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Old 03-18-2020, 08:15 PM   #21
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So if you just charge a moderate amount you should be fine. The danger shows up when the battery reaches full charge.


Don't do that!
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Old 03-18-2020, 08:45 PM   #22
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my trailer has a 220AH lead-acid battery with built in solar charging.... why would I want to mess with a portable 40AH battery that I'd have to separately charge, etc etc??
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Old 03-19-2020, 06:48 AM   #23
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Now this is getting to the heart of the question. John is your battery other than what Escape supplied? I assume 2 x 6v batteries. 18 amp hour charging. At what rate does your solar charger recharge?

Do you ever run low on power? Does your battery system take care of your trailer 100% of the time with no worries? Is your wife happy?

This is what I am trying to understand.
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Old 03-19-2020, 07:19 AM   #24
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I got a jump from a friend. Got the car home and called BCAA. They arrived shortly and installed my new battery for a reasonable price. I didn't have to go anywhere or buy anything else, or haul it around.
How about if this happened at a remote campsite? Some auto assistance/tow providers won't go off pavement to my knowledge. Hauling it around isn't difficult. The one I have is the GB40 which is only 7"x3"x2" and weighs ~1.5#.
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Old 03-19-2020, 07:38 AM   #25
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Now this is getting to the heart of the question. John is your battery other than what Escape supplied? I assume 2 x 6v batteries. 18 amp hour charging. At what rate does your solar charger recharge?

Do you ever run low on power? Does your battery system take care of your trailer 100% of the time with no worries? Is your wife happy?

This is what I am trying to understand.
The stock solar (195watt) and dual six volt batteries operate very efficiently behind the scenes. I'm normally 100% before noon every day whether sitting or under tow. Parked in 50%shade still gives me same result....
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Old 03-19-2020, 07:40 AM   #26
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As you mentioned in your first post, a lot of time and some extra money will result in items that are wanted but not necessarily needed.........
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Old 03-19-2020, 07:47 AM   #27
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Boy you are right about that. Sometimes I think I am just biding my time with toys until the real thing shows up.

I got both solar panels too, so I should probably be harshly criticized for buying an additional power supply in the first place.

I have a long history with very expensive toys. The one saving grace is I usually use them until they break. Even if it takes 30 years. Can't wait to try this out with my electric guitar and 200 watt amplifier. This thing could get me into a lot of trouble. And here it comes!
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Old 03-19-2020, 09:19 AM   #28
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I got both solar panels too, so I should probably be harshly criticized for buying an additional power supply in the first place.
No. You should not be harshly criticized; nor should you have to justify your purchase of any item you want to anyone here.
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Old 03-19-2020, 09:52 AM   #29
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Thanks Mike:

You realize of course the post was a subtle troll.

I like this little unit. Plus showing up on a whitewater trip with this means smoothies for everyone riverside. How cool is that.

I won't take but a few instances for this thing to prove it's worth.
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Old 03-19-2020, 12:57 PM   #30
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Now this is getting to the heart of the question. John is your battery other than what Escape supplied? I assume 2 x 6v batteries. 18 amp hour charging. At what rate does your solar charger recharge?
What do you mean by "18 amp hour charging"? The capacity of the dual 6V battery combination is roughly 225 amp-hours. A suitable charging current might be 18 amps... is that what you meant?
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Old 03-19-2020, 01:20 PM   #31
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What I mean to say is that I believe the panels charge the batteries at 9 amps per hours (9 amps per hour charging rate for each panel). So it charges the batteries at the rate of 18 amps per hour.

Since I have two panels I believe you would add the outputs together. I think I have 256 amp hours of battery storage with the batteries Escape is presently selling.

Make sense?
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Old 03-19-2020, 03:54 PM   #32
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Now this is getting to the heart of the question. John is your battery other than what Escape supplied? I assume 2 x 6v batteries. 18 amp hour charging. At what rate does your solar charger recharge?

Do you ever run low on power? Does your battery system take care of your trailer 100% of the time with no worries? Is your wife happy?

This is what I am trying to understand.
my solar panels are the 160W version (from 2014), and probably deliver 100W mid day typical since they aren't tipped up towards the sun. I'm quite miserly in my power usage when off grid, mostly its the water pump and fans (furnace or maxxfan), and minimal LED lighting. I'll recharge our phones and tablet off the DC... and I'll recharge my wife's laptop using a portable 200W inverter.

