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"Portable" Solar Charger

January 07, 2015, 10:09:22 pm

The search for a new-to-me FT is getting "warmer", so I decided I'd better get rockin' and rollin' and check out storage possibilities ............because I cannot store one where I live.  I talked with the owner of a "handy" RV storage lot in Denver today concerning the inconvenience(s) of storage w/o AC power at his lot; particularly with regard to keeping the batteries topped up.  He said a lot of his customers use a "portable" arrangement where they  put a solar charger in the windshield area and plug it into a cigarette lighter receptacle.  I'm "guessing" that the cigarette lighter on  a FT runs on the house batteries.  He mentioned one like this (with a controller included)    Nature Power Solar Battery Charger Kit- 18 Watt - RDK Products 40015 - Solar...

Would it work to just connect this type of solar charger to the isolator?  Would the "system" just think there was a teensy-weensy 18 watt alternator feeding a big 1+ amps or so to the isolator for a few hours per (sunny) day?  If so, perhaps both the chassis and house batteries could be kept charged by this "monster" solar panel........and then  again that might just be today's pipe dream, I reckon.

I would plan to drive it for a 45 minute trip about once a month or so + run the diesel genny under load (as is so strongly recommended by many of the sage folks on this forum) so the trickle charging might be a moot item, but keeping the batteries at float sure can't be bad.

Whatcha think?

TIA.......Ed S in Denver

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Re: "Portable" Solar Charger

Reply #1 – January 07, 2015, 10:55:22 pm

I've seen various sizes of Solar...I'll leave that to others. 

But, the "cigarette lighter" plug ins are NOT all the same.  In my 2002 U270, for example, I have two of them side by side on the dash, near the driver.  One is powered by the House Battery bank and the other is powered by the Start battery bank.  You may also find that over the years, folks have done a bit of re-engineering on their outlets.  I also have a third one near the door (for the passenger) and I *think* it is a house battery connection.

Depending on the year/model, you might find a surprising amount of amperage that gets consumed. 

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Re: "Portable" Solar Charger

Reply #2 – January 07, 2015, 11:16:14 pm

My suggestion is you unhook the battery at post and connect a panel (bigger than that one) to each bank so there is no wasted power being used from it. I would also place it up on roof and drop simple wires down to the batteries.
This is my suggestion.
JohnH

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Re: "Portable" Solar Charger

Reply #3 – January 08, 2015, 01:11:20 am

That would be 18 watts only if pointed directly at the sun. On the dash perhaps 3 or 4 watts for a short time until the sun moved and it was in the shade. John is correct, put 100 watts on the roof and run the wires down through a vent.

Pierce

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Re: "Portable" Solar Charger

Reply #4 – January 08, 2015, 02:16:03 am

If you don't mind your FT looking  a bit like a gypsy caravan, just place the larger panel on the roof, temporarily anchored to the ladder, and possibly tilted towards the southern sun, then drop the wires down and into the engine compartment.  You can connect to the batteries at the isolator (not going through the isolator diode). You can also jumper the house and chassis batteries together there, all done with alligator clips.  If everything is switched off except for parasitic loads, a 100W panel should do a great job of keeping all the batteries topped off.

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