Help, please. Newbie travel trailer owner going boondocking. Need to replace battery and add solar.

kathyk
kathyk Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭
in Caravan, Recreational Vehicle, and Marine Power Systems #1
Hi, and thanks in advance!

I just bought a used 19 foot travel trailer and am leaving within a week to join a group that boondocks more often than not, 4-5 days at a time.

The trailer's battery is dead.  Can I replace it with a 12V AGM battery and charge it with a solar charger?  I want to stay small on solar for now.  Will learn as I go, but can't find much info on AGM batteries and solar, or at least info that I can understand.  :-)

Here are a couple I THINK might work.  If you could let me know I'm on track - or NOT - I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks!
Kathy

https://www.amazon.com/SUNER-POWER-Battery-Charger-Maintainer/dp/B07DFFVR5M/ref=sr_1_69?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1533942477&sr=1-69&keywords=portable+rv+solar

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004Q86JJ8/ref=twister_B00UYBAP0K?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Why are you thinking of an expensive, short lived , AGM battery ?
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,006 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #3
    You can, use an AGM battery, but they are more expensive and can have issues with over charging/heat mostly contained by a good charge controller.

    Most solar based system start by talking about loads. So what loads will you have? Do you have a propane refrigerator and need some minimal electric for it to run on gas? Lights, have you switched them out for LEDs, I'd guess you'll be running a fan, air conditioners don't really work of solar on campers. Phone charger, that's easy, stereo? TV?

    Even for very minimal things, the 2 linked solar panels wouldn't cut it, They are more maintainers when there is no load connected to the battery.
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
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  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    We could also benefit from knowing the size of the cabinet that will house your battery/ies.

    Starter set batteries? We generally recommend golf cart batteries , 2- 6 Volt cells to give you 12 , ( or 4 to get 24\volts...) as they are sturdy and less costly to learn about solar power generation. Designed for heavy use (abuse?)... think about the people riding the cart...

     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
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  • mcgivor
    mcgivor Solar Expert Posts: 3,854 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    #5
    kathyk said:

    Hi, and thanks in advance!

    I just bought a used 19 foot travel trailer and am leaving within a week to join a group that boondocks more often than not, 4-5 days at a time.

    The trailer's battery is dead.  Can I replace it with a 12V AGM battery and charge it with a solar charger?  I want to stay small on solar for now.  Will learn as I go, but can't find much info on AGM batteries and solar, or at least info that I can understand.  :-)

    Here are a couple I THINK might work.  If you could let me know I'm on track - or NOT - I'd really appreciate it!

    Thanks!
    Kathy

    https://www.amazon.com/SUNER-POWER-Battery-Charger-Maintainer/dp/B07DFFVR5M/ref=sr_1_69?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1533942477&sr=1-69&keywords=portable+rv+solar

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004Q86JJ8/ref=twister_B00UYBAP0K?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
    You say the battery is dead, is this a factory installed battery, if so how is /was it charged ?  What loads are there? 
    1500W, 6× Schutten 250W Poly panels , Schneider MPPT 60 150 CC, Schneider SW 2524 inverter, 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Battery Bodyguard BMS 
    Second system 1890W  3 × 300W No name brand poly, 3×330 Sunsolar Poly panels, Morningstar TS 60 PWM controller, no name 2000W inverter 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Daly BMS, used for water pumping and day time air conditioning.  
    5Kw Yanmar clone single cylinder air cooled diesel generator for rare emergency charging and welding.
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  • bill von novak
    bill von novak Solar Expert Posts: 891 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
    kathyk said:
    Hi, and thanks in advance!

    I just bought a used 19 foot travel trailer and am leaving within a week to join a group that boondocks more often than not, 4-5 days at a time.

    The trailer's battery is dead.  Can I replace it with a 12V AGM battery and charge it with a solar charger?  I want to stay small on solar for now.  Will learn as I go, but can't find much info on AGM batteries and solar, or at least info that I can understand.  :-)

    Here are a couple I THINK might work.  If you could let me know I'm on track - or NOT - I'd really appreciate it!

    Thanks!
    Kathy

    https://www.amazon.com/SUNER-POWER-Battery-Charger-Maintainer/dp/B07DFFVR5M/ref=sr_1_69?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1533942477&sr=1-69&keywords=portable+rv+solar

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004Q86JJ8/ref=twister_B00UYBAP0K?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
    OK kathyk.  First off, you will need a solar panel - NOT a maintainer - if you want to get any significant energy.  Maintainers just keep a battery from going dead, they don't supply much energy.  In general in an RV/trailer size is going to determine what you can use; if you have a storage bay that will fit solar, that will determine the size of panel(s) you get..  If you want to mount them permanently you will have more freedom and will able to save more $$.

    Second you will likely be better off with a flooded battery.  They are cheaper, more robust and easier to "fix" if you abuse them.  Two Trojan T-105's are about as cheap as you can get (close to $100 ea at Costco) and will give you about a kilowatt-hour of storage. Again size matters here; if there's a space that fits only one size of battery then you might be stuck.  I find that two T105's usually just fit into the battery compartment of most RV's.

    Third you will need a charge controller.  These can be super cheap (PWM controllers) or better (MPPT controllers.)  The MPPT controllers will give you more power from a given set of panels.

    But before you do anything else do a rough plan of how much power/energy you are going to use.  That will be important as you size the system.  You may not know that yet if you haven't lived in the trailer`
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  • OldMan
    OldMan Registered Users Posts: 128 ✭✭✭
    #7
    No one has asked the obvious first question: Kathy, what is your budget for solar?
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #8
    OldMan said:
    No one has asked the obvious first question: Kathy, what is your budget for solar?
    Ha Ha    A budget ?   
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • littleharbor2
    littleharbor2 Solar Expert Posts: 2,113 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #9
    OldMan said:
    No one has asked the obvious first question: Kathy, what is your budget for solar?
    Kathy hit the road 4 months ago. Doubt you're going to get an answer, considering she never posted anything beyond her opening question.

    2.1 Kw Suntech 175 mono, Classic 200, Trace SW 4024 ( 15 years old  but brand new out of sealed factory box Jan. 2015), Bogart Tri-metric,  460 Ah. 24 volt LiFePo4 battery bank. Plenty of Baja Sea of Cortez sunshine.

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  • OldMan
    OldMan Registered Users Posts: 128 ✭✭✭
    edited December 2018 #10
    That's why I asked. If she hasn't even thought that much, I have to wonder whether she even KNOWS how to do an energy-use profile, probably not. IMO, she's not really ready to hit the road, much less in a week. Impulsive actions will not serve her well...
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  • OldMan
    OldMan Registered Users Posts: 128 ✭✭✭
    edited December 2018 #11
    mike95490 said:
    Why are you thinking of an expensive, short lived , AGM battery ?
    Lithium should be her battery. Lead-acid wastes 50 percent of its capacity.
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