# Solar Setup On My Outback



## AK or Bust (Nov 22, 2010)

I recently added 4 solar panels to my Outback fifth wheel and put in a couple high capacity 6v deep cycle AGM batteries. Also installed a 1000w Xantax inverter with switch.	As I was not real comfortable drilling holes in my roof and figuring out how to run wires through the outback, I had the solar panels installed by a professional installer. After watching him work, I realized putting the panels on the roof and running the wires was not as hard as I thought.

I installed the inverter and ran a plug to a panel I made that I put under the closet door in our bedroom. The panel has a 120 volt outlet as well as a 6 volt outlet that I spliced into a light in the basement area. The guy who installed the panels wanted to put an inverter in for me and hook it to the outbacks existing electrical 120V box but the price was way too high and overkill for our needs. So this is kind of a compromise and gives us everything we need. I plan on doing a lot of dry camping and we're not big fans of generators.

This was a fun project.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=kHZkbZsA5NQ
or
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=kHZkbZsA5NQ


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## battalionchief3 (Jun 27, 2006)

Sweet.....


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

How about some more details? Where did you get the solar panels, how much, and what are the specs? Also, what are the specs on the bats?

I have a Xantrex 700+ sitting next to be now. I actually bought it about 3 years ago before I got sick and planned to do the same as you. Now that things are getting better, I'm ready to pick up the project again. Where did you mount the inverter and what size wires did you use between the bats and the inverter?

I am planning to use 4 or 6 gauge 12v wires to go from the bat to the inverter with a 40 amp fuse. I'll put in two outlets; one in the same place you did and the other in the cabinet below the tv. My average draw on the 120v side will be about 2.5 amps.


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## AK or Bust (Nov 22, 2010)

The solar equipment came from amsolar.com and I listed the components below as well as the battery specifics. Other than the batteries and solar, I purchased the rest of the components from amazon.com. They had nice 4 AWG wiring kits and it was on amazon that I learned about the ANL types of fuses that people use with the xantex inverters.

I read it's best to put the inverter / fuse within 18" the batteries if possible for efficiency. So I mounted the inverter on the roof of the basement area just above the batteries and over a tad. You can run an extension cord from the inverter as far as you want and it won't be a problem. But keep the inverter relatively close to the batteries.

Here's a detailed list of components:

In-line ACT Water-resistant Fuse Holder - 10 AWG (for the cigarette lighter socket)
Marine Grade Cigarette Lighter Socket 12 VDC Marine Grade Cigarette Lighter Socket 12 VDC

12 VDC 5-PIN RELAY SOCKET (only used 2 pins ... for the inverter switch)

Raptor RANL1502 150 Amp ANL Fuses, 24K Gold Plated, 2 Pack (for the inverter)

Scosche EWFH Single ANL Fuse Holder (for the inverter)

Cobra CPI-A4000BC 4-AWG Heavy-Duty AC Power Inverter Cable Kit

Remote Panel switch W/ 25' Cable For Prowatt SW Inverters

XANTREX PROWATT SW1000 1000W TRUE SINEWAVE INVERTER (36295)

Equipment purchased at http://www.amsolar.com

(4) RV100 Solar panels
http://amsolar.com/rv100.html

The HPV-22B controller
http://amsolar.com/hpv22.html

And finally, the batteries

(2) Lifeline Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) Batteries GPL-4C
6v, 10.28" x 7.06" x 9.99", 66 lbs. 220 amp hours


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

> I read it's best to put the inverter / fuse within 18" the batteries if possible for efficiency. So I mounted the inverter on the roof of the basement area just above the batteries and over a tad. You can run an extension cord from the inverter as far as you want and it won't be a problem. But keep the inverter relatively close to the batteries.


Damn! I must be on the right track as that is exactly what I have been planning -- to include just running extension cords to the electrical outlets. I'll probably get the extension cords in different colors (maybe one in yellow and the other in red), so that if someone else ever inherits my RV it will be easier to trace things.

I might go with 2 12v bats, but not sure. I still have to look into that. It's a matter of ah, price, and weight. A friend of mine is a Sterling distributer, so I can get Sterling bats at a reasonable price.

I'm not going to go solar just yet. I have a Honda 2k, so I'll use it during the day to charge the battery and for normal daytime electric use. However, I'm keeping the solar option open.

Another good resource for solar is Ghosty. He's on this forum....


