Imagine XLS 22MLE solar question

[tensch]

We just purchased and waiting delivery of a 2024 Imagine XLS 22MLE. Trying to get ahead of the game, and wondering what I can expect with the 165 watt solar and the 12v refrigerator. Last fridge was a 3-way and I am trying to figure if the panel that comes with the trailer will be enough to keep the battery charged for 3 or 4 days of boondocking. Will likely replace dealer 12v battery with 2 6v golf cart batteries. Would love to know what other owners of this trailer have experienced with this, and suggestions on solar upgrades if necessary. We don't use AC, tv or microwave when not hooked up to shore power. We also have a portable renogy
100 watt panel and I'm wondering if it would be compatible and feasible to use with the 165 watt panel. Thanks very much in advance!!

 

[SkipRD]

We have the same panel (I think) on our XLS 23LDE. I haven't done a multi-day boondocking test, but just for the fun of it I did a back-of-the-envelope guess about boondocking. Furrion says that the 10 cu.ft. frig draws 1.08 kWh/day. A 165W panel (assuming 5 peak sun hours per day and losses at 25%) gives me 0.62kWh per day, for a net loss of 0.46kWh per day. My pair of plain ol' 81Ah SLA batteries gives me 1.08kWh of capacity. So, dividing 1.08 by 0.46 means I've only got a couple days of running the frig. Add other power draws and it would be less than that. Cloudy days would be even less still. In other words, a one-day stop somewhere might work but I'm not planning on any multi-day boondocking trips without an upgrade in solar capacity, battery capacity, or both. I do have a 100-watt portable panel that I could hook up in parallel. That would get closer, but still no cigar.

Getting ready for trips, I have the run the frig for 16 hours or so with the rig parked in full sun and the batteries still read a full charge. That's the only real-world test I've done so far.

Hope that helps. Maybe someone with more real-world experience will chime in.

Skip

 

[Soundsailor]

We just purchased and waiting delivery of a 2024 Imagine XLS 22MLE. Trying to get ahead of the game, and wondering what I can expect with the 165 watt solar and the 12v refrigerator. Last fridge was a 3-way and I am trying to figure if the panel that comes with the trailer will be enough to keep the battery charged for 3 or 4 days of boondocking. Will likely replace dealer 12v battery with 2 6v golf cart batteries. Would love to know what other owners of this trailer have experienced with this, and suggestions on solar upgrades if necessary. We don't use AC, tv or microwave when not hooked up to shore power. We also have a portable renogy
100 watt panel and I'm wondering if it would be compatible and feasible to use with the 165 watt panel. Thanks very much in advance!!

First off, it looks like this is your first post, welcome to the forum. [MENTION=58335]SkipRD[/MENTION] has given you some good guidance. If you plan on multi-day trips off-grid, you'll want more storage. Instead of the 2 6-volt golf cart batteries you cite, I'd suggest you look at LiFePo4 batteries, they'll cost a bit more upfront, but will last longer, charge faster, and generally work better for "boondocking". And yes, you can use your portable panel in parallel with your roof unit, just make sure it has its own controller. Try to come up with an energy budget. Your frig needs about 100 Ah per day, other uses in the trailer are probably 25 to 50 Ah, so about 150 AH per day. [MENTION=58335]SkipRD[/MENTION] gives an estimate of about 50 Ah per day coming in from the solar, so plan on storage providing about 100 Ah for each day of off-grid camping. I'd suggest two 200 Ah LiFePo4 batteries. Li Time batteries have a good reputation here, check out Will Prowse's reviews on YouTube.

 

[tensch]

Thank you for the responses! Yes, new to GD and excited to have found this forum!!
So I’m thinking instead of matching the furrion 165w panel with another of the same, I could get maybe a 200w renogy to pair with my 100w renogy and a separate controller and have two systems?

 

[Soundsailor]

Thank you for the responses! Yes, new to GD and excited to have found this forum!!
So I’m thinking instead of matching the furrion 165w panel with another of the same, I could get maybe a 200w renogy to pair with my 100w renogy and a separate controller and have two systems?

So if you plan to use the same controller, your panels must be matched as closely as possible. The panels GD uses are Furrions and are very expensive for what you get. You could put a 200-watt panel on the roof and run it in parallel with your existing panel. You'd lose some capacity due to the mismatch (330 watts vs. 365 watts) but would still have more than presently. If you run more than one portable system, be sure each has its own controller to avoid the mismatch issue.

 

[tensch]

Ok got it. On the battery issue, if I need say 140 Ah could I get away with one of the 200 Ah lithium batteries to start since it can discharge deeper?

 

[Soundsailor]

Ok got it. On the battery issue, if I need say 140 Ah could I get away with one of the 200 Ah lithium batteries to start since it can discharge deeper?

