Solar Panels 28ft. TT.

[bailman]

Any help on this would be greatly apreaciated.

Cost? Type? Portable or Roof mount?

I do plan on buying a generator as well.

Its a 28 ft Jayco Eagle ( no slide out).

 

[akrvbob]

bailman, where are you located? If you can get to southern California or Arizona I can help you get all set up<br /><br />I just helped a friend buy their system at a local dealer. They bought:<br /><br />225 watt solar panel-$240<br />MPPT Controller-$200<br />Cables-$60<br />Fuse $10<br />============<br />total $510<br /><br />They already had batteries and we are going to mount it on their van on ladder racks.<br /><br />That's basically all you need. Do you have any specific questions? Bob

 

[wesmagyar]

<p>Yeah ive been doing research on this as well for a future plans. I am on a SUPER limited budget as in disabled and on SSI so only will have a hundred bucks here or there to spend on it. I Have a class C 23 FT 1985 Sportscoach. My batteries will be of the 120-200 AH variety at best. The only solar setups i can see that i can maybe afford is a 50W one. at that point is it even worth it? i use a bit of power from my math i will be discharging my batteries after about 12 hours of use.</p><p>I also live in the Pacific NW so not a helluva lot of Sun here.</p>

 

[akrvbob]

wesmagyr, Most of the winter in Seattle would have a very limited amount of sun, I'm not sure it would be worth the money.<br /><br />Anywhere else I would recommend the harbor freight 45 watt system for someone on a super tight budget. You can get them for $150 on sale. They are a pretty decent system for the money, If you have enough sun, and keep you electrical needs to the absolute minimum, they are good. <br />Bob

 

[bailman]

Im in Michigan right now, but plan on headn out that way in the future.

From what I gather, the solar panels are used to recharge your batteries.

This is where my confusion comes in. Why spend top dollar to charge your batteries. So im looking for something like a easy portable panels to get the job done.

I thought the panels could run your trailer, but that not the case.

Correct me if im wrong. Im a newbie

 

[wesmagyar]

Well from my research there are two advantages for solar panels.&nbsp;<br />1. They add power to your batteries and&nbsp;lengthen&nbsp;the time you can go between having to fire up a Generator, or connect to shore power as well as lessening the&nbsp;amount&nbsp;of time you have to do either..<br />2. They add a constant maintenance charge that prevents you from seriously damaging your batteries by running them low.<br /><br />I could be wrong but im a bit of a newbie too.

 

[bailman]

It's starting to make more sense now.

Now the question is: Are there anygood, affordable portable system I can buy?

What is a good wattage on a generator for a 28 ft trailer?

Brand names ???

 

[wesmagyar]

From the research i was doing there is no real savings&nbsp;associated&nbsp;with portable... "maybe" 10-20 bucks but then they&nbsp;aren't&nbsp;being used when they are stowed. so your better off installing a full time system honestly.<br />As for the Generator alot depends on how much power you need, what kind of appliances are you wanting to use. How much amperage/wattage they draw and so on. Does your trailer/RV have a generator bay? if it does you can get purpose &nbsp;built generators if not you would have to get a portable one. that can affect the price and wattage significantly. My RV came with an Onan 4000 watt generator. which is enough to power my Desktop Computer AC unit at the same time im charging my batteries. if i want to run the microwave i have to turn of the AC or Computer.&nbsp;<br />But everyone is Different. So put down your needs and plans and maybe we can give ya some more detailed information. As for Solar Panels there are quite a few on Amazon.com or Ebay. Ill link you some here from Amazon to check out!<br /><br />Here is a 50 Watt one for&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004OZDI7O...ASIN=B004OZDI7O&amp;adid=13MTNNNDT2YFBC3STMF9">Click Here</a>&nbsp;$150.&nbsp;You will still need to buy the Mounting Brackets and Controller + some cables but it has the info for those on the page.<br /><br />and here is a 100 Watt one for $250 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Instapark®-Bl...85&amp;sr=1-5&amp;keywords=RV+Solar+Panel+Kit">Click Here</a>, As you can see the price gets higher the more wattage you go.<br /><br />Hope this helps you at all

 

[Suanne]

The thing I like about portable solar panels is that you can park in the shade while your panels are in the sun.<br /><br />The problems with having portable solar panels is storage, set up and take down, easier to steal, and can't use at walmarts/truckstops/rest areas.<br /><br />I think I've just talked myself into a permanent install.<br /><br />Suanne

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

<strong><span style="color: #800080;">Suanne</span></strong>, if you change systems and don't have a buyer talk to me. I have been looking into portable.&nbsp;I'm in no hurry.&nbsp;The more I read the dumber I get, about solar I mean.&nbsp; My little&nbsp;tt probably &nbsp;can not support the weight of panels.

 

[bailman]

Thanks for the replies .
I will check out Ebay n Amazon.
I was looking at 3,500 watt portable generator .

Do rooftop panels leak????

Were going to be full time and im concerned about maintance in 1-2 years. I dont want to spend every 6 months fixing leaks with silocone. Lol lol

 

[wesmagyar]

Backjack Roof Sealant is your friend!!!! use it liberally! you can find it at Lowes or just about any hardware store other then Home Depot. Whenever you put something on your roof like installing a panel you seal around the mounts to prevent such leaks. What i&nbsp;recommend&nbsp;if you&nbsp;haven't&nbsp;sealed your roof recently is get on up there check it and make sure all is well. if it is for the most part Clean it as well as you can and touch up on any questionable area's with the sealant. You can buy it in sizes ranging from a Caulk canister to 10&nbsp;gallons. a 1&nbsp;gallon&nbsp;container is like 15 bucks.&nbsp;<br />If the sealant on your roof is completely borked get your self a propane torch and a putty knife. get on that roof heat up the blade of the knife with the torch and get to scraping. scrape all the old sealant off but be careful not to damage the roof itself. once you have cleaned off as much as the sealant as you can clean the roof. let it dry and liberally apply a new coat of sealant. If you look you can find videos on youtube on how to do this properly. Technically blackjack is meant for houses but you can find that is of the Elastomeric Variety. what this means is its Flexible. and somewhat rubbery. which is ideal for RV/Travel Trailer applications. and unlike the RV sealant its designed to last for YEARS. some of the black jack stuff has 20 year&nbsp;guarantees&nbsp; whereas the RV stuff you have to reapply EVERY YEAR.... and it costs more then the black jack stuff.....<br /><br />-Wes-