# Solar Panel Advice



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jun 30, 2015)

After 2 months of reading about solar panels for my Adria Izola, I`m still none the wiser, so a little, or more like a lot of advice would be appreciated. I`m hoping for if not total self sufficiency, at least a good few days, mostly around Scotland, and also all year round, topped up with campsite visits. The plan was for 2 X 150w panels or thereabouts, I have 2 spaces available on the roof, 1 1500mm X 970mm and the other 1230mm X 890mm, so I might have to drop to 120w. Also fit 2 or 3 110Amh but I`m not sure what would be a good match. Power usage would be the water pump, all lighting is already LED, heating is blown air only so no convection heater, I already have a 12 volt tv and will be installing satellite which will be watched quite often knowing Mrs Johnny, if she`s indoors the bloody telly is on.  I`ve been looking at the Batt to Batt chargers but I`m not planning on doing massive mileages, and theres also the choice of the CTeK chargers/Controllers, or the MPPT ones. Does the solar system make the Elektroblok charger redundant or does it run independently, it would be good to have it as a standby for a low power dilemma on an evening. Mrs Johnny rekons all this solar stuff will go pearshaped when wee are out, oh her of little faith, but I object to paying 20odd quid for a patch of grass for a night, Sorry for the long rabbit, Cheers, Johnny,


----------



## Mastodon (Jun 30, 2015)

We do Scotland all year round. 2x80w panels and 2 100ah batteries. Panels are on hinges to catch the winter sun, we have blown air heating, shower, led lights. Works fine, panels and batteries 7 years old.


----------



## maingate (Jun 30, 2015)

Depending on which model Electroblock you have, you may have no choice but to fit the Schaudt LR1218 Solar regulator. It is not MPPT but is a very good, efficient one. It will also charge your engine battery. Personally, I have never had a MPPT regulator because I never needed one. I have had solar for a lot longer than most and managed very well. We are never on a hookup and our trips last for weeks.

At the moment I have a 100 watt panel and a Schaudt LR1218. This is normally more than enough. Because I have plenty of storage, I carry an additional 90 watt solar panel for emergencies (day after day of dull, rainy conditions). I have used it once in the last year.


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jun 30, 2015)

Mastodon said:


> We do Scotland all year round. 2x80w panels and 2 100ah batteries. Panels are on hinges to catch the winter sun, we have blown air heating, shower, led lights. Works fine, panels and batteries 7 years old.



Thanks for the reply,  I take it the directional panels reduce the need for higher output panels


----------



## DorisBoris (Jun 30, 2015)

The Camping and Caravanning Club web site has a good page on estimating the size/power of solar panels needed. Following their calculations we have a 100w panel with two 110Ah batteries, which is fine for us but may not be adequate if you have the tele on all day!


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jun 30, 2015)

maingate said:


> Depending on which model Electroblock you have, you may have no choice but to fit the Schaudt LR1218 Solar regulator. It is not MPPT but is a very good, efficient one. It will also charge your engine battery. Personally, I have never had a MPPT regulator because I never needed one. I have had solar for a lot longer than most and managed very well. We are never on a hookup and our trips last for weeks.
> 
> At the moment I have a 100 watt panel and a Schaudt LR1218. This is normally more than enough. Because I have plenty of storage, I carry an additional 90 watt solar panel for emergencies (day after day of dull, rainy conditions). I have used it once in the last year.




Thanks, the one if have is the EBL 226, when you say plenty of storage, I take it you mean how many batts, how many batterys do you have


----------



## Obanboy666 (Jun 30, 2015)

I have a modern motorhome so all led lights. Only had space for an 80 watt panel and along with fitting a second battery it's the best investment I've made to date for my home on wheels.
I am a TV addict and have a satellite and a sky box which I use at least 5 hours a day.
I now don't need ehu when on my drive and I've found from spring onward I can comfortably manage without ehu when out on my adventures.
You will have no problems whatsoever with the panels you intend fitting.
Winter will be a problem for me but I will then use my generator when / if I need to.


----------



## colinm (Jun 30, 2015)

We have only an 80w panel and 110ah battery, this is ok for 10 months of year for us, but we don't watch a great deal of tv. I should note that at one time we had a LCD tv and 12v skybox, this used a lot of power even for the little we used it, now have a Avtex LED tv with built in sat, this is much more economical on power.


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jun 30, 2015)

DorisBoris said:


> The Camping and Caravanning Club web site has a good page on estimating the size/power of solar panels needed. Following their calculations we have a 100w panel with two 110Ah batteries, which is fine for us but may not be adequate if you have the tele on all day!



Thanks for that, good info there, Yes, she loves her telly, in between walking the dogs to death, I only watch it for 30mins a day, and thats Emmerdale, but I would never admit it


----------



## phillybarbour (Jun 30, 2015)

See how u go first, we wild for two weeks at a time and no solar panel. 2 good quality batteries and we move every couple of days. With full led lighting we've never needed a panel and they are not cheap options. Invest in quality batteries first you may be surprised.

You may need a panel but don't spend till u know.


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jun 30, 2015)

colinmd said:


> We have only an 80w panel and 110ah battery, this is ok for 10 months of year for us, but we don't watch a great deal of tv. I should note that at one time we had a LCD tv and 12v skybox, this used a lot of power even for the little we used it, now have a Avtex LED tv with built in sat, this is much more economical on power.



Thanks, the Satellite is the other issue I have to sort out, I`m not decided yet whether to go for a 12v satt box or the sky box and an inverter


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jun 30, 2015)

Obanboy666 said:


> I have a modern motorhome so all led lights. Only had space for an 80 watt panel and along with fitting a second battery it's the best investment I've made to date for my home on wheels.
> I am a TV addict and have a satellite and a sky box which I use at least 5 hours a day.
> I now don't need ehu when on my drive and I've found from spring onward I can comfortably manage without ehu when out on my adventures.
> You will have no problems whatsoever with the panels you intend fitting.
> Winter will be a problem for me but I will then use my generator when / if I need to.



Thanks, thats reassuring, is it the 12v box you have or do you have an inverter


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jun 30, 2015)

phillybarbour said:


> See how u go first, we wild for two weeks at a time and no solar panel. 2 good quality batteries and we move every couple of days. With full led lighting we've never needed a panel and they are not cheap options. Invest in quality batteries first you may be surprised.
> 
> You may need a panel but don't spend till u know.



Thanks, I wondered which to try first, that was why I threw the Batt to Batt charger into the equation


----------



## colinm (Jun 30, 2015)

Johnnygm7lsi said:


> Thanks, the Satellite is the other issue I have to sort out, I`m not decided yet whether to go for a 12v satt box or the sky box and an inverter



Our old one was a Pace DS430N converted to run off 12v, sky boxes always had a reputation for being relatively power hungry and that certainly was compared to the Avtex.
 The good thing with sky boxes and freesat boxes is they number the tv channels well and the EPG is very good, but if you want to watch other satelltes they are a pia, ftv boxes don't give the 'normal' channel numbering of uk tv unless you shuffle stations about and only give 'now and next' on epg.


