PV Gap

Albert Said:

Charging battery in a travel trailer?

We Answered:

Hey Chuck, your other answers here are correct, but understand, a 10 watt solar panel will accomplish almost nothing. It will put out about 1/2 amp, in direct sun only, for a couple hours in the middle of the day. If it were me, I would go with the deep cycle batteries, not the ones you buy in the Walmart automotive section, but golf cart batteries, in particular Trojan T-105. They are 6 volt, so you need 2 of them wired end to end for 12 volts. Then if you had a real panel, something like 50 to 75 watts, you could put it on the roof of your camper, and it would make some power you can use. You would still be able to charge them from home before the trip, or at a campsite with hookups, or with the vehicle, the panel will only add power when it is needed. Also, by using a panel not over 75 watts, you would not overcharge the golf cart batteries even if they were full and the sun was out. That size panel has a max current of about 4 amps, less than he 2% limit to operate without a charge controller.

As far as how long they would last, it is just a matter of usage. You'll have to go camping some time and try it out. In a few nights, you'll get an idea for what items use power the fastest, and how long you can operate your normal loads without a charge cycle, but a good sized panel will vastly extend the recharge times, if it is at least partly sunny. Check out some sources below, and good luck, Rudydoo