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Post by mgoodwin on Feb 1, 2017 16:43:53 GMT -8
I am in Canada and plan to RV in zones that range from 43º to 50º Latitude. I have read, for best performance I will need to tilt my panels from 20º to 60º depending on the time of the year. (as per www.solarpaneltilt.com/ ) My plan is for 200W plus generator to maintain 12V - 225 Ah battery (2 x 6V) Compounding the challenge, we can never be sure which way the rig will be pointing when set up. As such I have been considering making a 200W suitcase so I have the ability to point it in any required direction relative to our campsite. Also, I would like to use an MPPT charge controller to maximize my energy harvest. Here's the challenge, connecting/disconnecting. If I mount the charge controller onboard the rig, is it safe to plug the panels (200W - 24V - series) into the charge controller? Or, should the charge controller stay connected all the time and simply plug into the battery every time we set up? I'm concerned about arc and zapping my system (or myself) into oblivion.  UPDATE - This is my idea... ![]() |
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Post by cosmicboss on Feb 13, 2017 12:22:52 GMT -8
You may want to add a shut off switch (or a couple) to kill the power before connecting and disconnecting from the plugs. Just my opinion. I don't know if there are plugs designed to do what you want.
I would add one before the charge controller, and one before the battery.
Maybe someone else can chime in with more info.
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Post by johann on Feb 19, 2017 17:05:13 GMT -8
RV's got limited roof space, but a 200 ahr battery need about 400 watts of solar power so the battery gets fully charged on a daily basis of use.
You should only drain 50% of the charge on a daily bases or you kill the battery fast. So in other words your 200 ahr battery turns into a 100ahr usable battery. 100ahr times 12 volt = 1,200 watts that can be taken safely on a dayly basis from the battery. But you have to recharge the battery and with losses you need about 1500 watts to recharge that battery.... or in other words your 200 watt solar panel would take 1.5 days to charge your batteries back up again with no extra load applied.
Make sure your battery is a real deep cycle battery. A marine battery is not a real deep cycle battery, it is a hybrid between a car battery and a deep cycle battery and will not last as long as a real deep cycle battery.
Connecting such system. Connect the charge controller to the battery first. Then connect the panel to the charge controller.
Disconnecting is the reverse.
Never hook the panels to the charge controller without hooking the batteries up first, it can damage the charge controller.
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Post by Tuscany on Feb 25, 2017 19:56:40 GMT -8
I built a similar system and found some useful plugs at Lowes hardware. I used a 30 amp plug that connects by inserting and then turning just a little to lock it in place. They are used on portable generators to keep the motor vibrations from shaking the plugs apart. Best of luck.
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paulh
New Member
Posts: 9 
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Post by paulh on Feb 26, 2017 18:42:54 GMT -8
Cover the panels so they are not producing any output, when connecting or disconnecting the panels and you will be okay.
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Post by JamesH on May 15, 2017 5:22:38 GMT -8
Hello all,
So glad you asked this question as I'm doing the exact same thing for pretty much the same reason. We plan to dry camp when possible and as I'm from Florida I always seek shady spots for the teardrop style camper. I want to be able to walk the panels into the sunlight leaving the camper in the shade.
So, now that you have had it for a short while, any comments on how it is working for you?
ps- Thx for the tip on the switch Tuscany
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k0vwa
New Member
Posts: 5
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Post by k0vwa on May 18, 2017 11:07:25 GMT -8
We use 4 100W panels, PWM charge controller and 2 225Ah 6V Vmaxtank batteries. The charge controller is mounted inside with cables running outside to MCA connectors. When we setup the panels I connect the negative leads first and positives last. Don't know if that's correct but that's how we do it. We bought 10' extra cable so we have lots of wiggle room to move the panels around. Last step is to connect a big security cable to the camper and panels. Usually move them pointed east at night so they catch first light. Most of the time they're charging by 6:30am. Batteries are normally charged by 11-12am. If it's cloudy all day it sometimes takes until 1-2pm but no need to move the panels when it's totally overcast. We normally also charge portable electronics for camping friends - usually a few laptops via a cheesy 200W inverter and tablets and phones via 4 USB charging ports. If we charge lots of stuff or need the 12VDC fan we'll move the panels south around mid day. Here's the setup:  Camping at Bear Lake by Carl, on Flickr and the charge controller and charging ports:  Power mods in our Spree Escape by Carl, on Flickr If you haven't already done it go ahead and replace your interior light bulbs with LED units. We got cheap ones from Amazon plus a few spares. Now we can run *every* light with less power than using two bulbs before. Good luck and have fun! |
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Post by billdorf on May 29, 2017 14:23:37 GMT -8
We use 4 100W panels, PWM charge controller and 2 225Ah 6V Vmaxtank batteries. The charge controller is mounted inside with cables running outside to MCA connectors. When we setup the panels I connect the negative leads first and positives last. Don't know if that's correct but that's how we do it. We bought 10' extra cable so we have lots of wiggle room to move the panels around. Last step is to connect a big security cable to the camper and panels. Usually move them pointed east at night so they catch first light. Most of the time they're charging by 6:30am. Batteries are normally charged by 11-12am. If it's cloudy all day it sometimes takes until 1-2pm but no need to move the panels when it's totally overcast. We normally also charge portable electronics for camping friends - usually a few laptops via a cheesy 200W inverter and tablets and phones via 4 USB charging ports. If we charge lots of stuff or need the 12VDC fan we'll move the panels south around mid day. Here's the setup: Camping at Bear Lake by Carl, on Flickr and the charge controller and charging ports: Power mods in our Spree Escape by Carl, on Flickr If you haven't already done it go ahead and replace your interior light bulbs with LED units. We got cheap ones from Amazon plus a few spares. Now we can run *every* light with less power than using two bulbs before. Good luck and have fun! |
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Post by billdorf on May 29, 2017 14:26:38 GMT -8
We use 4 100W panels, PWM charge controller and 2 225Ah 6V Vmaxtank batteries. The charge controller is mounted inside with cables running outside to MCA connectors. When we setup the panels I connect the negative leads first and positives last. Don't know if that's correct but that's how we do it. We bought 10' extra cable so we have lots of wiggle room to move the panels around. Last step is to connect a big security cable to the camper and panels. Usually move them pointed east at night so they catch first light. Most of the time they're charging by 6:30am. Batteries are normally charged by 11-12am. If it's cloudy all day it sometimes takes until 1-2pm but no need to move the panels when it's totally overcast. We normally also charge portable electronics for camping friends - usually a few laptops via a cheesy 200W inverter and tablets and phones via 4 USB charging ports. If we charge lots of stuff or need the 12VDC fan we'll move the panels south around mid day. Here's the setup: Camping at Bear Lake by Carl, on Flickr and the charge controller and charging ports: Power mods in our Spree Escape by Carl, on Flickr If you haven't already done it go ahead and replace your interior light bulbs with LED units. We got cheap ones from Amazon plus a few spares. Now we can run *every* light with less power than using two bulbs before. Good luck and have fun! |
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Post by billdorf on May 29, 2017 14:27:37 GMT -8
how are you liking those Vmax ; I have 4 new panels and need two 6v batteries; they look good.
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