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How much SOLAR?

Gulfcoast
Explorer
Explorer
Another kinda vague solar question... but it's about the best I can do.

If a guy headed to southern Arizona in the winter months and wanted to have enough solar for a TV, travel trailer furnace, lights, to charge a laptop daily, and keep the trailer electronics going....

On average, how many watts would I need? 200 - 300 - 400? I will use 6-volt golf cart batteries.

You guys that do it often have some idea on what is needed.

Thanks for your help.
RV'ing since 1960
Dodge Cummins Diesel
Mega Cab
Jayco Travel Trailer
37 REPLIES 37

2oldman
Explorer
Explorer
Boon Docker wrote:
We have heard from an authority about wasting money, so get a grip folks and listen up.
You'd think an extra panel was $1000.
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

time2roll
Explorer II
Explorer II
Boon Docker wrote:
We have heard from an authority about wasting money, so get a grip folks and listen up. :B
Yea if it is a choice of diesel then by all means throw another $10,000+ down no hesitation. But with solar if you spend and extra $100 on a bit more capacity or better controller you are the village dummy..... :R
Must scrimp on solar, must do the bare minimum, nothing extra. The generator might feel unneeded and sad too often.

Boon_Docker
Explorer II
Explorer II
We have heard from an authority about wasting money, so get a grip folks and listen up. :B

BFL13
Explorer II
Explorer II
"Get a grip folks. Figure out how much power you actually use, buy the batteries necessary to support that use, and then buy the solar panels needed to keep those batteries charged. Use the money you saved by not buying excess capacity to go camping! "

You forgot time. You need batteries to support that use for how long?
You draw from the batteries in short time bursts, but the solar is "low and slow" making up over time. Tortoise and hare.

Over-panelling is good where there is some "waste" at noon, but then it does better when the sun is lower the rest of the day. So not wasted. Time matters.
1. 1991 Oakland 28DB Class C
on Ford E350-460-7.5 Gas EFI
Photo in Profile
2. 1991 Bighorn 9.5ft Truck Camper on 2003 Chev 2500HD 6.0 Gas
See Profile for Electronic set-ups for 1. and 2.

2oldman
Explorer
Explorer
naturist wrote:
Get a grip folks. Figure out how much power you actually use, buy the batteries necessary to support that use, and then buy the solar panels needed to keep those batteries charged.
The OP was pretty specific on what his usage is, my usage was similar, and my answer was appropriate for that. I do have a grip.
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

naturist
Nomad
Nomad
All those folks saying 300, 400 watts needed are not considering that unless you are also considering how much battery you have, AND you are only running stuff at noon, most of that solar capacity will be a waste of money.

Here's why.

For the most part, running things takes power out of the battery, unless you are using LESS power than the panels are creating AT THAT MOMENT. The panels replace what comes out of the battery, but only while the sun is shining, and then mostly only during the 4 hours around noon when the sun is strongest. 100 watts of panels will produce just about the 40 amp hours you dare use of the standard 80 amp hour single battery most TTs are delivered with. If that's all the battery you have, putting 200 watts on it means it will fully charge in only 3 or 4 hours. If you have 400 watts worth of panels, AND provided your battery can also charge at that high rate, it'll only take an hour or so. What happens to the charge from that 400 watts of panels during the rest of the solar day? Unless you have a device running during that time, all that capacity does exactly nothing. Waste of money.

So here's the deal: (A) you bet, more of everything is better -- but possibly wastefully expensive; (B) if you don't actually USE 1,000 amp hours of power daily, you don't need the ten 100 amp hour lithium batteries costing $10,000; (C) if a single 80 amp hour lead acid battery works for you, you only need a single 100 watt solar panel, unless, perhaps, you camp permanently under cloudy skies or under the trees.

Get a grip folks. Figure out how much power you actually use, buy the batteries necessary to support that use, and then buy the solar panels needed to keep those batteries charged. Use the money you saved by not buying excess capacity to go camping!

allen8106
Explorer
Explorer
Gulfcoast wrote:
Another kinda vague solar question... but it's about the best I can do.

If a guy headed to southern Arizona in the winter months and wanted to have enough solar for a TV, travel trailer furnace, lights, to charge a laptop daily, and keep the trailer electronics going....

On average, how many watts would I need? 200 - 300 - 400? I will use 6-volt golf cart batteries.

You guys that do it often have some idea on what is needed.

Thanks for your help.


I have 520 watts with a 1000 watt inverter and we get by pretty good camping in the desert near Quartzsite in January without issue. we run the furnace at night as needed, my wife's CPAP, charge our phones, run the water pump and most any lights we want.
2010 Eagle Super Lite 315RLDS
2018 GMC Sierra 3500HD 6.6L Duramax

2010 Nights 45
2011 Nights 70
2012 Nights 144
2013 Nights 46
2014 Nights 49
2015 Nights 57
2016 Nights 73
2017 Nights 40
2018 Nights 56
2019 Nights 76
2020 Nights 68

time2roll
Explorer II
Explorer II
2oldman wrote:
After you cart around panels for a year you may rethink putting them on the roof.
And depending on results the OP will know if 200 is enough or need to cram 600+ up there.
Best energy audit is one of actual usage vs collection.

pianotuna
Nomad II
Nomad II
2oldman wrote:
After you cart around panels for a year you may rethink putting them on the roof.

X2
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.

2oldman
Explorer
Explorer
After you cart around panels for a year you may rethink putting them on the roof.
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

Gulfcoast
Explorer
Explorer
I plan way ahead and buy online. If I happen to need more power, my Champion inverter on gas or propane will keep things going.
RV'ing since 1960
Dodge Cummins Diesel
Mega Cab
Jayco Travel Trailer

CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Explorer III
400W might be OK but energy audit needed. Q typically has good winter sun and a few rainy/cool days, usually above 40F. Low winter sun is less of a issue with his tilted portable panels but shorter days.

OP My advice: Plan ahead and avoid the 2 solar dealers in Q.
2009 Holiday Rambler 42' Scepter with ISL 400 Cummins
750 Watts Solar Morningstar MPPT 60 Controller
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland

Bob

JimK-NY
Explorer II
Explorer II
300 or 400 watts of solar is not going to do what you want!!

To find out for sure you need to do an energy audit. TV and computer screens are major energy hogs. Also remember that you need to plan for cloudy days. You also need to plan for very low sunlight in winter months.

time2roll
Explorer II
Explorer II
200 will still go a long way to minimize generator run time. Maybe run the gen a bit in the morning to make coffee and then let the solar work the rest of the day. We look forward to a solar report.