----------



## maingate (Jun 30, 2015)

Johnnygm7lsi said:


> Thanks, the one if have is the EBL 226, when you say plenty of storage, I take it you mean how many batts, how many batterys do you have



I have 2 x 110 amp hour batteries.

I have checked up and you are not limited to the Schaudt LR1218 with the EBL 226. You can use another regulator if you wish. There is lots of useful information (and a good price on the 1218 regulator if you go for one) at this company. I have used them and also visited them. You will get any help you need from Allan the owner.

A and N Caravan Services : Caravan Servicing, repairs, pre purchase inspection, Damp Checks-North Wales.


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jun 30, 2015)

colinmd said:


> Our old one was a Pace DS430N converted to run off 12v, sky boxes always had a reputation for being relatively power hungry and that certainly was compared to the Avtex.
> The good thing with sky boxes and freesat boxes is they number the tv channels well and the EPG is very good, but if you want to watch other satelltes they are a pia, ftv boxes don't give the 'normal' channel numbering of uk tv unless you shuffle stations about and only give 'now and next' on epg.



Yup, thats the good thing about sky, the EPG, and the ease of use, I could put up with the hassle of searching for channels ect but it would do her head in, its taken about 20 years and she still get confused with the sky box LOL


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jun 30, 2015)

maingate said:


> I have 2 x 110 amp hour batteries.
> 
> I have checked up and you are not limited to the Schaudt LR1218 with the EBL 226. You can use another regulator if you wish. There is lots of useful information (and a good price on the 1218 regulator if you go for one) at this company. I have used them and also visited them. You will get any help you need from Allan the owner.
> 
> A and N Caravan Services : Caravan Servicing, repairs, pre purchase inspection, Damp Checks-North Wales.



Thanks for looking that up for me, really appreciate that, I had a read of his views on solar panels and see that he does not stock them now but supplies everything else for them. I`ll have a better read of it later


----------



## Mastodon (Jun 30, 2015)

Johnnygm7lsi said:


> Thanks for the reply,  I take it the directional panels reduce the need for higher output panels



Yep. Low winter sun barely touches the panels. Standing them up makes a big difference. Laying a reflector in front also helps.


----------



## Obanboy666 (Jul 1, 2015)

Johnnygm7lsi said:


> Thanks, thats reassuring, is it the 12v box you have or do you have an inverter



Use a sky box and inverter which with the avtex TV uses approx 3.1 amps an hour.
The sky box is the small multi room hd box, tried using the large hd + box to allow pause and recording but found it used more power and needed 2 input cables to work correctly. I am no expert but I think one input is for the picture and the other for the planner, recording etc. My dish only has one cable to the box.
All I do is take my sky card from home and pair it to the box and I watch the same as at home.


----------



## cdmoreear (Jul 1, 2015)

Johnnygm7lsi said:


> After 2 months of reading about solar panels for my Adria Izola, I`m still none the wiser, so a little, or more like a lot of advice would be appreciated. I`m hoping for if not total self sufficiency, at least a good few days, mostly around Scotland, and also all year round, topped up with campsite visits. The plan was for 2 X 150w panels or thereabouts, I have 2 spaces available on the roof, 1 1500mm X 970mm and the other 1230mm X 890mm, so I might have to drop to 120w. Also fit 2 or 3 110Amh but I`m not sure what would be a good match. Power usage would be the water pump, all lighting is already LED, heating is blown air only so no convection heater, I already have a 12 volt tv and will be installing satellite which will be watched quite often knowing Mrs Johnny, if she`s indoors the bloody telly is on.  I`ve been looking at the Batt to Batt chargers but I`m not planning on doing massive mileages, and theres also the choice of the CTeK chargers/Controllers, or the MPPT ones. Does the solar system make the Elektroblok charger redundant or does it run independently, it would be good to have it as a standby for a low power dilemma on an evening. Mrs Johnny rekons all this solar stuff will go pearshaped when wee are out, oh her of little faith, but I object to paying 20odd quid for a patch of grass for a night, Sorry for the long rabbit, Cheers, Johnny,



I started with a 80w flat panel roof mounted, via solar controller, and 2 x 125AH ecosol batteries and 2500w 240v invertor.   That worked fine in summer with long sunny days.   In preparation for 12 month trip around Europe fitted an extra 220w panel mounted on aluminium frame fixed to existing roof rails.

Frame is hinged with stainless steel piano hinge across width of van.  The allows me to raise the panel in winter when sun is a lot lower.   Upgraded solar charge controller to 30amp PWM (PWM pulse width modulation these are supposed to work more efficiently than other types). 

If you are planning to use van during winter then you will use more power from batteries, lights on longer, heating, TV etc. etc. 

Read somewhere during winter the efficiency of a flat panel is 50% less when compared to a raised (35 degree) panel.  When parking van be careful not to park in shadows and try to face van so panels facing south  sound's obvious but important in winter and when panels raised.

Also fitted a  Votronic Battery Master from Roadpro  https://www.roadpro.co.uk/retail/12...attery-control-products/battery-master-79.htm
This brilliant piece of kit automatically charges a vehicle’s starter battery at up to 2 Amps using the leisure batteries as a source of power.   This keeps the engine battery topped and fully charged.  

Tell Mrs Johnny with this sort of set up and sensible power management it represents a very good investment.  You will be able to go for months in the summer without  EHU and if wintering in Spain or Portugal for example it is rare to need it even in the winter.


----------



## maxi77 (Jul 1, 2015)

The first thing is to work out how much power you use per day, that will give you an idea of the amount of power you meed to generate per day, realizing of course you may not generate enough every day so some days you will need to generate more that your daily usage to allow you to catch up. You then need to be sure you have enough battery to allow you at least overnight usage without dropping your batteries below 50%. Finally you need to work out just how much solar one you can fit and second will generate enough power over a few days to keep you topped up. My home solar on a good day gives me over 20 Kwh, but on a bad day it can be down to 2. It may well be worth considering adding a battery meter such as the NASA one so that you can keep a eye on the state of your batteries as in the end they are the heart of your system. That should allow you to spot a low battery early and run the engine or a generator to avoid black out. 

At the end of the day what you need will depend very much on your own power usage and van.


----------



## Teutone (Jul 1, 2015)

maxi77 said:


> The first thing is to work out how much power you use per day, that will give you an idea of the amount of power you meed to generate per day, realizing of course you may not generate enough every day so some days you will need to generate more that your daily usage to allow you to catch up. You then need to be sure you have enough battery to allow you at least overnight usage without dropping your batteries below 50%. Finally you need to work out just how much solar one you can fit and second will generate enough power over a few days to keep you topped up. My home solar on a good day gives me over 20 Kwh, but on a bad day it can be down to 2. It may well be worth considering adding a battery meter such as the NASA one so that you can keep a eye on the state of your batteries as in the end they are the heart of your system. That should allow you to spot a low battery early and run the engine or a generator to avoid black out.
> 
> At the end of the day what you need will depend very much on your own power usage and van.



