Solar illiterate lol

[Gypsysoul]

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 !

Yeah I don't want to run it for that long. Could I start with a smaller setup and add more if I get the Cpap back ?

 

[rvpopeye]

Yes , except you might want to start off with a larger capacity controller and bigger wiring with that in mind.

 

[Gypsysoul]

Yes , except you might want to start off with a larger  capacity controller and bigger wiring with that in mind.

yes that would probably be best. Should I look into getting parts before the RTR? If so where and by chance is there a list of exactly what I should get?

 

[rvpopeye]

That is a question that is going to be hard to answer.
There are so many choices and there are almost as many opinions.
My set up was all bought in 2001 so my research is a bit dated.
It seems like a lot of Renology gear is sitting on rigs owned by members here.
I'm sure you will get responses from those that are more current on options and where is best to buy now.

Is it possible you could get to the ' "construction camp" in Havasu that is about to happen?

 

[Trebor English]

Gypsy,
The electric company sells you kiloWatt hours monthly.  In the solar realm it all comes down to amp hours and since the sun is a daily cycle, amp hours per day.  The above mentioned CPAP uses current at a speed of 6 amps.  That's like a cruise ship traveling at a speed of 6 knots.  To know how far it went you need the speed, 6 knots, and the time, 8 hours over night.  So the example CPAP is 6 amps times 8 hours, about 48 amp hours every day.  You want to use those amp hours at night so you need a battery to hold them till night.  You need solar panels to refill the battery during the day.

In the van sized solar world a refrigerator is a big thing.  They usually run in the neighborhood of 20 amp hours per day.  That's big enough to require a second solar panel, extra battery, etc.  The CPAP is huge at twice that.  You can do this solarization in 2 steps.  Install a little system first, then, when you need to breathe, install another bigger system.  Problems are lurking.  When you go to put up the second round of solar panels there isn't space left on the roof.  The wire you snaked through tight spaces to hook up the small system is too small for the big system.  Mixing new batteries with old batteries and small batteries with large batteries can present problems.  Two interconnected systems are more complicated and you will only find someone on these pages who can repair it, the RV dealer will be totally confused.

The list of parts you need depends on how much electricity you need.  If you have just enough electricity to run your CPAP two nights with one rainy day you may be disappointed.  If you size it for two rainy days, three nights, crock pot, lights, microwave, laptop, DVD, it will be expensive but it can be done.  Roughly, 4 x GC T105s, 400 to 600 Watts solar.  Do you have room on your roof for 6 panels 40 inch by 26 inch where there is nothing that will cast a shadow on them?

 

[Gypsysoul]

That is a question that is going to be hard to answer.
There are so many choices and there are almost as many opinions.
My set up was all bought in 2001 so my research is a bit dated.
It seems like a lot of Renology gear is sitting on rigs owned by members here.
I'm sure you will get responses from those that are more current on options and where is best to buy now.

Is it possible you could get to the '  "construction camp" in Havasu that is about to happen?

I am not going to be able to make it to Havasu. I really wish I could go, but it is not possible at this time due to previous commitments.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

yes that would probably be best. Should I look into getting parts before the RTR? If so where and by chance is there a list of exactly what I should get?

My understanding is that there are a lot of places to buy solar parts and pieces at Quartzite and nearby.  Based on that, there's probably no reason not to wait til you get there.  Maybe the people who will assist with the installation will be able to go shopping with you.

 

[Gypsysoul]

Gypsy,
The electric company sells you kiloWatt hours monthly.  In the solar realm it all comes down to amp hours and since the sun is a daily cycle, amp hours per day.  The above mentioned CPAP uses current at a speed of 6 amps.  That's like a cruise ship traveling at a speed of 6 knots.  To know how far it went you need the speed, 6 knots, and the time, 8 hours over night.  So the example CPAP is 6 amps times 8 hours, about 48 amp hours every day.  You want to use those amp hours at night so you need a battery to hold them till night.  You need solar panels to refill the battery during the day.

In the van sized solar world a refrigerator is a big thing.  They usually run in the neighborhood of 20 amp hours per day.  That's big enough to require a second solar panel, extra battery, etc.  The CPAP is huge at twice that.  You can do this solarization in 2 steps.  Install a little system first, then, when you need to breathe, install another bigger system.  Problems are lurking.  When you go to put up the second round of solar panels there isn't space left on the roof.  The wire you snaked through tight spaces to hook up the small system is too small for the big system.  Mixing new batteries with old batteries and small batteries with large batteries can present problems.  Two interconnected systems are more complicated and you will only find someone on these pages who can repair it, the RV dealer will be totally confused.

