solar from truck to trailer

[campurrr]

The converter powers the 12 volt systems in the trailer as well as provide a charge to the batteries when the shore cord is plugged into shore power or a generator. Details on it would assist in choosing a generator and to understand what kind of charge it is giving your batteries.

Running your Roof A/C requires a generator unless you have a lot more solar than I do OR have a 12v unit costing a few grand. As it is I run a small 5000 BTU window unit. I recently upgraded it to a newer model that pulls 410w or less. I could have gone for a 6000 BTU unit that pulled 500 watts except it is too big for the application I would use it in.

I do have a electric heating rod in my water heater, it is a aftermarket 6 gallon Hott rod that pulls 450w.

I don't have a induction hot plate, what I have is a small dual burner electric stove that the smaller burner pulls 470w.

The electric side of my propane fridge pulls 462w. The control board uses a trickle at 12v no matter what mode it is in. I also run a Engel 12v 40 quart freezer.

When I am alone I use a moka pot for coffee, when in a group I use a 12 cup Mr Coffee auto drip.

My furnace pulls around 8 amps at 12v when running.

I use a 900w microwave pulling 1375w daily but want to replace it with a lower watt version that will run off the power the system puts off instead of draining the batteries.

For electronics I currently run a 17 inch laptop, a 10 inch tablet, a 24 inch TV, a firestick, up to 6 hotspots/phones, a booster, keep various batteries charged to shavers, cameras, run the exhaust fans and a 20 inch 120v box fan. I will likely get my computer tower out of storage but will not be just leaving it on all the time.

You might notice that almost everything outside of the coffee maker and microwave are under 500w. That is because I designed it all to run under the radar of the batteries when the solar system is running. I can run any of them with just the trailers system, any two with the truck connected too. The most I have had on was the water heater, the fridge on 120v, the freezer, a exhaust fan and the neighbors RV plugged in using the trailer as shore power to charge his battery. On top of that I heated two frozen burritos in the microwave for four minutes.

As far as guts go, I don't have issues running any power tool that can be plugged into you average household outlet. I carry a half inch drill, a sawzall, a circular saw, grinder and more because battery operated tool just do not compare.

A system like this can do a lot for you if the sun plays well enough, At full power I see over 80 amps of usable power at 12v. That is more power than a 800w/100w inverter generator puts out and a lot more surge capacity. It isn't cheap, it isn't small and it doesn't come in a kit.

So what did you want to run again? I would think that some of the numbers you provided are at 120v.

yes some are 120v.  i  was  just  watching  one  a  couple  of  bobs  videos  and saw a guy with an ac in his window of his trailer.   the guy had a coffee  pot   looked 120v     not sure.     i want to run what that guy runs.   well almost   i need to take a vent off the roof  and the ac   and take  the fridge out  and the toilet      i have money put aside for solar     and i can put a ac in my window

 

[highdesertranger]

ok first we need to figure out your energy use. then we need to match a battery bank(one battery isn't going to cut it). then we need to size a solar system to the battery bank. if you don't have room for enough solar you need to start over and eliminate some power draws. OR run a small generator for the high power needs. you need to understand heating anything with electricity is very inefficient. in the south west I doubt you will need a dehumidifier. so,
1. add up power needs. if you need help ask.
2. size a battery bank.
3. size the solar to the battery bank.
highdesertranger

 

[campurrr]

yes some are 120v.  i  was  just  watching  one  a  couple  of  bobs  videos  and saw a guy with an ac in his window of his trailer.   the guy had a coffee  pot   looked 120v     not sure.     i want to run what that guy runs.   well almost   i need to take a vent off the roof  and the ac   and take  the fridge out  and the toilet      i have money put aside for solar     and i can put a ac in my window

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 i would like to put 2 renogy  320 watt  panels  on my rv and  1  on my truck.   in batteries  the life line  brand    how might i choose amp hours  to 600 amp hours.  is there a better  panel than renogy.

