Adding solar to dump trailer?

[Rock Crawler]

I just ordered an Appalachian 14" dual ram dump trailer, the "Contractor Grade" in 12K gross, upgraded to 7G floor and G rated 235/85-16 with a spare.

So, it's going to sleep out at the end of my driveway with my other trailers.

I would like to apply a solar panel to the top of the tool/hydraulics box that would recharge the battery over a few days and maintain it. I'm also planning to install a 10-15 amp battery charger that I can plug in if I pull it to the house.

What do I need to do here? Do I need to have the solar vs. truck power vs. 120V charger all able to be isolated from each other?

How much solar panel? 50 Watt? Do I need a solar charge controller?

I'm wanting to make it so that for normal occasional side job use, it's a grab and go. But if I need 2 days in a row, I want to be able to pull it by the house and run a cord to it so that it charges over night.

But I don't want to destroy the battery, the solar stuff or the charger...

Help!

 

[Topzide]

Solar would be a great option to keep battery charged. 25 watt with a charge controller would be plenty to keep the charge up. You'll have to pay attention to see if there's a blocking diode to keep the battery from back charging the panel and also the 120 volt charge and of course the power being delivered from the truck. Charge controller will keep you from over charging the battery. Some panels are capable of 20 plus volts! You could also use a couple of switches to make sure that things are isolated from one another.

 

[grsthegreat]

my dump trailer has a charger built in to the 7 pin control wiring so it charges when hooked to truck. i was worried that it would discharge when not used for 3-4 weeks, but in 3 years has never happened. in the winter i pull ALL equipment batteries from rigs not used and place in environment controller shop. on trickle chargers over winter.

 

[jaxs]

By all means use a controler with solar charger or buy a charger with built-in overcharge protection and maintain mode. All three of my 120 volt chargers are Deltran brand Battery Tenders that I kept connected to something most all the time for decades. I'm amazed they still work perfect after all these years of being used so much. I credit the tenders with doubling life of batteries on everything from lawn tractor to diesel trucks.
I wouldn't permanatly mount a solar panel on trailer where it might be damaged.
Unless the trailer come's equiped with automatic disconnect of pin #4 while pump is running,the fuse will blow unless 7 way is unplugged before dumping. If fuse blows,let us know and we can help you install auto disconnect on trailer. Installing a heavier fuse will only compound the problem.

 

[Rock Crawler]

my dump trailer has a charger built in to the 7 pin control wiring so it charges when hooked to truck. i was worried that it would discharge when not used for 3-4 weeks, but in 3 years has never happened. in the winter i pull ALL equipment batteries from rigs not used and place in environment controller shop. on trickle chargers over winter.

My buddy has this same brand dump that I have borrowed, and while you get a bit of a surface charge on it from the truck, you consume battery power far faster than you can ever push amps back using the small OEM 12V wiring. I've seen folks swap out to a 00 welding cable with 250A relay/plugs so that they can actually push amps at the trailer battery/pump, but I do not want to do that since this will move between my truck, my fathers truck and my buddies truck.

When I would borrow my buddies, if I did not get it a day ahead of time and pull to the house to charge his pair of batteries... I spend the day fighting a weak as heck hydraulic system. So my thought is that if I used the trailer today and left it rest out in the sun for a week or 3 between uses, it would be easily topped off by solar. If I needed multiple days of use, I can park at the house at night and charge.

This company does not install an onboard charger. This is a lower cost brand of trailers, and yes, some corners are cut unless you up-charge it to have things added.

We up-charged the 7G floor, spare tire and mount, 235/85-16 LRE tires, roll out tarper for the dump bed.
We left the dual cylinder rather than a single telescopic (best) or a scissor lift (second best), single battery (I'll add a second if needed), steel ramps (They offer aluminum for +$600).

I would love a Lamar or Iron Bull (By NorStar), but at $9000 VS this Appalachian for $6,600.... and the fact that I plan to use it maybe a 6-12 days a year.... It will be fine.

 

[Ford850]

Your dump trailer likely has a deep cycle battery. Do some research on the size of solar chargers recommended for deep cycle batteries because you do not want a small trickle charge. I looked into this for mine but can't remember what was recommended - maybe a 70 watt. I park mine close to an outlet so I went with an onboard plug in charger rather than solar.

 

[Rock Crawler]

It's going to sit out there with the other trailers, so it should get really good sun exposure for a solar solution to work.

I'm thinking a 50 Watt solar charger kit from Renogy on Amazon. It's a 50w mono panel, controller with diode protection and cables.