I find the camper battery is usually fully charged via solar by noon.

my wife is quite happy. we're not big microwave users even at home, when camping, I hand grind my coffee beans, and boil water on the stove, or via my Jetboil, so no electricity needed for /good/ coffee...
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Old 03-19-2020, 05:17 PM   #33
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I'll recharge our phones and tablet off the DC... and I'll recharge my wife's laptop using a portable 200W inverter.

I find the camper battery is usually fully charged via solar by noon.

my wife is quite happy. we're not big microwave users even at home, when camping, I hand grind my coffee beans, and boil water on the stove, or via my Jetboil, so no electricity needed for /good/ coffee...
Man it sounds like you walked to school both ways up hill!

Just kidding.

John, what do you plug the 200w inverter into? Not the camper, I assume (here come the jokes)? If so, is it because there is less of a load on an inverter that small compared to the big one in the trailer?

I was ruined as a child, my folks drove me to school.

Coffee: I have a #6 silicone Melita cone holder. I grind before leaving and boil water (however) and pour it in a filter/carafe, just like at Starbucks, and always have world class coffee without any more hassle than boiling water. Lemmeno if you want to see pictures.
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Old 03-19-2020, 05:19 PM   #34
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You guys, Jim only has six more post until he hits 21,000!


I have 223 now.
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Old 03-19-2020, 05:27 PM   #35
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Man it sounds like you walked to school both ways up hill!

Just kidding.

John, what do you plug the 200w inverter into? Not the camper, I assume (here come the jokes)? If so, is it because there is less of a load on an inverter that small compared to the big one in the trailer?

I was ruined as a child, my folks drove me to school.

Coffee: I have a #6 silicone Melita cone holder. I grind before leaving and boil water (however) and pour it in a filter/carafe, just like at Starbucks, and always have world class coffee without any more hassle than boiling water. Lemmeno if you want to see pictures.
I installed a pair of 'powerpole' PP30 jacks under the dinette near the power center, the inverter has a PP30 on its DC input cord... each PP30 is on its own 30A fuse. There's also a pair of 2A USB jacks and a conventional cigar outlet in the same strip.

the laptop is usually fully charged in a couple hours, and its power supply is 90W max. Indeed, a smaller inverter is more efficient than a big one at a smaller load. I find inverters are happiest at about 50% capacity, so 90W from the 200W inverter is just right. If the laptop battery is run down all the way and the laptop is cranking at full speed cpu+video, I figure it might be drawing about 9-10 amps off the battery, do that for 3 hours, thats 25-30AH. I generally charge things in the mid morning when the sun is nice and high, and there's plenty of time for the solar to fully recharge the battery before losing the sun.



re: coffee, I use a '1 cup' Melitta #4 filter, or a aeropress, depending on my mood. We always get premium coffee beans like Moka-Java, Kenya AA, Tanzania, Sumatra, Ethiopia Harrar, generally medium roasted, and grind each day with a Handground
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Old 03-19-2020, 06:06 PM   #36
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That is a serious set of ports. Those look like Anderson connectors in the middle.

What do you use those for? Yeah, I know, solar! But how?

Thanks for the pic!


How do you insert those pics like that?
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Old 03-19-2020, 07:06 PM   #37
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Hey John, did you notice your USB ports are upside down?
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Old 03-19-2020, 07:07 PM   #38
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Thumbs up

Here you go Tim................
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Old 03-19-2020, 07:39 PM   #39
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What I mean to say is that I believe the panels charge the batteries at 9 amps per hours (9 amps per hour charging rate for each panel). So it charges the batteries at the rate of 18 amps per hour.

Since I have two panels I believe you would add the outputs together. I think I have 256 amp hours of battery storage with the batteries Escape is presently selling.

Make sense?
It makes sense, if the units are corrected. The charging rate is in just "amps", which is the measure of current. "Amps per hour" doesn't mean anything.

"Amp-hours" is correct for battery capacity. For instance, 18 amps for about 14 hours would put 18 * 14 = 252 amp-hours into the battery (although that will never happen, especially in one day).

The actual current output of the panels depends on the solar exposure and the voltage of the load (battery). A nominally 160-watt panel will only put out 9 amps if it has perfect sun exposure and the voltage applied to the battery is 18 volts... which will never happen. At lower voltages and perfect sun it can put out slightly more current, and in real sun conditions much less.
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Old 03-19-2020, 08:28 PM   #40
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Hey John, did you notice your USB ports are upside down?
yeah, I flipped them upside down to so the rubber caps would hang down when open. the electrons don't care.
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