Fitted a NASA BM1 as well. Good piece of kit. Make sure to connect it properly or it won't read correct if you have two batteries.


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 1, 2015)

cdmoreear said:


> I started with a 80w flat panel roof mounted, via solar controller, and 2 x 125AH ecosol batteries and 2500w 240v invertor.   That worked fine in summer with long sunny days.   In preparation for 12 month trip around Europe fitted an extra 220w panel mounted on aluminium frame fixed to existing roof rails.
> 
> Frame is hinged with stainless steel piano hinge across width of van.  The allows me to raise the panel in winter when sun is a lot lower.   Upgraded solar charge controller to 30amp PWM (PWM pulse width modulation these are supposed to work more efficiently than other types).
> 
> ...



Thanks, Sounds like your well sorted power wise, I`ve never thought about it before, but I haven`t got a rear ladder or roof rack, to be honest I had both on the last MH but never used them, so the tilting idea would be a bit of hassle, but well worth it with the low sun we get in the winter.


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 1, 2015)

Obanboy666 said:


> Use a sky box and inverter which with the avtex TV uses approx 3.1 amps an hour.
> The sky box is the small multi room hd box, tried using the large hd + box to allow pause and recording but found it used more power and needed 2 input cables to work correctly. I am no expert but I think one input is for the picture and the other for the planner, recording etc. My dish only has one cable to the box.
> All I do is take my sky card from home and pair it to the box and I watch the same as at home.



It was always the multi room HD box we took in the caravan and the MH before, never tried the main room one, only cos the bedroom one was easier to to move, I was looking at the twin LNB snipe, but where do you stop and say enough is enough LOL, I was offered a Spider HD box today FOC, but if I remember, its about 30watts, and 240v only


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 1, 2015)

maxi77 said:


> The first thing is to work out how much power you use per day, that will give you an idea of the amount of power you meed to generate per day, realizing of course you may not generate enough every day so some days you will need to generate more that your daily usage to allow you to catch up. You then need to be sure you have enough battery to allow you at least overnight usage without dropping your batteries below 50%. Finally you need to work out just how much solar one you can fit and second will generate enough power over a few days to keep you topped up. My home solar on a good day gives me over 20 Kwh, but on a bad day it can be down to 2. It may well be worth considering adding a battery meter such as the NASA one so that you can keep a eye on the state of your batteries as in the end they are the heart of your system. That should allow you to spot a low battery early and run the engine or a generator to avoid black out.
> 
> At the end of the day what you need will depend very much on your own power usage and van.



Thanks, the Adria control panel gives you all the info needed on the batts, but I`m not sure if it would still work with the MPPT LRM1218 connected, but the Nasa sound a handy bit of kit


----------



## Rapido (Jul 2, 2015)

Hi Johnny

I have 2 x100 watt solar panels on my roof connecting to a MTTP controller and three 110-leisure batteries’ and a 3000-watt shine inverter.

All my battery’s are synchronised so that the draw is even, I also have a switch that runs from the controller to feed my engine battery when in storage so all four battery’s have a trickle charge when MH is in storage.I also have another switch that runs from the inverter to turn all power points live when offsite or camping wild so no need for 12volt points.

When we are away I use TV. Toaster, Washing Machine, Microwave, Hover and charge I pad Phones ext., during the day time if weather is clear I run my fridge as well, spent 10 week from February to May this year without going on EHU.

The most important thing is to have a good quality controller and some ware to store the power generated.

Hope this helps


----------



## maxi77 (Jul 2, 2015)

Johnnygm7lsi said:


> Thanks, the Adria control panel gives you all the info needed on the batts, but I`m not sure if it would still work with the MPPT LRM1218 connected, but the Nasa sound a handy bit of kit




How does the Adria unit measure battery state, if it is by voltage it is not very much use unless the batteries have been rested for several hours. So not that helpful when wild campinh. The NASA unit measures current in and out to give you battery state and has some reasonably smart controls inside it.


----------



## maingate (Jul 2, 2015)

maxi77 said:


> How does the Adria unit measure battery state, if it is by voltage it is not very much use unless the batteries have been rested for several hours. So not that helpful when wild campinh. The NASA unit measures current in and out to give you battery state and has some reasonably smart controls inside it.



Some people need them, some don't. I don't and very rarely need to check any voltages or amps because I have confidence in my batteries, solar panel and usage.

No harm in fitting one if you like gadgets. :dance:


----------



## maxi77 (Jul 2, 2015)

maingate said:


> Some people need them, some don't. I don't and very rarely need to check any voltages or amps because I have confidence in my batteries, solar panel and usage.
> 
> No harm in fitting one if you like gadgets. :dance:



Indeed, I had one in my boat, but I dont have one in the van. I was more pointing out the lack of real value in taking voltage related measurements when actually living in the van. If you expect to be running your batteries constantly near the edge then Iwould suggest that a decent capacity meter is an essential not a gadget, even if for me it would be a gadget


----------



## maingate (Jul 2, 2015)

maxi77 said:


> Indeed, I had one in my boat, but I dont have one in the van. I was more pointing out the lack of real value in taking voltage related measurements when actually living in the van. If you expect to be running your batteries constantly near the edge then Iwould suggest that a decent capacity meter is an essential not a gadget, even if for me it would be a gadget



If you expect to be running your batteries near the edge then you deserve everything you get. :raofl:


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 2, 2015)

Ok Folks, I`m kinda decided on 2X solar panels around 100w +, 3 batterys 110Ah each, and the MPPT LRM1218 controller, with a possibility of the NASA too, I`m just not sure of the mechanics of it all, would the EBL 226 still charge the 3 batterys, and would the alternator also be charging the 3 batterys as well as the the solar panels. Also would the habitation battery that I have just now still be in use as a back up.


----------



## maingate (Jul 2, 2015)

Johnnygm7lsi said:


> Ok Folks, I`m kinda decided on 2X solar panels around 100w +, 3 batterys 110Ah each, and the MPPT LRM1218 controller, with a possibility of the NASA too, I`m just not sure of the mechanics of it all, would the EBL 226 still charthe 3 batterysge , and would the alternator also be charging the 3 batterys as well as the the solar panels. Also would the habitation battery that I have just now still be in use as a back up.



Your charger will charge 3 batteries plus the engine battery ......... at least for a short while before it burns out. Don't worry, a replacement is only around £450 though.


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 6, 2015)

maingate said:


> I have 2 x 110 amp hour batteries.
> 
> I have checked up and you are not limited to the Schaudt LR1218 with the EBL 226. You can use another regulator if you wish. There is lots of useful information (and a good price on the 1218 regulator if you go for one) at this company. I have used them and also visited them. You will get any help you need from Allan the owner.
> 
> A and N Caravan Services : Caravan Servicing, repairs, pre purchase inspection, Damp Checks-North Wales.



