Re: [VAC] Solar panels

["Clark L. Messex" <clmx@xxxxxxx>]

I stuck a 75 watt panel on my '70 a couple of years ago and
constructed all the mounting hardware myself.  It is, in my
opinion, one of the more worthwhile things that one can
do to a 'stream.

It is worth mentioning that we've been doing this (RV-ing
in an AS) for more than thirty years and, therefore, power
conservation discipline is very much second nature to us.
We have no need for an inverter, nor do we have any
heavy current demanding appliances that we wish to run.
We carry a small generator and crank it up when we wish
to use the vacuum cleaner--and, I suppose we'd crank it
again if we wanted to use a microwave oven or such as 
that.

The TV set seems to want about three amps--absent the
use of the built-in tape player--and that's about the "worst"
current comsumer in the rig.  Ham radio tranceivers, given
my very intermittant use of the transmitter, seem to have
little overall effect.

So, to get to the point, a 75-watt panel was more than 
adequate for us.

I mounted the panel crosswise on four "feet" that I constructed
from a combination of 6061 and 5XXX (can't remember) 
aluminum.  Nothing high tech.  The panel is aft of the air
conditioner because that gave me the best shot at the rest
of the electrics in the trailer.  I used a combination of mastic
and rivets to anchor the feet.  The rear feet are just aft of the
seam that delineates the junction of the end "bell" of the 
coach and the "straight" part of the coach.  The feet are 
so constructed that it is easy to tilt the panel toward the 
front or the rear, but not to the side.  I have not used this
feature at all.  No need.

I could not use the feet that are marketed for that purpose
by the outfit in Arizona.  (Who, be it clear, are great people to
work with and who sold me the panel, regulator, et. al.)  The
reason was mostly to do with interference with other stuff
up topside that required the panel to be a bit higher.

I had a little problem with the panel regulator and the power
supply regulator (NOT a ferro-resonant regulator, thank you)
and cured it by the addition of a relay that isolates the 
solar panel from everything else (except for a small "dummy"
load) when the trailer is connected to ground power.  The 
problem manifested itself as an instability in the low voltage
system that was (apparently) the two regulators arguing with
each other when the trailer was on ground power.  Other 
ways of curing the problem are obvious . . . but none are 
simpler.

This panel has made it possible (nay, easy) to park a week
without hookups at the National Air Races near Reno.  I just
no longer worry 'bout things as I watch Monday Night NFL--
and do other battery-intensive things.

Clark L. Messex
WA7GGV
27' '70