Yes, that would be a good way to start. You may not have the capacity to go a full 4 days, but 200 Ah should get you more than one night. Just try to get the same battery if you expand in the future, like solar panels, batteries like to be hooked together with ones of similar chemistry and capacity.

 

[tensch]

Thanks so much for the very helpful information. Very much appreciated!!

 

[tensch]

New trailer solar questions

So a follow up on a previous question.......We are taking delivery of a new 2024 Grand Design XLS 22MLE next week. It has the 12v refrigerator which concerns me for the times we dry camp (maybe 20% of the time for 3 or 4 days max). The trailer comes with a 165watt solar panel and MPPT controller. I plan to either transfer 2 newer 6volt batteries from our old trailer, or bite the bullet and buy a new 200Ah (or 230Ah?) lithium. We are very conservative with our power usage when dry camping....no inverter, no tv...just refrigerator, lights, water pump, etc. I can add a 165w panel on the roof, but am thinking I'd rather get a Renogy 200watt suitcase so i can move it around as necessary? It would have its own separate controller. My questions....Would this set up take care of my needs? The suitcase panels i see come with PWM controller, should I upgrade to another MPPT or will the one MPPT and the PWM work ok together? And finally, is there any difference or advantages to getting one 200Ah lithium battery compared to two 100Ah batteries? This is an amazing forum and thanks for any advice!

 

[Soundsailor]

So a follow up on a previous question.......We are taking delivery of a new 2024 Grand Design XLS 22MLE next week. It has the 12v refrigerator which concerns me for the times we dry camp (maybe 20% of the time for 3 or 4 days max). The trailer comes with a 165watt solar panel and MPPT controller. I plan to either transfer 2 newer 6volt batteries from our old trailer, or bite the bullet and buy a new 200Ah (or 230Ah?) lithium. We are very conservative with our power usage when dry camping....no inverter, no tv...just refrigerator, lights, water pump, etc. I can add a 165w panel on the roof, but am thinking I'd rather get a Renogy 200watt suitcase so i can move it around as necessary? It would have its own separate controller. My questions....Would this set up take care of my needs? The suitcase panels i see come with PWM controller, should I upgrade to another MPPT or will the one MPPT and the PWM work ok together? And finally, is there any difference or advantages to getting one 200Ah lithium battery compared to two 100Ah batteries? This is an amazing forum and thanks for any advice!

Since this is similar to your original post, I've merged the two threads. Please try to avoid double posting, it violates forum rules.

 

[Soundsailor]

My questions....Would this set up take care of my needs? The suitcase panels i see come with PWM controller, should I upgrade to another MPPT or will the one MPPT and the PWM work ok together? And finally, is there any difference or advantages to getting one 200Ah lithium battery compared to two 100Ah batteries? This is an amazing forum and thanks for any advice!

To know if your proposed setup will meet your needs, you'll have to be clear about what your needs are. You could develop a complete list of all of your needs, see if solar can keep up with them, and then decide how much storage you'll need. Yes, the two controllers will mostly work well together. Some controllers do get confused when they detect the output of another controller. As to two batteries, the 200 Ah would be slightly lighter than two 100 Ah and smaller overall.

 

[Butcher]

When I was trying to decide how much storage I would need, I thought it was just about impossible for me to figure out. I knew I needed more than 1ah and less than 4,000ah.

Who really has the time to figure it out, with any accuracy? I know, I don't.

If there is any way you can just go camping for a weekend/week or some amount of time, just measure all the ah you use. Then divide it by the days you were out. Live like you normally would, use what you normally use. I believe that would be the best measurement for you.

Those that live off grid probably can give a really good idea what they use daily. I wish someone would post a new thread where everyone can post the ah they use daily. That way, we can get an average for the average camper. I believe it would be way more accurate than any chart I make on paper.

My last boon dock I used about 500ah in 72 hours. About 170ah a day. 7ah an hour. Outside temps from 40-60F

 

[Soundsailor]

I wish someone would post a new thread where everyone can post the ah they use daily. That way, we can get an average for the average camper. I believe it would be way more accurate than any chart I make on paper.

My last boon dock I used about 500ah in 72 hours. About 170ah a day. 7ah an hour. Outside temps from 40-60F

My 800 Ah usually will last for 4 days, so about 200 Ah per day. That supports a 12-volt frig (about 120-125 Ah per day) plus all other uses including an inverter.

 

[AUImagine]

I paired the stock Furrion 165w with a roof mounted 200w Renogy off Amazon for my Imagine. The 200w panel is significantly cheaper than the Furrion. Running mismatched panels means I’m probably losing some efficiency, but the net is probably close to 2 165w panels. This combo is about the limit for the stock 25a? MPPT charge controller in the pass-through. Very happy with this setup for a family of 5 that boondocks on the weekends with a 12v Furrion fridge and 2 12v lead acid batteries. Every now and then I’ll run the 2000w generator when we need the microwave and/or want to top off the batteries. When the lead acids begin to wear out, I’ll probably replace them with 1 200ah LiFePO4 battery and that will offer about an 80-100% increase in effective battery capacity.