Well I emailed Allan for advice and he sent me this reply, even more confused now, 

I sent him this

 Hi, You were recommended by someone on WildCamping.com, so here goes, hope you can help,,,,,,

I have an Adria Izola S687 SPG, Its the Renault Master with the rear garage. It has the EBL 226 along side a single 85Ah GEL battery which is fitted under the seating just behind the drivers seat.

I was planning fitting 2 X 120 Watt Solar Panels and 3 X 125Ah Battery`s, these ones ( 12v 125Ah Xplorer Leisure Battery - Alpha Batteries ) in the rear garage. I believe I require an MPPT LRM1218 or the LR1218, controller which you stock, you can maybe tell me the pros/cons of both controllers.
 I have a couple of questions before I order either/or.


1. Will my Adria control panel still work.

2. Will the 2 X 120 Watt Solar Panels, the 3 X 125Ah Battery`s with the EBL226 and the MPPT LRM1218 be compatible, IE. will the EBL226 cope with the 3 batterys + the engine battery.

3. Can you also take a look at the attached photos of the engine battery that is fitted, as far as I know it is the original and a GEL one also, but maybe you can confirm, and if it is a GEL one will this cause problems if I have wet cell habitation ones. To be honest, looking at the prices, GEL 80Ah £180.00 and a wet cell 125Ah £90.00, I was thinkking of just getting wet cells and if the GEL one packs up just swop it for a wet cell,  The habitation battery photo is also attached along with photos of the EBL226 ect.

Thanks for taking the time on your website to explain about AGM battery pitfalls, I was initially going to go for them or gel type as the batterys are going to be fitted in the garage, but the Xplorer wet cell has a venting hole with a tube which I will drop down thru the floor to vent it, so should be ok I think, depending on your opinion of the engine GEL/Habitation wet cell mix.

Many Thanks, Johnny.

He replied with this

Hello John, Your engine battery is a Wet acid, not Gel. Your habitation battery is from a Golf Cart/Invalid buggy.

A true Deep Cycle, quality Leisure battery of around 120Ah will cost between £190 - £350. The Alphas are £89. What does that tell you?

1. Will my Adria control panel still work.
Yes, no issues.

2. Will the 2 X 120 Watt Solar Panels, the 3 X 125Ah Battery`s with the EBL226 and the MPPT LRM1218 be compatible, IE. will the EBL226 cope with the 3 batterys + the engine battery.
Yes to the 120w Solar but no to the 475Ah battery bank.
If I connected 100 x 110Ah (11,000Ah) batteries to a Schaudt EBL 226, would you expect a EBL 226 to charge them all fully, or would you expect  to need a bigger charger?
Common sense dictates that as the battery bank size increases so does its charging requirement.

Everybody is aware there are limits, but think they don't apply if they 'only' chuck on another five batteries. The reality is that the bigger the battery bank size, the less fully charged that bank will be. In your case the bank imay get no more than 75% charged.
The batteries will then sulphate, degrade and require more effort to charge so then you only get 70% charged. Sulphate even more so degrade further at only get 65% charged, etc.

The EBL226 has an 18Amp charger, using the usual 10 times rule it can cope with a battery bank of 180Ah, which remember includes the starter battery which it also charges. Pretty much a 100Ah Starter and 110Ah habitation battery is it's limit. Hence why Schaudt have a 2 pin upgrade charger port on the front of the box.
The phrase 'can cope with' is not just about double the strain on the charger, but is about getting them fully charged. Your proposed battery bank is unlikely to  get above 75% charged. If you calculate that in storage terms 75% charged batteries is equivalent to 350Ah or 1 whole battery less!! In other words you will get more  real amphours from a smaller bank and longer battery life for a longer period of time.
Your proposed bank is way too big at 100Ah starter + 3 x 125Ah Habitation = 475Ah.
Capacity aside, I would be willing to bet that your EBL 226 will blow up inside 6 months with your proposed bank size.

One question you have not asked is will the Alternator cope? Modern Alternators are very reliable. On cars, Lorries and Vans. We rebuild them (for all vehicles) as well as Mains chargers, they are really tough.
However, one vehicle where they are not so reliable is in Motorhomes with probably 1 in 8 Motorhomes suffering Alternator/wiring failure in their lifetime. Putting a 475Ah load on an Alternator that has been sized for much less is clearly going to be an issue. However, also load it up with batteries that are down to 50% suphated efficiency after just 12 months because inadequate charging and you can see why the forums are full of people asking where is the best place to have an Alternator fitted.
However, worse than that is that nobody ever upgrades the wiring from the Alternator to the EBL even though they have taken the charge current from 20Amps to 100amps. 


3. Can you also take a look at the attached photos of the engine battery that is fitted, as far as I know it is the original and a GEL one also, but maybe you can confirm, and if it is a GEL one will this cause problems if I have wet cell habitation ones. To be honest, looking at the prices, GEL 80Ah £180.00 and a wet cell 125Ah £90.00, I was thinkking of just getting wet cells and if the GEL one packs up just swop it for a wet cell,  The habitation battery photo is also attached along with photos of the EBL226 ect.
In your price comparison of Gel at £180 vs Wet of £90 you seem to be assuming they are equivalent when the Exide G80 is a brilliant battery yet the Alpha is awful.
Batteries are not the same, not by a long way. You will be lucky if an Alpha gives you 18months before taking out the EBL 226 and the Alternator.
I am absolutely flummoxed why someone has installed a Golf Buggy/Invalid cart Dry Battery as your habitation battery?? Especially such a small 75Ah one?

My advice? Don't do Solar, buy a Honda i10 generator. Gives you both 240v 1000w and 12v all year and running cost are one quarter of a Solar system. Totally Silent, unlike most 'silent' gennies. See : A & N Caravan Services : Solar Panels

"A quarter of the running cost, are you sure?" - Yes if you calculate in £600 for an Alternator every 4 years, £300 for a EBL 226 every 2 years and 4 batteries at £100 each every 2 years.

Kind regards,

Allan.


----------



## maingate (Jul 6, 2015)

What he is basically telling you is that the setup you want is just not feasible. He suggests a Generator would be better, so that you can power everything from 240 volts and also charge your one leisure battery. This is instead of a large bank of batteries which will cause your EBL and Alternator to burn out regularly while trying to charge such a huge bank of batteries.

The deep cycle leisure battery you have at present is actually a very good type to use as a leisure battery ..... it is just too small. If it is in good condition, you should have no problem selling it at a decent price. Get rid of it and buy 2 x 110 amp hour wet batteries. I have used Numax batteries in my last motorhome and my present one. They cost around £80 - £90 each and are good enough. You can always buy other (recommended) types ...... other members on here will probably tell you that XXXX batteries are much better. It's up to you.

