with them over the course of the day and aimed in the direction of the sun they are much more efficient. My home is off grid solar and my panels are on swivel pole mounts so I can aim them at the morning sun, the noon sun and the evening sun and watching my control panel I can clearly see the surge in power when they are turned toward the sun. Another thing is if you are parked in shade you can set up your portables out in the sun a short distance away or on the sunny side of camp. 1 Likes
Re: Portable solar Reply #7 – July 12, 2018, 06:25:01 pm Thanks everyone for the input! I have 2 6 volt AGM batteries, there is no solar at the moment, and about 50% of my lights have been converted to LED. I'm a camper and so I really have no problem breaking out the coleman lights if I dry camp, but it would be good not to have to and to have some power to run the water pump.
Re: Portable solar Reply #8 – July 12, 2018, 06:30:03 pm "...and to have some power to run the water pump." To say nothing of the water heater, fridge and furnace!
Re: Portable solar Reply #9 – July 12, 2018, 07:28:08 pm Quote from: alphpup - July 12, 2018, 06:25:01 pmThanks everyone for the input! I have 2 6 volt AGM batteries, there is no solar at the moment, and about 50% of my lights have been converted to LED. I'm a camper and so I really have no problem breaking out the coleman lights if I dry camp, but it would be good not to have to and to have some power to run the water pump.Instead of Coleman lights, use Luci Lights. Easy, free (after purchase) lighting. — Jon
Re: Portable solar Reply #10 – July 12, 2018, 08:48:27 pm Sawyer, thanks for posting the comments supporting a portable solar panel solution. You raise good points... 1 Likes
Re: Portable solar Reply #11 – July 12, 2018, 10:03:25 pm I’ve been interested in adding one or two more 100 watt panels on the roof of our LD. I am also interested in a portable system when the campsite is a bit too shady. Not sure exactly where I’m going with this yet.I’ve been using my DBPOWER lithium ion jumper for running small devices like cell phones and tablets but this requires it to be charged at some point.Another option for portable Solar Power is the Solar Battery. This system has its own battery for charging/storage. This system provides power for devices but does nothing to charge the LD coach batteries. It is, however, an available option for Solar Power for appliance usage like laptops, tablets, phones etc. https://youtu.be/bE2V8Mva9HcAn interesting option, that may be of interest to the power challenged.Kent 1 Likes
Re: Portable solar Reply #12 – July 13, 2018, 12:10:31 am Quote from: Lazy Bones - July 12, 2018, 06:30:03 pm"...and to have some power to run the water pump." To say nothing of the water heater, fridge and furnace! The refrigerator alone burns about 12-amp/hours of power a day.A 120-watt portable panel will barely provide that in the winter, assuming the wiring is properly sized and the panels are aimed.Many underestimate their power needs and how much power they expect to gain with solar.With 400-watts of panels, we are usually fully charged by noon but sometimes struggle to stay charged in mid-winter, with short days and a low sun providing substantially less power. Winter electrical need are greater in the winter due to increased demands from heating, lighting, computers and electronic entertainment. Most campers spend more time inside during the cold winter months. I have never meet anyone claiming to have too much solar.Larry
Re: Portable solar Reply #13 – July 13, 2018, 09:34:43 am I'm new to the LD club and mine has no solar so this is a decision I too am making. I really lean toward doing it "right" and mounting them on the roof but another part of me likes the plug and play portables. Something like this just looks so easy and cheap.. Still mulling it over.Amazon.com : RENOGY Foldable Solar Suitcase Kit 100W Mono Without Charge...Amazon.com : Renogy 200 Watts 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Bundle Kit w/... As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Portable solar Reply #14 – July 13, 2018, 09:46:50 am Quote from: Sawyer - July 13, 2018, 09:34:43 amI'm new to the LD club and mine has no solar so this is a decision I too am making. I really lean toward doing it "right" and mounting them on the roof but another part of me likes the plug and play portables. Something like this just looks so easy and cheap.. Still mulling it over.Amazon.com : RENOGY Foldable Solar Suitcase Kit 100W Mono Without Charge...Amazon.com : Renogy 200 Watts 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Bundle Kit w/... The foldup one is a real no brainier but the bigger one is not rocket science either as per this review. Dark Sky5.0 out of 5 starsA must have for an RV.June 4, 2017Size: 200W Mono|Verified PurchaseInstalled a 200 watt kit on my RV's Fiberglass roof with 3M tape, run the wires down the side through extension cord tubing, bought at the big orange store, to hide them, straight to the battery box. Took a couple of hours and they fired right up and started charging. This is my second set, the first set was installed on a Travel Trailer. In five years I never had a dead battery while in storage or campingSorry, didn't mean to quote myself I thought I was doing an edit. LOL As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: Portable solar Reply #15 – July 13, 2018, 09:57:11 am This "solar education" page from the AM Solar website might be useful for those wishing to determine power requirements; see page left for specific topics:RV Solar Education 1 Likes
Re: Portable solar Reply #16 – July 13, 2018, 10:06:42 am Just because I like the subject this is my home system 1 Likes
Re: Portable solar Reply #17 – July 13, 2018, 11:23:10 am In regards to the portable inverter I can very much recommend this one from Potek:Amazon.com: POTEK 500W Power Inverter DC 12V to 110V AC Car Converter with...I tried a different 300 W inverter with many positive reviews first. I very often beeped "overload" with just my 65 W laptop charger connected to it when the engine was not running. The Potek inverter does not do that, and the LED readouts are an additional plus. As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
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