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Old 12-01-2014, 09:03 AM   #6
LoveToCamp
TrailManor Master
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Centennial, Colorado
Posts: 885
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Seeing all the concern over solar charging from those of you who camp with clouds or tree canopy, it makes me a bit happier that I don't have as much shade to camp in!

I have gone 7 nights at a time in the summer with mostly-shade, and my battery seems to top-off daily (my original TM had a lights-only controller, so I never really knew the state of charge). I got my new 2417 this spring, and that controller showed me I was up to at least 13.1 every day.

A few weekends ago, I took our TM out with 4 guys (yes, it was tight, but 3 of us had comfortable beds). Kept the heater at 65° in the evening, then 45° overnight each night. Through the evening, the heater was on about half the time. Overnight, it ran about 25% of the time, with outdoor temps of 30°. Each day, we were back up to 13.1, even with the sun low on the southern sky.

This weekend, I put a second 12v battery in, so I should have even more capacity going-forward. One of these years, I will be camping in New England, or Oregon, and will get to see if I get close to a full re-charge daily. But, for now, my 100w panel seems to keep me fully-charged daily.
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