 

[highdesertranger]

first figure out your power needs. before you talk batteries or panels. highdesertranger

 

[campurrr]

yes some are 120v.  i  was  just  watching  one  a  couple  of  bobs  videos  and saw a guy with an ac in his window of his trailer.   the guy had a coffee  pot   looked 120v     not sure.     i want to run what that guy runs.   well almost   i need to take a vent off the roof  and the ac   and take  the fridge out  and the toilet      i have money put aside for solar     and i can put a ac in my window

will this work...... 2  320  renogy  panels on the rv  and 1  on the truck   and  what amp hr  with  life line batteries   to get 600 amp hrs

 

[highdesertranger]

you are working backwards. first figure out your power needs. are you just ignoring my posts? highdesertranger

 

[frater secessus]

please   how do i stop putting these sentences  all mashed together!

By hitting the Return (Enter) key on the keyboard at the end of a paragraph. It's over there by your right hand pinky finger.  

sorry guys, i don't  understand.         on a video of bobs with Randy.     sorry if i should not use a name,     i don't see a video number for the interview.     randy has a plain coffee pot, toaster.    he has the new wave pickpro induction cooktop  and  whynter 12v fridge.    he demonstrated a small washer.    talked about 200-300 watts of panels  with a pure sine inverter 1200  to run this stuff.    perhaps ac is out of the question and a rv dehumidifier will work.         i am really not getting any of this.                                     i thought i did  but  no.               

Well, so far we don't know exactly what you are trying to accomplish.  We are hoping you might know, otherwise we're stuck.  

As others have asked, please post a complete list of:

• things you want to run off solar power
• things other people have in videos <-- not this 
• things you don't want to run off solar  <-- and not this either

It will make it easier on the people trying to help you if the list is simple to read at a glance, like this:
12v refrigerator
microwave for 10 minutes a day
tv for 30 minutes a day
phone charger

That's enough to get us going in the right direction.  Remember: you can make a new line start by hitting the Return key.  Hit it twice for a blank line in between.

i have to put some panels on the truck cuz trailer is small              unless   2      400watt      panels will work    with  a  boat load of batteries.              i feel really bad here.       this should be rather easy.       :blush:

I would be surprised if there was not room on the trailer for panel.

 

[campurrr]

By hitting the Return (Enter) key on the keyboard at the end of a paragraph. It's over there by your right hand pinky finger.  



Well, so far we don't know exactly what you are trying to accomplish.  We are hoping you might know, otherwise we're stuck.  

As others have asked, please post a complete list of:

• things you want to run off solar power
• things other people have in videos <-- not this 
• things you don't want to run off solar  <-- and not this either

It will make it easier on the people trying to help you if the list is simple to read at a glance, like this:
12v refrigerator
microwave for 10 minutes a day
tv for 30 minutes a day
phone charger

That's enough to get us going in the right direction.  Remember: you can make a new line start by hitting the Return key.  Hit it twice for a blank line in between.







I would be surprised if there was not room on the trailer for panel.

learning to type 

the roof of the trailer has ac  then  bathroom  vent  on left    an atenia  on left  corner   4 plastic caps  down the  middle  and   a vent  on the  end across from the ac   it is open  from on the right side  full length by  under half the width.   ok also no the first day i was  on here i said  i needed to remove the ac  fridge  toilet  bathroom sink.

couple said do not do that    well so then there is on room  on the roof and  i can't  use the as of fridge  unless i plug in   so  why  haul them  around.  i don't need the bathroom sink   cuz the kitchen sink  is double   and i can  spit in the  bathroom sink from the kitchen    they are that close together.

i have been trying to ask  short simple questions  as i HATE to bother people with  anything       but i am stuck on this solar  and bob said go to the forum

here i am   my next thing was putting solar on my truck  as the ac had to stay on  according to this place.   so from there it has been HELL. i am doing too much at once  
selling all my stuff that won't fit in camper i just want to live in the camper in AZ for the winter  having ac   in my window   drinking coffee   and using my computer as much as i can        its a camper has what campers  have   shower  water heater   heat    so   now i am so tired of this   you all know what i need its the same  stuff you all have  hot water  coffee     i have watched   tons of bobs vids  so i am getting  the compressor fridge  the catalitic    propane  heater thing   all the 12v stuff     i would slap every inch of the roof with solar  if there was room    ok i 

so now i feel like an ass     if i had someome say yea  take that ac  off   then i would have   asked   what to do with the hole.  the fridge hole will give much moor sleeping room  no need to ask about that     i

i want to run  coffee  pot  4mins a day

ac in the window  3 hours 
hot water  30min
tv  as computer monitor  and laptop 6 hours 
12v fridge and freezer 24/7
fantastic fan      i can't think of anything els.......  you may see something   i am missing that needs power.     this is not easy   it is a life change       you have done it 

i wouldn't ask none of this but  all the peps i know have no idea about solar         the neighbors think i nuts   or broke   one of which is true   and it ain't broke.  i want this to be nice.  now i am done took 30 mins to type this   better?      again  thank you for your interest

