26' Toybox RV going solar- minimum draw

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sherpaboots
sherpaboots Registered Users Posts: 2
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
Hello, although I have joined NAWS over a month ago, this is my first post. I have enjoyed the wealth of information here. I suppose then I would be greener than a newby. I also may be fresh meat for Cariboocoot, he seems hungry today:roll: Nonetheless I will be a sponge for any input!!
My toybox is a 2000 Curtis Baja with propane heat and stove, A/C which I do not use, a three way Dometic refer, a small microwave which I may only use 15 minutes a day if that. 12 volt lights and a magnetek 6300 inverter to a couple 110 A.H. batteries. No T.V. wathching, but occasional laptop use, not surfing all night.
Areas this will be used are southern Arizona winters and Northern California inland mountain summers.
Caribootcoot's ears will perk-up to the news that I have the "cart before the horse" and already bought a new system second hand, but unused still in the box:
4 sunforce 150 watt polycrystalline panels
4 UPG 110 A.H. batteries
Morningstar 60 amp. non-mppt charge controller
I am currently reviewing the voltage guidelines in the link Cariboocoot sent in his post earlier today. I plan to build a mount system on the roof for the panels that will tilt while parked and set-up.
Thank you all for suggestions!!!
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #2
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    Re: 26' Toybox RV going solar- minimum draw

    Oh dear; my reputation precedes me. Am I really that annoying? :p

    Welcome to the forum.

    Since this is an RV application you'll probably want to stick with 12 Volts for the system. Sunforce 150 Watt panels? Ah ... 17 Vmp 8.8 Imp. Should work. Four of them could manage about 35 Amps, so the MS 60 PWM can certainly handle that (with room for expansion).

    What I'm not keen on is the batteries. Four 110 Amp hour 12 Volts in parallel? You'd be better off with some larger capacity 6 Volt units in series. As is 440 Amp hours getting 35 Amps makes almost an 8% peak charge rate which is good. Just that old problem of keeping the current even through the parallel connections. At 25% DOD you'd get about 1.3 Watt hours per day just from the batteries.

    You may grow unhappy with the Magnatek 6300. But it ought to do for now, so why spend money until you need to? :D

    I do not see any major problems with this set-up.
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  • sherpaboots
    sherpaboots Registered Users Posts: 2
    #3
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    Re: 26' Toybox RV going solar- minimum draw

    Thank you Cariboocoot, I have much to learn in regard to all aspects of a solar array system, and now that time yields this research I will become more familiar and smart. I will take your advice and use the 12 volt 110 A.H. batteries on another system, and pick up some 6 volt depth charges for this system. Also the Magnetek apparently has a Parrallex? patch to fix inherent probs with this device. I will be sharpening my pencil and reading up here where we have the seemingly best library available!!!
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  • vtmaps
    vtmaps Solar Expert Posts: 3,741 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
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    Re: 26' Toybox RV going solar- minimum draw
    sherpaboots wrote: »
    a three way Dometic refer

    One thing about that fridge... I believe that when it is supplied with 120 volts AC it will use the AC and not use propane. However, it is horribly inefficient when operating on AC. Make sure that it never sees AC from your inverter or you will drain your batteries. I suggest that you disconnect the AC supply wires to the fridge.

    --vtMaps
    4 X 235watt Samsung, Midnite ePanel, Outback VFX3524 FM60 & mate, 4 Interstate L16, trimetric, Honda eu2000i
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