Solar Panel - do you need 2 batteries?

[MichelleC]

Hi-

We own a 19 foot escape and would like to add a solar panel to it since we dry camp most of the time. We only have one battery though. Do we need 2 to do this and if so is this a possible conversion? I seem to remember Tammy saying that when we ordered if we wanted 2 batteries we had to decide then since it altered the build of the trailer.

Any recs on solar panel kits too??

Thanks so much,
Michelle and Ted

[thoer]

Michelle,

The only reason you would need 2 batteries is to get longer battery life between charges. But with 2 batteries it would take more power or a longer time to charge them. So if you are doing well with your current battery setup, all you need to do is add the solar cells. I think I have seen some info on the fiberglassrv site regarding buying and using solar cells. The best bet will be info from someone already doing it.

Eric

Originally Posted by MichelleC

Hi-

We own a 19 foot escape and would like to add a solar panel to it since we dry camp most of the time. We only have one battery though. Do we need 2 to do this and if so is this a possible conversion? I seem to remember Tammy saying that when we ordered if we wanted 2 batteries we had to decide then since it altered the build of the trailer.

Any recs on solar panel kits too??

Thanks so much,
Michelle and Ted

[RickM]

Yep, Eric is correct idea, go to this link

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...lar-37770.html

[Texscapees]

Michelle - You don't need two batteries in order to benefit from adding solar. The solar helps replenish power by charging the battery/batteries whereas having two 6 volt batteries provides more power storage capacity compared to a single 12 volt battery as stated by Eric. Both are useful for prolonging power supply when camping off the grid for extended periods. However, neither requires the other & each would be beneficial on their own.

Personally, I'd suggest converting to all LED lighting before anything else. Beyond that, you should consider your specific factors (How many consecutive days do you like to boondock; Are you a frugal power user or do you like to not worry about it?; Do you leave lights on for long periods at night, run the fan often, have the stereo/tv on?; What can you afford?) to help you determine what else you need &/or what would be "nice to have" & worthwhile to add.

[Texscapees]

We have the dual 6v batteries as well as a 95 watt solar panel. In addition, we have all LED lighting, tinted thermal windows & the insulation pkg which makes for a relatively energy efficient unit prime for boondocking. Overall, we're happy with our setup. However, since there are four of us, we tend to be limited more by the black tank capacity rather than power capacity. We're considering getting a 16 gallon Tote-Along portable holding tank made by Barker to help us get around that issue.

Our solar kit was installed by Reace & crew when our trailer was built. He got our kit from Go Power!.
http://www.gpelectric.com/content/pr...ct/?i=GP-RV-95

I'd suggest contacting Reace directly for the answer to your question about the feasibility of converting from one 12v to two 6v batteries. I'd guess that it can be done - the question is whether or not it'd be easy &/or costly.

[ddevin]

Our family of four just got back from a three week trip, and the solar panels that were installed by Reace worked incredibly well. We were in a a very shadey site most of the time, but the panels kept our batteries charged at all times. We are not wasteful with power, but never had to even think twice about taking a shower or turning lights on. We also have LED lights and the two 6V batteries. We did use a portable tank to empty both the grey and black water. This is our first summer with our trailer, but have spent 29 nights in it already. Love it!

[Hokie Escape]

Heh Devin, what equipment do you have? 13, 15, 17, etc?

[ddevin]

We have a 17B. We went pretty heavy on the options, with extra insulation, tinted windows, digital TV antenna, air conditioning, and as I mentioned, 6V batteries and solar panels. If I had it to do again, I would skip the TV antenna. The solar panels are great. We did a few days in Jasper, Alberta in the spring, and it froze each night. We were boondocking, and even though the furnace ran each night, and the days were cloudy, the batteries were charged the whole time. The air conditioning is for when we head down to California one day. We tow with a Honda Odyssey. It rides pretty low in the rear when towing, but I may just need new shocks. I am considering my options for a different vehicle, as I have over 200 thousand kilometers on it. Any advice?

[escape artist]

Hi: ddevin...Since we tow a 5.0 I'm not up with tow vehicles, for the other Escapes, other than pickups. I have heard the Honda Pilot is a very capable tugger. The Toyota Highlander and even some domestic SUV's are ok. Your options are more than mine!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[ddevin]

Thanks, the Pilot is one vehicle that we are considering. The odyssey is great is most ways, but coming back from the coast the front wheels spun when heading up a hill in the rain! Thanks for the advice!

[RickM]

Just to add my 2 cents worth, the Toyota Highlander has a higher towing capacity than the Pilot at 5,000 pounds. Our '08 Highlander pulls our 19' Escape with no problems at all.

