PV Install? April 09, 2013, 12:10:36 am Yahoo Message Number: 138144What would I need and expect to pay for a solar system installed to keep my '95 23.5TK house batteries (2 - 6V Interstates) charged for extended dry camping?Any recommendations for installers in the San Diego area?
Re: PV Install? Reply #1 – April 09, 2013, 01:09:01 am Yahoo Message Number: 138146"What would I need and expect to pay for a solar system installed to keep my '95 23.5TK house batteries (2 - 6V Interstates) charged for extended dry camping?" That depends on how much power you expect to use. But to get a general idea, let's use the rule of thumb that says "one watt of solar capacity for each amp-hour of battery capacity." You have a little over 200 Ah of batteries there, so 200W of solar panels would be a good fit. You'll also need mounting hardware, cabling, and a solar charging controller, of course.One good starter kit is AM Solar's "Sunrunner" outfit: http://www.amsolar.com/home/amr/page_224_63/sunrunner_w10030pwm10mc4.htmlFor $425 you get everything you need to install a 100W panel: the panel itself, a good charging controller with the ability to handle multiple panels, cables, mounting hardware--the works. For another $200 you can add a second 100W panel. The resulting setup is likely to satisfy most people's needs, as long as you aren't planning on running the microwave oven from solar power. Can you get by for less? Sure. Go to Quartzsite, find somebody selling used panels, and cobble together some kind of system on your own. I went that route with my first RV. It worked, but not as well as it should have. The AM Solar equipment is solid and reliable--worth what they're asking. That's what I have now.Andy Bairdhttp://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Re: PV Install? Reply #2 – April 09, 2013, 08:33:13 am Yahoo Message Number: 138152If I am not mistaken I think these Interstates are 232 Ah per battery? http://www.interstatebatteries.com/cs_eStore/Content.aspx?dsNav=Ntk~SearchGroup|RV6Volt|3| --
Re: PV Install? Reply #3 – April 09, 2013, 01:58:42 pm Yahoo Message Number: 138164"If I am not mistaken I think these Interstates are 232 Ah per battery?" Yup, so with a pair of them you get--theoretically--232 Ah at 12V. That's pretty much the same as the 225 Ah Trojans that the factory used to instill. But allowing for aging and wear and tear, it's close enough to 200 Ah that the rule of thumb I cited still applies: two 100W panels are a good match for your batteries.Andy Bairdhttp://www.andybaird.com/travels/
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