Simple Guide for Adding Extra Solar to a RV or Trailer! EASY, Step-by-Step Walk Through Video!
Вставка
- Опубліковано 23 тра 2024
- In this video I show you how easy it can be to install a simple solar charging system from your RV or trailer. You need three main components when you add solar to your setup. A solar panel, a solar charge controller, and a battery. You'll also need some fuses and wiring to connect them together. You'll find a list of those components down below!
Need basic consulting or have a solar question? Get direct contact with me HERE:
asqme.com/@Jasonoid
RECOMMENDED PARTS LIST:
100ah LFP Battery: amzn.to/4dQ0Zge
Affordable 20amp PWM Charge Controller: amzn.to/3Kd3gEF
More Efficient/Expensive 20amp MPPT Charge Controller: amzn.to/450ufgn
Affordable 200watt Solar Panels (three options listed below):
---Glass Rigid Panel: amzn.to/3RjLdkr
---Folding Portable Panel: amzn.to/3WR1sZw
---Flexible Panel: amzn.to/3WMIp2F
OTHER PARTS THAT MAY BE NEEDED:
Solar MC4 Pigtails for Solar Input Wires: amzn.to/3QUAuwm
Inline 15amp fuse for Solar Panel Input: amzn.to/4bPgbZu
8 AWG Silicone Wire: amzn.to/4axZX5G
8 AWG 5/16" Wire Lugs Ring Terminal Battery Connectors: amzn.to/4bqUCyA
Re-settable 40amp Fuse for Battery Connection: amzn.to/3wIaCx1
Hydraulic Ring Terminal Crimper: amzn.to/4avVbpl
The use of affiliate links provide a small commission for me when you use them. Thanks for supporting my channel content and allowing me to do future comparison videos! More videos coming soon!
#jasonoid #offgridpower - Наука та технологія
Thanks Jason. Always learn something when I watch your stuff!
Glad to hear it!
Another great video, easy intall and a great upgrade option.
The process isn't that bad if you want to add more solar panels. At least for a smaller ground array.
Great Video Jason!!!!
Thanks for this! So many useful/great videos. 👍
Thanks for the simple guide! I'll think about this if I ever get a small trailer. Seems much more reasonable than installing panels on the roof!
easy-peasy! I like panels on the ground so I don't have to worry about where I'm parking the rig.
As always, you make complicated things for me very simple to understand. Great video!! I'm in the process of doing research to convert my Class B to lithium batteries and am considering the service rack batteries and inverter or the Epoch instead of Battle born. This will go inside the RV behind the couch/bed. Cost wise I am leaning towards the EG4 brand since they are here in Texas where I am. Again Jason, Thank you for sharing your wisdom.
Sounds like some fun projects! Good luck on making a decision :)
Thank you Jason exactly what I needed to know ❤
You are so welcome
Nice job.
Your 12 AWG is safe for considerably more than 20amp. Probably voltage drop is going to be your limiting factor as that depends largely on length. The "good for 20a" comes from the typical household usage, where it was established as a typical worst case to limit the wire to a 60C temperature. Your wiring almost certainly has insulation rated for a higher temperature (even household wiring insulation now is typically 90C, welding cable typically 105C and silicone 200C) and being out and exposed instead of buried in insulation lets it dissipate heat it generates. In short, seldom with low voltage D.C. small solar do we care about ampacity. We size wires primarily to limit voltage drop to reasonable levels.
Reasonable explanation! Understood 😁👍
Good video Jason. I think he would be happier with a Renogy 400 watt hybrid panel like the one you recently reviewed. A good idea is to get a bigger controller and a Victron Smart controller 100/30 or if you've got room a Victron Multiplus charger controller.
His storage cubby wouldn't fit the Renogy 400w panel haha. I offered him to test it out but he decided against it and wanted the smaller 200w panel.
I wood love to do this!
It's a fun small project! Only takes a couple of hours for everything 👍
I know the Delta Pro has EV charging build in. But are there options to charge from a EV charger for my DIY system?
Great video Jason. Did you see the new Renogy 220 watt portable/rigid panel thats built just like their 400 watt panel? Sorry to change the subject.
I should have my hands on that panel for testing soon!
Strolling through for the Al G Rhythm. Have your kids seen the latest space jam with LeBron James
We haven't seen that one yet!
I have to do this. Pain in the butt to put the panels up on roof. Been on my mind for a long time. I will ask you questions on askme. Bought the circuit breaker Klein tester. Will use Harbour Freight 2-100W portable panels. No worries about wind and rugged. Be good if you could show us how your dad did the lithium conversion in Motohome. It’s complicated with OEM charge controllers, alternators, wire sizes, converters, breakers, fuses and lithium choice. Battle Born too expensive. Did your dad have a WFCO converter? They are a pain and the first hurdle. Had a company want 10k to do lithium common my motorhome. Market here for better advice. Nobody is actually showing us how to do the conversions per brand-Fleetwood…etc.
Installing panels on the roof is definitely a chore. Lithium batteries are pretty much drop in replacements vs AGM batteries though. My dad's motorhome came with two BattleBorn batteries, we installed a third one for more capacity. They will work just fine with the standard AGM charging settings (even with the WFCO converters). My friend has a WFCO converter with his lithium setup and it also works without any changes. I think the charging voltage by default on those converters is 14.4v, which is perfect for LFP. I have been charging LFP batteries with AGM chargers for years without any problems.
The newer WFCO converters have a switch for lithium batteries inside the converter. I would assume a high end coach would have this WFCO feature.
@@Jasonoid Your dad was smart to get the lithium setup when he bought the rig. True, they will work fine charging but WFCO says will charge only to 80% on lithium batteries if you don’t have the newer WFCO model with AD in model number. Older WFCO models without AD had a switch in the back that made them work fine with lithium but that’s not available anymore for some reason . The newer models numbers with AD on the model number will charge to 100%. I appreciate the feedback from you. I’m just saying that it not all just drop in with these motorhomes. The BIM from precision circuits in newer rigs also needs to be changed out to the green one to make sure the alternator does not overcharge via lithium from the chassis battery(right?). I have kids. Mommy will
kill me if things go wrong while driving this rig and an electrical event somehow occurs. So, to make things simpler I’m going 6V GC2 Golf Cart batteries to get more capacity and less filling the water all the time on flooded. I’m learning from you so thanks for everything. My DC Cooler works great that I got from you.
@@Cabernet2000 the lithium batteries came with the rig and I haven't looked at all the components for the alternator or shore charging. He bought this RV second hand so all the upgrades could have come from the factory or the previous owner. I did see that when he was plugged into shore power his batteries were at 14.5v so just shy of 100% SOC at 14.6v.
I know his rooftop solar system is setup for LFP so his batteries are getting to 100% SOC on most days.
Hi Jason. Which do I connect first, the solar panel or the circuit breaker.?
You want to power your charge controller first by turning on the breaker. Then after the charge controller is on, you'll plug in your solar panel.
You can damage your charge controller when connecting the solar panel without a battery connected.
Batteries first and then solar.
Why not connect the portable panel in parallel with the existing solar using the existing charge controller?
Mismatched panels will not perform nearly as well. Since this panel had different specs than what's installed on the roof it was easier to add it's own charge controller.
I don't recommend the switch it breaks easily.... I'd use bussman or bluesea
Thanks!
No issue at all in having two separate power sources coming into the batteries?
Nope, no issues. As long as the charge controllers are set the same battery chemistry they will work together to charge the battery in parallel.