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Thread: Solar capacity

  1. #1
    Rolling Along
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    Solar capacity

    Our new Reflection 315RLTS has the "standard" solar panel and I upgraded to the lithium batteries (2). We pick it up Monday, and will spend the night in it so we can test as much as possible. The buyer for our Foretravel will pick it up later in February, so the trailer will have to be parked for about three weeks with no connections (but no one in it, either). We have the heated pads for the tanks. Question: will the solar panel be enough to power the heated pads and/or furnace? Temperatures here are generally in the 20's at night and 50's by day with lots of sun. I plan to leave the furnace on, but set as low as possible. Will I run out of battery? Plugging in isn't an option. My goal is to not have to winterize the trailer for those three weeks if possible.
    David Lininger, kb0zke
    Rev. 2:10c
    2022 Reflection 315RLTS, 2016 F350 CC SRW King Ranch
    https://www.smugmug.com/app/organize/2022-315RLTS-Solar

  2. #2
    Long Hauler
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    Quote Originally Posted by kb0zke View Post
    Our new Reflection 315RLTS has the "standard" solar panel and I upgraded to the lithium batteries (2). We pick it up Monday, and will spend the night in it so we can test as much as possible. The buyer for our Foretravel will pick it up later in February, so the trailer will have to be parked for about three weeks with no connections (but no one in it, either). We have the heated pads for the tanks. Question: will the solar panel be enough to power the heated pads and/or furnace? Temperatures here are generally in the 20's at night and 50's by day with lots of sun. I plan to leave the furnace on, but set as low as possible. Will I run out of battery? Plugging in isn't an option. My goal is to not have to winterize the trailer for those three weeks if possible.
    If you have an air compressor, set it to 40 psi and blow the lines out. Make sure you open the low point drains, then close them, the open each faucet, one at a time, until you only have air coming out each one. (You have to close the previous one then with the next one.) Reopen the low point drains, have sure every faucet it drain is closed, and walk away for those three weeks.
    Mark & Mary. Full-timing across the USA (and Canada)!
    Current Coach: 2021 Grand Design Reflection 320MKS
    Current Rig: 2019 Ford F350 SD Crew Cab, w/8' box, Lariat, SRW, 6.7l Diesel

  3. #3
    Site Sponsor SolarPoweredRV's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kb0zke View Post
    Our new Reflection 315RLTS has the "standard" solar panel and I upgraded to the lithium batteries (2). We pick it up Monday, and will spend the night in it so we can test as much as possible. The buyer for our Foretravel will pick it up later in February, so the trailer will have to be parked for about three weeks with no connections (but no one in it, either). We have the heated pads for the tanks. Question: will the solar panel be enough to power the heated pads and/or furnace? Temperatures here are generally in the 20's at night and 50's by day with lots of sun. I plan to leave the furnace on, but set as low as possible. Will I run out of battery? Plugging in isn't an option. My goal is to not have to winterize the trailer for those three weeks if possible.
    Is this a new camper, or a used camper?

    If you are buying from a Dealer, they should have winterized it for you.

    The problem with those temps is that you are going to run out of propane before your three weeks are up.

    The other problem is that trying to run tank heaters and the furnace will probably exceed the capacity of your batteries because the tank heaters are resistive heat and those really sucks electrons out of a battery. Additionally, your RV Furnace can really suck electrons as well.

    Your Solar is not going to return enough energy to your batteries to overcome the energy draw from all those devices. Especially if you have a cloudy day.

    I would recommend fully winterizing the camper (including the sink and shower drains). Also, remember to run the antifreeze through the toilet flush valve and drain (and bypass) the hot water heater.

    Alternatively, pay a transport company to bring it home.

    I have to ask; is the new camper fully winterized now? And are you going to stay in it one night and un-winterize it?

    If the new camper is winterized, spending one night in it is truly not worth the risk of something getting frozen and damaged.

    Just have your shake down camping night nearer to your home and deal with any issues at a local dealer.

