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fly2low

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I would appreciate learning more about how you arrived at the sizing and your choice in installers. A ballpark estimate of cost would be of interest. as well.

PM or email to me is fine if you prefer. I will keep it confidential if you like.

 

Todd E

“…nothing so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kinds of people.” – Mark Twain

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Fly2low, 800ah lithium you'll have more power than you'll use in a day but why only 850 watts solar. That seems like bottle knecking the system or are they going to be tiltable panels. Or are your thoughts that on a good sunny day that system will catch up? Summer I would think they would recharge the battery's no problem but winter with shorter days maybe playing catch up?

2016 F350 DRW Supercab XLT 4x4 6.7 3:73LS 
2010 Carriage Cameo 34CK3   1,280 watt solar

 

 

 

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I always enjoy Solar threads and am one who believes what a person choses and installs IS HIS OWN BUSINESS REGARDLESS OF ANY ROI CONCERNS. If I want to install a system, whether or not its the absolute best out there as far as ROI, is strictly my own choice. Some folks have much higher energy requirements then others on here and you hear anywhere from of a modest 50 watts a truck camping buddy of mine has, to my 470 solar watts and 450 battery Amp Hours that's supplies all my energy needs, to 1000 watts and 500 to 1000 Amp Hours some on here require. ALL SOLAR IS GOOD SOLAR LOL

 

Wouldn't it be a boring world if we all had to make the same choices or had to do what some other person insisted was best or yielded the best ROI ???

 

fly2low, Congratulations on you new system and sharing it with us.

 

John T A relatively low energy requirement kinda guy

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My advice would be to max out your roof space with panels. They are relatively cheap in the overall system cost. You cannot have too many watts. The Blusolar 150 will handle 1000 watts pretty easily (at 12 volts). I'd at least max it out if you have the roof space. If you are not tiling panels you can overpower the wattage rating if you are close on adding another panel (for example, you can easily take it up to 1100 watts if that is what the panel configuration falls out as). But only if you do not tilt.

Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member
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Fly2low

 

I understand the ROI discussions. Everyone has opinions and choices based on their wants, needs and pocketbook. Get what you think is best for you and go with it and leave it up to others to do the same.

Hope your install and the results will keep you happy and comfortable for the next several years.

Thanks for sharing.

 

Todd E.

“…nothing so liberalizes a man and expands the kindly instincts that nature put in him as travel and contact with many kinds of people.” – Mark Twain

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I did max out my roof

That is the most I could get up there. 35' class C with 2 AC units and 4 roof vents does not leave much room

I am assuming I will run the generator an hour a day for breakfast/coffee, then let the panels do there thing. It will be a learning experience.

Rich and Carol

2007 Dynamax DQ 340 XL

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Jack

I want to thank you. You may not remember, but we had an e-mail discussion about Victron. Helped me get comfortable with them. Also talked to friends who had Victron based systems in their boats. Nothing but positive feedback. Good support from the company.

 

I do plan on tilting the panels to get the most I can out of them.

 

And to all, thank you for the kind words. I am excited. Once this is done, on to a residential fridge

Rich and Carol

2007 Dynamax DQ 340 XL

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I have 500ah lithium batteries with 1280 watts solar on the roof. Maybe after a couple days you might need to top off with generator depending on your power consumption, I bet you're going to love the system. Enjoy ?

2016 F350 DRW Supercab XLT 4x4 6.7 3:73LS 
2010 Carriage Cameo 34CK3   1,280 watt solar

 

 

 

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I have had the battery's down to 35% left on the bank a couple times by morning. That's running the fridge all night, watching tv/dvd, charging a couple laptops, charging cell phones, making coffee in the morning and cooking breakfast in the microwave. This is early/ mid summer when there will be enough sun the next day and by noon the battery's are full.

 

Late summer now with shorter sun I turn the fridge over to propane by 1900-2000 hours do the other things mentioned as normal. In the morning the battery's will show 65% left. Unless there is rain or severely overcast the battery's just about always get back to full. I have not had to plug the small generator in yet to charge the battery's.

 

Winter will be another learning curve with shorter sun time. We have ours wired so 2 more panels ( 320 watts) can be added on the roof if we want, the panels do not tilt.

 

We had the system installed middle of April and since then have boondocked everyday except for 17 days since. Using what we paid in RV sites last year (fulltime, some monthly, some weekly, some nightly) My entire system will pay for itself in approximately 560 boondock days. The best part though is just knowing that the option to be in the outdoors yet still have all the conveniences. Overall the lithium and Hybrid Inverter are fantastic.

2016 F350 DRW Supercab XLT 4x4 6.7 3:73LS 
2010 Carriage Cameo 34CK3   1,280 watt solar

 

 

 

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I did max out my roof

That is the most I could get up there. 35' class C with 2 AC units and 4 roof vents does not leave much room

I am assuming I will run the generator an hour a day for breakfast/coffee, then let the panels do there thing. It will be a learning experience.

 

We only had 300w and did just fine in the western states with our 40' motorhome. Only used the generator if parked in a forest with minimal sun on the panels.

 

You certainly don't need a generator for morning coffee, toast. Get a stovetop perc - makes awesome coffee and butter the bread and plop it in a fry pan for the toast - great.

Full-timed for 16 Years
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Motorhome
and 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel

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More of a question then a statement. But as I understood it, just as AGM's charge faster then Wet Cells - Lithium can charge faster then AGM's(?). So while I'm a fan, and recommend, going as big on Solar Panels Wattage as you can (And I like the 48V panels over 24V or 12V) - having a lithium batter bank should make getting by with less SP Wattage very possible.

 

And yeah, even a 12,000 Watt solar panel system, will not do you much good in the thick woods... So it sure depends on many factors.

 

Best of luck with the new system, looking forward to hearing how it works for you:)!

Smitty

Be safe, have fun,

Smitty

04 CC Allure "RooII" - Our "E" ride for life!

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Good sharing about our personal experience in solar and RV living. But, we may overlook that each of us may do things in a different way. That difference does not make it right or wrong, it just works for that person. That alone makes this forum so great! Thanks for sharing.

 

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I did max out my roof

That is the most I could get up there. 35' class C with 2 AC units and 4 roof vents does not leave much room

I am assuming I will run the generator an hour a day for breakfast/coffee, then let the panels do there thing. It will be a learning experience.

 

A few months ago I saw a bus that had a rack above his AC units and vents that took up the back half of the bus's roof. Based on the amount of roof coverage he had to have at least 2,000 watts of solar up there. Mounting them that high would also accomplish 2 things. First it would keep the panels cooler thus increasing their efficiency with more cooling airflow underneath. Second the shade provided would also keep the inside of the RV cooler.

 

Here's an example of rack mounted panels above roof vents for someone with limited roof space:

2nvcok6.jpg

 

Another option is mounting swing-up panels on the side of the RV which could be angled into the sun in the winter and northern climes when the sun is low in the sky. Here's a couple examples:

 

33otqx0.jpg

29kut8o.jpg

 

Where there's a will, there's a way.

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Hi,

 

Just dropped off my rig at AM Solar. Getting 850 W of panels and 800 ah of LiFePO4 batteries. Can't wait to get it back and try it out. Victron MPPT controller and inverter.

 

Would you mind sharing the specific model of the Victron, as well as the brands/models for the solar panels and the batteries?

 

Your system seems obviously well designed, and I would like to learn more of the matter by studying it.

 

Thanks in advance,

--

Vall.

Getting ready to join the RV full-time lifestyle in 2017!

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