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Solar panels
Yahoo Message Number: 249
Greg, I think there must be some confusion from the factory, because the panels are very lightweight.
The support hardware installs with expansion bolts with rubber sealing grommets and holds on the lauan panelling and aluminum skin of the roof. The panels are Solarex VLH-53, 3A at 17V, which are now discontinued - some places are offering good deals on remaining stock right now. I purchased them by mail from Alternative Solar Products in Temecula, about a year apart.

The panel outputs are paralleled, and the feed passes thru the refrigerator vent, then into the adjacent closet, where I have the charge controller mounted. From there the leads continue straight down, thru the floor, and over to the battery. The charge controller is a
8-Amp unit that came with the kit that included the  first panel.

In '83 the coach battery was a  single 12V under the hood. It would typically last about
1.5 days before showing signs of getting weak. I
 added a second coach battery (back bumper) which extended the time to about 2.5 days. After adding the first solar panel, the batteries never seemed to lack a good charge, though our maximum stay in one spot is about 4 days. I later added the second panel to extend our stays indefinitely - limited by holding tanks.

A few points with solar. Any shade kills the output - seek full sun. We never park in the shade anyway, since the day a eucalyptus missle put a hole in our bathroom vent in Morro Bay S.P.

Winter output in full sun is about half that in the summer - with the panels flat on the roof. The sun is also harder to catch in the winter, since there are more obstacles when it is closer to the horizon.

For the days when the sun just doesn't cooperate, your battery bank needs to be adequately sized.

Any way I can help, Greg, just let me know.

Steve
2004 FL
2013 Honda Fit
Solar panels
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 250
Greg, I think there must be some confusion from the factory, because the panels are very lightweight.
The support hardware installs with expansion bolts with rubber sealing grommets and holds on the lauan panelling and aluminum skin of the roof. The panels are Solarex VLH-53, 3A at 17V, which are now discontinued - some places are offering good deals on remaining stock right now. I purchased them by mail from Alternative Solar Products in Temecula, about a year apart.

The panel outputs are paralleled, and the feed passes thru the refrigerator vent, then into the adjacent closet, where I have the charge controller mounted. From there the leads continue straight down, thru the floor, and over to the battery. The charge controller is a
8-Amp unit that came with the kit that included the  first panel.

In '83 the coach battery was a  single 12V under the hood. It would typically last about
1.5 days before showing signs of getting weak. I
 added a second coach battery (back bumper) which extended the time to about 2.5 days. After adding the first solar panel, the batteries never seemed to lack a good charge, though our maximum stay in one spot is about 4 days. I later added the second panel to extend our stays indefinitely - limited by holding tanks.

A few points with solar. Any shade kills the output - seek full sun. We never park in the shade anyway, since the day a eucalyptus missle put a hole in our bathroom vent in Morro Bay S.P.

Winter output in full sun is about half that in the summer - with the panels flat on the roof. The sun is also harder to catch in the winter, since there are more obstacles when it is closer to the horizon.

For the days when the sun just doesn't cooperate, your battery bank needs to be adequately sized.

Any way I can help, Greg, just let me know.

Steve
2004 FL
2013 Honda Fit
Solar panels
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 251
Greg, I think there must be some confusion from the factory, because the panels are very lightweight.
The support hardware installs with expansion bolts with rubber sealing grommets and holds on the lauan panelling and aluminum skin of the roof. The panels are Solarex VLH-53, 3A at 17V, which are now discontinued - some places are offering good deals on remaining stock right now. I purchased them by mail from Alternative Solar Products in Temecula, about a year apart.

The panel outputs are paralleled, and the feed passes thru the refrigerator vent, then into the adjacent closet, where I have the charge controller mounted. From there the leads continue straight down, thru the floor, and over to the battery. The charge controller is a
8-Amp unit that came with the kit that included the  first panel.

In '83 the coach battery was a  single 12V under the hood. It would typically last about
1.5 days before showing signs of getting weak. I
 added a second coach battery (back bumper) which extended the time to about 2.5 days. After adding the first solar panel, the batteries never seemed to lack a good charge, though our maximum stay in one spot is about 4 days. I later added the second panel to extend our stays indefinitely - limited by holding tanks.

A few points with solar. Any shade kills the output - seek full sun. We never park in the shade anyway, since the day a eucalyptus missle put a hole in our bathroom vent in Morro Bay S.P.

Winter output in full sun is about half that in the summer - with the panels flat on the roof. The sun is also harder to catch in the winter, since there are more obstacles when it is closer to the horizon.

For the days when the sun just doesn't cooperate, your battery bank needs to be adequately sized.

Any way I can help, Greg, just let me know.

Steve
2004 FL
2013 Honda Fit
Solar panels
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 252
Lazy Daze is currently using BP-85 solar panels that weigh a little over 20 lbs.

Here is a site that has some specs.: [url=http://www.lazydazeowners.com/[url=http://www.rvsolar.com/panels.htm

If you include the cost of the Heliotrope RV-30S charge controller, the cost seemed to be reasonable for having the solar panel factory installed. As with anything, the do-it-yourself cost is always lower.

LD will install two of the 85W panels if you want, but the RV solar sites say that one 85W solar panel for one set of 6V golf cart batteries is about right.
 
Solar panels
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 253
Lazy Daze is currently using BP-85 solar panels that weigh a little over 20 lbs.

Here is a site that has some specs.: [url=http://www.lazydazeowners.com/[url=http://www.rvsolar.com/panels.htm

If you include the cost of the Heliotrope RV-30S charge controller, the cost seemed to be reasonable for having the solar panel factory installed. As with anything, the do-it-yourself cost is always lower.

LD will install two of the 85W panels if you want, but the RV solar sites say that one 85W solar panel for one set of 6V golf cart batteries is about right.