The list of parts you need depends on how much electricity you need.  If you have just enough electricity to run your CPAP two nights with one rainy day you may be disappointed.  If you size it for two rainy days, three nights, crock pot, lights, microwave, laptop, DVD, it will be expensive but it can be done.  Roughly, 4 x GC T105s, 400 to 600 Watts solar.  Do you have room on your roof for 6 panels 40 inch by 26 inch where there is nothing that will cast a shadow on them?

Trebor,

I understand what you are saying. It is better to do everything at once. I am not sure about the roof as I am leary of trying to get up there myself. Is it better to wait until Quartzsite so maybe someone can actually look at it and give me an idea?

 

[Almost There]

Trebor,

I understand what you are saying. It is better to do everything at once. I am not sure about the roof as I am leary of trying to get up there myself. Is it better to wait until Quartzsite so maybe someone can actually look at it and give me an idea?

Given all that, then yes, wait until you get to Q to have someone look at it.

But do it as soon as possible once you get there. I waited last year until I felt comfortable and knew who to approach. By that time, they had a line up of work that took them days until they could get to me!

You might also need to be prepared to stay nearby afterwards with some of the group to finish the job.

It's a pretty busy schedule between morning and afternoon sessions, runs to town, meeting people and then meeting more people, group dinners, gathering around the campfires at dusk, etc. etc.  

I'd figure out first though if you're going to need that Cpap machine or not. OR, just assume that you're going to eventually need it and plan electrical needs accordingly.

 

[Gypsysoul]

Given all that, then yes, wait until you get to Q to have someone look at it.

But do it as soon as possible once you get there. I waited last year until I felt comfortable and knew who to approach. By that time, they had a line up of work that took them days until they could get to me!

You might also need to be prepared to stay nearby afterwards with some of the group to finish the job.

It's a pretty busy schedule between morning and afternoon sessions, runs to town, meeting people and then meeting more people, group dinners, gathering around the campfires at dusk, etc. etc.  

I'd figure out first though if you're going to need that Cpap machine or not. OR, just assume that you're going to eventually need it and plan electrical needs accordingly.

Ok ty. I will wait until Quartzsite. I def want solar so I will ask around I guess when I get there. I don't really have obligations until March so I had hoped to meet people that I could travel with or meet up with in the future anyway. Staying after is not a problem. It sounds like so much fun. I can't wait! Last year was your first year at the RTR?

 

[Almost There]

GypsySoul - yes it was my first year there and I made so many friends and acquaintances it was unbelievable!

I had a bit of a head start on it, in that I pulled in to Ehrenberg plateau before Xmas. Met a bunch of people there, enjoyed Xmas eve with them. By the time RTR rolled around we already had a nice little group going. We kind of scattered to the wind afterwards but most of us keep in touch. Then moving around AZ throughout the rest of the winter I got to know a whole lot more people as well.

Unless you choose deliberately not to, it's pretty hard not to make new friends!

 

[rvpopeye]

OK , so boiling this all down.
You just got some answers and your first lesson in what you will need to do your system.
You found out there is a lot of help available here in the group.
No worries !?

 

[Gypsysoul]

GypsySoul - yes it was my first year there and I made so many friends and acquaintances it was unbelievable!

I had a bit of a head start on it, in that I pulled in to Ehrenberg plateau before Xmas. Met a bunch of people there, enjoyed Xmas eve with them. By the time RTR rolled around we already had a nice little group going. We kind of scattered to the wind afterwards but most of us keep in touch. Then moving around AZ throughout the rest of the winter I got to know a whole lot more people as well.

Unless you choose deliberately not to, it's pretty hard not to make new friends!

That's awesome! Thanks for your help.

 

[Gypsysoul]

OK , so boiling this all down.
You just got some answers and your first lesson in what you will need to do your system.
You found out there is a lot of help available here in the group.
No worries !?

This group is very helpful. I was hoping to buy the parts before I got there, but I guess it is better to wait so it can be checked out in person. Ty

 

[rvpopeye]

There are still things you can investigate more before hand.
Asking more questions now will better prepare you and avoid the information overload of learning everything all at once.

Like how much room you have for batteries and what type you want to get.
(My fave here is a pair of 6 volt Golf Cart batteries used in series to create a large capacity 12 volt deep cycle unit) Of course there are other options to check out in this category....

Getting help checking how much room you have on your roof for panels will be some handy info to have too.

You can also keep track of how much time you might spend using the things you will want to use in the rig and making a "log book" of your findings !

There are a lot of very knowledgeable folks on the forum that probably won't be at RTR.

 

[rvpopeye]

I'm guessing you have read through the thread about a solar set up started by riggyk.
If not you can get some info there too.