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After spending a few days on the coach batteries and waking up at night with no furnace or lights, then having to run the generator for hours to charge up again. I started doing my research on alternatives. Wind, water and solar power as a method of keeping systems running when on extended stays in remote locations where fuel is a premium. Getting the right set up for using extended stay propane tanks is a snap but power was a regular issue and I wanted to get it right.
First step is to determine what your power needs are, how many amps does your coach draw from the battery at full load (furnace, lights, refrigerator and water pump running at once) and then what is it drawing under normal conditions or average day and night use. I calculated that mine was an average burn of 10 amps peak and 1 amp nominal. Even the CO and propane alarm draw some juice all the time. When I see the refer cycle is noticed that power consumption went to 6 amps and the furnace added another 3.5 amps. So over a 24 hour period, I was seeing a draw down
of 128 amps over a day. Systems cycle, so your draw will rise and fall, if you take the time to check it you can see why a battery bank for the coach can go from 12.9 volts / 1400 amp hours ( 10 amps for 14 hours) to dead in a day with that level of load. (My math may not be exact, nut you get the point) Energy stored is like water in a bucket, if you drain it, you will run out unless you have a means of filling it.
There are wind turbines that mount on the latter rack of the RV and are good when the wind is blowing, but for me the first step had to be solar panels. The have no moving parts that must be maintained and can be portable or mounted. I did some research and shopped around for the best bang for the money. I settled on ZAMP Solar out of Bend Oregon, American made and supported. This company had 160 watt and 240 panels available at the time I was shopping. The 160 watt panel has and output of 9.8 amps in full sun and fit
nicely between the roof top heat pumps on our 35 ft Vista LX. The controller offered was a 30 amp controller and the junction box allowed for 3 panels to be connected together. It gave me room to expand the system if I chose to and currently I do have room for another panel. All the hardware and panels cost about $1200.00 in all, however I lucked out and found them on sale at Lowe’s and between the price reduction and my Veterans discount, I paid about $740.00.
Step two was to figure out where to mount the controller and route the wires as there are limitations on the length of wires (which are provided). I decided not to mount it at the control center, but next to the steps an AC power center. It was easy to access from behind and I could track what the system was doing without having to roam through the coach. I ran the wires from the junction box down the Refer vent to the area that you access from outside for the refer. It was easy to drill a penetration hole into the area behind and under the cabinets, it
was surprising how much wasted space there is there. Using a short piece of bailing wire, I was able to fish it through and pull the wire to where I needed it. The second wire run was a little bit more difficult, going from the controller down through the floor into a basement compartment and another drill hole got me into the battery well under the steps. Follow the directions on where to connect the wires, red to positive, black to negative is simple if you have a working knowledge of power systems. My batteries are arranged as two 12 volt batteries for the coach and one 12 volt battery for the chassis. I was able to tie directly to the chassis batteries without any issues. Connections to the controller were easy and well marked, next I headed to the roof with the panels and mounting hardware. I attached the foot mounts while on the ground to save time and it was much easier to do on a table than on the roof.
Tools needed for the roof are a cordless drill, a drill bit for both sizes of screws and I needed to install for the
junction and the panel mounts. A screw driver and a ratchet with the right socket for the roof lags. A permanent marker for marking the holes I needed to drill and sealant. I chose a can of Flex-Seal (white) and a 1 inch wide paint brush. With everything on the roof (which by the way can get pretty hot in full summer sun) I outlined the junction box on the roof after I settled on placement, marking the hole with the marker. Then I used the smaller drill bit to make clean holes into the rooftop. I gave the area where I drilled the holes a coating of the sealant and then placed the junction box. Once the screws were secured into place, I gave it another coat of sealant to prevent any water from finding its way inside the roof core. It needs to cure for a day, so if you do it outdoors, pick cool dry weather. Then I set the panels in place, lining the up on the centerline of the roof and spacing them apart so I could walk between or around each panel. Marking the placement of the mounts on the roof and then apply
a coat of sealant. Using the larger drill bit (meant of the larger roof mounting lags) I driller each hole needed, secured the lags into place and the coated the mounts again to ensue a water proof seal.
I ran the wires from each panel to the junction box and plugged them in, I recommend a wire tie or two to keep the excess wire secure. Then I cleaned up, tossed the use brush and gathered all the tools. Once inside, I grabbed a cold drink and set up the panel controller for the type of batteries I was charging. The sun was at an angle but I saw that the panels were charging at 17.5 amps. Over time it noted that the indirect light at sun rise and sun set would still show a charge, even though it was low. And it increased through the day and the sun was hitting them more direct. Tree shadows being cast on the panels do affect the charge, but clouds did not. We have camped out for extended periods, using the inverter from time to time to watch a movie and have not needed to run the generator unless we were using the microwave. It is saving $$ on gas and no more head aches worrying about battery levels. When I do need to replace these batteries, I am probably going to spend the extra money and upgrade to lithium batteries instead of the lead acid type. I understand they charge faster and last longer than standard batteries. Because the panels are low to the roof and between the heat pumps, there is no realized drag or wind issues when driving down the road. I am happy with the results and glad I spent the money.
Hope the information helps you fellow Rver’s that are interested.
Til next time
Bob and Julie
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