Anyone ever run a similar set up? I have a cyclone 3110 currently outfitted with 2 - 12 volt interstates, at night in Alaska generally we have to run the furnace and obviously refrigerator, we usually don't make it through the night although I'm pretty sure those interstates are toast. I'm going with a 410 watt solar setup which I'm sure will be fine with regular batteries but I'm also looking at swapping to a set of 6V due to its going to cost me a little more but with a 6V I get 330Ah versus 100Ah with the 12V so all together I'm going to be in probably $1,400 but from what I've gathered that setup should be more than enough to power the RV with the exception of the A/C which we rarely use here. I do have an onboard generator but with fuel prices its costing me about $120 to fill that up and I get maybe 4 days being generous with it so I'm trying to get away from that. I'm pretty new to solar and 5th wheels so feel free to correct me with your experience.
Running 6V batteries with 400W solar
- Thread starter Dlew101
- Start date
Oregon_Camper
Well-known member
To have 330amp hours with a 6v setup, you need to have 4 of them, at 115 amp hours each. Not sure if you were doing 2 or 4 batteries. Also, any battery, other than Lithium will only provide you 50% of their total amp hours.
Example #1 - Two 6v batteries (115 amp hours each), wired in series to 12v = total of 115 amp hours...57.5 usable (series only increased voltage)
Example #2 - Four 6v batteries (115 amp hours each...2 in series + 2 in parrallel) = 330 amp hours...but only 115 usable
Example #1 - Two 6v batteries (115 amp hours each), wired in series to 12v = total of 115 amp hours...57.5 usable (series only increased voltage)
Example #2 - Four 6v batteries (115 amp hours each...2 in series + 2 in parrallel) = 330 amp hours...but only 115 usable
So they batteries I was looking at are 330Ah a piece, so 2 at 50% I should just need the 2 for a combined 660Ah cut down to 330Ah at 50% correct?
Oregon_Camper
Well-known member
If you have 2x6v batteries that are 330Ah each, you will have a total of 330Ah, once you wire them in series to get 12v. Series only increases voltage...not amps. Then you will only have 115 usable Ah, as you can only use 50% of your amps, before you start to do damage to any battery other than lithium.
Oh okay I gotcha, I was a little goofed up on series and parallel. I was thinking if I went parallel I would get the 12V from the 2 and combine Ah but I guess you have to go series to combine V to get the 12V from the 2 but then in turn that only gives off the 330Ah combined. Thanks for the education I was all goofed up.
