Re: Sizing solar panels
Again, thanks all for the info, it's very helpful. Even though my home is in grey and dismal Seattle, (I just say that to deter any more folks from moving here), most of my summer camping is in Eastern Washington and Oregon. Summers are stinko hot East of the Cascade crest, and that makes the Norcold work harder to maintain temp when it's hot inside The Van when I'm out on the lake fishing. In late May, when I make my annual trip to my favorite lake in North central Washington (well known for its beatis hatch, but shall remain nameless), daytime temps can get up to 85 or so, and the reefer is running quite a bit. After two days, I need to take a drive to charge up the house battery. A solar panel would let me enjoy the lake, without having to check my volt meter every few hours and worry about my dinner going bad in the fridge. Of course the reality is, that for the thousand bucks or so that the panel, controller and installation will cost me, I could get one of those really neat high end ice chests that will keep things cold for days, and have money left over. But if common sense was called into play, would I have bought The Van in the first place?
Tom
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2005 SMB RB 50 4X4 w/ a 6.0 PSD
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