Please help! Solar confuses me so much.

[sub2rainEN]

I can’t advise on specs, as I’ve been trying to wrap my head around it for years.

However, why don’t you want solar on your trailer? Because of the slope? Flexible panels are meant to work in such parameters. Renogy makes them in several sizes and wattages, as do other manufacturers.

As a previous poster said, unpacking and moving 4 mobile panels is a lot of labor. What about when you’re sick? When it’s raining off and on?


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[WhenIm64]

The roof slopes and is not that big. There is not room for more than one or two flexible panels. I don't want to put holes in my roof and I understand flexible panels are not as sturdy as one would like. I also like the idea of being able to park in the shade while my panels are out in the sun or I could position my panels in sunny spots if I'm parked in a forested area. I don't mind setting up and shifting panels. 
I decided on 800 watts worth of panels because I know that in the winter I may not be able to generate as much power as I'd like. i know that some days i won't be able to use some of my power sucking equipment and that's OK. I love to read. So there's that.
Thank you for your comments. I really appreciate this forum and other people's input.

 

[WhenIm64]

Voltage is the amount of electrical pressure.
Amps are the amount of electrical current.
Watts are the amount of electrical power
Watts are determined by multiplying the voltage times the amps.
The amount of time the watts are being used will determine the amount of electricity you must have available which therefore will determine the size of the generator, solar system and battery bank or a combination of both as determined by amount money, work, space or weight you have available. 
The list is something people seldom consider until electricity gets really expensive.  Producing your own electricity is expensive which is why people here will start to suggest different ways of doing things which will use as little electrical power for as short as time as possible.  A generator is usually the first choice as you just get one big enough to run all the 120 volt alternating current things you had at home, but people soon find out how restricted run times, expensive, noisy, and trouble prone they are if not maintained so they start to look at solar to charge 12 volt direct current batteries and use 12 volt direct current things and an inverter if some things must be  powered by 120 volts alternating current.  Depending on the solar system, storage batteries and weather they can be quiet and almost maintenance free but are limited by size, weight, and high power needs that can make them impractical.  For many this leads to as big a solar system they can afford or fit and as small an inverter generator that they can keep their storage batteries charged up with in bad weather.

I will get a generator or battery pack of some sort for emergency use. Perhaps one of those small Jackery systems to run a heater when there is no other alternative. But I don't want to rely on a generator. 
Thank you for your input. I appreciate it very much.

 

[WhenIm64]

Another term that seems confusing is battery amp hours. In theory a 100 amp hour battery can put out 100 amps of power for an hour. In practice you do not want to discharge a battery more than 50% as this greatly reduces the life of the battery.  If you have two 100 amp hour batteries, you only have 100 amp hours that you can use, (50 amps hours from each battery),  and then they need to be recharged.

Watts is amps times volts.  In general at 12 volts a device will use 10 times the amps that it would at 120 volts. There are losses involved in the inverter also. so you will actually use a bit more.  450 watts / 120 Volts = 3.75 amps.  450 watts / 12 volts = 37.5 amps.  You might be able to run the iron for a couple of hours without power coming in. If you only turn it on when you need to press a seam then turn it off, you should be fine.

If you have a rain day and discharge the batteries, they will still be discharged the following morning. Until the solar recharges them, your electrical activity will be limited. If you have two rainy days, better have a couple of good books.

There was a company that made a small 12 volt iron that only used 60 amps. ACAR Industries Mini Travel Iron, Model RV-449. ( you can search Youtube for the video looking for 12 volt iron). Maybe someone still makes one. When I googled it several came up from Alibaba, but you had to buy like 30 of them https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/12v-clothes-iron.html    A truck stop or RV store may carry them.

I see myself reading or making jewelry on rainy or cloudy days. If I don't have power to run the iron, then i probably don't have power to run the sewing machine, microwave or TV. I have thousands of books.

 

[highdesertranger]

heating anything with electricity takes a huge amount of energy.

" If I don't have power to run the iron, then i probably don't have power to run the sewing machine, microwave or TV."

that is simply not true the sewing machine and TV hardly use any power compared to the iron or microwave.

"Perhaps one of those small Jackery systems to run a heater"

ain't going to happen. you are again trying to heat with electricity. you are not realizing how much power it takes. you don't notice in a house because you have unlimited power for cheap. but when you are the power company it's a whole other ball game.

highdesertranger

 

[WhenIm64]

you're right. I mispoke. I'll be using a small propane heater. I'll be on a learning curve for sure. But I am a very conservative person regarding my house and energy use. My power and water bills are significantly less than my neighbors who live in a duplex exactly like mine. I like the challenge.

 

[bullfrog]

Alrighty then, time to start making the list, name of device, voltage, amps or watts, estimated amount of time it will be used in a 24 hour day. If you can, it would help to know if you will use more than one device at the same time. Then we can talk about alternatives and the minimum system that will meet your needs without undue abuse.

 

[sub2rainEN]

You’re welcome. I bought a Renogy flexible panel because the reviews specifically stated they were more durable than the old flexible panels. I’ve seen a few YouTube RVers who had to replace their flexible panels. They can be attached with Dichor adhesive, butyl tape, or Velcro, although I personally wouldn’t trust Velcro on the road! I thought of maybe doing that so I could move it around.

Your rig might have an inlet for solar. Some versions of mine had wiring on the roof, so no holes necessary. Alas, mine did not.

You can also get rechargeable lamps so you can store energy on those when driving or when solar is good. Some are solar chargeable. Wouldn’t want you to miss reading time! A Jackery or similar seem popular now, but you’d have to figure out whether the cost v. Storage capacity is worth it for you.

Best of luck finding the right solutions for you.

The roof slopes and is not that big. There is not room for more than one or two flexible panels. I don't want to put holes in my roof and I understand flexible panels are not as sturdy as one would like. I also like the idea of being able to park in the shade while my panels are out in the sun or I could position my panels in sunny spots if I'm parked in a forested area. I don't mind setting up and shifting panels. 
I decided on 800 watts worth of panels because I know that in the winter I may not be able to generate as much power as I'd like. i know that some days i won't be able to use some of my power sucking equipment and that's OK. I love to read. So there's that.
Thank you for your comments. I really appreciate this forum and other people's input.

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