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Old 04-09-2020, 07:32 PM   #1
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Default Add Solar to Hymer Sunlight

I would like to add 360 watts of solar to my 2017 Hymer Sunlight. Can I go from the solar in parallel to the controller, a fuse then to the same terminals from the battery to the inverter?
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Old 04-19-2020, 08:44 PM   #2
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Default I don't think my Banff is wired that way by Hymer.

I'm not exactly sure how it is wired, but I doubt that it goes through the inverter for two reasons. First, solar panels produce DC and the batteries are charged with and produce DC so no inversion is necessary. Second, if the batteries are turned on, they charge from solar even if the inverter is off. In the FB Carado Banff group, there has been a lot of discussion about wiring and settings (neither of which Hymer did correctly). There are also wiring diagrams, and you should be able to get a better answer from some of the other folks there. The wiring and settings errors made by Hymer mostly concern lithium iron batteries (the settings were not correct to prevent overcharging and things that should have been wired to the charge sides of the batteries were wired to the discharge sides). I paid technicians to make all those changes, but I have a rough sense of what they did. If you don't have lithium iron batteries, some of this won't be relevant for you. One last point, Hymer (before they collapsed) tech. support told me that the solar panels are basically a trickle charge. That has been my experience when I camp with no external source of electricity. My refrigerator will keep running for 3 or 4 days with just solar, but, after that, I need to run the engine to bring up the voltage. I'm hoping to install propane fuel cells (once the ones I want are available) to address that.
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Old 04-20-2020, 02:13 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stevegoldfield View Post
I'm hoping to install propane fuel cells (once the ones I want are available) to address that.
Still looks like pie in the sky. They first hit the press a couple of years ago. Nothing since.
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Old 04-20-2020, 02:55 PM   #4
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Actually, the one I'm looking at signed a contract with Hymer NA to supply thousands of fuel cells. Of course, that went awry when the company went under. The problem seems to be that there are not yet any sales to individuals. I have a perfect location to put two of them in my Banff and an installer who wants to do it. https://www.wattfuelcell.com/portabl...watt-imperium/
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Old 04-20-2020, 03:34 PM   #5
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You only need one. Let us know if you find one to buy.

Something tells me it is unobtanium and gonna stay that way. Call ‘em up and let us know what they say. We have given up on them. No one knows where the ones they shipped to Roadtrek landed. Roadtrek never paid for them.

The spec says one should produce 1000AH in a day so it requires a hefty battery bank if you need the power. Two won’t run an A/C.

Hopefully I have my math right.

We never could find out how long the catalyst lasts and the cost to replace but I think it is life limited.
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Old 04-20-2020, 04:28 PM   #6
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At least one aspect of an LPG fuel cell is proven, it is zero emission.
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Old 05-05-2020, 06:48 PM   #7
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Default messages moved

Moderator's note:

I moved some messages re: "Carado banff charging problem" to a new thread:
https://www.classbforum.com/forums/f...wer-10416.html
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