Fit solar on your roof. Something like 2 x 80 watt panels (if you have the space for them) or possibly one solar panel of 100 or 120 watts. That should be sufficient depending on how you use your van.

Fit LED lights because they use very little 12 volt power

I cannot remember if you said you needed to run an inverter to get 240 volts while not on a mains hookup. Personally, I stay away from inverters as much as possible. I have a tiny 80 watt inverter for charging a mobile phone and a 150 watt inverter which is occasionally used for powering things like a Sky Digibox or charging small items like an electric toothbrush. Big inverters hammer your leisure batteries and if your leisure batteries drop below around 11 volts (even for just a few seconds) the EBL will cut off your 12 volt supply on 'low voltage'. This is a safety device to protect your leisure batteries.

Buy the LR1218 (or the LRM1218 if you wish) as this will charge your van battery from solar power. The wiring harness adapter is supplied as a kit with the 1218.

Hope that helps.


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 6, 2015)

Thanks for that explanation, we have a 12v telly fitted already, and will need sky too, probably the 240v one run off of an inverter or a 12v one Anything else will probably be usb charged, mobile phone, tablet ect. other things needed would be heated hair straighteners, hair dryer, microwave which I thought I would power these with an inverter while running the engine as they would only be on for a few minutes at a time, or as Allan suggested a small genny like the Honda EU10i instead of an inverter and handy as a backup charger in winter.

I`d prefer to run 12v as much as possible as I think this is better than using inverters, IE running an 800w inverter to charge a phone.

Only other thing which could be a problem is the blown air heating, I would imagine it would be quite hungry.

Fine on the Numax batteries, and they would match the wet one I have for the engine which I`m surprised has lasted seeing that its being charged at the gel setting.

Can I safely go bigger with the solar panels, I don`t mind spending the extra on them,

I already have all LED lights.

Fine on the LR1218 or the LRM1218 is it worth paying the extra for the  LRM1218

Thanks again


----------



## maingate (Jul 6, 2015)

I think the Genny would be a good compromise for what you need it for.

A 150 watt inverter would be a good choice for a digibox. Ours was rated at 30 watts but it was the early type (not HD), HD ones might use a little more power but I would think it would be very little.

Blown air heating does use a bit of 12 volt power but if you have fully charged batteries, it is not a problem.

If you can fit 2 x 100 watt solar panels, you should be OK for power, even for a lot of the Winter period. You will have the Genny anyway, which should cover all contingencies. I have heard it said that you should match the leisure battery Amp hour rating (in your case 2 x 110 Ah = 220) to the wattage of the solar panels (2 x 100 watts = 200). Any more is a bit of a waste.

As for the 1218, the LRM should be a little better than the LR. The LR is a very good quality PWM (pulse wave modulation) regulator. The LRM is a MPPT regulator which is supposed to be better, that is, more efficient. I have never had one, so cannot really say if it is worth the extra money.

Just to say that we managed with a 90 watt freestanding solar panel for a good few years. Now we have a roof mounted 100 watt panel. We managed through the Winter on fairly short trips and our only compromise was to use a 10" TV which operates at about 1.25 amps (15 watts). I carry the 90 watt panel in the garage to add into the system if required. I have only needed to do so once.


----------



## Obanboy666 (Jul 7, 2015)

I manage from spring to autumn with a 70 watt panel with no problems running a sky box through an inverter anything up to 6 hours a day. I have blown air heating from a Truma combi and 100% led lights. You should have no problems with the panels and batteries you are considering fitting.
Solar only charges my 2 x 105 leisure batteries, motorhome can be stood on my drive a month between trips and I've no issues to date with the vehicle battery discharging.
When on trips out the vehicle battery gets charged from the alternator so why bother charging it from my solar panel ? I rarely stop for more than 2 days without moving on so no chance of it getting discharged.

I've often wondered why people bother having their solar panels charging their vehicle battery unless they don't move for months ??? Perhaps someone can explain it for me.

I also have a Honda EU20i genny, only carry it in the winter months and to date have only used it a couple of times when I was parked up for 2 days without moving.


----------



## maingate (Jul 7, 2015)

Obanboy666 said:


> I manage from spring to autumn with a 70 watt panel with no problems running a sky box through an inverter anything up to 6 hours a day. I have blown air heating from a Truma combi and 100% led lights. You should have no problems with the panels and batteries you are considering fitting.
> Solar only charges my 2 x 105 leisure batteries, motorhome can be stood on my drive a month between trips and I've no issues to date with the vehicle battery discharging.
> When on trips out the vehicle battery gets charged from the alternator so why bother charging it from my solar panel ? I rarely stop for more than 2 days without moving on so no chance of it getting discharged.
> 
> ...



With the Electroblock system, the LR1218 is the recommended regulator and it comes with a wiring adapter (a 30 second job to fit), so it would be daft not to fit it.

If your van is kept in storage then it is important to keep the van battery charged. A Tracker, Alarm and Radio can drain a van battery in 10 to 14 days.


----------



## Obanboy666 (Jul 7, 2015)

maingate said:


> With the Electroblock system, the LR1218 is the recommended regulator and it comes with a wiring adapter (a 30 second job to fit), so it would be daft not to fit it.
> 
> If your van is kept in storage then it is important to keep the van battery charged. A Tracker, Alarm and Radio can drain a van battery in 10 to 14 days.



Cheers, mine has a tracker and radio but no alarm but I am looking to fit one. So I may have to consider a split charger in the future or just keep an eye on the vehicle battery and put it on ehu from the garage every couple of weeks.


----------



## Deleted member 967 (Jul 7, 2015)

We are full timing and wild park a lot of the time.  We have 3 x 110ah batteries and 2 x 130w solar panels.   This is great for 10 months of the year.  In winter even in the south of Spain we need to supplement these with a B2B and or our 12v 20amp generator.

The peak amperage I have had is 18.57amps and that was 2 days ago, but this is only a spot peak.  The figures below are for this year from January.

	Days Peak Amp Maximum		       18.57		
	Days Peak Amp Minimum			 0.51			
	Days Peak Amp Average		       10.21			
	Max Ah/day  78.00	Min Ah/day  1.40	 Average Ah/day  32.63

We got rid of most of our 240v powered devices so most stuff is run on 12v or gas.

In winter we find we use an Aire about one night per week to service (water and waste) and top up on hook-up.  This costs about 6 to 10 euro.

In summer we have abundant power but in winter we have to be careful.


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 7, 2015)

swiftcamper said:


> The main idea of having your engine battery linked to solar is for those times the motorhome is left parked most modern vehicles will flatten the battery in a couple of weeks just parked .
> I believe the new fiat now has a battery isolator built in as standard.
> As JT says in winter solar even in the south is poor in the UK it is about as much use as a chocolate fireguard.



I was planning fitting Richous Solar Panels, so they should be ok, even in the winter.


