DIY Camper RV Solar Panel Installation

[BUZZME2011]

How many solar panels would i need to power a 37 ft RV with slide... to run all light,computer,fridge,freezer,­and small electric heater... and how many batteries would i need..

[ssj4goko4]

@BUZZME2011 you need to get the total watts. but electric heat would not be possible way to much watts needed.

[XCavaleX]

Trying to renovate a camper and I really want solar, I've never done anything at all like this before. I don't even know what an amp hour is. Where should I start?

[ssj4goko4]

@XCavaleX the easy way is to brake it down into watts. volts times amps = watts. so a 12 vplt 250 amp hr battery is 3000 watts. its also best to not use inverters whenever possible they draw extra power and also some is lost in the inverting so stick to 12 volts where possable.

[oilspeculatorhater]

Very impressive and helpful video. Thank you for sharing it.

[vandeldog]

Thankyou from Aotearoa :-)

[trappedinnm]

Very nice job. My only suggestion for others would be to allow for a little airflow under the panel.

[2guitarme]

Nice install. But a 60 watt panel is going to have a VOC of around 18 volts or so. 60w / 18v = 3.3 amps. If you're charging your battery even at 14 volts, then 14 x 3.3 = 46.6watt is the max you will get. The charger should be set to 14.1 to 14.4 for a vented lead acid battery. If you are charging at 12.5 volts because your battery is down then 12.5X3.3=41 watts is all you are getting. The power between the charging volts and panel output is lost as heat. Nice install though.

[Revstoningpot]

is it more important to have more panels or more batteries

[ssj4goko4]

@Revstoningpot well a big battery is handy for extra storage from a full charge. but of course the panels will only put out so many amps per day so if your battery is bigger then the panels output it will take a cuple days to fully recharge it from the solar alone.

[HomeDistiller]

i hope you left a drain hole in the surround of the panel. otherwise if it leaks between the panel and the wood the underneath will fill with water

[budlight143]

you should remove that silicone and replace it with dacor lap sealant that silicone will leak over time.

[chamblizi]

great job!...... You have tim and eric my thoughts on this video thumbs up

[tat2russ]

Just got a 45 watt solar panel from H/F gonna try to do mine

[mikeinthebarn]

Great, simply said and shown video. Thanks for your time putting this together. I am getting set to do this on our vintage canned ham trailer. Much appreciated!

[frosty9595]

Very nice. I bet it keeps the batteries nice and topped up

[foxxentertainmentvid]

8:25 thats what she said

[apatternlanguage]

thanks so much for the advice!! will let you know how i do with the project!

[apatternlanguage]

Dude, awesome... I am converting a van into a small camper and this is exactly what i was looking for..!!! Do i need deep cycle batteries???

[filear]

@apatternlanguage Yes you will need deep cycle, or marine batteries. Regular car batteries will not last as long as they like to be charged up at all times and don't like deep cycles of charge and discharge.

[SolarXpert]

Huge sale! 4 days only. DIY solar panel kit $99. PV frames $39. Make your own solar panels and find all your diy solar products at solar-deals(.)com.

[GUNS4MIKE1234]

I Love this video man thank you.

[rriverstone1]

I imagined all sorts of complications to using solar panels, not the least of which is cost. Thanks to you, I investigated yesterday. I even looked at broken cells, pre-tabbed, on eBay, to build my own. Guess what? I found a brand new 50w panel on ebay for $125 and a regulator for $13! I'm moving into a travel trailer I just bought for $2,500. I've gutted unnecessary cabinets, beds, tore out nasty carpets & got all appliances operating. Will be moving to Navajo reservation, near Gallup.

[rriverstone1]

@rriverstone1 I don't want to run up my hosts' electric bill, or mine, so solar makes sense. I'm also getting "mifi" internet. I'm building a soda pop can heater for the 4'tallx3'wide window by front door and solar water heater from black, braided garden hose! Tomorrow, I start laying my false floor with garden hose running under it: passive heat from my solar water heater, which feeds into h2o heater tank! I have an old 12v battery right now. I hear a few 6v batts give longer storage.

[rriverstone1]

I need to know the specs, max loads, etc for your solar controller voltage regulator. I need to buy one, but am worried I'll get the wrong kind.

[filear]

@rriverstone1 The one in the video is a Morningstar SunSaver-6 (you can google it), I have installed a lot of them and never had a single issue. The SunSaver-6 has a load capacity of 6 amps, at 12 volts it can handle a max 72 watt solar pannel. A 10 amp controler could handle a 120 watt solar panel. Just multiply the amperage rating times the voltage to get the watt rating.

[rriverstone1]

this is the best video I've seen on rv solar installation. thanks

[uhateusaFU]

so did you run the wiring, for your lighting, to the charge controller or directly to the battery?