plese school me on solar:

[Hybrid25XLTAWD]

I'll be getting a RTT for my mav that hasn't been built yet, and due to lack of both storage place & the ability remove/put it on alone, *MAY* end up just leaving it on the truck(yeah, I get that there'll be a hit on mileage, but whatever I get will be better than the current 20mpg of my 150, most likely).

IF i decide to leave it on my truck permanently, what would be the reccomendation for watts of solar to add to the top of the rtt to keep the agm maintained, but to also allow use for typical campsite activities without stranding my truck in the boonies?

lastly, could you school me on best scenario? if I plan on leaving it on, might a dedicated "camping" battery, mounted in the front of the bed, be a better idea? perhaps something iwth a couple million amp hours? (bigger is better, right?)

any other tidbits of learned information/experience would be greatly appreciated as well

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[icegradner]

Having a separate solar charged battery for use while dry camping for extended periods? I'd say yes get a separate battery. I just got an off the shelf solar chargeable battery pack, plug and play nothing to think about or do, just plug it in and let it charge when needed.

 

[commadorebob]

The size of the solar will depend on your energy needs. If you are just wanting to keep an AGM maintained, Harbor Freight sells a few solar battery maintainers that should suit your needs.

To be honest, if you are looking to use power for other needs while you are in the woods, look into getting a Jackery solar system.

 

[710-oil-614]

The size of the solar will depend on your energy needs. If you are just wanting to keep an AGM maintained, Harbor Freight sells a few solar battery maintainers that should suit your needs.

To be honest, if you are looking to use power for other needs while you are in the woods, look into getting a Jackery solar system.

I agree here, but I would even say avoid using a solar maintainer unless you run into issues.

I have a Bluetti AC180 and a 100w and 200w suitcase style solar panels. I don't have a rooftop tent but I do plenty of camping on my property and weekend trips for kids sporting events and the AC180 is plenty to run my fridge, tv, lights, fans, and other electronics especially when the sun is out and the solar panels are pushing back 100-150w.

I wouldn't install permanent solar panels, battery, or tie into your AGM. Just grab a Jackery, Bluetti, EcoFlow and some suitcase panels.

 

[Hybrid25XLTAWD]

I agree here, but I would even say avoid using a solar maintainer unless you run into issues.

I have a Bluetti AC180 and a 100w and 200w suitcase style solar panels. I don't have a rooftop tent but I do plenty of camping on my property and weekend trips for kids sporting events and the AC180 is plenty to run my fridge, tv, lights, fans, and other electronics especially when the sun is out and the solar panels are pushing back 100-150w.

I wouldn't install permanent solar panels, battery, or tie into your AGM. Just grab a Jackery, Bluetti, EcoFlow and some suitcase panels.

other than led lights for the tent awning, most likely just a *good* portable refer to keep food cold over, like a 3 day trip: I know there's formulas for pawer demands of appliances in relation to battery size & solar requirements, but I'm not really that technical & I get lost in all the technology

 

[rad32]

other than led lights for the tent awning, most likely just a *good* portable refer to keep food cold over, like a 3 day trip: I know there's formulas for pawer demands of appliances in relation to battery size & solar requirements, but I'm not really that technical & I get lost in all the technology

So you’d probably be ok then with a “solar generator” (it’s what they call those battery packs) with 1000 wh capacity and either a 200w or 400w panel. Bluetti, Jackery and Anker each make their own kits with different sized batteries and panels. My Anker cx 1000 can power our mini fridge (not portable) for 20 hours or so without charging.

 

[Hybrid25XLTAWD]

just did a quick look on a refer (just to get an idea in my head) for research...

one unit states a .326KW.H/24H

how does this relate to wats, etc..again, trying to edumacate myself...assuming this would be 326 watts??

 

[bgn]

So I would split the problem here into three parts:

1. Comms for safety

2. Truck battery

3. Portable battery

First, if you're in the middle of nowhere without cell service often, I highly, highly recommend a satellite communicator like Zoleo or Garmin InReach. I have a Zoleo that I take with me when I'm in the Cascades well away from cell signal. It's VERY cheap insurance. We also have a volunteer group known as WORN that'll come rescue me if I really get in trouble.

Second, you should have a portable jump pack for your truck. Mine was about $50 a few years ago. I highly recommend that everyone have one.

Third, get a portable battery for stuff around camp. I have a Delta 2 that you can pick up for less than $400 on sale these days. Smaller units are even cheaper. I've run Starlink, an air fryer, lights, e-bikes, etc. off of mine. And they're nice for power outages.

You can charge the pack with solar or a DC-DC charger. Both have pros and cons. But I wouldn't stick a solar panel to your RTT. Just get something portable.

 

[commadorebob]

just did a quick look on a refer (just to get an idea in my head) for research...

one unit states a .326KW.H/24H

how does this relate to wats, etc..again, trying to edumacate myself...assuming this would be 326 watts??

326 watts is correct. That's 7.8 KWh to charge for the day. That's a lot, which means you would need at least an 800W solar system just to charge the battery assuming 10 hours of sunlight. At that point, you might be better served spending your money on a good Yeti-type cooler that will simply hold ice for several days.

For camping, I use a Yeti 65 to store food and always bring ice home. For cell phone charging, I use Ryobi batteries with a USB adapter. A 4Ah battery is good enough to charge an iPhone 16 Pro Max from 0% to 100% and I have about a dozen of them.

Unless you plan to do long-term boondocking, a solar system might not be worth it compared to other short-term alternatives.

 

[Ozarkbeard]

Whatever you do, trying to use the Hybrid's small 12v battery for a camping accessories is usually not a good idea. It is small because it doesn't directly start the truck's gasoline engine,. For starting, it only operates relays to allow the HV battery to start the engine, using one of the electric multi-purpose motors inside the transmission.

 

[Scott Asheville]

A bit off topic, but one of the interesting aspects of the new Telo small BEV truck, should it ever reach production (most startups don't) is that it has a solar roof option. Kind of bummed that Canoo went under. Hoping Telo survives, but color me skeptical. I think they're in proof-of-concept construction right now - they say we'll see a street-legal production candidate this spring.

https://www.autoweek.com/news/a6343...-aptera-for-solar-panels-on-electric-pickups/

 

[SLINGSHOT]

A bit off topic, but one of the interesting aspects of the new Telo small BEV truck, should it ever reach production (most startups don't) is that it has a solar roof option. Kind of bummed that Canoo went under. Hoping Telo survives, but color me skeptical. I think they're in proof-of-concept construction right now - they say we'll see a street-legal production candidate this spring.

https://www.autoweek.com/news/a6343...-aptera-for-solar-panels-on-electric-pickups/

I looked at the Telo web page. My question to them would be, why 500hp? Why not 150hp and $30,000 instead of $50000?

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