 

[jimindenver]

Rome wasn't built in a day and you don't learn it all at once either. You have to understand the relationships between panel, battery and loads to set up your system. You can set it up viewed from a number of different ways, mine is how much could I possibly fit on the roof. Yours could be how much do I need to run (?) Personally with what you hope to run you had better look at how much you can mount or alternative means of powering some of it.

I run mine like a solar generator, others use power from their batteries and then allow the panels or a generator charge them back up. A alternate means of charging is a good idea so a generator to run the heavier loads can mean a smaller system and battery bank can handle the smaller loads. There are a lot of ways to see it but the first things are to get a concept of how much power you need, how much panel that you can mount and how much battery can you carry.

The grp 24 on the tongue of the trailer offers 75-80 Ahs of which you can use 35-40 Ahs before you need to recharge or risk harming the battery. There may be room up there for a second battery.

 

[campurrr]

first figure out your power needs.  before you talk batteries or panels.  highdesertranger

what are your power needs     and what system is working for you.   perhaps i can get my bearings from other peoples  uses of power.

 

[campurrr]

Rome wasn't built in a day and you don't learn it all at once either. You have to understand the relationships between panel, battery and loads to set up your system. You can set it up viewed from a number of different ways, mine is how much could I possibly fit on the roof. Yours could be how much do I need to run (?) Personally with what you hope to run you had better look at how much you can mount or alternative means of powering some of it.

I run mine like a solar generator, others use power from their batteries and then allow the panels or a generator charge them back up. A alternate means of charging is a good idea so a generator to run the heavier loads can mean a smaller system and battery bank can handle the smaller loads. There are a lot of ways to see it but the first things are to get a concept of how much power you need, how much panel that you can mount and how much battery can you carry.

The grp 24 on the tongue of the trailer offers 75-80 Ahs of which you can use 35-40 Ahs before you need to recharge or risk harming the battery. There may be room up there for a second battery.

i have room for  4 batteries  i do not like that battery out side like that    don't see how i can use it much    it won't match  the new ones i get.       i can  mount  one on the roof  maybe 2   and two on the truck     i want to set up with more power than i need   thats why i got that truck  today  to use the top.       wow why is it       what ever      i'm done      this has gotten to stressful     i can  figure it out     see u  at RTR   with much respect      campurr

 

[highdesertranger]

we are trying to help you here.
doesn't your refrigerator run on propane or electricity?
your water heater runs on propane.
why do you need AC in the winter?
I am not being an ass but what I run or someone else runs has nothing to do with what you want to run. highdesertranger

 

[frater secessus]

learning to type

You're doing fine. And it's much easier to read!

i want to run coffee pot 4mins a day

ac in the window 3 hours
hot water 30min
tv as computer monitor and laptop 6 hours
12v fridge and freezer 24/7
fantastic fan

These take a lot of power:
a/c
water heating [edit: if electric. HDR suggests it's propane. If so, disregard]

these aren't too tough
fantastic fan,
fridge/freezer
coffee maker (because of the short runtime)

My super rough mental calculations show that to be about 450Ah needed per day, provided by about 1600w of solar panel and about 600# of batteries (unless you go $$$ lithium). No wiggle room for rainy days. I'm at work so I can't do a detailed breakdown right now.

Let me float an idea: if you do find that desert air is helpful to your breathing you might consider snowbirding in the southwest. Then you could replace the power-hungry A/C with a swamp cooler that would only take about as much power as a fan. And water heating is easy and cheap on propane.
My rough numbers indicate that a snowbirding setup would be something like 150Ah/day. So 1/3rd of the cost/space/weight, plus the health benefits.

what are your power needs     and what system is working for you.   perhaps i can get my bearings from other peoples  uses of power.

Here is a list of user systems arranged by panel output.

 

[Cammalu]

Campurr, you already have a propane fridge I'm assuming? It uses so very little propane that I wouldn't take it out. I can go for weeks cooking with propane on my stove and running my fridge on propane and also the hot water heater. Actually I've never gotten close to running out and I only have a 6lb tank. Save your money on the new fridge and keep that propane fridge you already have.