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 7, 2015)

maingate said:


> I think the Genny would be a good compromise for what you need it for.
> 
> A 150 watt inverter would be a good choice for a digibox. Ours was rated at 30 watts but it was the early type (not HD), HD ones might use a little more power but I would think it would be very little.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the explanation Maingate, dropping the battery bank and the solar output makes sense, just need to decide which controller to get, one is £69.00 and the other is £139.00, so a big difference.


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 7, 2015)

Obanboy666 said:


> I manage from spring to autumn with a 70 watt panel with no problems running a sky box through an inverter anything up to 6 hours a day. I have blown air heating from a Truma combi and 100% led lights. You should have no problems with the panels and batteries you are considering fitting.
> Solar only charges my 2 x 105 leisure batteries, motorhome can be stood on my drive a month between trips and I've no issues to date with the vehicle battery discharging.
> When on trips out the vehicle battery gets charged from the alternator so why bother charging it from my solar panel ? I rarely stop for more than 2 days without moving on so no chance of it getting discharged.
> 
> ...



Cheer, good to know, I better my finger extracted, it`ll soon be winter


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 7, 2015)

John Thompson said:


> We are full timing and wild park a lot of the time.  We have 3 x 110ah batteries and 2 x 130w solar panels.   This is great for 10 months of the year.  In winter even in the south of Spain we need to supplement these with a B2B and or our 12v 20amp generator.
> 
> The peak amperage I have had is 18.57amps and that was 2 days ago, but this is only a spot peak.  The figures below are for this year from January.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the reply John, 12v seems to be the way to go rather than inverters, you must have a larger output charger in the Hymer than in mine, but where do you stop, always somewhere to plug into, even in winter,,,at a cost,,, 73`s


----------



## maingate (Jul 7, 2015)

Johnnygm7lsi said:


> Thanks for the explanation Maingate, dropping the battery bank and the solar output makes sense, just need to decide which controller to get, one is £69.00 and the other is £139.00, so a big difference.



I would not be keen to pay the extra £70 for the LRM, especially if you have a Genny for backup.

And take no notice of the 'chocolate fireguard' remark. I have had 4 amps from a 90 watt solar panel at 10 am in early February. I have managed for the last 5 years to wildcamp in Winter.


----------



## vwalan (Jul 7, 2015)

Johnnygm7lsi said:


> Thanks for the reply John, 12v seems to be the way to go rather than inverters, you must have a larger output charger in the Hymer than in mine, but where do you stop, always somewhere to plug into, even in winter,,,at a cost,,, 73`s



like jt i travel in spain or maroc almost every winter . i have 6x80wt panels on the roof . a pwm regulator and about 600 amp of batteries . i power a 240v fridge all winter and twintub washing machine as and when i need to. tv etc charge laptops . all only with solar or the battery to battery charger . mind i only use the bat to bat when moving . dont use it when parked . in 15 yrs have never used ehu when away . only time i used it was when converting the trailer and the other day just to see if it still worked . hardly ever use campsites or airres . 
in summer park by my house and power the house fridge and a tall freezer  plus a few other small things off the inverter in the truck . run a lead indoors . just as well use the power of the sun. 
this gives me a leccy bill per year of about 180 quid . i dont use leccy at home in winter . 
more panels more batteries and an inverter are the way. you do need a good payload spare .been using mine for about 12 years now . changed the reg about 8 years ago to the pwm reg . not keen on the newer regulators they seem alot of money to me . mine cost less than 20 quid . 
solar is cheap. all my panels are polycrystalline at the time they were supposed to be the ideal ones to have . they work . have mono on my sons van they work as well . but really i cant say which is better at all. 
in uk i find october is time to just power the fridge . shorter days and lower sun isnt good . but then its time to go south . 
i do carry a large diesel gennie never used to power the truck but ideal for repairs using a welder etc . mind nothing worse than a so called quiet genny buzzing away . at least a big one powers things . more solar would probably get rid of the quiet gennies for good .


----------



## maingate (Jul 7, 2015)

vwalan said:


> like jt i travel in spain or maroc almost every winter . i have 6x80wt panels on the roof . a pwm regulator and about 600 amp of batteries . i power a 240v fridge all winter and twintub washing machine as and when i need to. tv etc charge laptops . all only with solar or the battery to battery charger . mind i only use the bat to bat when moving . dont use it when parked . in 15 yrs have never used ehu when away . only time i used it was when converting the trailer and the other day just to see if it still worked . hardly ever use campsites or airres .
> in summer park by my house and power the house fridge and a tall freezer  plus a few other small things off the inverter in the truck . run a lead indoors . just as well use the power of the sun.
> this gives me a leccy bill per year of about 180 quid . i dont use leccy at home in winter .
> more panels more batteries and an inverter are the way. you do need a good payload spare .been using mine for about 12 years now . changed the reg about 8 years ago to the pwm reg . not keen on the newer regulators they seem alot of money to me . mine cost less than 20 quid .
> ...



Alan, if I did a selfbuild it would have some similarities to yours (but without the welding m/c :lol-061

The problem with buying a readymade coachbuilt one is the fact that you cannot really rip it all out and start again.

Anyway, you have been out celebrating your 90th Birthday and it's time you were in bed with your Cocoa. :sleep-040:

Sleep tight.


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 7, 2015)

maingate said:


> I would not be keen to pay the extra £70 for the LRM, especially if you have a Genny for backup.
> 
> And take no notice of the 'chocolate fireguard' remark. I have had 4 amps from a 90 watt solar panel at 10 am in early February. I have managed for the last 5 years to wildcamp in Winter.



Ok on the LRM, I`m still out on that one,  and I`m only going to get the genny if I really have to as I`ve read a lot of folk just using them a couple of times a year, but for peace on mind I don`t mind getting one, or get a tread mill for our 3 whippets with an alternator instead of a motor, and make them earn there keep,


----------



## vwalan (Jul 7, 2015)

sorry dont like cocoa , much better to have 5% beer from spain with a splash of spanish solera brandy in it . 

but never mind soon be summer . it starts in november . ha ha . 
bet you were an adult when i was born . .
i,m still not an adult and i get younger every day. 
folk are always saying i,m getting more childish . its the same thing isnt it .


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 7, 2015)

vwalan said:


> like jt i travel in spain or maroc almost every winter . i have 6x80wt panels on the roof . a pwm regulator and about 600 amp of batteries . i power a 240v fridge all winter and twintub washing machine as and when i need to. tv etc charge laptops . all only with solar or the battery to battery charger . mind i only use the bat to bat when moving . dont use it when parked . in 15 yrs have never used ehu when away . only time i used it was when converting the trailer and the other day just to see if it still worked . hardly ever use campsites or airres .
> in summer park by my house and power the house fridge and a tall freezer  plus a few other small things off the inverter in the truck . run a lead indoors . just as well use the power of the sun.
> this gives me a leccy bill per year of about 180 quid . i dont use leccy at home in winter .
> more panels more batteries and an inverter are the way. you do need a good payload spare .been using mine for about 12 years now . changed the reg about 8 years ago to the pwm reg . not keen on the newer regulators they seem alot of money to me . mine cost less than 20 quid .
> ...



