Posted 2017-07-21 1:59 PM (#170307) Subject: Solar battery charges
Regular
Posts: 99 Location: Pleasant Plain, Ohio 45162
I am going to be dry camping for maybe a week and will not have a generator. Would it be possible to use a solar trickle battery charger to charge my 2 batteries for just maintaining my interior lights and a small fan in the ceiling. I would be having a full charge upon arrival. Just wasn't sure what size I would need and if this would be doable. Thanks
Posted 2017-07-22 2:31 PM (#170315 - in reply to #170307) Subject: RE: Solar battery charges
Expert
Posts: 2957 Location: North Carolina
A trickle charger will help but isn't going to help much... It all depends on the size of the panel and how much light it gets. Add up the wattage of your lights and fan. Figure how many watt /hours your battery will supply. Do this by looking for the total amp/ hours of your two batteries. watts is = amps x 12.
Divide this by the wattage that you totaled up. That's how many hours your battery will provide power ( This is a rough estimate... lots of factors play into an actual number)
Likely, a light for a few hours per night will last all week. Running the fan all night will exhaust the batteries in a single night. You'll need a large and expensive panel to recharge the batteries.
Posted 2017-10-30 7:16 PM (#170780 - in reply to #170307) Subject: RE: Solar battery charges
Veteran
Posts: 186
I camped for 6 nights and my externally vented thermostat regulated furnace ran every night there was ice in the buckets in the morning and I don't like it below 67 for sleeping, and all I had was one battery and one 12 volt solar charger, I think I paid like $35.00 for it. I was parked in 75% sun most days, I think it rained the last day. I ran my lights and furnace no problem. My new trailer has 2 batteries, I bought a $150 set up with 115 watt solar charger and it has a regulator so it will not over charge the batteries. that is very important. I now can run my furnace every night radio, stereo, fan's and I have a hood fan over my stove that I do use. I did put in lots of LED replacement bulbs, If you don't need air conditioning, and can live without a microwave and watching hours of TV you don't need a generator to be comfortable. I have a gas fridge, and gas hot water heater. my solar panel is about 28" x 18" and I just toss it on top the rig and clip it onto my battery when I park. It will prolong the life of your batteries also. IMO most people don't need generators. If your camper battery dies just run jumpers from your truck and charge up your camper battery.
Solar battery charges
