General Tech Solar charging a standalone battery

[Greg]

I realize there are probably better places to research this and ask questions, but thought it could be a good discussion to have here.

I'm working on my OUT adventure trailer and plan to have a water pump and propane-powered water heater for hot running water. I'd like the trailer to have its own power source separate from the Jeep. The hot water will be used for showers, camp and kitchen cleanup. I doubt it will be used for more than an hour each day, probably more like 30 minutes at the most per day. Most trips will be 3-4 days, perhaps 8-10 for an upcoming Baja trip.

The water pump will be the only electrical item drawing power from the battery and I'm curious if anybody else has built a similar system. I don't want to assemble it with cheap Chinese parts that are going to break down at the worst possible time, but rather high quality components that will last quite a while and withstand the rigors of frequent off road use.

I know but I will need a solar panel, a solar charge controller and an appropriate size battery for my needs, just trying to figure out what size I'll need for all the pieces and see if anyone has experience with these pieces. The water pump is a Seaflow 12 volt that draws 1.6 and up to 2.5 amps maximum.

Anyone have experience with this kind of stuff? Any recommendations on quality pieces?

 

[I Lean]

I have a solar panel/charger I added to my camper. It has a single battery, just some generic Wal-Mart deep cycle one. It runs the water pump and lights primarily, and sometimes a fan or the propane heater. I used a Renogy panel and MPPT controller, and after the initial install I haven't done ANYTHING to it. Which is exactly what I wanted. I used to plug the camper in every couple weeks to recharge, now I never do. (it has a few small drains--smoke detector, propane detector, etc)

Edit: it's this kit: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WGW485F/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Hickey]

I run two Renogy panels to keep my rv batteries charged at my property.

Renogy 100 Watts 12 Volts Monocrystalline Solar Panel Bundle Kit with 30A Negative ground Charge Controller+9in MC4 Adaptor Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B8L6EFA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_X7bOBbQRTKQF3

 

[Greg]

Thanks, guys! Any thoughts on battery size, amp hours, etc? Or should I just run a deep cycle marine battery and not worry about it?

 

[Anchor_Mtn]

Thanks, guys! Any thoughts on battery size, amp hours, etc? Or should I just run a deep cycle marine battery and not worry about it?

I like the group 34 batteries. Small, relatively inexpensive, easy to find a good steel mount for and can be used to run the Jeep if your primary battery goes bad on you. I run the Deka brand batteries in my jeep/trailers and get them from Hensley Battery in GJ.

 

[Greg]

I like the group 34 batteries. Small, relatively inexpensive, easy to find a good steel mount for and can be used to run the Jeep if your primary battery goes bad on you.

Good call on the redundancy idea!

 

[Anchor_Mtn]

Good call on the redundancy idea!

Technically the Jeep runs a group 48.... but the selection in that size sucks. The 34 is a little smaller and will still put out the power to run everything but a diesel.

 

[Corban_White]

You should be fine with a 50-80 Ah deep cycle and a 50-100w solar panel. A small PWM charge controller will be the best. An MPPT is really only useful if you have multiple panels wired in series. I would use a CC like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/SunSaver-Cha...UTF8&qid=1537363990&sr=1-2&keywords=sun+saver

 

[I Lean]

A small PWM charge controller will be the best. An MPPT is really only useful if you have multiple panels wired in series.

Dang it. I wish I would have known this last year, could have saved a few bucks.