Dry Camping Issues!

[michellep]

So, last year, on my annual Grand Adventure, the fridge killed my ability to dry camp. I did not know then what was causing the battery to die almost overnight.

When I got home, the fridge (POS Atwood helium - see previous fridge posts if you're interested in the long-term nightmare) was replaced, at Atwood's expense, with a Dometic (still a 2-door).

Further research showed that the Dometic (2662, I think) has a battery-sucking seal heating element and no switch to turn it off. It is tied to the interior fridge light. FINALLY discovered how to disconnect the heating element by pulling a jumper (J2 and clearly labeled "heater") in the outside compartment control board. This also disconnected the interior light, but I do not need light to locate a bottle of wine. Honest.

Anyway, last year, the fridge side of the trailer was in the direct HOT sun quite a few times and I recently pondered ways to keep the direct sun off the fridge vents for this year's adventure. Tried a couple of things, but have settled on this...(hopefully, won't have to use it much cuz I think it's going to be like a sail in even the slightest breeze!). Tent stakes are on my shopping list. (I have 9 1/2' ceilings)

Second part of this rambling - I currently have a 100W flexible Renogy solar panel. Would an additional 100W panel be worthwhile? Renogy doesn't sell flex currently (supposedly because of issues with bending the panel), but I don't care about the bending; it's the weight I like - 18 lbs. vs 4 lbs. I would buy one from ebay if it would be worth the cost.

I ordered (inexpensive) MC4 jumper cables to hook up 2 panels in parallel, just in case they're needed.

I also ordered a new (from China) PWM controller. The one I currently have had a ripping review on youtube - the "MPPT" controller is so bad, the electronic analyst had to put all the problems into TWO videos! (Dan, the guy who sold you your suitcase said he had the same controller and that it is a FINE one...). The electronic guy showed that all his meters and gauges proved it wasn't even a PWM controller, much less an MPPT.

As added protection, I just bought an AGM Group 31 battery AND gifted myself with a Yeti cooler at Christmas...

PS: I was just kidding about the bottle of wine...I drink box wine...

 

[profdant139]

Are you asking about another portable panel, or a permanent panel? I would say that if money is not a huge problem, and if you have room on the roof, and access to a decent installation technician, why not get another roof panel?

Personally, I favor a portable panel because we park in the shade, and the portable panel can be placed in the sun. But there are some significant downsides. First, you have to deploy it and then pack it up, which is not effortless. Second, even a 120 watt suitcase panel (which is what I have) is pretty heavy and bulky. I have to be careful about how I lift it and then carry it down and up the steps of my trailer, and I am 6'3" and 230 lb., and reasonably fit for a person of my years, if you know what I mean.

So before you buy a portable, be sure to lift one and see if it is for you!

The other issue is transporting the panel -- we lay it flat on the bed for transportation, because we don't want it bouncing around and breaking.

Have you measured the current draw on your fridge, after killing the heater switch? (Good job on figuring that out, by the way!)

 

[michellep]

Dan, I, too mostly park in the woods, so my panel has to be portable and not permanently mounted to the roof.

The flex panels only weigh 4 lbs each, so 2 would be a breeze to handle. I carry the one I have in a child's sleeping bag - perfect fit, and toss it in the back seat of the truck. Both could fit in the sleeping bag. I could also throw it in the front storage bay.

Here it is deployed in ID last Spring...look carefully and you can see the little PVC frame I built to "sturdy" it up.

So would there be a worthwhile benefit from adding an additional 100 watts?

As far as the amp draw on the fridge, I am not real sure how to do it. Turn EVERYTHING off in the trailer except the fridge, and put my new clamp meter on one of the battery cables on the tongue?

 

[profdant139]

That is so cool! What a terrific project! How do you fasten the panel to the frame? Does the frame disassemble? Did you post a "how I did it" thread on that project? If so, how did I miss it??

Anyway, the answer to your question is yes -- if you have a clamp on meter, just turn everything off, including the fridge. Test the draw on the battery -- there will be some, for things like the propane detector (which is on all the time).

Then turn on the fridge and see how much extra it draws.

And the answer on the extra panel depends on how well your first panel is doing at keeping the battery up to snuff. Take a reading off the battery with your multimeter in the morning, after a full night of power consumption. If it is still at 12.5 volts, you might not need the second panel.

On the other hand, if you run into cloudy conditions, the second panel will compensate to some extent for the loss of efficiency, so it may be a good idea for that reason alone, even if one panel is enough for sunny weather.

Do you have a link for those flexible panels? I could see adding that to my existing 120 watt suitcase setup.

 

[michellep]

The panel has 6 grommets - 3 on the top and 3 on the bottom. I just bought some screws that fit through, washers, and a wing nut. I drilled holes into the PVC pipe and attached with the wing nuts.

And here's a link to the ebay panels I am considering:

100 Watt 100W 12V 12 Volt Flexible Bendable Solar Panel RV Boat Marine Battery | eBay
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[twinster2]

I know of a trick to get better cooling from a camper refrigerator. Not sure how well it will help with FF, but it worked amazing well with my old Pop Up. What you do is get some 12 volt DC computer cooling fans and mount them so that they force air over the heat exchanger fins on the back of the refrigerator. You could also mount them so they force air up the chimney. Either way, the goal is to more efficiently transfer heat from the frig to the outside of the camper. Anyway, they fans are supper quiet and take very little power to operate.

 

[michellep]

I know of a trick to get better cooling from a camper refrigerator. Not sure how well it will help with FF, but it worked amazing well with my old Pop Up. What you do is get some 12 volt DC computer cooling fans and mount them so that they force air over the heat exchanger fins on the back of the refrigerator. You could also mount them so they force air up the chimney. Either way, the goal is to more efficiently transfer heat from the frig to the outside of the camper. Anyway, they fans are supper quiet and take very little power to operate.

Thanks for the reply...the fridge is in the slide, and my understanding is that fan is essential since the vent is not on the roof.

It's another one of my little battery-sucking monsters...

 

[michellep]

...Did you post a "how I did it" thread on that project? If so, how did I miss it??

I have to address this comment...

LOL - a "how I did it" thread?
You guys would have laughed me right off the forum!
I look at all the stuff people here build and fix and I am green with envy at all your talents.

Now, did I screw up drilling those 4 holes in the PVC?
Why, of course I did.
But it was fixable...

 

[profdant139]

Michelle, you are wrong -- a great project does not have to be tricky and fancy. Simple and cheap and clever are better than high-tech, any day! Really an excellent idea, well executed.

So I take it that the bolts hold the frame together AND also attach the panel to the frame??

 

[michellep]

It's only 2 pieces of PVC - not an actual 4-sided frame.
I put the 2 pieces on the long sides, and put end caps on all 4 PVC ends.

If I had to make a 4-sided frame, I would still be figuring it out...

 

[profdant139]

Minimalism rocks! Elegant simplicity.

 

[michellep]

Minimalism rocks! Elegant simplicity.

Your positivity makes people smile...
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