Solar panel for charging 2nd battery

Just wondering if there is any advice about solar panels. A friend has some panels, which still work, but his complete array was replaced by his insurance company after some were damaged in last years hail storm. They are Enertech SE-170M panels http://www.solare-power.com/cn/produ...ail.php?id=200

I was thinking about fitting it on a slide I'll make to fit under my roof rack, so in normal day-to-day driving it would keep the 2nd battery or possibly even both batteries charged; as there is nothing above it normally. When I go camping and want to park in the shade I can slide the panel out and put it in the sun with an extension cord.

I realise I'd need a regulator and a one way diode, to prevent the solar panel flattening the battery overnight. I have a Redarc isolator to separate the two batteries.

I haven't found anything online about the suitability or not of fitting such a panel on a 4by roof rack. What are you considered opinions, please, along with any advice to make it an even better setup. Thanks in anticipation

I've done the same thing with a toy panel on the dash - autoleccie said it probably kept my old battery going for another 6 months.

I have ne experience with 'real' panels. 16kg per panel would soon add up on a roof rack. Apart from that, I reckon, go for it!

Kelvin (Dark1) has a ton of experience with solar panels etc - he should see this, but if not, PM him and I'm sure he will be able to assist!

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Originally Posted by Aquarian51

Just wondering if there is any advice about solar panels. A friend has some panels, which still work, but his complete array was replaced by his insurance company after some were damaged in last years hail storm. They are Enertech SE-170M panels http://www.solare-power.com/cn/produ...ail.php?id=200

I was thinking about fitting it on a slide I'll make to fit under my roof rack, so in normal day-to-day driving it would keep the 2nd battery or possibly even both batteries charged; as there is nothing above it normally. When I go camping and want to park in the shade I can slide the panel out and put it in the sun with an extension cord.

I realise I'd need a regulator and a one way diode, to prevent the solar panel flattening the battery overnight. I have a Redarc isolator to separate the two batteries.

I haven't found anything online about the suitability or not of fitting such a panel on a 4by roof rack. What are you considered opinions, please, along with any advice to make it an even better setup. Thanks in anticipation

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Sorry can't help with this.

But I can tell you that, you will not need the diode as the regulator already has this function built in.

Mate solar is the only way to go in my book, go for a good quality panel [bp solar or kyocera] & good quality reg [steca, morning star, redarc, xantrex & so on]. Make sure you run decent size cable from panel-reg-battery/batteries. An 80 watt panel & 20amp regulator is all you would normally need for a standard fourby setup.
Good luck & check out my build thread link for some shots of my solar setup, i think it's about page 7 or 8.

Thanks Kelvin.

I was chatting to a guy recently who had two 80 watts panels on his Troopy as he said that he'd found one wasn't sufficient. When my mate was saying he had a 170 watt I thought bonus, but was unsure whether a domestic roof panel would handle the flexing it may get on a roof rack. I don't want to go to the expense and trouble of buying the panel and making the sliding tray only to find the panel can't handle the vibration/flexing/whatever. Although he'd still have another 3 I could buy. :-)

Checked out your rig. Gr8 setup.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aquarian51

Thanks Kelvin.

I was chatting to a guy recently who had two 80 watts panels on his Troopy as he said that he'd found one wasn't sufficient. When my mate was saying he had a 170 watt I thought bonus, but was unsure whether a domestic roof panel would handle the flexing it may get on a roof rack. I don't want to go to the expense and trouble of buying the panel and making the sliding tray only to find the panel can't handle the vibration/flexing/whatever. Although he'd still have another 3 I could buy. :-)

Checked out your rig. Gr8 setup.

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Domestic panels are the same [solar panels are solar panels] my problem is that size of panel is overdoing it & would probably flex due to physical size. Maybe go to a 120 watt panel but i don't think you need more unless your running multiple batts, fridges, lights, ect. I run 2 fridges, 2 led camplights, led tent light & 12volt tent fan off my 100amp hour agm auxillary battery & camp indefinatly as long as there is sunlight. Note i also do not remove my solar panel & sunchase it stays mounted on the roof permantly.


Oh & thanks for the comment on my ride.

I'm watching this thread with interest, too.

im still running my 80wat solar panel and at the momment it fullfills all our needs theres some pics
under SMOKO ON THE MITCHELL RIVER solar is the way to go

80 watt panel

110L Waeco, all led lights and electric pump we can camp for 5 days but batteries are loosing charge slowly over that time, the panel is just not quite enough. Once we start charging a laptop via its 12v charger we start to chew into it pretty hard. I did my calcs and arrived at around 120watt minium and 180 to be really safe. Maybe my panel has lost a bit of its output due to its age. I mount it on the camper on a 3m pole that i can rotate and align. I usually move it 3 times a day. I do have a spreadsheet on my home pc that allows you to calculate your useage over a day or week etc. Works extremely well i cna post later tonight.