I have completed a portable solar project for my Ford Escape and small Runaway trailer. It's not a professional masterpiece by any means, but I think it will serve the purpose I need.....hopefully. I used some ideas that were either suggested here, or things I have read on the blogs and other areas.
I put two 30 ah deep cycle batteries in the cargo box on the trailer, it will be charged with the 35 watt solar panel when I stop and put it out. I run a 12 volt line under the belly of the trailer to the back up into the floor and hooked up a 12 volt power port.
The Escape has a 100ah deep cycle agm battery strapped down inside the cargo area. It will be charged by the 100 watt panel, also when I stop and put it out. I connected a 110 female plug end at the 100 watt panel and a 110 male plug end at the charge controller (I got this idea from a recent guest post on the blog here). Then I use my 12 awg 12 foot power cord to connect the panel and controller. There is no voltage drop in the distance with that gauge of wire. I used a ciggy plug end going from the controller to the battery. It all seems to work good. This way I make my power cord serve 2 purposes. I can use it to hook up when I am at a camp ground with electricity, and when I am boondocking to hook up to my 100 watt panel (the 30 watt panel uses sae plugs ends). The panels are stored in the Escape or Runaway when traveling. Then pulled out and hooked up when I am going to be sitting still while boondocking.
I made the stands from angle aluminum. I had to drill into the sides of the frames to install them......goodbye warranty :s
Here is some links to some more pics with more detail if interested. The first link is of the trailer and the second is of the Escape. They also show how I bolted the cargo boxes down to the cargo rack on the trailer and how I made the panel adjustable frames.
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...63&authkey=!AJNuFhW7OiLYu4M&ithint=folder,jpg
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...62&authkey=!AFcQhy5uA7YF4Vc&ithint=folder,jpg
Thanks to all that have helped me.
I put two 30 ah deep cycle batteries in the cargo box on the trailer, it will be charged with the 35 watt solar panel when I stop and put it out. I run a 12 volt line under the belly of the trailer to the back up into the floor and hooked up a 12 volt power port.
The Escape has a 100ah deep cycle agm battery strapped down inside the cargo area. It will be charged by the 100 watt panel, also when I stop and put it out. I connected a 110 female plug end at the 100 watt panel and a 110 male plug end at the charge controller (I got this idea from a recent guest post on the blog here). Then I use my 12 awg 12 foot power cord to connect the panel and controller. There is no voltage drop in the distance with that gauge of wire. I used a ciggy plug end going from the controller to the battery. It all seems to work good. This way I make my power cord serve 2 purposes. I can use it to hook up when I am at a camp ground with electricity, and when I am boondocking to hook up to my 100 watt panel (the 30 watt panel uses sae plugs ends). The panels are stored in the Escape or Runaway when traveling. Then pulled out and hooked up when I am going to be sitting still while boondocking.
I made the stands from angle aluminum. I had to drill into the sides of the frames to install them......goodbye warranty :s
Here is some links to some more pics with more detail if interested. The first link is of the trailer and the second is of the Escape. They also show how I bolted the cargo boxes down to the cargo rack on the trailer and how I made the panel adjustable frames.
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...63&authkey=!AJNuFhW7OiLYu4M&ithint=folder,jpg
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...62&authkey=!AFcQhy5uA7YF4Vc&ithint=folder,jpg
Thanks to all that have helped me.
