2019 Factory Solar Upgrades

[SurfnSoCal]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

As mentioned earlier in this thread, there's only just so much space on the smaller trailers. With a 16' you may not have enough room for a second panel.

Make of the factory panels is unknown. They seem to be Zamp or a Zamp clone. Functionally they seem to be able to put out 100W under the right conditions with the right controller.

The normal solar package AGM batteries on most Airstreams are 100AH Lifeline group 27's. Unless the Caravel gets it's own battery box ( = they don't use the same one as the other trailers), I'd bet yours will be group 27's.

Bob

Thanks! I'm not physically with my trailer right now- is there a way to tell the "group number" by looking at the battery? a model number maybe?

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by SurfnSoCal

Thanks! I'm not physically with my trailer right now- is there a way to tell the "group number" by looking at the battery? a model number maybe?

Hi

All batteries that I have ever seen have a label on them that gives at least the model number. From that Mr Google should be able to tell you everything about your battery. In some cases the labels *do* give the group size.

If it's a stock battery and it's a green top / Interstate then it's a good guess it's a group 24. If it's stock and made by Lifeline it's a good bet it is an AGM and group 27. Those are only guesses so it is always best to actually look up the battery model number.

Based on the number of people who seem to have odd batteries after a dealer has done this or that, assuming you have stock batteries may not be a good idea.

Bob

[laferic]

Originally Posted by wulfraat

I highly recommend Lew. Pro. He set us up with a small system for boondocking. Couple new batteries, couple solar panels. Stuff like that. Works great!

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f539...um-182406.html

Hi, I have a 2019 Flying Cloud 25 FB .. i would love to learn more about your experience with Solar AM, and your system ..and chance that we can connect? Thank you so much
Eric

[Rocinante]

We had AM Solar install for us at their shop in OR. Happy to say that they did an awesome job, would definitely use them again. They worked with us from start to finish, though we did stay in a nearby hotel once they started the job, until they finished a couple of days later. Made sense since the trailer was inside their shop for the work. We camped out back the night before, which was also nice. The hotel stay was like a romantic getaway from our Airstream home, so we enjoyed that, too.

System installed: 650 watts of solar, 400Ah of LiFePO4 batteries, a 3000 watt hybrid inverter, solar controller, color panel for monitoring, big fat cables, and so on. Complete system, soup to nuts. Everything except the panels was Victron. About half the cost was labor. They are not cheap, but the work was top notch and we are delighted with the results.

[albert23]

Can I just add panels and upgrade the controller to the factory solar in the future, if I decide the system is not adequate?

[AirMiles]

Originally Posted by albert23

Can I just add panels and upgrade the controller to the factory solar in the future, if I decide the system is not adequate?

Yes. If you upgrade the factory solar controller with an appropriately sized MPPT controller, up to 600W can be installed on the factory prewire with panels configured in series-parallel pairs. There's much more information about this in the "Solar Show and Tell" thread: https://www.airforums.com/forums/f44...ll-181608.html