Rick

[ddevin]

Thanks Rick, I must admit that I questioned this, but you are right! I checked it out, and the Pilot is rated at 4500 lbs. If anyone else has any thoughts on this, I would appreciate it. My main concern is decent towing, with the best possible fuel efficiency. I'm not overly concerned with the power, as I don't mind taking it easy, but I am more concerned with the suspension. Does anyone else have experience with the Odyssey? Perhaps I just need to work on my suspension so that I do not sit so low in the rear and to put more weight on the front wheels. The cargo capacity of the van is amazing. If I switch to a smaller SUV, I will need to use a cargo box, as our German Shepherd needs her spot in the rear!

[RickM]

Originally Posted by ddevin

Thanks, the Pilot is one vehicle that we are considering. The odyssey is great is most ways, but coming back from the coast the front wheels spun when heading up a hill in the rain! Thanks for the advice!

Do you have a WDH? I know that Odyssey's pull Casita trailers with ease IF the Odyssey is equipped with a WDH.

[ddevin]

Yes I do. Perhaps I need to adjust it. I don't know a lot about how these work, perhaps I need to adjust it by taking more links in. Do these not transfer more weight to the vehicle? The problem is that the rear of the vehicle is already sitting too low. The issue is not control at all. The trailer never sways, even in a wind. It pulls like a dream in that regard.

[thoer]

When you say the rear is sitting too low do you mean before you hook up the trailer? If so, could the rear springs be getting weak? Or is that when you have all your camping gear loaded too?

Some folks use air shocks in the rear of their tow vehicle to adjust the rear height. They are essentially strong rubber bags that can be pressurized to higher or lower pressure to help raise the rear of the tow vehicle. As far as adjusting the WDH, did yours come with an instruction sheet? The one that Reace put on for us had pretty detailed instructions on how to install and adjust it. Basically, when I helped Reace install ours, he made sure that the rear end of our Tacoma stayed at the same height it is before hooking up the trailer when the WDH is used. So the rear of our Tacoma is the same height with or without the Escape hooked up.

Originally Posted by ddevin

Yes I do. Perhaps I need to adjust it. I don't know a lot about how these work, perhaps I need to adjust it by taking more links in. Do these not transfer more weight to the vehicle? The problem is that the rear of the vehicle is already sitting too low. The issue is not control at all. The trailer never sways, even in a wind. It pulls like a dream in that regard.

[JeffZ]

Originally Posted by ddevin

Yes I do. Perhaps I need to adjust it. I don't know a lot about how these work, perhaps I need to adjust it by taking more links in. Do these not transfer more weight to the vehicle? The problem is that the rear of the vehicle is already sitting too low. The issue is not control at all. The trailer never sways, even in a wind. It pulls like a dream in that regard.

On ours, I think that the actual bars on the WDH should be parallel with the ground when viewed from the side and of course the trailer will be pretty level as well.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by ddevin

Thanks Rick, I must admit that I questioned this, but you are right! I checked it out, and the Pilot is rated at 4500 lbs. If anyone else has any thoughts on this, I would appreciate it. My main concern is decent towing, with the best possible fuel efficiency. I'm not overly concerned with the power, as I don't mind taking it easy, but I am more concerned with the suspension. Does anyone else have experience with the Odyssey? Perhaps I just need to work on my suspension so that I do not sit so low in the rear and to put more weight on the front wheels. The cargo capacity of the van is amazing. If I switch to a smaller SUV, I will need to use a cargo box, as our German Shepherd needs her spot in the rear!

My pilot tows the 19 all loaded up just great. In fact, I don't haven't even been using a weight distribution hitch for doing so. In one article I read comparing these SUV's, they said that the Pilot had power comparative to the competition, but just set their rating a bit lower. Only on steep hills does it pull down below 100 km/hr. I have done lots of passing on 2 lane highways pulling the trailer too. One other thing that was nice, is that all I had to do was put a hitch in the receiver and plug in a brake controller, and in 10 minutes I was towing.

Ever notice in lots of ads that the others tend to compare to the Honda?....just sayin'.

Bottom line, just pick the vehicle you like best out of the bunch of 6 cylinder engines, and you will be fine. Despite their latest problems, I believe the Toyota is a fine vehicle too.

[JeffZ]

Just to toss in my 2 cents.. We needed a WDH on our 2008 Highlander- I think the Pilot might have a stiffer/beefier rear suspension.. it also looks to ride a tad higher.. having said that we love our Highlander and had no problems at all with it.

[Texscapees]

Just to add another 2 cents... Several of us tow our Escapes with 4Runners too. We use a WDH when towing our 19 (we use a roof cargo carrier to have room for our two kiddos & 2 labs). I believe the Eddys don't use a WDH when towing their 19 with a 4Runner though. In comparison, the Highlander would get better gas mileage than a 4Runner as far as the Toyotas go.

Overall, I agree with Jim, there's lots of good & capable tow vehicles so I'd the best thing to do is check out several of them & see which one feels right for you.

[ddevin]

It sits ok without the trailer. I will spend some time playing with the WDH and see if I can level things out a bit. If that does not work, the air shocks are a great idea. Thanks for your input.