Advocate I
YouTube is such a great and terrible place to learn and get ideas. I’ve been watching a bunch of off grid vids on solar power set ups for homes but the power requirements seem to be vastly different for campers and overlanding. I don’t yet have a electric cooler for my set up but do have use for electrical power for such things as CPAP, charging phones and tablets, auxiliary lighting, air compressor, etc.
What are most folks looking for in a solar set up for an over landing rig? Should we is there a thread on this on here? I didn’t see one.
I understand that everyone’s needs vary. An RV with a dometic kitchen and air conditioning and heat would have different power consumption needs than a truck or trailer rig needing a fridge, lights and some phone charging.
There seems to be a wide variety of 12v systems available to purchase or even build.
I like the idea of deep cycle batteries for power, but they are stupid heavy. I like the AGM batteries but they are crazy expensive and don’t last very long. I’ve been reading and watching vids on the LiFePO4 systems but unless you build them yourself they are cost prohibitive and delicate (meaning they seem to need constant care, maintenance, monitoring and climate control).
What I THINK I want is a strong, reliable, simple, highly portable 12vsystem that can charge from a solar panel(s)and possibly my truck charging system. Something I can use for my outdoor adventures that could be scalable/ reconfigurable to provide battery back up for my home or used on my boat for a trolling motor, bilge pump, live well and other boat accessories. I also want to be able to easily move it between my boat, camper or home. Oh, and I DONT want to spend $1000+ on it.
I know- keep dreaming! I think it should be able to be done tho.
So I am reaching out to all you Uber-smarties. Do you think it’s possible? Doing the work to create the wiring, source components, plan and configure an easily scalable yet portable solar battery set up that meets the needs we have as avid outdoors enthusiasts?
Let’s hear some ideas...
Here are some thoughts to get started:
1. LiFePO4 seems to be the battery cell component of choice. Cells are small, scalable for power and can be configured in series and /or parallel to meet the need of what you want to power.
2. LiFePO4cells do require a battery management system, and a learning curve to configure and maintain and they require a consistent environment to do well, although their operating temperature range does seem to be larger than many other batteries.
3. Solar panels and chargers vary so much it can be daunting to decide how much you need and how much to spend. Size matters as much as price or quality. I’m kind of guesstimating that while something is better than nothing, a 12v system rated for an RV should be sufficient for most of the uses I want from it.
4. components such as charge controllers, battery management systems, inverters, and wiring harnesses can make or break a system if not thoughtfully considered or properly utilized.
so that is where I am at. Trying to sort through ideas, components, designs and of course cost. Building something that will do what I want it to may be unrealistic to cost prohibitive, but as an intellectual exercise, I ask for your knowledge and input. I’m betting many of us would be interested in the possibility of an affordable, scalable, powerful 12v solar solution... where is Tesla when we need him? Lol
ready...go!
What are most folks looking for in a solar set up for an over landing rig? Should we is there a thread on this on here? I didn’t see one.
I understand that everyone’s needs vary. An RV with a dometic kitchen and air conditioning and heat would have different power consumption needs than a truck or trailer rig needing a fridge, lights and some phone charging.
There seems to be a wide variety of 12v systems available to purchase or even build.
I like the idea of deep cycle batteries for power, but they are stupid heavy. I like the AGM batteries but they are crazy expensive and don’t last very long. I’ve been reading and watching vids on the LiFePO4 systems but unless you build them yourself they are cost prohibitive and delicate (meaning they seem to need constant care, maintenance, monitoring and climate control).
What I THINK I want is a strong, reliable, simple, highly portable 12vsystem that can charge from a solar panel(s)and possibly my truck charging system. Something I can use for my outdoor adventures that could be scalable/ reconfigurable to provide battery back up for my home or used on my boat for a trolling motor, bilge pump, live well and other boat accessories. I also want to be able to easily move it between my boat, camper or home. Oh, and I DONT want to spend $1000+ on it.
I know- keep dreaming! I think it should be able to be done tho.
So I am reaching out to all you Uber-smarties. Do you think it’s possible? Doing the work to create the wiring, source components, plan and configure an easily scalable yet portable solar battery set up that meets the needs we have as avid outdoors enthusiasts?
Let’s hear some ideas...
Here are some thoughts to get started:
1. LiFePO4 seems to be the battery cell component of choice. Cells are small, scalable for power and can be configured in series and /or parallel to meet the need of what you want to power.
2. LiFePO4cells do require a battery management system, and a learning curve to configure and maintain and they require a consistent environment to do well, although their operating temperature range does seem to be larger than many other batteries.
3. Solar panels and chargers vary so much it can be daunting to decide how much you need and how much to spend. Size matters as much as price or quality. I’m kind of guesstimating that while something is better than nothing, a 12v system rated for an RV should be sufficient for most of the uses I want from it.
4. components such as charge controllers, battery management systems, inverters, and wiring harnesses can make or break a system if not thoughtfully considered or properly utilized.
so that is where I am at. Trying to sort through ideas, components, designs and of course cost. Building something that will do what I want it to may be unrealistic to cost prohibitive, but as an intellectual exercise, I ask for your knowledge and input. I’m betting many of us would be interested in the possibility of an affordable, scalable, powerful 12v solar solution... where is Tesla when we need him? Lol
ready...go!