Solar Panel continued (Plug details)

This post contains a bit more detail about the solar panel setup and connector.  Search the blog for keyword solar for other details.

Solar Panel --->2-Pin Connector--->Controller--->Battery.

Two Pin Connector From Radio Shack

2-Pin Plug Opened, Plug in only one way.

Small controller that came with solar panel (3 amp, max output of the solar panel is 1.68 amp).

Alligator clips on battery from controller.

Simple power gauge.

Line in from the solar panel (to the connector).  Plug is before the controller.

Cable from panel through power opening.

Front view.

I'd like to either mount the panel to a multi-directional pole on the front tongue or add an edge over the bubble so the panel sits a bit more secured.  The 2 pin connector was bought at Radio Shack for a couple dollars.  The wires off the panel were bare and easy to crimp into the connector.  The connection from the controller was easy because it came with alligator clips.

eta on 6/30/2011:  I came across a website today about RV mods and it had a really good solar write up.  It has a lot of the information I found all over the place in one place.  Granted the install is more complex than mine and it's meant for a larger camper with a full roof and permanent set up but the general info and background is very useful if you're researching for your own project.

Solar Panel

Here is the solar panel that I picked up on Amazon. I don't know exactly how much we're getting out of it but checking it with a digital volt meter it is recovering fast in the full sun in my driveway. When I checked it with the analog gauge mounted in the camper it was under 12v. By the time I went in and got the digital meter it was over 12v, 12.30 to be exact. It steadily increased about 0.01v every few seconds. We let it get up around 12.5v then ran the pump for a few seconds and it dropped back down to 12.3 but was back up quickly.

Mike put a two prong male female quick disconnect so we can take it off for travel.

I'm happy with the purchase. I'll give more details after a camping trip. Unfortunately we camp in the shaded woods so it won't pull as much power.

• Power (Pmax) : 30W
• Maximum power voltage ( Vpm ) : 17.5V ;Maximum Power Current: 1.68A
• Cable lengths : 12.5'
• Open circuit voltage ( Voc ) : 21.95V
• Charge controller prevents overcharging of 12-volt batteries

LED Bulb Replacement

Thanks to free two day shipping from Amazon the LEDs and solar panel came today. I will give an update on the LEDs for now because thats quick and ea

sy. I ordered two of these. Details are as follows:

• Bulb Type:BA15S Base (Single Contact)
• 93B2 1156 1141 Bulb Replacement with LED
• Lumen:80 Lumen Color Temperature:Warm White 3100K
• Working Voltage:10 - 16 V DC, Power:1.44 Watt
• LED:15 LEDs, SMD3528

They were packaged very well from LED Wholesalers.

The LEDs are slightly taller and thinner and fit just fine. These are "water proof". I just thought it was a better design. The reviews also noted that in other LEDs that they had purchased they had broken the LEDs off the base putting it into the socket and the glass on these solved that issue. These are the only ones I bought so I don't really know otherwise. I'm very happy with how these feel though.
Old incandescent bulb:
Incandescent covered:
LED:
LED covered.

In the daylight they look to give off about the same light, the LED might even be slightly brighter. These are the 3000k warm led's and I think they are just a tad white and not as harsh as I thought they might be. I can only imagine the 6000k are pretty harsh. I haven't seen them in the dark yet. I'll try to check them out later. I am very happy with them in the daylight though. I was afraid they wouldn't be bright enough at only 80 lumens but they are perfect. These should only use about 1/24th of the power that the old bulbs did too!!

Solar Panel and LED Bulbs.

With my 10 year anniversary gift card from work I am going to pick up a small solar panel and some led light bulbs for the camper. Things I would like but just can't see spending the household money on. I looked at clothes and jewelery but I keep coming back to these things, sad, I know, lol.
Here is the solar panel I have decided on at Amazon.com. It is a 30 watt mono-crystalline panel with a power controller (which probably isn't needed but it's only an extra $12). From what I learned in my research mono-crystalline cells are the oldest technology but they are also the smallest and most efficient. Poly-crystalline is a close second and then the thin film technology is called amorphous which I didn't spend too much time on because they are the largest and least effiecient, supposedly the least expensive but the price differences where not really worth noting, at least not on Amazon. I am going through Amazon because of the gift card, but honestly it's hard to beat the prices and no one can touch the free shipping. I asked a lot of questions on the Aliner Yahoo group list and between them and google I am pretty happy with this choice and I'll place the order later today.
To help out the drain on the battery when dry camping I am going to put LED bulbs in the two light fixtures in the camper. They both are single bulbs, old style 1141. This style isn't as easy to find the LED bulbs in, so they are more expensive then the common wedge types used in current models. It wouldn't cost more than $10 probably to update ours, but there isn't anything wrong with ours so why bother. I settled on these small bulbs because they had a good review. I was looking at brighter bulbs but honestly I hate bright white light. I made sure the ones I picked where the warmer light (3000-3100K not the 6000-6100K).
I'll post update once the order comes in and we get everything put in. I'm hoping it comes before Memorial Day as we're spending the weekend at our favorite spot, Otter River State Forest which does not have any hook ups....not that we wouldn't make it the weekend on a single charge, but it would be nice to try it out!

Update 10

We got a lot done this weekend!

• The two larger cabinets are installed with wiring and battery vent plumbed.
• End panels installed (which included a lot of clean up and old staple removal!).
• Rock guard and tow tongue stripped, primed and painted.
• Old fridge vents closed.
• Several outside openings cleaned up and re-caulked.
• Curtains made for the three triangle windows and the big "passenger side" window.

I spent several hours Friday night engineering and working on curtains. I don't sew, but I had fixed my mother in laws old sewing machine with this project in mind. I've been looking at fabrics and pricing them out, most more than I wanted to spend. So I picked up a couple sets of sheets on sale at Target, one set a quirky nature theme, the other solid green and I'll use a brown set from the house (top sheet only.....we never use top sheets anyway).

Saturday Mike and I worked earlier in the day on the end panels. There were a ton of staples to remove, but overall it went pretty smooth. Later in the day after Billy came home we worked on the front tongue, the rock guard and planning the electrical system. We also closed up the fridge vents, removed the fan and resealed a lot of the outside openings.

Sunday, today, we installed the two larger cabinets. We had to remove the toe kicks. The smaller ones are uppers so did not have them and fit. Mike used a straight edge and the router to trim them down. They build cleats and made cut outs for the battery vent, electrical and just a bit into the wheel well to make sure the heater will be centered over it's vent/intake. I also cleaned up a lot of the old cabinets and debris. I'm burning all the old wood, the rotted flooring went into the woods and recycling the old plastic and metal we removed.

You can see more pics under "Update 10" on the right hand side bar.