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## AK or Bust (Nov 22, 2010)

vdub said:


> > I read it's best to put the inverter / fuse within 18" the batteries if possible for efficiency. So I mounted the inverter on the roof of the basement area just above the batteries and over a tad. You can run an extension cord from the inverter as far as you want and it won't be a problem. But keep the inverter relatively close to the batteries.
> 
> 
> Damn! I must be on the right track as that is exactly what I have been planning -- to include just running extension cords to the electrical outlets. I'll probably get the extension cords in different colors (maybe one in yellow and the other in red), so that if someone else ever inherits my RV it will be easier to trace things.
> ...


Well it's nice to know someone else thinks like me. I wasn't sure what people would think about this setup but I considered this for awhile and it's just what we need. Instead of an extension cord, I used Romex wire with a plug attached on the side of the inverter. The other end of the romex is wired directly to the outlet in the bedroom.


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

I got my two new 6v group 27 bats in today. I had to make the top cover about an inch higher due to the size of the bats. They're a pretty tight fit. These things have 232ah of power. All the stuff I want to run only requires 13amps, so I can go 2 days, maybe more, without recharging. And that includes running a 32" lcd tv, dvd, satellite box, 2 laptops, wifi router, and a few lights.

I ended up getting the Go Power 1759HD. It has a lot of built in safety stuff to protect the inverter and it has a remote control so I can control it from inside the rig. 1750 watts is a lot of overkill for my current needs, but I need to plan for expansion. I don't have it mounted yet -- I move pretty slow with all the aches and pains caused by all the drugs I take.


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## AK or Bust (Nov 22, 2010)

Another quick update on the setup. I bought a 120 V (3 gallon) Husky air compressor and found that the xantrex inverter wasn't able to accommodate the load. So that went back to Home Depot and I ended up going with the Sears craftsman air compressor (1.5 gallon, 150PSI) 120v compressor that I've heard a lot of RV'ers use. That worked just fine. Also my large chop saw didn't work with the inverter, but the soldering iron, heat gun and jig saw worked nicely. It's so nice having power at our storage lot while I work on the Outback .









I agree VDUB, the remote control on the inverter is a nice feature. I hope your aches and pains get better soon and you're back to 100%. Be cautious taking some of those prescription drugs. Some of them do more harm than good.


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

I'm mounting the inverter and "damn big fuse" today. I had to do some thinking about expansion before drilling holes. Eventually, I might double the battery capacity.



> I hope your aches and pains get better soon and you're back to 100%. Be cautious taking some of those prescription drugs. Some of them do more harm than good.


Thanks much, but the aches 'taint going anywhere. I was diagnosed about a year ago with Wegener's Granulomatosis, which is kind of rare on it's own (1:100,000). My variant of the diesase is called Granulomatous Hypophisitis due to Wegener's. It has an incidence of 1 in 10 million. I am about number 24, worldwide, since 1966 with the disease. There is no cure. My pituitary has been destroyed, so I'll be on lots of drugs until the very end. You would not believe how many drugs I'm on. It has changed our life, but we are getting back into the swing of things. No problems!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17492510
http://reachingbeyondtheclouds.com/the-disease/weggie-stories/ I'm the 3rd story (Extremely rare)


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## AK or Bust (Nov 22, 2010)

vdub said:


> I'm mounting the inverter and "damn big fuse" today. I had to do some thinking about expansion before drilling holes. Eventually, I might double the battery capacity.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I read your story and all I can say is "Wow"! I give you a lot of credit. To keep moving forward and take your Outback out despite the physical challenges is impressive. How frustrating that you're only one of of a handful to have this and knowing that there is no known cure. Take care and keep enjoying the outdoors with your Outback.

Yeah, those fuses are crazy big !


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

WHOAH! I'm now watching sat tv with battery power. No buzzes, overheating or anything. Working great. For now, I'll charge my bats with my gen. Next year, if everything works out, I'll add solar panels and connect everything into my regular fuse panel.

Thanks for the concern.... Just one of those things, tho. No worries.


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## Lmbevard (Mar 18, 2006)

I read your story and am sorry that you have to go through all of that. I am also glad that you are making the most of what Life has handed you. Make the most of your life and enjoy yourself. Also, you really need to come visit us up here in Iowa. I noticed a big white spot right in middle of your map that needs to be filled. Maybe we can meet up sometime.


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

> Also, you really need to come visit us up here in Iowa.


Might just do that! We are going to be in Omaha mid-Jun. I might just have to camp in Iowa so that I can erase that white spot. We've passed thru it several times, but never camped....


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