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padman189 View Drop Down
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Joined: 11 Dec 2021
Location: Ashland Or
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Posts: 7 		Post Options Post Options   Quote padman189 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Solar power
    Posted: 10 Jul 2022 at 5:18pm
Good day all.
I have 2018 R pod 189 I purchased used that I’m getting familiar with. My question is regarding the solar system it came with. I have a Coleman 12 V crystalline solar panel and all of what seem to be the proper Go power cables to hook up to the R pod connector on the side of the camper.. My question is;
1. Will this run my 110 plug in system for minimal items, and
2. If so, what do I need to do to get those plug ins active in the camper?

Thank you all in advance for the help.
Mike
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6288 		Post Options Post Options   Quote StephenH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2022 at 9:59pm
Hello Mike,

1. Not without having an inverter properly sized. The 2018 is "solar ready," but it is not equipped to run 110V items without adding an inverter. As for making the outlets live, that takes more work. There are others more qualified to address this. A lot depends on the output of your panel, the size of your battery and state-of-charge, and the size of your inverter compared to the load you want to run. A single 12V battery will likely not last long trying to run any sort of real load unless you have a pretty massive solar setup. A lot depends on how you define "minimal items."
StephenH
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padman189 View Drop Down
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Posts: 7 		Post Options Post Options   Quote padman189 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2022 at 11:06pm
Thank you for the insight. So in reality, all the solar ready means is that I can charge my trailer batteries with the solar panel?
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Post Options Post Options   Quote offgrid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jul 2022 at 3:19am
Not even that. All solar ready means is that you have 2 wires running from the battery to that port on the side of the trailer. The bare minimum FR could do and call it "solar ready".

To charge your trailer battery from your solar module you will need both the module and a charge controller.
The function of the controller is to prevent battery overcharging. Do you have one with your solar module?

You might not even want to use the port on the trailer, many of us don't. Why not? Because if you have a portable solar module it will usually shorten your total wire run just to go directly to the battery (via an appropriate fuse) rather than first go from the battery to the port and then from the port to your solar module/controller. Shortening the wire run is important because you are charging at only 12V so you can get a lot of voltage drop in a long cable to the solar module/controller. Too much voltage drop will significantly reduce your solar charge efficiency.

If you can tell us the power rating of the solar module you have we could recommend a wire size/max length and fuse size.

As for energizing your receptacles from your trailer battery, I'd suggest not considering that right now. As StephenH says, it's complicated and expensive, because those receptacles are presently connected to shore power, and they can't be connected to both an onboard power supply and shore power at the same time.

Most of us find it unnecessary to energize those receptacles when boondocking anyway. Better with a few small devices to provide either 12V and/or USB charge ports or a separate small inverter with built in receptacles rather than trying to do it all.

Can you tell us what devices you want to operate? That will help in making recommendations on how best to run them. Forget about running things like hair dryers or coffee makers, or your a/c or microwave, those either need shore power or a generator or a big expensive complicated off grid electrical system.





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Colt View Drop Down
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Posts: 383 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Colt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jul 2022 at 5:26pm
Originally posted by padman189

Thank you for the insight. So in reality, all the solar ready means is that I can charge my trailer batteries with the solar panel?


Yes.  Be sure to check the polarity of the solar plug on the side of the 'pod, too. It is reversed from what I expected.  I connect my panel directly to my battery. 

Your R-pod does not have an inverter, but you could add one.  It has a battery charger that is, oddly, called a converter.  It will charge your battery when the 'pod is connected to 120V.  In my 180 there is room for an inverter behind the fuse/breaker panel and there is a 120V receptacle close by that is easy to connect to an inverter.  You may have the same. 

You should size your inverter and battery so that the battery has enough Amp-Hrs to run your expected loads for 3 days using 12.5V to calculate watts.  That's a big battery or a small load/inverter.  The panels should have enough output to return the watts used in 6 hours/day for no more than 2 days; one day is better. 

So, if you run 100 watts of "stuff" for 3 hours a day, that's 300 watt-hours.
Divide by 12.5 and that's 24 Amp-hrs, 1/3rd of the OEM battery capacity.  But, ... you should not pull the battery below 50%, making that really 2/3rds of the usable battery capacity.  A bigger battery is a good idea. 
To get the battery recharged in 6 hours, with no drain, you need 300/6hours = 50 watts of panel.  50 watts is marginal because you might not get 6 hours of sun and might not get the angle right, so double that to 100 watts. 
The panels need a charge controller.  You can put the controller inside to keep it out of weather.   
You may also find a 1000 to 1200 watt portable generator is cheaper and more dependable.  2200 to 2400 will run the microwave.  2400 might run the A/C if you modify the A/C.  3600 will run everything, but mine weighs 110 pounds. 
John
'16 R-Pod 180
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