HandyBob and his wife are fulltimers in a 5th wheel and have no generator. He prefers quiet and and wants folks to stop using generators, or at least use them more considerately.

“Batteries are not sponges that soak up amps. They are a lot more like tires that need to be filled up with air pressure. You need volts (pressure) to get the amps (volume) to go into the battery… Batteries self regulate the amps they will accept depending on level of charge and voltage. The amps going in will drop as the battery fills, and if the voltage is not high enough the battery will not be charged all the way up before the amps taper off.” – HandyBob

Manufacturers give absorption voltages ranging 14.4V - 14.8V (temp compensated) and that is not too high.

Chargers do not read specific gravity, but can estimate State of Charge by holding constant voltage and watching current decrease over time.

“…the power stored in the upper range of a battery’s charge is greater, so it is very important to get a full charge.” – HandyBob

“The difference between 14.4 & 14.8 volts is not 3%. That difference is nearly 20% of the charging range (12.2 to 14.8 volts)” – HandyBob

Use short runs and oversized wires to minimize voltage drop.

Most OEM monitors (led displays, gauges, and idiot lights) are bad, tricking the owners into believing their batteries are fuller than they are. The monitors will read too high when charging and too low when discharging.

The battery bank must rest at least an hour before a reasonably accurate measurement can be made. A hydrometer reading is best but a multimeter will get you in the ballpark: 12.7V is full and 12.2V is 50% state of charge (the bottom of the deep cycle).

Battery bank life will be longer when it is charged fully and not discharged past 50% DoD. A full charge is also important to capacity:

“a 95% charged battery has 10% less usable power in it than a 100% charged one, since you are trying to keep it in the top 50% of its operating range (5% of full = 10% of 50%.)” – HandyBob

Bob recommends the use of AH e-meters like Link or the Trimetric 2020/2025:

“…trying to run a battery system without a good meter is like driving a car with no fuel gauge” – HandyBob

The meters will require configuration/adjustment when after installation, as the batteries age, and when the system is altered.

It is common to find appliances use less power than their placards state:

“The label has to show what the appliance will not exceed, not the actual energy use.”

Bob recommends matched 6v golf cart batteries. He prefers Trojan (particularly the T-105) and avoids Interstate.

Get charging specs from the manufacturer and follow them; this is particular important with new or exotic chemistries. He does not use AGM or Gel types because the lower charging voltage means less energy harvested from the panels.

In multibattery systems the connecting cables should be the same length and gauge. Crimp connections well, avoiding the use of hammer/die crimpers.

Most OEM converters are bad, functioning like trickle chargers. Even the smart ones charge at too low a voltage and commence float too early. They may get confused by multipoint charging.

A generator with DC battery charging output is better than running the converter or auto charger on 110v.

Bob runs his RV off 345W of panel and 450AH of 6v deep cycle batteries.

“Adding solar panels to an under wired system is like putting a big motor in a little car with a tiny drive train & skinny tires. You can’t use the power.” – HandyBob

When seeking advice:

“Don’t ask the guy with solar panels and a generator running behind his rig on a sunny day.” – HandyBob

“Professional” installers may not be any good.

On sizing:

“If you want to just be able to run your lights, water pump, charge the cell phone and run the occasional small kitchen appliance, acting more like a camper than a full timer, you only need one panel and one or two batteries. If you want to run the TV a bit, computer, the microwave to warm up soup or make popcorn and some kitchen appliances you’ll need two panels and four batteries. Of course you need more panels if you go where the sun doesn’t shine or if want to run more, such as unusual loads like a freezer in the basement or a CPAP machine to keep you breathing all night.” – HandyBob