Solar power

Hi Wim

We came through the roof just behind the passenger seat, straight to the regulator which is mounted on the Cargo Barrier behind the passenger seat. Used a proper grommet and sealed it well. My Troopy is an ex Ambo and there was already a hole there that only needed to be enlarged.

My setup is,

2 x 80 Watt BP Solar Panels
PL 60 Solar Regulator
2 x 120amp Full River AGM Battery's

This is the Solar panel end of the cable connector I use to plug into a roof connector that allows the cable to run between the roof panel and the lining to the Aux battery system, so it's never seen.

Image Could Not Be FoundMainey . . .

Wim,

My connection point is similar to Dick's, I come through the skin above and behind the passenger side door. Like Dick's, our Troopy had a previous life, as a police vehicle in our case, and already had a hole there. I use Canon style audio plugs and sockets which use a simple system to lock together, and are available with various numbers of pins, each pin rated at 6 or 10 amps. Image Could Not Be Found


HTH

John

My alternator only operates for a couple of hours a week and will not put out more than 13volts once the cranking battery is up to charge.
I need at least 14.5 volts to fully charge a deep cycle battery.
The Solar panels, on the other hand, when coupled with the appropriate controller/charger, provide the proper charging voltages at an average of about 6amps over a period of 7-9 hours, depending on the season, geographic location and orientation of the panels.
It's all a matter of "Horses for Courses".

Forgot: that's for two 64W (nominal) amorphous panels @ ±$660 each and a $120 controller = $1440

Rolly's comments on voltages are spot on. The voltage reaching the auxilliary batteries from the alternator isn't high enough to fully charge them. The panels' higher output voltage does the job. One option is to spend a few hundred dollars on a dc-dc charger to provide that higher voltage from the alternator. I prefer the solar approach. As Rolly says - "Horses for Courses"

John