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Solar panel
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Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com 9/09
Picture of Lance Walton
posted
I am still learning a lot about our Regency and now I have some new questions. There is one sole solar panel on the roof and a "control" panel inside above the entrance door. During the day the light on the panel is illuminated indicating that it is charging but the charge indicator gauge indicates practically not current. Does this panel function as a float charge for the chassis batteries? If not what does it do? Also, is there any value to gain in installing additional panels?


Lance & Sue Walton
Previous owner of a
1993 38ft Regency
Cummins 6CTA8.3 300HP
Allison MD3060 Transmission
Spartan Chassis
Loveland, CO
 
Posts: 229 | Location: Loveland, CO | Member Since: 06-21-2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com 4/08
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If it is like the one on our Breakaway, it is not good for much. Small tricke charger


'92 Barth Breakaway - 30'
5.9 Cummins (6B) 300+ HP
2000 Allison
Front entrance
 
Posts: 1185 | Location: Minneapolis/Yuma | Member Since: 08-17-2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com11/10
Picture of Bill & Sonja
posted Hide Post
I can tell you our experience with solar on our Regal33. We put on a 110W panel and ran it through the regulator to the coach batteries (4 - 6V golf car deep cycle). We would park without power in a sunny area for weeks at a time with no power shortages. I did run the genny for about 15 minutes a day when making coffee and using the microwave. In the evening the tv and vcr/disk could run for 3 hours or so along with all the necessary coach lighting for the evening. By noon the next day, if the sun was shining, the batteries were ready for another cycle. We have put two 130W panels on our new motorhome and have not had much experience with those yet.


1987 Newell ~ 40ft Widebody
2x f/o's: 1988 Barth - 33 Ft. SE tag axle & 1976 Barth - 24 Ft.
 
Posts: 115 | Location: Calgary - Alberta & B.C., Canada | Member Since: 09-17-2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com 9/09
Picture of Lance Walton
posted Hide Post
I have been sort of wondering about the amount of power available from the existing panel. It is now 16 years old and I know from experience that a great deal of improvement has been made in solar technology. Sometime in the future I may seriously consider replacing the existing panel with one or two newer and larger ones.


Lance & Sue Walton
Previous owner of a
1993 38ft Regency
Cummins 6CTA8.3 300HP
Allison MD3060 Transmission
Spartan Chassis
Loveland, CO
 
Posts: 229 | Location: Loveland, CO | Member Since: 06-21-2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Supporting Member of Barthmobile.com 8/11
Picture of billyt53
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The Solar panel on our Sovereign measured 18" square and has a rated output of 15 watts, about 1.2 amps. Something I have learned about solar since we upgraded ours to 320 watts is that the output of the panels is directly proportionate to "look angle" toward the sun. On a sunny winters day, we get about 4 amps max. At noon on June 21, they produce over twenty amps. One other thing, when we purchased our Sovereign, it was 11 years old but Barth had not connected to panel correctly so it had never worked.
Helen and I just returned from an RV show where we parked in the lot for four days and three nights. Raining most of the time, our battery bank lasted 72 hrs before requiring a recharge which takes 6 hours.


Billy & Helen Thibodeaux

Retired from Billy Thibodeaux's Premiere RV, Inc. Scott, LA 70583 I-10 Exit 97
The Farm is near Duson, LA I-10 Exit 92 then N 1 mile on right
Three Full 50 Amp RV Hookups !
billynhelen@me.com
Data Tag: 9404-3908-36XI-2C
1994 Sovereign 36' Widebody on Spartan IC (Mountain Master Lite) Chassis.
Powered by Cummins ISL9-450
Onan 8,000 Quiet Diesel Genset
Toad: 2018 Chevy Colorado ZR2 Diesel with M&G Car Brake
 
Posts: 374 | Location: 1mile north of I-10 Exit 92, Duson, LA USA in The Heart of CAJUN COUNRTY ! ! ! | Member Since: 05-14-2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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