need solar power answer

[Deb1996]

I posted this in the newcomers corner, they suggested I post it here, here is the post

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Ok, almost there, kinda understand solar set up. Is it: solar panel connects to charge controller, controller connects to the batteries and the batteries to the inverter?[/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Here is what I have for our popup camper: (2) 100 watt Renlogy solar panels, (2) 6 volt deep cycle batteries, charge controller and an inverter. our plan is to mount them on the roof, my main question is our camper has a 12 volt battery and is wired for the camper. we have a panel that says "converter" that changes DC to AC. Is that different than the inverter, should I turn that off? Not sure how to make it work  for the camper: should I hook up the solar system and plug the camper's electrical cord to the inverter? will the converter interfere with the inverter. you all have helped me a lot, thanks so much[/font]

 

[Trebor English]

It sounds like your popup has or had electrics already.  If it did and the battery is dead replace the old battery with your new one.  If the old battery is still good use one or the other but don't tie them together.  Old will run down new.

The converter gets 120 volts from the camper plugging in to the camp site and it produces 12 volts to run the 12 volt pumps, lights, and whatever else the camper has.  Converters are traditionally poor battery chargers.  

The camper may already have an inverter to make 120 volts from the battery supplied 12 volts.  Are there 120 volt outlets in the camper?  If there are outlets there is probably a transfer switch so that the 120 volt outlets work from the camp site provided 120 volts when plugged in and from the inverter when not plugged in.  Do not plug the camper's cord into an inverter.  Most likely you will just run down a battery.

If the camper does not have an inverter or 120 volt outlets then connect your inverter to your new battery and plug stuff in to the inverter when you want 120 volts away from a camp site.

Alternatively you can just ignore any existing camper wiring and hook up your new stuff as if the old stuff didn't exist.  You could rip out the old stuff.

Your original plan of panel, controller, and battery is good to add solar to new or existing stuff.  Panel on the roof, yes.  Battery on the roof, no.  This warning may seem condescending but people have put batteries on the roof.  That does make the wires shorter but don't do it.

 

[highdesertranger]

yeah you are backwards on the Convertor. a convertor changes 120 volt AC to 12 volt DC. an invertor does the opposite it changes 12vdc to 120vac. convertors also charge your 12vdc battery, although the older ones are very poor at this as English pointed out. highdesertranger

 

[Deb1996]

It sounds like your popup has or had electrics already.  If it did and the battery is dead replace the old battery with your new one.  If the old battery is still good use one or the other but don't tie them together.  Old will run down new.

The converter gets 120 volts from the camper plugging in to the camp site and it produces 12 volts to run the 12 volt pumps, lights, and whatever else the camper has.  Converters are traditionally poor battery chargers.  

The camper may already have an inverter to make 120 volts from the battery supplied 12 volts.  Are there 120 volt outlets in the camper?  If there are outlets there is probably a transfer switch so that the 120 volt outlets work from the camp site provided 120 volts when plugged in and from the inverter when not plugged in.  Do not plug the camper's cord into an inverter.  Most likely you will just run down a battery.

If the camper does not have an inverter or 120 volt outlets then connect your inverter to your new battery and plug stuff in to the inverter when you want 120 volts away from a camp site.

Alternatively you can just ignore any existing camper wiring and hook up your new stuff as if the old stuff didn't exist.  You could rip out the old stuff.

Your original plan of panel, controller, and battery is good to add solar to new or existing stuff.  Panel on the roof, yes.  Battery on the roof, no.  This warning may seem condescending but people have put batteries on the roof.  That does make the wires shorter but don't do it.

Using my original plan how would I supply power to the camper? Also how should I wire them, parallel or series?

 

[Trebor English]

Does your camper have the usual sort of 12 volt electrical stuff? Are there lights, a water pump, some cigarette lighter outlets? It is likely that the converter has several fuses in it already hooked up to the stuff that is there. Can you provide the make and model of the converter you have? Using what is there will be less work than replacing everything.

Will the new 2 batteries fit in the place where the old battery is? You want them there to hook up to the wiring that is already in the camper. Somewhere else can be made to work, just harder.

Does the old battery still hold a charge?

Do you have a multimeter to check it with?

 

[Deb1996]

Does your camper have the usual sort of 12 volt electrical stuff?  Are there lights, a water pump, some cigarette lighter outlets?  It is likely that the converter has several fuses in it already hooked up to the stuff that is there.  Can you provide the make and model of the converter you have?  Using what is there will be less work than replacing everything.

Will the new 2 batteries fit in the place where the old battery is?  You want them there to hook up to the wiring that is already in the camper.  Somewhere else can be made to work, just harder.  

Does the old battery still hold a charge?  

Do you have a multimeter to check it with?

yes the camper runs 12 volt, not sure on the make and model of the converter, but it is  1989 coleman plantation. the existing batter is only at 11 volts instead of 12, so yeah needs to be replaced. yes we will be putting 2 6 volt deep cycle in the same place as the old battery, hubby is going to build a battery box

 

[Wabbit]

Solar panels to charge controller to battery(ies) to charge. Ideally fuses between all those connections. Saying that I am not fused till battery output. However, I am an idiot.

Then from battery(ies) to fuse block to existing wires\new power connections.

Does that make sense? If not, put your husband on the phone...kidding!!!! Please, just kidding, don't hurt me!

 

[Trebor English]

From what I found on the interwebs you have:

A) an AC cord to plug in at a campground wired to a 12 volt converter that can power the 12 volt loads
B) the converter has a 3 position switch Battery, Convert, and Off
C) a battery wired to the converter to supply 12 volts in the Battery position and to accept charging in the Convert position.
D) two lights, one by the door step, one overhead
E) a water pump for water in the sink when not connected to camp ground water

You can replace the old battery with the new pair, wired in series for 12 volts.
Add the solar panels and controller to the new battery and everything else that is there should all work.
Add the inverter and then you will have 120 volts for whatever you want.  Do not plug in the camper AC cord in to the inverter as you will run down the battery using the inverter (20% loss) feeding the converter (20% loss) to do a poor job not charging the battery as the inverter takes more than the converter gives.

From what I found it doesn't look like you have any 120 volt outlets connected to the AC cord that plugs in at a campground.  Therefore you probably have no transfer switch or any other 120 volt stuff.

When you hook the new batteries to the preexisting system use an amp meter and make sure you understand any current being fed by the battery.  The old converter may leak.  The switches for the lights and pump may be bad.  There may be some additional equipment you don't know about.  Did a prior owner hook up a car radio under the dinette?  Now is the time to make sure you have no phantoms or gobblins gobblin up your electricity.

You might want to get a real battery charger if you expect to be able to plug in often enough to make it worth while.  You can replace the converter you have with an RV converter that is a competent battery charger.  Some battery chargers are hard to work with when powering loads as well as charging a battery.  Maybe you could keep your converter and add a charger.

 

[Weight]

I have a ProNautic 1240P. It is the same as the one in this post. It is also a power supply. I would have a larger, more amps, but wanted to use a small generator. Most RV converters, especially ones more than a couple of years old, are bad for batteries. Over charge, no temperature control, and other stuff.
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/installing_a_marine_battery_charger