I have one of those generators too! They work well, not too loud and small in size. The HF solar cells are amorphous, thats why I only buy them when they are on sale and I have a coupon. I will most likely put an 80-120w polycrystalline cell on my camper and make it so it is removable (on luggage rack). that way I don't have to park the bus in direct sunlight. I noticed sams club has the 6v golf cart batteries as well. I have thought about doing a series parallel set up with those to get the added amp hours. On Sat, Jan 22, 2011 at 12:26 PM, Mike Hayes <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > I have one of these generators and it actually will run my air > conditioner. It's not too terribly loud and will run all my small > electronics. > > > http://www.harborfreight.com/800-rated-watts-900-max-watts-portable-generator-66619.html?utm_source=retail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=0311a > > Mike > > > > > On 1/22/2011 9:12 AM, chuck wrote: > > Well, > I guess if you got really desperate you could buy a small portable > generator.I think you can have all the electrical you can use for less that > the price of batteries and the inverter and they won't take up more space > than thefour batteries.You just need to get a long extension cord and > consider the low engine sound as Denis white noise. > oleblue > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* kelly dosch <kellydosch@xxxxxxxxx> > *To:* tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > *Sent:* Saturday, January 22, 2011 5:33 AM > *Subject:* [tcb] Re: Question About Dual Battery Set-Up And Solar Panels > > Nope. Sorry. It's 97* in the shade. All your ice has melted by day > two. The sandwiches you double-bagged in Ziplock Freezer bags still got > soaking wet somehow. The nearest store is 6 miles away, but it's Sunday. Are > they open? You don't know. Besides, you've already had four beers so you're > not going anywhere anyway. So you finish out the night on warm beer and > soggy sandwiches that are surprisingly more disgusting than you expected. > Not that I've been there or anything. > > --- On *Sat, 1/22/11, whocanduncan1@xxxxxxxxx > <whocanduncan1@xxxxxxxxx><whocanduncan1@xxxxxxxxx> > * wrote: > > > From: whocanduncan1@xxxxxxxxx > <whocanduncan1@xxxxxxxxx><whocanduncan1@xxxxxxxxx> > Subject: [tcb] Re: Question About Dual Battery Set-Up And Solar Panels > To: "TCB" <tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> <tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Date: Saturday, January 22, 2011, 6:17 AM > > One cooler = $30 > Two bags of ice = $3 > Cold beer = Priceless > > > Sent from my BlackBerry® > ------------------------------ > *From: *kelly dosch <kellydosch@xxxxxxxxx> <kellydosch@xxxxxxxxx> > *Sender: *tcb-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > *Date: *Sat, 22 Jan 2011 03:08:43 -0800 (PST) > *To: *<tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> <tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > *ReplyTo: *tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > *Subject: *[tcb] Re: Question About Dual Battery Set-Up And Solar Panels > > And the winner of the Most Helpful and Informative Answer goes to Mr. > Schwarze. > > Your answer brings up a couple more questions though- > Where did you fit two more batteries? Is there enough room in the engine > compartment? > And just to be sure I have this right- Two golf cart batteries @ about > $150 can keep you in lights and cold beer on a primitive site for two days? > That would be fantastic! > And you say if I spend another $300 on solar panels and accouterments and > park in the broiling sun I might get almost another day? > If that is the case I think I'll pass on the solar panels. Maybe just a > solar trickle charger for emergencies. > Thanks again for a great answer. As soon as I get my side tent I'm going > right to Costco for two golf cart batteries. You rock. )< (- (_ (_`( > > > --- On *Sat, 1/22/11, David Schwarze > <dschwarze@xxxxxxxxxx><dschwarze@xxxxxxxxxx> > * wrote: > > > From: David Schwarze <dschwarze@xxxxxxxxxx> <dschwarze@xxxxxxxxxx> > Subject: [tcb] Re: Question About Dual Battery Set-Up And Solar Panels > To: tcb@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Date: Saturday, January 22, 2011, 12:19 AM > > I have a pair of 1,050 amp-hour batteries in my garage... do I win? > They weigh almost as much as my bus though. :-) > > Back to the original question. My recommendation for a deep cycle RV > battery is a pair of 6V golf cart batteries. They will cost $150 (Sams club > or Costco) and give you 220 amp-hours worth of 12V power. Relatively > compact and light weight compared to AGM batteries and will last 8-10 years > if taken care of and when they die they will still be worth $30 at the > recycler. If you only want a single battery then I'd go to West Marine and > buy the group 27 or 28 RV/Marine battery (usually 95 amp-hours) for about > $75. Make sure it doesn't say "starting" anywhere in the description (there > are starting batteries, starting-slash-deep-cycle batteries, and > just-deep-cycle batteries - you want the latter). > > Solar panels, I love 'em (have two on top of my bus and a third waiting for > the giveashit factor to increase) but they are not simple or cheap and only > truly useful if you go whole-hog. With the aforementioned pair of golf cart > batteries and my older Norcold fridge (which drew 6.5 amps) I could camp for > a weekend with cold beer and lights without plugging in. Adding 75 watts of > solar panels and parking in the sun gave me *maybe* another day. Now that I > have a more efficient fridge (3.5 amp Norcold) and 110 watts of panels, I > might get a week without driving in ideal conditions. Useful if I lived in > my bus, otherwise it's just an expensive novelty. > > -David > > On 1/21/2011 3:28 PM, Justin Wilt wrote: > > I have 4, 120 amp hour batteries in my shed and 120W solar power charging > them. From there you can run an inverter that bumps the voltage from 12, 24 > or 48 volts to 120volts AC current. I have lights and a small refrigerator > full of beer running completely off the sun. I plan on transferring this > setup into my camper when it comes out of the body shop. There are amp hour > and inverter calculators online that tell you how long you can run a device. > No RV service connection needed! > > Justin > > On Fri, Jan 21, 2011 at 3:18 PM, kelly dosch <kellydosch@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > > > Hello. I need to get a deep cycle RV battery for my Westfalia Campmobile. > I'm seeing about a gazillion types with vastly varying prices. ($120-$600!) > Is it really all that complicated or can I just get the cheap Sears > Marine/RV battery? ($120) > Also, I have noticed a lot of Westies with solar panels. Why? If they > have a campsite with electrical hook-up the battery can charge itself. If > not, the alternator will charge it during a short drive. I don't get it. Why > would anybody want to drop $400 for a solar panel? (Tell me it isn't justto be > "green".) > Thanks for your time,... )< (- (_ (_ `( > > > > > > -- > Justin Wilt > Technician > > Post Oak Motorcars > Rolls Royce Motorcars Houston > Bentley Houston > > 1530 West Loop South > Houston TX 77095 USA > > +1-713-850-1530 > +1-713-539-4419 > > > > ------------------------------ > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 8.5.449 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3394 - Release Date: 01/21/11 > 07:34:00 > > -- Justin Wilt Technician Post Oak Motorcars Rolls Royce Motorcars Houston Bentley Houston 1530 West Loop South Houston TX 77095 USA +1-713-850-1530 +1-713-539-4419