Upgrade or start from scratch?

[DouglasPaul]

My travel trailer came with a limited solar set up, I wish to have a system capable of running 110-120 ac to some extent, not air conditioning or anything so power consuming. Tv, coffee maker, toaster, crock pot etc.. Right now it will only supply 12 volt dc to a somewhat limited degree though I'm happy for that. No ac converter. My knowledge of this is practically zero so I will post pictures of my system as I am unable to accurately describe it.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

I'm very much a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kinda guy. If the system is working to your liking, I would leave it in place and add something supplemental.

Toaster and coffee maker are typically big consumers. Plan for 1500W inverter even though most use 900-1200W. Crock pots are around 350W, but they burn power over a longer period of time, which can place significant demand on battery/solar.

Recommend you get a kill-a-watt and measure the power/energy your devices use for typical operations. If you have any desire to run a microwave (I do), a 2000W inverter will typically do the trick.

Check the DIY checklist in my signature (turn phone sideways if you can't see it, and/or enable signatures in your user settings). It's a good place to get started. More planning means less waste. I have a whole spare system due to a lack of future planning. I'm okay with it because it was a learning experience... and hey... I have a complete backup system, but I would have saved a lot of money had this forum existed when I got started...

 

[MisterSandals]

What solar charge controller is that? It looks like a Morningstar which is top notch equipment and will likely accept much more solar power. Is it MPPT or PWM?
You might be able to just add to the solar wiring on the roof with more or bigger panels.

 

[DouglasPaul]

What solar charge controller is that? It looks like a Morningstar which is top notch equipment and will likely accept much more solar power. Is it MPPT or PWM?
You might be able to just add to the solar wiring on the roof with more or bigger panels.

MPPT or PWM? I really don't know. More pictures is all I can do at this point until I gain some knowledge. Sorry about the orientation, pretty tight quarters down there. Maybe I can simply replace the two lead acid batteries with 4 lithium batteries and add a couple panels? The NSI connector states 600 volts. https://www.amazon.com/NSI-AS-K1-H4-Connector-Block-ASK1H4/dp/B00ZEV6QTY
Apparently the Morningstar charger is a Tristar TS-45, maybe an old version as it doesn't look like the ones offered for sale. https://www.solar-electric.com/trts12vochco.html

 

[justgary]

TS-45 is a PWM controller. I have one of those and a TS-60. One of the two has been working continuously in a 12V system for about 14 years now. My intent is to switch over from lead-acid and use them for LFP as soon as my cells arrive. The TS-45 will do charge control and the TS-60 will do load control.