 

[Ford850]

You're right, that 50 watt kit looks like it would be a good fit.

 

[herm0016]

i have a 100 watt kit from renogy that has been going for several years. i would recommend the 50 watt kit from them as well.

 

[jaxs]

My buddy has this same brand dump that I have borrowed, and while you get a bit of a surface charge on it from the truck, you consume battery power far faster than you can ever push amps back using the small OEM 12V wiring. I've seen folks swap out to a 00 welding cable with 250A relay/plugs so that they can actually push amps at the trailer battery/pump, but I do not want to do that since this will move between my truck, my fathers truck and my buddies truck.
.

00 welding cable for charging trailer batteries? I've seen those :number1: folks to. Most people think that's a blower or supercharger poking out above their truck hood but it's actually the alternator required to "push" as many amps as 00 cable is capiable of handling. They don't keep the set up for long because when that alternator kicks in,the engine doesn't have enough horsepower to pull it and a trailer at the same time. The only thing that might be goofier is using 00 welding cable to operate trailer from truck battery then become stranded when truck won't start. Think about it,what's the largest wire you ever saw manufactures run from the alternator to charge truck batteries? The ideas one can see on the interweb can be intertaining even if they aren't useful.

 

[downsizingnow48]

My LoadTrail dump has an onboard charger that works flawlessly. It often sits for weeks or months. A few hours towing with the pickup will bring the battery up. Or plug in the charger overnight. The 5 amp charger with built in tester is about 60 dollars on their website.

 

[Sonny580]

Thats why I junked the electric crap and put a good gas engine on mine with a BIG hydraulic pump and valve! No more screwing around when I go dump a load, and anybody can pull my trailer and dump it with no problems! lol!

 

[ArlyA]

You guys got me thinking. (bad sign Maybe I could put a solar panel on the building that doesn't have power to keep my 6x6 charged up. Its used to plow with over the winter so its battery is highly stressed and should be recharged after each use.. Hummmmmmm

 

[nikerret]

2 AWG to rear of truck for power. - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

Here’s what I did. I have a 7 watt solar panels also. This setup works great. I did buy a new battery, today. From mid May 2018 to late September 2020 is pretty good on a commercial use unit. My business is feast or famine. It has sat for months at a time, over those couple of years, but this summer, it’s been busy doing demolition work.

 

[TractorGuy]

2 AWG to rear of truck for power. - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

Here’s what I did. I have a 7 watt solar panels also. This setup works great. I did buy a new battery, today. From mid May 2018 to late September 2020 is pretty good on a commercial use unit. My business is feast or famine. It has sat for months at a time, over those couple of years, but this summer, it’s been busy doing demolition work.

I like the look of those circuit breakers. Keep and eye on those Anderson connectors. I used a 50 amp version on my tractor and the plastic just fell apart after a year and a half. Tractor has ALWAYS been stored out of the sun too.

One thing about solar charge controllers is they almost always want it connected to a charged battery BEFORE connecting the panel. I just mounted 30W and 100W panels I had on top of my barn to keep some batteries charged and power some lights. I used a project box and put some toggle switches rated for 12V, 20 Amp in line. That way when I get ready to disconnect a battery I can turn off the panel connection first and reconnect the battery before turning the panel switch back on.

 

[Todd727]

Thats why I junked the electric crap and put a good gas engine on mine with a BIG hydraulic pump and valve! No more screwing around when I go dump a load, and anybody can pull my trailer and dump it with no problems! lol!

This is the answer. I spent a few bucks, but I have a reliable system. Everything came from Surplus Center.

 

[nikdfish]

I put a 10 watt panel on the equipment box lid of our 7k dump trailer using a 3 amp controller for the battery connection. It's been about 3 years now, no problems & battery has always done the job. The panel & truck have been the only charge sources since the panel was installed.

 

[Loaderman22]

I went to "The Large River" online store and bought a bunch of goodies for mine. Solar charger and controller, plugs, 110v receptacle, trickle charger, and even lights! How often do you hook up trailer in dark and need to put a cell phone on the top of the tailgate shining down to make sure everything is connected? Sometimes I pick up my trailer after the day job and this has been very handy. Mine runs a winch but the overall concept is the same. I also added a LED voltmeter gauge on the outside that displays the current battery level without having to open the lid. That way if I am outside and don't happen to have the key for the box, I can look and see if the trailer is ready to go. I can PM you links of the shopping list, I don't want to post here, I think that's frowned upon.