philodog
Nomad
Posts: 163
Registered: 10-9-2010
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Advice on solar generators
I'm researching solar generators for a 12 volt fridge I just bought and am looking for any advice. It will be used full time at camp and on camping
trips for up to a week in Baja. So far I have learned I want a regulated 12 volt power supply to get more juice from the battery, at least a 10 amp 12
volt supply to run my air compressor (many have 8 amp) and a MPPT solar charge controller to quicken charge time. One question is how big a unit? 500
watt hour ok? Since the price of 2 250s is about the same would it better to go with two, using one while the other charges? Also that would eliminate
pass thru charging which seems to be bad for the batteries. Any other advice appreciated. Thanks!
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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Mood: Full Time Residents
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looks easy to me...
you need one 12v deep cell marine battery
one 12v $20 charge controller
one 12v solar panel 100watts
thats it
[Edited on 8-19-2020 by Bob and Susan]
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philodog
Nomad
Posts: 163
Registered: 10-9-2010
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Don't want a 50 pound battery. Don't want a battery that you can drain only 50%. Don't want 3 separate components and a bunch of wires. Been there
done that.
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Bajazly
Super Nomad
Posts: 1009
Registered: 6-4-2015
Location: Goodbye Cali and Hello San Felipe
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Mood: More Relaxed Everyday
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I have a 100 W Renogy folding panel I hook to my battery in the truck to run the fridge and the charging of phones and such while camping, won't start
the truck for days at a time sometimes. Works great but I will turn down the fridge at night just for grins but probably not needed.
Once I was out at Los Animus camped out and I had brought a spare battery because I had it but didn't have time to install it before I left home. The
truck battery was on its last leg and figured when we got to camp I'd switch them out. Long story short, the brand new blue top was garbage and
wouldn't hold a charge at all.
We hooked the solar panel and the fridge to the dead battery and gave it a bump off the almost dead truck battery every morning to wake the solar
panel up and the fridge ran on kill all day from just the panel. My buddy who is pretty electrical minded was fairly impressed that the fridge was
running off the panel all day with the dead battery acting as only a conduit from solar panel to fridge.
Believing is religion - Knowing is science
Harald Pietschmann
"Get off the beaten path and memories, friends and new techniques are developed"
Bajazly, August 2019
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advrider
Super Nomad
Posts: 1859
Registered: 10-2-2015
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What brand and size fridge? I run an ARB for several days without starting the car if it's not in the direct sun. I would think you could find an all
in one panel with everything you need. Might look at some of the camper/overland style systems rather then a home style?
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Fernweh
Nomad
Posts: 444
Registered: 2-24-2011
Location: Centenario, BCS
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Check out Overland Solar. I do have their fold-able solar panel...love it
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pacificobob
Super Nomad
Posts: 2297
Registered: 4-23-2006
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the very common 3 way RV friges [using heat to move refrigerant] use a huge amount of current in the 12V mode. the later models even use a bit of
current in the gas mode.
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bajagregg
Junior Nomad
Posts: 67
Registered: 9-6-2015
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3 way fridges are fine for RV's but not really the way to go for remote camping. A unit like the ARB and many others that use a conventional
compressor in a small portable fridge is the way to go. A 100 watt panel and a battery will power one indefinitely. If you are running your vehicle
every day or so, you can just plug it in to the lighter socket and do not need to deal with a solar panel. Additionally, most units have a feature
that will shut the compressor off if the battery gets low. The unit I have can be adjusted down to zero degrees and used as a freezer.
Traveling Baja for 50 years.
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vandy
Senior Nomad
Posts: 538
Registered: 10-10-2003
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This year I'm trying the "too many wires and a big honking battery" approach. Uses a chest freezer for a refrigerator.
2x100w 17v panels.......................$150
30A charge controller....................$20
150 Ah 12v Trojan battery..............$165 (new, no exchange)
1000w pure sine wave inverter......$100
"Plug-and-play" thermostat............$15
5 cu ft chest freezer........................$200
100' extension cord.........................$40
Bits of wire, battery terminal clamps $10
These are all new item prices.
A pretty heavy clunky system. (I don't trust flexible/folding solar panels)
It draws power (about 8 watts) when no load is on.
Just right for long term camping with vehicle in the shade, panels in full sun, and fridge in full shade.
I
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vandy
Senior Nomad
Posts: 538
Registered: 10-10-2003
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So what fridge DO you have?
How much power (watt-hours) per 24 hours?
As far as your air compressor goes, can't you just run it from
your vehicle battery?
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BajaMama
Super Nomad
Posts: 1107
Registered: 10-4-2015
Location: Pleasanton/Punta Chivato
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Mood: Got Baja fever!!
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We have an ARB, with an ARKPAC battery box and a LIPO battery. Last week we used battery only (5 days) and went to 45%, which is okay for this system.
When we drive in the future we will plug into the truck, but we are still seeing how long it will go. We set at 37 F. But it looks like you can go
a few days at the least.
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