Solar or not?

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So, if I were able to switch batteries (not saying I can for sure, but) what battery would I need to use with 200 Watts solar? My battery is inside my van not vented so that's why I went with AGM.
 
Whichever battery you end up with you will still need a solar panel to replace the energy that the fridge is using, unless you want to keep idling the engine to recharge the battery.
 
tx2sturgis said:
Whichever battery you end up with you will still need a solar panel to replace the energy that the fridge is using, unless you want to keep idling the engine to recharge the battery.

Yes but do I need a different battery? Will the one I have work with 200 watt solar? I would love to keep this battery and put money towards solar. 
 
Bohemian scout said:
Yes but do I need a different battery? Will the one I have work with 200 watt solar? I would love to keep this battery and put money towards solar. 

I'm sure it's confusing. Yes, we covered this earlier in the thread.

You can hook up a solar array and controller to the battery you have.
 
That battery won't last nearly as long as a proper deep cycling one (PDC).

But you may as well get your money's worth and use it until it dies. If you treat it well may be a year, or even longer.

When the time comes, the best PDC battery value by far is Duracell (actually Deka/East Penn) GC-2 from BatteriesPlus or Sam's Club deep cycle golf cart batteries, 2x6V, 200+AH @ around $180

If you treat *that* well it may last 5-8 years.
 
John61CT said:
That battery won't last nearly as long as a proper deep cycling one (PDC).

But you may as well get your money's worth and use it until it dies. If you treat it well may be a year,  or even longer.

When the time comes, the best PDC battery value by far is Duracell (actually Deka/East Penn) GC-2 from BatteriesPlus or Sam's Club deep cycle golf cart batteries, 2x6V, 200+AH @ around $180

If you treat *that* well it may last 5-8 years.

But do those batteries need ventilation?
 
tx2sturgis said:
I'm sure it's confusing. Yes, we covered this earlier in the thread.

You can hook up a solar array and controller to the battery you have.

Ok great, now to start researching solar and accessories and if I should wait to purchase until RTR.
 
Bohemian scout said:
But do those batteries need ventilation?
If you close them up in a box, yes.

Or if you get bothered so much that cracking a window isn't enough.

Good quality PDC AGM are a *lot* more expensive, don't last as long, SoC can't be accurately determined with a cheap hydrometer, take more expensive chargers and you have to be more careful to charge them properly, much less robust.
 
The best dollar for performance is FLA - Flooded Lead Acid batteries .
Hopefully we can use standard battery terms . PDC , SoC are brand not battery terminology .
Unless you can return / exchange what you bought , use it .
As for the last few questions , different battery and venting .
A couple of things here , boxing to capture off-gassing & vent outside , but also using hydro-caps [ have been a brand ] but more than one manufacture , these collect the off-gassing and recombine and return liquid to battery , reducing the need to maintain electrolyte as often - they replace the original cell caps .
That brings up another suggestion , do not use sealed batteries .
As an example , my last battery system used 4 Trojan L16's , 2 pair in series for 12v and those in parallel for more capacity .
Then to a large quality inverter , this ran my RV with aircondtioning , furnace , color tv etc. for over 13 yrs. and charged only with solar on the roof , and the system never discharged more than 40% , even with AC in summer .
 
I'm curious if you went for a 6 hour drive would that charge your battery fully? It would be a large time and fuel investment just as a test but if you have a trip coming up it would be a good opportunity to find out how well your alternator is charging your battery.

Another option is charging from shore power when at home to make sure you get a full charge. If your trips are only 5 days you can always start off from a full shore charge.
 
HumbleBeginnings said:
I'm curious if you went for a 6 hour drive would that charge your battery fully? It would be a large time and fuel investment just as a test but if you have a trip coming up it would be a good opportunity to find out how well your alternator is charging your battery.

Another option is charging from shore power when at home to make sure you get a full charge. If your trips are only 5 days you can always start off from a full shore charge.

Well.....I do need a trip but (sad now) nothing planned.  So, how to fully charge my battery? I don’t have a battery charger, should I buy one? If so, what kind? I know they have some that also have a small compressor right? Would that air up a van tire? I can probably borrow a house plug in type. (24 volt? 110? 220? Sorry not sure) How long would it take? I ask that because my van is parked on the street, can’t just plug it in however I could go to a friends house.
 
6 hours is a good start.

Depends on alt setup, most don't regulate well enough.

Note the last 15-20% will be at very low amps, maybe 3-4 hours. Silly to burn fuel for that, only shore power or solar are suitable.

Also depends on your SoC at the beginning.

That means State of Charge, 0% to 100% full, DoD, depth of discharge is the opposite.

PDC = proper deep cycling as I defined above.
 
John61CT said:
You expressed more regrets about the wrong battery,  let it go no worries maybe for a year or even two!

Listen to your uncle Bob on that and move on https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?pid=348236#pid348236

Ok thanks... I will let it go. Now will you help me decide on a battery charger? Something easy to understand and versatile. Does it have to be plugged in to charge or can it have a rechargeable battery? Can it have a compressor to air things up? I’m on a budget but don’t want cheap. I’m sure you’re figuring out I’m a question asker. They might not always make sense but how else am I to understand? I live in a city so have access to many stores. I appreciate your help and not giving up on me. Thanks!!!
 
No problem.

Just start a new thread so you get responses from others. In the first post, state your maximum total capacity you want to end up with, and flooded or AGM?

Do you think you might want LFP someday?
 
Bohemian scout said:
Does it have to be plugged in to charge or can it have a rechargeable battery? Can it have a compressor to air things up?
A mains charger runs off AC shore power, 120 in the US or 240 elsewhere.

None ever includes a battery, and a compressor is just bizarre, like asking for an espresso making attachment.

Maybe you're confusing with a jumpstarter powerpak?

Those may include a tiny charger for their tiny battery, but again nothing to do with powering the loads you're talking about.
 
John61CT said:
No problem.

Just start a new thread so you get responses from others.  In the first post,  state your maximum total capacity you want to end up with, and flooded or AGM?

Do you think you might want LFP someday?

What's LFP?? Dang it you know I'm not good with these short cut letter abbreviations!!! LOL, BS
 
John61CT said:
A mains charger runs off AC shore power, 120 in the US or 240 elsewhere.

None ever includes a battery, and a compressor is just bizarre, like asking for an espresso making attachment.

Maybe you're confusing with a jumpstarter powerpak?

Those may include a tiny charger for their tiny battery,  but again nothing to do with powering the loads you're talking about.
Well ok then ! Bizarre ? Really? Yeah I think I meant a jumpstarter power pak. Can you recommend a 110 charger?
 

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