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This is a Renogy 100 watt kit. Under $200. I'm quite happy with the results, though I had to do some things to make it work better as a portable system.

The main problem was that the wires from the battery and the solar panel had to be screwed into the controller. This would be fine for a nonportable setup but since I wanted to use it as a portable, it was too much work. It took too long and it was obvious that I would eventually strip the head slots on the set screws rendering the controller useless. Now the solar panel rides in the cab bed and it only takes about 5 minutes to get it working.

The wires from the panel came with disconnects so I screwed them tightly into the controller and then squirted a bead of epoxy around each wire where they entered the controller. These wires are very stiff and would eventually work loose with movement without some serious stress relief. Hopefully they're attached permanently now.

Then for the battery. I'd like to thank the person on this forum who pointed me to the needed quick disconnect. That's the little grey box in the picture. Actually I think I bought one size too big. But better too big than too small. For that I had to cut the battery wires and torch solder four connectors onto the wire ends. These connectors come with the the quick disconnect and snap into the gray box to provide good contact. If you do it right it is henceforth impossible to connect the battery with the wrong polarity.

After soldering I snapped on the two halves of the gray plastic connectors. Then I tightened and epoxied the two short pieces of wire into the controller, making sure polarity was correct. After that it was simple to attach the the long wires onto the coach battery, again triple checking polarity. Now I just snap the disconnect together and I'm juiced. You have to connect the battery first with this solar controller. Then the panel or else it gets all confused.

In the picture I have the controller hanging on the battery door with velcro tabs. I also have velcro on the back of the solar panel and that's where the controller rides when not being used. They give you a lot of wire with this kit and I can lean the panel anywhere around the Dolphin to get the best sun. I haven't had to deal with high winds yet. I might have to lay it flat on the ground for that.

So this solved my main problem. Which is that I can't plug in where I park at home. I was lugging a generator up there and running it for a few hours. Now 3 or 4 hours of sun and I'm fully charged. The refrigerator is long gone out of my Dolphin and all I have is one of those 12 volt TE coolers. I've found that with the solar and a couple jugs of frozen water, I can boondock all weekend and everything is still cold. If I unplug the cooler at night.

Those TE 12 volt coolers are better than an ice chest but the problem is that they run constantly. I hope to be able to afford a regular 12 volt refrigerator by next year. I've heard that the 12v. refrigerators actually use much less battery than the coolers because they shut themselves off.

I know that a propane refrigerator is the best way to go but like I said that's long gone. The vents are boarded up, I'd need a new propane line. Maybe in the distant future. Too many other things to fix first.

So this old man is happy with his first solar project. It's like magic to me.

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If it works, then its good.

I would have hard wired the batteries to the controller, with correct fuse. Mounted the controller inside so that it could be monitored. Then ran the wires out to the nice little cubbie hole you have and installed the quick disconnect there.

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I am in the middle of installing solar to my Escaper. I mounted the Windy Nation controller in my closet. I reinforced the floor of the closet and put another battery in there also. My electric distribution center is only 2 ft away so I don't have a lot of wire to run. I used 30 amp Anderson powerpoles (quick disconnects similar to yours) My 100 watt solar panel is currently portable but may get mounted on the roof.

The system is as follows-100 watt panels wired with 10 ga marine grade wire & QD connectors near the panels. The wire goes into the RV through the shore power door. The supply wire goes to the controller with a self resetting circuit breaker in line. From the controller, the power goes to the battery mounted on the floor of the closet and then to the power panel to connect to the original coach battery. My controller will handle 400 watts but I will probably top out at 200 watts.

I have a 12 volt frig and according to my controller, I use more power than my 100 watt panel makes in a day with good sun. Luckily my wife and I don't stay put in one place for very long. With my 2 batteries fully charged when we start, I have enough power to last about 2 days and not run by batteries down too much. M frig runs about 30 to 40% of the time when lightly loaded. I know that it runs less when full. I normally keep 3 ice packs in the the freezer and it helps keep things cold longer when we are not driving.

I will be posting pictures when I get everything done.

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FIW, based on personal experience here is what I've found.

60w bare minimum for a naked camper, nothing but lights, water pump and a little heater action.

100w..... minimum camper + tv and radio

200w......100w camper + CPAP, inverter for microwave, computer gaming.

It helps a bunch if the battery AH sorta matches the panel watts. Like a 100w panel should have at least a 100AH battery, more battery is good.

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I am curious what the draw on the older 3 way dometics are. When the propane gets blown out while driving the RV switches to electric. the 12 volt on the fridge sucks juice I think because ive seen it draw down on the battery when using it. Maybe I need to replace my wiring.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I am curious what the draw on the older 3 way dometics are. When the propane gets blown out while driving the RV switches to electric. the 12 volt on the fridge sucks juice I think because ive seen it draw down on the battery when using it. Maybe I need to replace my wiring.

They all draw 8 - 11 amps @ 12 volts DC. I've got a pair of 100 watt panels on the roof of my Minicruiser. The most output I've ever gotten from them in direct sun was 10 amps @ 14 volts (after the controller). I.e. about 5 amps per panel.

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Do you have an electronically controlled fridge? If it is it will have lights on the panel other wise it just sit there and gets hot until you turn the dial. I had mine on a watt meter it drew 175 watts AC more like 14 amps DC.

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  • 1 month later...

My 12v dometic fridge sucks a lot of power, I only use for whilst driving. Wow you get at most ten amps from 2 100w panels! That's twice as much as I have ever gotten, but I live in the Pacific Northwest. Today I was making 2.5 amps. The beauty of solar is I no longer have to plug in my rv to recharge my batteries! Batteries will last longer I'm sure now.

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I've got 120 watt panels and 5-6 amps @ 14 volts in the best sun is all I've ever gotten. Less on the roof of my RV.

Here are some depressing figures when it comes to solar. My house in NY is on solar-grid-tie. Has 27 panels at 200 watts each. Total of 5400 watts.

For a year, counting all days and nights - on average - it produces 300 KWh per month. That is 10 KWh per day. If they were 100 watt panels that would come to 185 watt-hours each, per day, on average. That comes to 1/2 amp @ 14 volts per hour, on average for each 100 watt panel.

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