Solar illiterate lol

[Gypsysoul]

Totally new to the idea of solar. I have read everything posted, but I am just not getting it. I never been good at math or problem solving. lol 

Anyway, I have a 29 ft 1998 Minnie Winnie. Looking to add solar to be comfortable. I would like to be able to charge phone, use the laptop, maybe portable DVD player, a fan if needed, water pump, microwave. I may need it for a Cpap but currently don't have my machine.

I would really like to have it for the RTR. I just have no clue what to buy or where to buy it from. I don't know if they sell the needed supplies in Quartzsite or not, but if so, where is the best place to buy and or get installed. I know without a doubt that it will confuse my brain and build anxiety. lol Can anyone fill me in on what I may need, where to buy, costs, and where to get it installed?

Ty, Caryn

 

[Almost There]

Totally new to the idea of solar. I have read everything posted, but I am just not getting it. I never been good at math or problem solving. lol 

Anyway, I have a 29 ft 1998 Minnie Winnie. Looking to add solar to be comfortable. I would like to be able to charge phone, use the laptop, maybe portable DVD player, a fan if needed, water pump, microwave. I may need it for a Cpap but currently don't have my machine.

I would really like to have it for the RTR. I just have no clue what to buy or where to buy it from. I don't know if they sell the needed supplies in Quartzsite or not, but if so, where is the best place to buy and or get installed. I know without a doubt that it will confuse my brain and build anxiety. lol Can anyone fill me in on what I may need, where to buy, costs, and where to get it installed?

Ty, Caryn

There are several businesses nearby that sell and install solar.

There is also a really good mail receiver in Q so that if you end up ordering parts, it's there to receive shipments.

There are also lots of helping hands to teach solar care, help install solar and lots of people who can sit down with you, show you their systems, help calculate how much you'll need etc. etc.

If you can arrive before hand in the area (not at the RTR site), there's lots of info you can gain just by hanging out with the group.

 

[Oopslala]

I started out exactly the same. You can go back and look at my old solar threads as proof, I had no clue what was going on. As for buying it, everything I bought came off of amazon. I'll let the other guys handle the specs because they are a lot better at that determining for individual systems, but I'm here to tell you that you'll get there!!

I believe it was Falcon that had the only diagram I could wrap my brain around, and I used that as a base for my setup. But first you have to determine what you need. Do you have a price range?

 

[Gypsysoul]

There are several businesses nearby that sell and install solar.

There is also a really good mail receiver in Q so that if you end up ordering parts, it's there to receive shipments.

There are also lots of helping hands to teach solar care, help install solar and lots of people who can sit down with you, show you their systems, help calculate how much you'll need etc. etc.

If you can arrive before hand in the area (not at the RTR site), there's lots of info you can gain just by hanging out with the group.

Ok that's good to know. I won't be able to leave SC until the first, so not sure if I will arrive early or not, because I have a couple stops I need to make. Ty

 

[Gypsysoul]

I started out exactly the same.  You can go back and look at my old solar threads as proof, I had no clue what was going on.  As for buying it, everything I bought came off of amazon.  I'll let the other guys handle the specs because they are a lot better at that determining for individual systems, but I'm here to tell you that you'll get there!!

I believe it was Falcon that had the only diagram I could wrap my brain around, and I used that as a base for my setup.  But first you have to determine what you need.  Do you have a price range?

Ty it feels better to know I'm not alone. lol 

I don't really have a price range. Of course I want the best deal I can get, but I also want to get as much as I need.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Anyway, I have a 29 ft 1998 Minnie Winnie. Looking to add solar to be comfortable. I would like to be able to charge phone, use the laptop, maybe portable DVD player, a fan if needed, water pump, microwave.

Pretty much everything you've mentioned falls into the "light to moderate usage"  category except the microwave.  If you really need to use a microwave a fair amount, you are going to need a big battery bank, a lot of solar panels, a bigger - and therefor more expensive - charge controller, and a large inverter.  All of which are going to cost a lot more than the smaller system everything else could get by on.

 

[rvpopeye]

Ditto that^
Use an alternative to that wave and save a bundle !

 

[Gypsysoul]

Pretty much everything you've mentioned falls into the "light to moderate usage"  category except the microwave.  If you really need to use a microwave a fair amount, you are going to need a big battery bank, a lot of solar panels, a bigger - and therefor more expensive - charge controller, and a large inverter.  All of which are going to cost a lot more than the smaller system everything else could get by on.

Ty I don't need to use the microwave a lot but I want the option to heat something quickly. What price range is light to moderate usage in?

