Anne,
There are no free rides in solar. You get what you pay for. Cheaper installations have to cut corners somewhere and in ways that you may not realize initially (cheap panels, inadequate mounting hardware, cheap solar controller, inadequate wiring...). You have not mentioned the total installed wattage in the estimate.
Also, a single battery is not going to cut it. Even two of the largest batteries that can be fitted is marginal. (I take it your rig has the single battery carrier...That can be cut out and the newer dual battery rack can be installed). Get as much battery capacity as will fit in the space allocated. As with the solar panels themselves, you don't want to go cheap. The best choices are the most expensive (Rolls, Trojan, Lifetime are all excellent choices). Cheaper batteries will work for a period, but over the long haul actually cost more due to early replacement issues.
Don't cut corners on the solar controller. You want an MPPT (maximum power point tracking) controller. I am a fan of the Blue Sky controller, but there are others out there providing MPPT. Cheaper, non- MPPT controllers result in a loss of as much as 30% of the theoretical maximum solar panel output. MPPT controllers deliver everything that the solar panels are capable of delivering.
Make sure that the Airstream factory solar wiring is NOT used. It is only 10 gauge wire and you will loose solar capacity if you use that gauge wire due to resistance in the wire over the long run from the panels to the solar controller and then onto the battery(s). It is better and not that expensive to have new wire run (going thru the fridge vent on the roof). The installer should calculate and install proper wiring for the installation, but I would not assume this, ask the question.
Not sure if you are confusing inverter with converter, but they are NOT the same. An inverter takes 12VDC from the battery(s) and creates 120VAC for devices that require shore power. These range from affordable for small capacity units to truly breath taking for large units. There is NO reason to change out your factory converter whose job it is to take shore power and convert it to 12VDC to charge the battery(s) and power all the 12VDC devices in the Airstream. Yes, converters such as the Progressive Dynamics IntelliPower are better than the Airstream factory MagneTek converter, but your factory converter is not that bad a design.
Also, with 10 years experience with solar and boondocking, I can say that the best way to look at solar is that it effectively makes it seem like you have larger batteries. There will be days when you can totally replenish the battery(s) during the day, and others, where you will run a deficit. This is why you really want as much actual battery capacity as possible. Another key to living within your solar budget (electricity wise that is), it to monitor amp-hour usage. I am partial to the Tri-Metric monitor. It is simple to read and very accurate (assuming proper calibration at time of installation). For the maximum battery life you want to avoid draining the battery bank below 50% of actual capacity. I have my Tri-Metric set to think that my installed capacity is 60% of actual, that way the percentage used readout keeps me above the 50% value.
Good luck
David T.
On Sep 5, 2012, at 5:24 PM, Anne Pearse Hocker <aph948@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi folks,
>
> I have an estimate (?) for solar panels from AM Solar near Eugene, OR but I realize I will also have to redo the single battery/inverter setup, and so far I have not had an estimate for that. I am currently camped about 3 hrs from Eugene, and trying to decide what to do. I have a '99 27' Safari and plan to do a lot of solar boondocking if I can afford and figure this out. I have added two Fantastic fans for a total of three, and the dual voltage freezer from Dometic for the frozen food for the falcons. Hunting season calls and I would love to be outfitted for some extended stays in the high plains desert, and I also have generators, but I've noticed the single battery (a new Exide) just isn't up to the task for anything over 24 hrs. I have a pretty stiff estimate for the solar panels and installation (over 3 grand) but nothing yet for the inverter conversion. Help please. Is this a fair estimate for solar, and (thus) whatever they charge for an inverter conversion with different battery setup would also be reasonable? This is a lot of money for me so I am nervous about making a mistake.
> I will also have to find a place to rent for the two or three days it will take for the conversion, and having all these animals makes that challenging. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
>
> I really hate those generators and the fumes and noise, even where I can use them.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Anne
>
> __.
>
>
>
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