LD upgrade years December 15, 2016, 07:59:46 am I have read somewhere on this forum that 1998 was the year LD started using thermal windows.Does anyone know what year the solar panel was added?Is 1 panel really enough? Is that easy to upgrade? Obviously you can stick more panels on the roof but will the existing charge controller and monitor need to be upgraded to allow for more panels?
Re: LD upgrade years Reply #1 – December 15, 2016, 12:01:10 pm Quote from: Cabana - December 15, 2016, 07:59:46 amI have read somewhere on this forum that 1998 was the year LD started using thermal windows.Does anyone know what year the solar panel was added?Is 1 panel really enough? Is that easy to upgrade? Obviously you can stick more panels on the roof but will the existing charge controller and monitor need to be upgraded to allow for more panels?Dual pane, thermal windows have been installed since the2003 model year.Standard solar panels did not become standard until 2008 with the addition of a 100-watt panel.Before 2008, solar was an option.To add more panels, on an LD with Factory solar, the lead in cabling, from the roof, should be upsized,Larry
Re: LD upgrade years Reply #3 – December 15, 2016, 03:04:07 pm You'll find a year-by-year list of changes in the Lazy Daze Pocket Guide.By the way, your blog link elicits this message: "cruisingcabana.wordpress.com is no longer available. The authors have deleted this site."
Re: LD upgrade years Reply #4 – December 15, 2016, 03:16:28 pm Is 1 panel really enough? That depends entirely on how much power you use. Our '06TK has one 100w factory panel. We are extremely conservative in our usage. A couple of lights (now LED), and maybe the tv for a couple of hours. Often, we get along in the rig with just a couple of Luci lights, those inflatable solar-powered units. I don't think our batteries have ever fallen below 82%, but I think we are extreme outliers in our conservative use, and it wouldn't serve most folks. The big problem for just one panel is the slower charge to replenish the batteries, especially fall through spring. Given the much lower cost of panels today, I'd probably opt for two panels and use more amp hours each night. I think (others please correct me) that the factory wiring will support two panels easily. -- Jon
Re: LD upgrade years Reply #5 – December 15, 2016, 04:10:02 pm "Given the much lower cost of panels today, I'd probably opt for two panels and use more amp hours each night. I think (others please correct me) that the factory wiring will support two panels easily". -- JonWe had a second solar panel added to our 2015 by LD and as far as I know, no wiring change was needed. Running lights and TV for several hours a night has not begun to deplete the battery charge, and they recharge quickly the next day.-Tom
Re: LD upgrade years Reply #6 – December 15, 2016, 04:43:48 pm "We had a second solar panel added to our 2015 by LD and as far as I know, no wiring change was needed. "When we had AM Solar upgrade our two 100 watt panels on our '08, they said #10 wire which LD used, was just fine for 200 watts. In order to add another 100 watt panel I had to go to a #8 wire. $$$I fussed with LD about this wire size when we bought our '08 and again with the '15 and got nowhere. Steve said that the wire sizes they use are sufficient for the product they sell. Paying extra for #8 wire in case a future upgrade was desired was not an option either. Stubborn people.😉Ed
Re: LD upgrade years Reply #7 – December 15, 2016, 06:33:15 pm Quote from: Thomas Sawyer - December 15, 2016, 04:10:02 pmWe had a second solar panel added to our 2015 by LD and as far as I know, no wiring change was needed. What is acceptable and what is optimal are not the same when it comes to solar panel lead-in wire size.It's all about voltage drop, which increases when the load increases or the length the electrical run increases.3% voltage drop is the standard but 1% is preferred, for charging circuitsThe larger cables should run from the roof, all the way to the battery.So what do you get with fatter wires? Higher efficiency in the places where it really counts. Any wiring in the charging circuits should be optimized for best performance and efficiency.Same goes for the fusing.Larry
Re: LD upgrade years Reply #8 – December 15, 2016, 07:35:10 pm Quote from: Larry Wade - December 15, 2016, 12:01:10 pmTo add more panels, on an LD with Factory solar, the lead in cabling, from the roof, should be upsized,How about putting the panels in series, and using an MPPT controller that can handle 50+ volts? The would keep the current to the controller the same as one panel.
Re: LD upgrade years Reply #9 – December 16, 2016, 12:06:25 am Quote from: Eric Greenwell - December 15, 2016, 07:35:10 pmHow about putting the panels in series, and using an MPPT controller that can handle 50+ volts? The would keep the current to the controller the same as one panel.You are right, smaller wire can be used when the panels are wired in series. The downside is when panels are wired in series, if one panel is shaded, the output will drop drastically.When wired in parallel, if one panel is shaded, the other panels keep contributing to the output.The downside of wiring in parallel is larger wire is needed for efficiency. IMO, a fair trade.Even when wired in series, the wires leading from the solar controller to the battery will need to be upsized when increasing the solar output.Larry
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