    I just think you will be creating more problems than you might be solving if you de-winterize the coach and let it sit for three weeks.
    David and Peggy
    2019 Ford F350 Lariat, 6.7L Diesel, Dually, Long Bed
    Running with 20k Reese Goosebox (Love It) and Ford Factory "Puck" system.
    Stopping with 8,000 lb Disc Brakes and Titan Hydraulic over Electric Brakes system.
    Powering all this fun with 1200 Watts of Solar, two Tesla, Model S, battery modules, 24 volt Victron Inverter.
    2018 Solitude 310 GK

  4. #4
    Rolling Along
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    This is a brand-new trailer. I will call the dealer tomorrow to see whether it will be winterized when we sleep in it, or whether they will winterize it again (I'm assuming that it is winterized now) before we take it home. Shouldn't take them very long.
    David Lininger, kb0zke
    Rev. 2:10c
    2022 Reflection 315RLTS, 2016 F350 CC SRW King Ranch
    https://www.smugmug.com/app/organize/2022-315RLTS-Solar

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    Site Team Second Chance's Avatar
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    Moved to Solar Systems and Generators.

    Rob
    U.S. Army Retired
    2012 F350 DRW CC LB Lariat PS 6.7
    2020 Solitude 310GK-R, MORryde IS, disc brakes,
    Sailun LRG tires, solar, DP windows, W/D
    (Previously in a Reflection 337RLS)
    Full time since 08/2015

  6. #6
    Rolling Along
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    Just heard from the dealer. The water system will be sanitized and ready to use. I'm not worried about running out of propane, as the storage spots are maybe two blocks from our lot. I'll probably be to the trailer a couple of times most days, so when it switches tanks I can take the empty one down to Carlsbad and get it filled.

    The weather guessers say that the lowest temperature in the next seven days will be 27, with three nights at 29, two at 33 and one at 34. Daytime highs range from a low of 47 to a high of 66.
    David Lininger, kb0zke
    Rev. 2:10c
    2022 Reflection 315RLTS, 2016 F350 CC SRW King Ranch
    https://www.smugmug.com/app/organize/2022-315RLTS-Solar

  7. #7
    Rolling Along
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    Looks like we have things worked out. We'll put the trailer on a storage spot for a few days while we empty the Foretravel. When it is empty we'll move it down the street to a vacant lot and put the Reflection on our lot. It will be interesting to check the batteries just before we leave the dealership and again when we park it on our lot. Will the solar and lithium batteries handle 3-4 days with only the furnace and refrigerator running? We'll see.
    David Lininger, kb0zke
    Rev. 2:10c
    2022 Reflection 315RLTS, 2016 F350 CC SRW King Ranch
    https://www.smugmug.com/app/organize/2022-315RLTS-Solar

  8. #8
    Site Sponsor SolarPoweredRV's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kb0zke View Post
    Looks like we have things worked out. We'll put the trailer on a storage spot for a few days while we empty the Foretravel. When it is empty we'll move it down the street to a vacant lot and put the Reflection on our lot. It will be interesting to check the batteries just before we leave the dealership and again when we park it on our lot. Will the solar and lithium batteries handle 3-4 days with only the furnace and refrigerator running? We'll see.
    My experience has been that running the furnace takes about 100ah to operate overnight. Your fridge won’t take much power from your batteries when operating on Propane.

    Because you upgraded to Lithium batteries, and they can accept a charge quickly, I think you have a very good chance of lasting the 3-4 days with your Solar system replenishing the batteries each day (providing you get good Sunshine of course).

    If you are able to drop by the camper every day around noon to 1pm, I would recommend doing so and recording the State of Charge (SOC) of your batteries. This will give you a very good feel for how your Solar and Lithium batteries work together, and give you a feel for whether you will need to upgrade the Solar system and how soon.

    Good luck and please let us know how everything goes.
    David and Peggy
    2019 Ford F350 Lariat, 6.7L Diesel, Dually, Long Bed
    Running with 20k Reese Goosebox (Love It) and Ford Factory "Puck" system.
    Stopping with 8,000 lb Disc Brakes and Titan Hydraulic over Electric Brakes system.
    Powering all this fun with 1200 Watts of Solar, two Tesla, Model S, battery modules, 24 volt Victron Inverter.
    2018 Solitude 310 GK

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