A Women's RV Forum run by Women RVer's!

These questions or for those of you with current experience with solar panels/house batteries for your RV currently, experience with solar panels/house batteries for your RV in the past, those of you planning an RV solar system, or even those of you with an opinion of the pros/cons of an RV solar system.

Hoping List Guru Melissa will chime in here!

Photos of my new solar panels at bottom of this post.

Short version questions:

1. Installation of three "house" batteries inside my van, as described below. Is this (described below) installation adequate and sufficient (i.e. safe)?
2. How (and where) are your own "house" batteries installed and secured (these things are HEAVY - you don't want them able to move around)?
3. I am being charged $300 for a battery "isolator" (including the part, explanation below). Is this price excessive?

Please understand that this is not the only place I am seeking answers to these questions (you would be surprised at how often I ask someone - who should be knowledgeable - and get a totally b.s. answer). I am researching everywhere, and each of your opinions is valued. Thank you.

Longer version:

I am still working on putting together my new solar system for my van. It has been very slow going - the weather here has not been co-operative. It has been 100+ degrees here at my house north of Sacramento every day (except the day last week when it briefly rained), and I just can't work outside and inside of the van for too long in this kind of heat.

Heat just wears me out, and I can't work outside for more than an hour or so.

For those interested, I am posting a photo of my new, foldable, 200w panels (and their carrying case) below.

Question on batteries:

I have purchased three sealed 75ah AGM deep-cycle batteries ("Interstate" brand). I am still working out where to put them, and any potential dangers they might pose. As I understand it, even AGM (sealed lead-acid) batteries can out-gas or even (gasp) explode if they are overcharged. I am making an area in front of my van's passenger seat (I never have passengers, so this is the logical spot) for the batteries to be "installed", basically they will be in individual (heavy plastic) battery boxes (this is not a "sealed" battery box, but rather your standard battery box), sitting on 3/4" plywood, wired together in parallel, for a total of 225ah.

Each individual battery (they each weigh about 50 pounds) will be held in place by a racheting tie-down (will not rachet them too tight!) attached to the frame of the passenger seat frame (the part of the seat that bolts to the floor) to hold them in place, and prevent movement in case of (God forbid!) a vehicle accident. This passenger seat frame is made of heavy-duty metal, and is quite securely bolted to the floor of my van.

As for any possible out-gassing, when sleeping I always have a window cracked (in any case they will not be charging at night) and while driving I always have the van's passenger compartment fan going - so if they out-gas (which, actually, they should never do, being sealed) there should be adequate ventilation.

I am having a battery isolator installed (this thing is costing me $300 to install, including the part, which seems excessive - is it?), so that my van's alternator can also charge my house batteries while I am going down the road, but makes it so that my house batteries are "isolated" from my van's starting battery (so that the house batteries cannot draw charge from the starter battery).

Photos of my new monocrystalline solar panels below. 200w, foldable case, with handles, weight 11 pounds (!). With PWM controller, not shown.

Have tested them, in late afternoon near the end of October, lying flat on the ground (not angled towards the sun) they were putting out 8 amps. Should go to 10 - 11 ams in ideal conditions.





Thanks to everyone for their time and effort on my behalf.

Anne

Don't worry Anne, Beth will see this and chime in, she's pretty expert on the solar thing

avalen wrote:Don't worry Anne, Beth will see this and chime in, she's pretty expert on the solar thing

HaHa!
Your controller should keep the batteries from overcharging. You have to make sure that gets connected properly.

My only concern is the location of the batteries. If you had gotten AGM batteries, I wouldn't be concerned. But the ones you are purchasing are always supposed to be vented to outside. I'd feel much better if you could find a way to do that.

I think she got agm batteries Beth, does that mean its ok that there's no vent?

avalen wrote:I think she got agm batteries Beth, does that mean its ok that there's no vent?

whew, yes she doesn't need to vent agm batteries, but it doesn't hurt to do as she's doing. Thanks for correcting me. I misread that.

Older information found will say venting is required. Newer no longer says that. This is from a battery manufacturer's site:

AGM Batteries. A VRLA battery (valve-regulated lead–acid battery), more commonly known as a sealed battery or maintenance free battery, is a type of lead-acid rechargeable battery. Due to their construction, they do not require ventilation, can be mounted in any orientation, and do not require constant maintenance.

And I'm very glad you got the isolator, but can't speak as to the cost of install.

Also make sure to ground the last battery. Picture follows to help show what I'm saying (Just change it to 3 batteries).

Thanks for the info, Ava and Beth!

Much appreciated! I'll make it to Quartzite yet.

However, have had to take a few days off from working on the van due to the weather. It has been 100+ degrees here again all this week. My van is parked outside, no shade, so I can only work on her for an hour at most, then I am done for the day due to the heat.

I picked up the battery isolator that I had ordered from the shop today, will have it installed (hopefully) sometime next week, as soon as I get the house batteries all arranged in the van. I think I will just have the shop wire the house batteries together in parallel while my van is there getting the isolator installed. I don't have the proper tools to deal with the wire of the gauge needed to wire the batteries together. Probably more cost effective to have the shop deal with the batteries, rather than buy still more tools for what will basically be a one-time job.

When the batteries need replacement sometime down the line, I think I will just have the shop do this as well.

Thanks again, ladies!

How do you secure your house batteries inside your RV's?

Anne