Geez Alan, just trying to get my head round that setup, I`d love to see it. Alan at aandncaravanservices advice wont affect your setup, I take it you dont charge your 600 amp of batteries with an EBL226


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 7, 2015)

maingate said:


> Alan, if I did a selfbuild it would have some similarities to yours (but without the welding m/c :lol-061
> 
> The problem with buying a readymade coachbuilt one is the fact that you cannot really rip it all out and start again.
> 
> ...



90th !!! your kidding


----------



## iampatman (Jul 7, 2015)

vwalan said:


> like jt i travel in spain or maroc almost every winter . i have 6x80wt panels on the roof . a pwm regulator and about 600 amp of batteries . i power a 240v fridge all winter and twintub washing machine as and when i need to. tv etc charge laptops . all only with solar or the battery to battery charger . mind i only use the bat to bat when moving . dont use it when parked . in 15 yrs have never used ehu when away . only time i used it was when converting the trailer and the other day just to see if it still worked . hardly ever use campsites or airres .
> in summer park by my house and power the house fridge and a tall freezer  plus a few other small things off the inverter in the truck . run a lead indoors . just as well use the power of the sun.
> this gives me a leccy bill per year of about 180 quid . i dont use leccy at home in winter .
> more panels more batteries and an inverter are the way. you do need a good payload spare .been using mine for about 12 years now . changed the reg about 8 years ago to the pwm reg . not keen on the newer regulators they seem alot of money to me . mine cost less than 20 quid .
> ...



Hey, let's be fair Alan, not many folk can stick 6 panels on their roof  We spend our time where the sun is (that's what a Motorhome is for right?) and find a 100w panel and a 110ah Bosch silver battery is ok for us. Move on every day or every few days but if we've got good sunshine we could stay in one place indefinitely. Obviously that set up isn't going to do the business in Northern Europe in winter. For the op - Keep the consumption low is the key. LED lights, obviously, and chuck out anything that needs an inverter. Fridge on gas, cook on gas, hot water on gas. Who needs a microwave in a Motorhome? Ditch the laptop and buy a tablet. I'm not a genny lover myself but take note of what A&N say about gennys vs solar. Check your charger unit can cope with two or three or four X 110ah batteries on the occasions you may be on EHU. Make sure your system is balanced. Think about how much power you really need before you spend a fortune. Err, that's all. 
Pat


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 7, 2015)

iampatman said:


> Hey, let's be fair Alan, not many folk can stick 6 panels on their roof  We spend our time where the sun is (that's what a Motorhome is for right?) and find a 100w panel and a 110ah Bosch silver battery is ok for us. Move on every day or every few days but if we've got good sunshine we could stay in one place indefinitely. Obviously that set up isn't going to do the business in Northern Europe in winter. For the op - Keep the consumption low is the key. LED lights, obviously, and chuck out anything that needs an inverter. Fridge on gas, cook on gas, hot water on gas. Who needs a microwave in a Motorhome? Ditch the laptop and buy a tablet. I'm not a genny lover myself but take note of what A&N say about gennys vs solar. Check your charger unit can cope with two or three or four X 110ah batteries on the occasions you may be on EHU. Make sure your system is balanced. Think about how much power you really need before you spend a fortune. Err, that's all.
> Pat



Cheers Pat, Interesting, cut the usage, then you don`t need it _*Check your charger unit can cope with two or three or four X 110ah batteries on the occasions you may be on EHU*_  thats the bit thats bothering me, that and the alternator


----------



## vwalan (Jul 7, 2015)

iampatman said:


> Hey, let's be fair Alan, not many folk can stick 6 panels on their roof  We spend our time where the sun is (that's what a Motorhome is for right?) and find a 100w panel and a 110ah Bosch silver battery is ok for us. Move on every day or every few days but if we've got good sunshine we could stay in one place indefinitely. Obviously that set up isn't going to do the business in Northern Europe in winter. For the op - Keep the consumption low is the key. LED lights, obviously, and chuck out anything that needs an inverter. Fridge on gas, cook on gas, hot water on gas. Who needs a microwave in a Motorhome? Ditch the laptop and buy a tablet. I'm not a genny lover myself but take note of what A&N say about gennys vs solar. Check your charger unit can cope with two or three or four X 110ah batteries on the occasions you may be on EHU. Make sure your system is balanced. Think about how much power you really need before you spend a fortune. Err, that's all.
> Pat



i forgot to say the best lights for saving leccy arent led. 
use gas lights i do. light heat and keep mozzies at bay. 
cook on gas . heating on gas . but fridge on gas not good i find in hot climates . compressor fridge much better . 
i decided as have a 12v compressor fridge a household fridge and a few panels plus inverter was cheaper and you can use the inverter to power other items . 
in fact many campers can have more panels if they have a good look. 
yes i dont use a micro wave . 
i did add some panels when i decided having the washing machine was a good idea . 
i think many motor home conversions expect every one to use a campsite . not keen on the leccy system in them myself . i was in the camper business so talk from experiance . 
as time goes by you may want more power . when i first did my trailer there was no solar . and yes i coped . but now life is much easier. and solar is very cheap.


----------



## iampatman (Jul 7, 2015)

Johnnygm7lsi said:


> Cheers Pat, Interesting, cut the usage, then you don`t need it _*Check your charger unit can cope with two or three or four X 110ah batteries on the occasions you may be on EHU*_  thats the bit thats bothering me, that and the alternator



All I can say is that I knackered my Calibra charging unit by thinking that I was clever sticking in 2X110ah batteries. That's just TWO batteries. My charger is rated at 20a so, with the 10times formula that will charge 200ah of batteries. With 220ah of leisure batteries plus the starter battery it eventually gave up the ghost. Not immediately but eventually. Alan at A&N sorted me out but a replacement unit wasn't cheap. I know I sing his praises on here but the guy really knows what he's talking about with Motorhome electrics. Read everything on his website before you spend a lot of money. And just think, if you've got, say, 330ah of batteries and they are all fully charged and you've got LED lights and a water pump kicking in now and again and charging a phone and tablet and even a bit of 12v TV then 330ah is overkill surely. OK in winter you may have your heater blower going but it's probably cheaper to upgrade your duvet than it is to buy a another battery. Stick the biggest panel you can fit on your roof, don't panic over which controller to buy, get one decent battery and see how you go. 
Other folk may have other, in fact better advice, I suspect, but don't spend too much till you've got as much info as you can get. 
Good luck,
Pat


----------



## maingate (Jul 8, 2015)

Johnnygm7lsi said:


> Ok on the LRM, I`m still out on that one,  and I`m only going to get the genny if I really have to as I`ve read a lot of folk just using them a couple of times a year, but for peace on mind I don`t mind getting one, or get a tread mill for* our 3 whippets *with an alternator instead of a motor, and make them earn there keep,



You have 3 Whippets? ........ why didn't you say so earlier, I might have given you some help. :lol-049:

Used to have 4 but only have 2 now ....... plus 2 Pugs.


