Solar vs Generator/alternator or both?

[Optimistic Paranoid]

There MUST be a fuse between critical parts for system safety.

Yes.  I was trying to answer his/her questions as simply as possible.

There should be heavy fuses at each end of the hot wire between the house and engine batteries, and a heavy fuse on the hot wire feeding any inverter.  And of course the frig itself needs to be protected by the right size fuse.

 

[sunday1951]

Thank you very much for your help in trying to understand this set up.
Here is what I thought I was to have done:
1) install the alternator isolator
2) run a wire from it to its own dedicated 12v outlet
Question: when van is running am I to plug the frig directly to the new 12v outlet or to the battery with the frig connected to the battery? Can I charge the frig and the battery at the same time through one outlet? Should I use the van ciggy outlet for one of them?
3) (after reading your responses) when boondocking, I hook up a battery charger to the generator generator and plug the the AGM into that battery charger.
4) I need to place some fuses.
Questions: Where specifically do I place fuses?
Is a relay and a fuse the same thing? If not, what is a relay?
Please correct me wherever needed.
Thank you very much! I have no experience with anything like this but I am going to learn it and I am going to be a part-timer in a few months one way or the other!!!

 

[SternWake]

Study this diagram for a bit then return with questions:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...ke-a-cheap-isolated-dual-battery-setup-for-50


House battery needs a fuse block to protect and organize circuits it needs to power:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=atc+fuse+block

Ciggy plugs can make for very poor, unreliable long term connections.

The ones already provided in your vehicle should likely only be used with engine running.

Ones you wire to new fuse block should be higher quality with thicker wiring to them.

http://www.amazon.com/Marine-Grade-...qid=1461172631&sr=8-1&keywords=12v+receptacle

 

[highdesertranger]

great diagram Stern. I saved the pic for future use when someone asks this question.
Sunday run the refer straight to the battery, with the appropriate fuse of course. highdesertranger

 

[skyl4rk]

The Problem
Let's say I will use, on average, 30Ah in the evening from two 100% charged (12.73V) 6V T-105RE batteries in series. That would bring me down to around 12.3V, right? 225*.30=67.5% I've given myself some leeway in case of rain, laziness, or forgetfulness.

...

Which one of these options:
1. Will be most affordable considering I might sell or lose the van after only a couple years? Hopefully it won't break down and be too costly to fix.
2. Is the easiest to operate and maintain?
3. Is the most dollar-for-dollar energy efficient?

Other options to consider:

Increase your battery bank size. When you drive you can store more energy. When the sun shines it can charge all day, rather than maxing out the battery capacity in the late morning. You can continue to use power when it is cloudy for a day or two. Four T105s is a good battery bank size for low to moderate power draw van setups. A good way to be constantly worried about your battery charge status and battery life expectancy is to run with an inadequate sized battery bank.

The most cost effective way to extend your capacity is to conserve electricity. Find ways to achieve the same benefit using less power. LEDs, high efficiency fridges, charging things with internal batteries when the sun is shining, turning off inverters or other phantom loads and turning things off when not necessary. Look at your voltmeter or state of charge meter and moderate your power use as needed. With the right power use habits, you can get to know your system and not worry about power at all.

 

[jimindenver]

30 Ah? That's it?

Our first portable was 230w. It brought the grp 27 up to float early and for the rest of the day we could turn on anything, heck everything in the trailer on at once and the battery never knew it. That panel was good for a few hundred Ah's on a summer day. The only time we were on the battery was over night for a few LEDs, some TV and the furnace. We woke to a resting voltage of 12,57v in the summer and 12.3v in the shorter, colder days of spring and fall.

So that's a big difference between generator/alternator charging and solar. Solar charges all day and helps keeping your battery from cycling as much instead of starting to cycle as soon as you turn off a motor. Our grp 27 is 5 years old and still does a great job running the trailer day to day. The big bank barely breaks 12.7v over night and only really see cycling when we use the microwave. Light cycles means it will last a long time waiting for what it is intended for, a week or more of bad weather.