You don't seem to have anything that will use a frightful amount of solar other than AC. As you plan on using your camper in the winter I sure wouldn't worry about AC anyway. Do you have a good fan in your trailer?

Maybe you could take a few pics of your roof and fan so people could get a better idea of what kind of space you have.

I know you are wondering about what other campers have.

I have four 100 watt Renogy panels and 4 batteries. I was doing OK on two however. I run a coffee pot, a laptop, a couple of tablets and two phones, a little stereo thing, many lights (LED) all on my solar and never get close to running down my batteries. On propane I use the stove, fridge, water heater (I only turn it on about ten minutes a day) and occasionally furnace. I rarely have to fill up with propane but if I ran the furnace a lot I'm sure that would change.

You already have a converter so when you order your inverter be sure it's not an inverter/converter combo.

If you follow me on your propane use and forget the AC then you should get by on a couple hundred watts and a couple of batteries. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.


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[jonsun]

using a generator for heat at night not only allows for much safer heating, but much less solar as it doubles as a battery charger.

 

[rayrey]

Campurr

I am sorry that there isn't a simple do this answer and your needs will be met. There are only a few of us here that can run the equipment you speak of and we have some pretty large systems.

The long way of doing it is to have the gear so that you can look at it and see how much power it is rated for. The number it says it is rated for is a max number but it is okay to go with it because you need to set up for the worse case scenario. That is why I know exactly how much power each piece of gear I run uses and how it fits into my systems.

So my little A/C was rated for 446w on high and 3.9a at 120v. 3.9a at 120v roughly translates to 39a at 12v. So the A/C requires 39 amps per hour to run be it straight off the power generated by my panels or via the bank. My bank is 675 Ah when fully charged, 337 of which is usable. So my batteries could run it for 8 hours or so before I would have to recharge.

To do it the traditional way means knowing how much each thing uses and adding it up. The other way is to cover the roof with panels, fill the bay with batteries and what you have is what you get to work with.

You mention getting one panel on the trailer and two more in the truck. A 220w to 275 watt panel runs 39x64. A 280w to 350w runs 39x77 and a big 400+ watt panel like on my truck is 41x81.

Now you may have one large area on the trailer but there will be smaller areas that could be filled too. By using 12v panels you might be able to get more on the trailer than with one big panel.

Another option would be a split system with a panel and a few batteries for the trailer to run the 12 volt systems while the truck could have its two panels charging a bank in the truck to power a inverter for 120v use. All you would have to do is plug the shore cord into the inverter and all of your outlets in the trailer would be live.

This why there is no one "do this" answer. We all have different needs, budgets and space for gear and there are more ways than one to accomplish it. We can try to help you find the best way for you but it takes leg work on your part and there is a learning curve involved. It took me five years of learning about solar, building systems and using them to get to this point. I did not have someone telling me how to run a air conditioner, they just simply said you can not do it.

Now I can relate because I run much of what you are thinking to run but most here do not have the space or budget for the gear or can not conceive doing it because someone said they couldn't so why consider it. That is not a bad thing, it means you will get answers from all over the board. Again we all have different needs, space and budget.

So take it slow, don't get frustrated and we can find the solution that best fits your needs, space and budget.

By the way, I have a Ameri-lite 25 ft bunkhouse.

 

[Cammalu]

One thing I forgot. You most likely want to run your current RV AC. Those are usually about 13,500 BTU with a starting wattage of 2800-3000 watts and running of 1500-2000 watts. Someone else will have to do the math on what that computes to solar needs.

If I have to run AC I use my generator but I don't plan to be anywhere long that has weather too hot or too cold.

 

[tx2sturgis]

using a generator for heat at night not only allows for much safer heating, but much less solar as it doubles as a battery charger.

And very annoyed neighbors!

 

[Cammalu]

What neighbors?? [emoji12]


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[rm.w/aview]

we are trying to help you here. but what I run or someone else runs has nothing to do with what you want to run.  highdesertranger

A case in point; I have two GC2 six volt batteries, no solar and/or generator, and with my power consumption after one week has my batteries at 12.2V, at which time I'll plug in somewhere. I'm fairly certain that my one week of power use is a day, maybe two, in some other's case.