Elkmont

[Wavery]

How many TrailManor Elkmonts are still out there?

 

[Shane826]

You have one of one.

Well that’s not true. Someone contacted me through Facebook asking about them. So you have one of two.

 

[Houle5150]

Hey just joined this forum, we actually have a 2010 trailmanor elkmont. We love it, hard to find much info on them cause it seems not many elkmonts around still. I'd love to learn more how you went about setting up solar on your elkmont.

 

[Wavery]

Hey just joined this forum, we actually have a 2010 trailmanor elkmont. We love it, hard to find much info on them cause it seems not many elkmonts around still. I'd love to learn more how you went about setting up solar on your elkmont.

Hi,

I'd be happy to help you with setting up solar on your Elkmont. First, a few questions so that we don't waste a lot of my time or yours.

My system (2x 365W solar panels, 1x230AH lithium battery, 2000W pure sine wave inverter) is designed so that we can dry camp continuously without having to plug to shore power to charge the battery. Of course, that has limits. My system will not run the roof air conditioner. We limit the microwave use to about 20 (accumulated) minutes per day and we use the fridge on propane. Lights, water pump ceiling fans and every other 12V device is unlimited use (pretty much) the exception would be the furnace (which is a electricity glutton). We use a Mr Buddy heater, which uses propane but no electric.

*Do you have any electrical knowledge?
*How much of a "Handyman" are you?
*What is our goal for solar charging (how many watts)?
*Are you interested in running A/C off grid? (triples budget and solar requirements).
*Are you willing to remove your TV antenna (to make space for solar)
*What is your budget?
*Have you read how to do a RV power audit?
*Where are you located?
*Have you read my other posts about the repairs that I've made to our Elkmont?

Here is a pic of my 2, 365W solar panels. I have about $2,000 in my solar/battery system. Another $200 in specialty tools. If I were to do it over again, it would cost about $2,500 for the same size system but some different (better quality) components.

 

[Wavery]

my main concern is bringing wires from panels to the inverter/battery. So would be interested in how you did that and also your inverter location and things of that nature.

Excellent question because I may re-vamp my set-up.

I now have the battery and most components under the seat in the dinette, next to the bathroom wall. The wires from the solar panels come through the roof, into the top of the bathroom cabinet (hidden from view). The wires then go out of the cabinet (drilled holes) to the solar controller, mounted on the wall (where it can be easily seen). Then a set of solar wires go back into the cabinet, down to to bottom where they go through the hidden wall and into the cabinet under the dinette seat. My intension was to locate the components near the camper's converter.

My new plan is to run the solar wires from the roof, down into the top of the wardrobe cabinet (hidden) then out to the solar controller mounted next to the bed, back into the cabinet then out into the under bed space.

I will put the battery, inverter, circuit breakers, battery switch, converter charger, automatic transfer switch and misc hardware under the bed. The only thing is, I will have to run the shore power cord in, under the bed (into a separate container). I will then have to run a 6G (pure copper) wire from the positive 12V busbar, back to the converter that is located in the hallway, next to the bathroom. The ground wire (from the converter and from the battery busbar) will go directly to the trailer frame.


*What is our goal for solar charging (how many watts)?
Right now just still looking into it and seeing what I want to do, but I'm thinking mostly just for running basic stuff and also just keeping the batteries topped off.

If you plan to keep your old lead/acid batteries, I would still recommend the largest solar panels that you can mount on the roof (minimum 400W)

*Are you interested in running A/C off grid? (triples budget and solar requirements). I don't think so, not at this point. If needed to I'd bring generator.
Smart choice

*Are you willing to remove your TV antenna (to make space for solar)
Would prefer to keep but it could be an option.

*Have you read how to do a RV power audit?
No I have not.

*Where are you located?
I am in northern California near Sacramento.

*Have you read my other posts about the repairs that I've made to our Elkmont? I looked through your posts but most of them seem to be for your old trailer that was a popup TM.
Look in the Elkmont section of the forum:
https://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=51



I would recommend that you think seriously about investing in a lithium battery at some point and build your solar set-up with that (eventual) goal in mind. That way you won't have to waste a lot of $ on components that will have to be changed once you do make the switch. lead/acid batteries are on their way out and you may be forced to make the switch to lithium at some point. They are far more economical over the long haul.

This gives you a pretty good idea of what a decent value lithium battery will cost. Just keep in mind, the lithium battery charges 5x faster and lasts 3 - 10 times longer than lead acid. They can be kept indoors because they don't off-gas and they are half the weight.

A 300ah lithium will give you about 6x the capacity of your current L/A batteries.

https://www.amazon.com/CHINS-LiFePO...refix=chins+300ah+battery,aps,171&sr=8-3&th=1