OT 12V deep cycle batt

Bought a used travel trailer yesterday with one on it. Thanks PC

PC

A single deep cycle battery is not much use on a RV. Will last about 36hrs without recharge depending how much the furnace is used.

At the least use two 12v deep cycle (typicaly 105amp/hr each) and should be a matched pair, both in amp/hrs, brand, and age. If a new battery is added to a old battery, the battery's will draw different amounts of current from each battery, thus the weaker battery will ruin the new battery with-in a short time.

6v Trojan T-105 (205amp/hr each) golf cart batterys make the best RV battery's, about $70eh. They have the best recharge life cycle time and lower cycle current draw of any of the deep cycle battery's. They will last about 4 days without recharge with heavy furnace use.

Now add a solar PV pannel and you never have to listen to a generator and enjoy the piece and quite.

T_Bone

The T-105's have a deeper cycle life, they can be discharged at a 50% rate, where the 12v deep cycle should only be discharged to 75% before recharging, thus yield more total AH draw.

I boondock camp 6mth at a time and I don't get but two years out of the Wal-Mart battery's, the yellow cased Champion? brand, so your having better luck than I did.

I use the Unisolar US-64, a 64w PV that I'm relly happy with as it's unbreakable and since I use my PV's on the ground that has paid for it's self.

I noticed last year the best bang for the buck was the 70w PV's.

Do not use Wind-Sun or Northern Windsun, Flagstaff, Az or what ever name they go by as I had problems three out of three orders, raising prices on my CC than what was quoted.

T_Bone

That's a fair price on the PV's. I've used Perfect Power a couple times and he gives good service and his prices are good. He's a one man shop and pretty knowledgeable of PV.

As long as you stay with 12v appliances as much as you can, you will get by just great. I manualy track the sun, move once at 1pm facing west and again at dusk facing east, and don't have a problem keeping up with my usage, about 30/40AH per day.

Inverters is whats sucks down the battery's, really quick. You might want to consider installing timer demand controls on your refrigerator if your going with a conventional refer. This would allow for the deforst cycle only during daylite hours and shorten night time running hours.

A house will get abused alot more than a RV will (amp usage) so I personaly would not consider any less than 6-T-105's. This would allow for cloudy days. My PV's put out about 1/2 of rated AH's on cloudy days with sun tracking.

Have you considered solar water heating? Not hard to make your own system, about $500 for parts if you make your own storage tank. This could take care of general HW use, bathing and clothes drying.

T_Bone

• Perfect Power

You might want to look at the link below of my quick write up of solar water heating system.

You can also use a RV pump, 12v Shurflo 3.5gpm@45psi, about $65, with a standard bladder tank for a household water system. More than enough water to take a shower, wash cloths, etc: if you don't turn on more than one faucte at a time or add two pumps to doubble the volume as then you don't care if two fauctes are open at the same time. These pumps will last a very long time, several years. I would use a float valve into a small storage tank then pressure pump the house from there. Max 25ft lift and can run dry without hurting the pump.

If you wash cloths during day light hours then consider using a inverter for the washing machine and dryer or genset use. 12v conversion is costly.

I like talking solar so I left my e-mail uncovered if you want to talk.

T_Bone

• T_Bone HW Solar