Overview
I learned the importance of a robust power system on my four month Alaska trip in 1999. A combination of high power draw camper accessories, low output alternator and poor battery connections left me without sufficient power on several occassions. I couldn't continuously run my refrigerator because it used too much power. On a couple of occasions, I had to resort to RV parks with 110 AC outlets so I could power my computer and update my web site. That was then, this is now... My Safari Vehicles camper has a power system that would put many homes to shame. It is so robust, I don't even have an AC outlet to plug in the camper!
Charging
First, my 220 amp high output alternator and 300 amp isolator provide large amounts of power whenever the engine is running. Even at idle the alternator will charge the camper battery at 20 amps. With even a minimal amount of engine run time, both my starting and camper batteries will maintain a full charge.
170 watts worth of solar panels keep the camper battery charged whenever there is available sunlight. When the camper is sitting for extended periods, the solar panels provide enough power to keep the batteries topped off even when running the refrigerator and heater continuously.
Charge Controller
The solar charge controller essentially reduces the voltage of the solar panels to the maximum the batteries can handle and increases the amperage to the batteries. This increases the efficiency of the solar panels by up to 38%.
Battery Computer
The battery computer is a device that displays the rate of charge of discharge of my camper battery and the amp hours of electricity remaining. With this batter computer, I can tell what each individual electrical component is drawing, what rate I'm charging or discharging my batteries, and how much power I have remaining. I can't imagine how I lived without this information before.
Circuit breaker/switch panel
Electrical accessories are controlled through the circuit breaker/switch panel. Each circuit breaker is also a switch, so I can quickly see what components are on or off. The circuit breaker protection means that I don't have to worry about carrying fuses.
Camper Battery
I really like Optima batteries, but it would take 4 Optimas to equal the amp hour rating of my one 8D 225 amp hour gel cell battery. Connecting the 4 optimas in parallel would have been a wiring nightmare and would have compromised the robustness of the power system. The 8D is a standard size battery with wide availability. The gel cell design allows the battery to be mounted inside the camper under the camper seat where it will stay warm and is readily accessible.