 

[TimtheToolMan]

[MENTION=13987]AUImagine[/MENTION]--
Do you know how many Ah that you are getting from batteries between charges or how deep you are discharging the batteries? Having the generator provides a lot of flexibility to system, while being cost effective, assuming that it can be run at the camp site and noise is not a major concern. If air conditioning is desired it likely is the most cost-effective power source.

As Bucher said, measuring what is being used adds clarity to what might be needed/desired and likely spend less money in the long run. A shunt battery monitor is valuable for measuring what goes in and what goes out of batteries and can also be used to not overly discharge lead acid batteries.

 

[AUImagine]

[MENTION=13987]AUImagine[/MENTION]--
Do you know how many Ah that you are getting from batteries between charges or how deep you are discharging the batteries? Having the generator provides a lot of flexibility to system, while being cost effective, assuming that it can be run at the camp site and noise is not a major concern. If air conditioning is desired it likely is the most cost-effective power source.

As Bucher said, measuring what is being used adds clarity to what might be needed/desired and likely spend less money in the long run. A shunt battery monitor is valuable for measuring what goes in and what goes out of batteries and can also be used to not overly discharge lead acid batteries.

I have 2 550CCA DP24 deep cycle batteries that combine to show 126Ah when fully charged on the battery meter. Discharges per 24hr can really very a lot. My biggest draw is the propane furnace if it runs overnight when the solar isn’t getting any charge. On a 30deg night I’ve run the batteries down to 35% with heavy day electrical usage and furnace cycling on throughout the night. (This isn’t ideal on the batteries and about my worst case.) Usually I wake up to about a 75-80% level with normal usage. They will typically recharge with the sun to high 90s% by evening time with moderate electrical usage. I don’t run an inverter as the only 110v items we need when boondocking is the TV, and for that I’ll just plug it into a Jackery 500w portable power station for the few times we use it. Again, this is just an anecdote off a 175w Furrion and a 200 Renogy wired in a series with a 25amp MPPT controller and a family of 5.

 

[Totyour]

I don't know all the tech BUT, we have a 2023 22MLE and our first trip out was for 6 days. We only had one battery hooked up, a DOKIO 160W 18V Portable Solar Panel Kit we bought for our old popup and a 22I Honda generator that we ran for about an hour a day and we had no problem. The only time we were in the camper was to take a shower or go to bed.
Enjoy your camper.

 

[Harvestmoon]

For our 22MLE with 10 cu ft Furrion 12V fridge, we doubled up the solar by adding a second 165W Furrion panel in series and installed 2x 100Ah LFP batteries under the rear dinette seat. With this setup we can run off grid indefinitely. This runs all 12V demands including lights and fans plus some small AC loads (TV, laptop charger, etc.) off a 1000W inverter. With the single 165W panel from the factory, my back of the envelope estimate is you would be on the edge of keeping up with the fridge demand in perfect solar conditions, so that is why we added the second panel. The Furrion panel is WAY overpriced but keeps the installation clean and simple.

If you are interested check out my complete post on my electric system mods: https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/showthread.php/48152-22MLE-Electrical-Upgrade

 

[gchalifoux]

I can tell you from first hand experience over the last 4 days. I have a 2024 22 mle. It has the Standard 12 volt battery that comes with the rig. We were off shore power or boondocking for roughly four nights. I can tell you that I expected ahead of time that this battery would not last. In fact I found myself running the refrigerator on off grid mode to try to save on the draw. I also brought along my when 1800 generator just in case cuz I figured something would be needed. And I also had a portable solar panel on hand. The challenge for me was I wanted to see that battery percentage back up to 100%. It never got back to that level. I ran the solar panel when I could during the daytime and I ran the generator because I just wasn't seeing good results from the solar panels charging it. On the last night I actually drain the battery down to nothing. I knew this because the CO2 detector started beeping. CO2 detector beeping usually indicates that there's no power to the detector itself. I've had this happen in the past with other campers so I knew that the battery was toast. Fortunately I had the little generator in eco mode during the night and was able to quiet the CO2 detector and put power back to the fridge. Bottom line is we are right on The Fringe of having our refrigerator lose the ability to keep food at the right temperatures to keep from going bad. No we didn't lose any food but I couldn't rest because I was constantly keeping an eye on the battery. I'm in the process of considering making some changes as well. I'm open to suggestions to going to the Dual 6 volt batteries or potentially looking at lithium battery as has been mentioned in other post. I hope this is helpful information.

 

[gchalifoux]

With my basic experience on forums typically there might be a vendor section that we can reference when it comes to looking for items for our rigs like the life po4 battery wondering if that is true on this form? If not I'd be open to suggestions for who's giving the best deals on life po4 Batteries these days.