Solar panel for charging 2nd battery

[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

[Silver]

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!

[Bigrig]

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!

[Yendor]

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

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.

[Dark 1]

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.

[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.

[Dark 1]

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.

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.

[DX grunt]

I'm watching this thread with interest, too.

[Sir Roofy]

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

[Ghost]

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.