Looking for solar info

[KGoesele]

Which frig do you have? You mention propane but I'm thinking the 22 MLE XLS came with a 12-volt frig. If it is the 12-volt frig you should be OK, if you have the propane/110-volt frig you'll need to run it in propane mode.

Thank you for the quick response! My Coach is an early 2022, they have the dual power (Electric /LP) 120V 2.7 Amp 8 Cubic Foot Refrigerator/Freezer. Purchased it August of 2021. Not until I get my Inverter installed will I be able to travel with the Propane turned off.

[KGoesele]

First, you don't say if your batteries are 6 volt or 12 volt batteries (it makes a difference because a pair of 6v batteries can [generally] store more energy).

To answer your question, we really need to understand how the Propane/Electric refrigerator works...

Your fridge operates off of Propane, or 120 volt electricity. It uses the Propane or electricity to generate heat that heats up ammonia to create a gas, as the ammonia gas cools down it creates cold, this cold is transferred to the inside of the fridge through the fins at the top of the refrigerator and a "cold plate" at the back of the freezer. With Propane there is an actual flame heating up the ammonia, when the fridge is operating on electricity, there is a "resistive" heating element (just like the coils on an electric stove) that heats the ammonia. Resistive heating elements are not that energy efficient, consequently, they use a lot of energy to create their heat.

With all that being said, you probably won't be able to run your refrigerator off of electricity with your current pair of 12 volt (presumably), Lead Acid batteries (even on Sunny days with the help of your Solar panels).

If you wanted to upgrade your system to be able to operate your fridge using your onboard battery bank and Inverter, you would probably need a minimum of 600 amp hours of Lithium batteries and very sunny days to cover a long day's drive. Like I said, resistive heating is very inefficient and uses a lot of energy.

My bust! I have Two 12 Volt 550 CCA 50 Ah Deep Cycle batteries. My Trailer is early 2022 with the 120V 2.7 Amp 8 Cubic Foot dual power Refrigerator. I purchased a 3,000 Watts Inverter (not installed yet). I did get my answer, so it will have to be the LP for now.

[Soundsailor]

Not until I get my Inverter installed will I be able to travel with the Propane turned off.

You're going to need a better battery bank to do that.

[powerscol]

We just purchased a 22MLE with one 165 watt solar panel, is there a simple way to connect another 165 w panel to the existing one? Does the charger have to be upgraded?

This guy is very helpful https://www.youtube.com/@WillProwse

Also there are numerous forums on solar and RV - months or reading. Hope this helps

[KGoesele]

You're going to need a better battery bank to do that.

I have this on my list:

12V Battery, HWE 12V 100Ah Lithium Battery 4000~8000 Cycles Rechargeable Deep Cycle Battery Built-in 100A BMS for RV Camper, Marine, Solar Energy Storage, UPS, and AGM Battery Replacement https://a.co/d/6i0Vv6y

[SolarPoweredRV]

I have this on my list:

12V Battery, HWE 12V 100Ah Lithium Battery 4000~8000 Cycles Rechargeable Deep Cycle Battery Built-in 100A BMS for RV Camper, Marine, Solar Energy Storage, UPS, and AGM Battery Replacement https://a.co/d/6i0Vv6y

If you want to travel with your Propane turned off and your refrigerator running on 120 volts, you will need a 200ah to 300ah battery bank (at minimum) to make it through a long travel day.

I would start with 200ah, and plan for up to 400ah.

Sorry to be the bearer of this bad news.

[KGoesele]

If you want to travel with your Propane turned off and your refrigerator running on 120 volts, you will need a 200ah to 300ah battery bank (at minimum) to make it through a long travel day.

I would start with 200ah, and plan for up to 400ah.

Sorry to be the bearer of this bad news.

Well, there are Two 100 Ah 12V lithium-ion batteries as a set. Maybe start with those and purchase another set later to make a total of Four. Currently our trips have been -200 miles away, and mainly for her shows, however, we would like to travel across the country at some point. Thank you for the advice! [emoji846]

I just found out that the link I copied from Amazon led to some super deals page, rather than what I was trying to show you, so I made a Screenshot. [emoji2357]