 

[Trebor English]

Some CPAP machines, particularly with humidifier, can be serious power users. It would be helpful to get that worked out. If you can figure out that you will need, there are users here who can advise about likely range of amp hours per day.

 

[rvpopeye]

I don't know much about the cpap do you know it's watt or amp needs ?
And how many hours will it need to run?
There might be label on it somewhere or maybe in the manual....

 

[Gypsysoul]

I don't know much about the cpap do you know it's watt or amp needs ?
And how many hours will it need to run?
There might be  label on it somewhere or maybe in the manual....

I am suppose to use one, but currently do not have it, so idk. I may need to get back on one when I get back home in a couple weeks.

I also like to use my crockpot. Do they use much?

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Ty I don't need to use the microwave a lot but I want the option to heat something quickly. What price range is light to moderate usage in?

Two 6 volt golf cart batteries.
200 watts of solar panels
A solar charge controller
Miscellaneous wire and fuses

Maybe $500 to $600 for the parts.

 

[Oopslala]

Substitute for the microwave could just be your stove top. That's all I've been using and I hardly miss the microwave at all. You can warm up essentially anything TV dinners or something of that sort with the stovetop and a pot or pan.

 

[Almost There]

Since you're in a Winnie Minnie, did it come with a generator? If it did, you can always just fire up the gennie when you absolutely need to use the microwave.

I had the use of my old microwave this past summer and after a winter of not having it, I was so used to doing without that I forgot it was there most of the time.

I can heat leftover meat by wrapping it in tinfoil and nesting it above whatever else I'm cooking. Just the other day I reheated rice in the veggie steamer basket - worked like a charm. Any casseroles/one dish meals can be reheated in just a couple of minutes on the stove.

The 120V crock pots take a fair amount of power but they also make a 12V crock pot (find them at truck stops). The other option is solar cooking which can work just like a crock pot.

 

[Trebor English]

My CPAP uses 6.67A @ 12V

The type of computer does make a difference.  A lap top typically uses 1/10 the power a desk top. 

http://www.wholesalesolar.com/solar-information/how-to-save-energy/power-table

I searched for CPAP.  This is the first post I saw.
6.67A times 8 hours is 53.36 Amp hours per day.  My recollection is that some are less but all are significant.  Maybe some actual CPAP users can contribute here.

 

[Gypsysoul]

Since you're in a Winnie Minnie, did it come with a generator? If it did, you can always just fire up the gennie when you absolutely need to use the microwave.

I had the use of my old microwave this past summer and after a winter of not having it, I was so used to doing without that I forgot it was there most of the time.

I can heat leftover meat by wrapping it in tinfoil and nesting it above whatever else I'm cooking. Just the other day I reheated rice in the veggie steamer basket - worked like a charm. Any casseroles/one dish meals can be reheated in just a couple of minutes on the stove.

The 120V crock pots take a fair amount of power but they also make a 12V crock pot (find them at truck stops). The other option is solar cooking which can work just like a crock pot.

Yes It did come with one. I can do that! I think I will look into the 12volt crock pot. The crock pot I have now is too big for just one person anyway. Hoping to get one a bit smaller. 

Ty that helps a lot.

Caryn

 

[wagoneer]

To a great extent when I needed a crockpot in the city, and doing all the camping I do I find building a fire and using my 2 quart dutch oven lowers my blood pressure just tending the flame and sitting around feeding pinecones and odd wood pieces relaxes me, it's great therapy especially shared with someone

 

[Gypsysoul]

I searched for CPAP.  This is the first post I saw.
6.67A times 8 hours is 53.36 Amp hours per day.  My recollection is that some are less but all are significant.  Maybe some actual CPAP users can contribute here.

Ty for looking it up. I wish I could understand it but it's all foreign to me.

 

[Gypsysoul]

To a great extent when I needed a crockpot in the city, and doing all the camping I do I find building a fire and using my 2 quart dutch oven lowers my blood pressure just tending the flame and sitting around feeding pinecones and odd wood pieces relaxes me, it's great therapy especially shared with someone

I love fires, but I don't have a Dutch oven. Maybe in the future I will get one.

 

[rvpopeye]

A typical battery is around 100 amp hours. And 50 amp hours is what you can expect to be a max amt to use. So cpap on for 8 hours is all you got to play with...add in everything else and =more batteries and panels =double the cost (and weight) . So now in the $1500-2000 range.

Having a genny will really help with the micro but running a genny for 8 hours every night will use some gas !