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 8, 2015)

maingate said:


> You have 3 Whippets? ........ why didn't you say so earlier, I might have given you some help. :lol-049:
> 
> Used to have 4 but only have 2 now ....... plus 2 Pugs.
> 
> View attachment 32106View attachment 32107



LOL, If I`d known you had whippets I wouldn`t have asked for help, nice looking dogs, we have had a few over the years, always had 4 at once, but now just 3.


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 8, 2015)

Johnnygm7lsi said:


> LOL, If I`d known you had whippets I wouldn`t have asked for help, nice looking dogs, we have had a few over the years, always had 4 at once, but now just 3.



I just googled an alternator for my renault Master, £133.00 and its output is 150A, so If I had a switching system to just charge 1 battery when on hookup the 3 battery setup should work ok


----------



## coolasluck (Jul 8, 2015)

maingate said:


> You have 3 Whippets? ........ why didn't you say so earlier, I might have given you some help. :lol-049:
> 
> Used to have 4 but only have 2 now ....... plus 2 Pugs.
> 
> View attachment 32106View attachment 32107






Hi Jim we hit the road later this month after all the years of planning at long last.
Are you going to the adventure overland show in september?
We are going there and staying for 3 days matey,hope ann and the dogs are well ,be cool if you went along.


----------



## coolasluck (Jul 8, 2015)

As we are  going fulltime later this month we went the whole hog with 675 amps of batteries and 720 watts of solar.Well if your going to do it you may as well do it properly lol
I have a morningstar tri-star 45 amp controller.I also have a 1000 watt inverter fitted.
We run a compressor fridge ,a 22 inch all in one desktop with tv freeview so can watch the telly on it and can enjoy films or anything else stored on our storage device with comfort.We also have a diesel heater for heating water and the motorhome.We decided against a microwave as we dont have the space for it but do also run a toaster a travel iron and some power tools that will be taken with us.
Obviously your vehicles payload and utilisation of the space on the roof correctly are things that need to be taken into consideration.For me panels are cheap so you may as well go for broke from the start.


----------



## Tezza (Jul 8, 2015)

Just had this fitted today and very happy with the fitting. Don't know yet if it will do the job we want but will update when I do. We have 2 new 110 battery's and a ctek. So hopefully we should be ok through the winter months.

Solar Solutions | Panels Satellite and Accessories for the motorhome


----------



## maingate (Jul 8, 2015)

coolasluck said:


> Hi Jim we hit the road later this month after all the years of planning at long last.
> Are you going to the adventure overland show in september?
> We are going there and staying for 3 days matey,hope ann and the dogs are well ,be cool if you went along.



Hi Kevin,

I doubt very much that we will attend the Show. I would find it interesting but Ann would be bored stiff. Hopefully we can meet up somewhere, sometime. If I can arrange to be somewhere near Stratford at around that time, it might be worth a try. Too many other things are getting in the way of using the van much. We are off to York tomorrow for approx. a week on a THS, back for a NHS appointment then off somewhere else (still to be decided where).

You and Corina have put loads of planning and effort into your fulltiming dream and Ann and I wish you the very best of luck and happy travels.


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 8, 2015)

coolasluck said:


> As we are  going fulltime later this month we went the whole hog with 675 amps of batteries and 720 watts of solar.Well if your going to do it you may as well do it properly lol
> I have a morningstar tri-star 45 amp controller.I also have a 1000 watt inverter fitted.
> We run a compressor fridge ,a 22 inch all in one desktop with tv freeview so can watch the telly on it and can enjoy films or anything else stored on our storage device with comfort.We also have a diesel heater for heating water and the motorhome.We decided against a microwave as we dont have the space for it but do also run a toaster a travel iron and some power tools that will be taken with us.
> Obviously your vehicles payload and utilisation of the space on the roof correctly are things that need to be taken into consideration.For me panels are cheap so you may as well go for broke from the start.



WOW, thats a load of power, I take it the alternator nor the elektroblock will be connected to the battery bank


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 8, 2015)

Tezza said:


> Just had this fitted today and very happy with the fitting. Don't know yet if it will do the job we want but will update when I do. We have 2 new 110 battery's and a ctek. So hopefully we should be ok through the winter months.
> 
> Solar Solutions | Panels Satellite and Accessories for the motorhome



Cheers, I will have a look at the website, does the ctek replace the onboard charger on ehu or just control the solar panel


----------



## Tezza (Jul 8, 2015)

The ctek takes it from the alternator and charges the hab  battery's at 20amps and then stage charges. So their charged properly. Well I think that's what it does lol..but to be honest whenever we park up after a drive the batteries are always full. So it must be doing something  and the reason for the solar panel was purely for the winter when the nights close in so lights used more TV used more and the blow air heating. Fingers crossed it will keep up with it.
edit ...this is the ctek

CTEK D250S Dual Car Battery Charger - the smartest battery chargers in the world!


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 8, 2015)

Tezza said:


> The ctek takes it from the alternator and charges the hab  battery's at 20amps and then stage charges. So their charged properly. Well I think that's what it does lol..but to be honest whenever we park up after a drive the batteries are always full. So it must be doing something  and the reason for the solar panel was purely for the winter when the nights close in so lights used more TV used more and the blow air heating. Fingers crossed it will keep up with it.
> edit ...this is the ctek
> 
> CTEK D250S Dual Car Battery Charger - the smartest battery chargers in the world!



Thanks for that, it looks hopeful, will charge up to 300Ah


----------



## coolasluck (Jul 9, 2015)

Johnnygm7lsi said:


> WOW, thats a load of power, I take it the alternator nor the elektroblock will be connected to the battery bank





I have no elektroblock but have  a 20 amp durite  24 volt to 12 volt b2b charger.


----------



## Johnnygm7lsi (Jul 9, 2015)

coolasluck said:


> I have no elektroblock but have  a 20 amp durite  24 volt to 12 volt b2b charger.



I thought the max of batteries you could charge was 10x the charger output, 200Ah, but you have 670Ah of batteries, or are they not all charged at the same time, your kind of power would do me fine, well maybe half of it would do me lol


----------



## Deleted member 967 (Jul 10, 2015)

I think of a battery as a bucket.  You can fill it with drips or you can turn a hose into it, or even dip into a body of water.  It still will fill up but at different speeds.   If you try filling it with drips on a fine day and its standing in the sun then it will probably evaporate faster than you can fill it.  Same as charging while using an appliance.

It is the size of wire connecting the battery to the charger as well as its output that rules how fast you can charge it.  The current passing along the wire creates heat (resistance) and will melt the wire if too much current is applied.   If the battery is totally flat it will also draw as much current as it can, so if the wire carrying the current is again to thin it will melt.


----------

