Solar Panels for Campervans
Discussion
Any recommendations for a portable solar panel kit for a campervan.
I've seen the fixed installations but I don't really want one of those, would prefer the portable fold up type.
Just looking for something to keep a fridge going and charge phones.
EDIT - I already have a 230V and leisure battery set up in the van, just looking for something to help out when I don't get an electric hook up.
I've seen the fixed installations but I don't really want one of those, would prefer the portable fold up type.
Just looking for something to keep a fridge going and charge phones.
EDIT - I already have a 230V and leisure battery set up in the van, just looking for something to help out when I don't get an electric hook up.
The best way to do it is to work out or estimate your consumption needs when off grid, times that by the number of consecutive off grid days you want to last for and size the panel accordingly assuming your battery is the correct size for what you want.
Running a fridge is s huge variable as it could be a thermoelectric jobby which is relatively inefficient or a 12v compressor which is about as efficient as you can get.
If you post up some usage parameters and power draws I can help calculate the panel you need.
Running a fridge is s huge variable as it could be a thermoelectric jobby which is relatively inefficient or a 12v compressor which is about as efficient as you can get.
If you post up some usage parameters and power draws I can help calculate the panel you need.
sebdangerfield said:
The best way to do it is to work out or estimate your consumption needs when off grid, times that by the number of consecutive off grid days you want to last for and size the panel accordingly assuming your battery is the correct size for what you want.
Running a fridge is s huge variable as it could be a thermoelectric jobby which is relatively inefficient or a 12v compressor which is about as efficient as you can get.
If you post up some usage parameters and power draws I can help calculate the panel you need.
Nice one - trying to get my head around solar so following with interest.Running a fridge is s huge variable as it could be a thermoelectric jobby which is relatively inefficient or a 12v compressor which is about as efficient as you can get.
If you post up some usage parameters and power draws I can help calculate the panel you need.
The flexible fold-up solar panels have really bad reviews. They all seem to crack after a bit of use rendering them useless and only fit for the bin. Recommend you get rigid panels if you want portable ones, but obviously that means you need some garage space to store them.
Edited by r3g on Wednesday 3rd August 15:02
The folding ones will break in time, and need careful setup. A panel big enough to power a (compressor) fridge is quite big and heavy, and will need to be propped up and secured against the wind. Isn't it easier to bond a panel to the roof and it's done?
Flexible ones are very easy to install, but WILL fail in time - one, maybe 2 years. A proper rigid panel is best.
Flexible ones are very easy to install, but WILL fail in time - one, maybe 2 years. A proper rigid panel is best.
R56Cooper said:
Nice one - trying to get my head around solar so following with interest.
What are you trying to achieve? Good resources are the blogs on https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/
And the YouTube channels run by Greg Virgoe and another by Explorist Life.
One of the biggest issues I've found people experience when buying solar for vans is the amount of information out there and sorting the wheat from the chaff, there's a huge amount of poor advice out there. That leads people to install solar by guessing a panel size when logically, the panel size is dictated by how much you need to replenish your batteries and how powerful you expect the sun to be while you do it. Even if your usage and battery size is the same your panel will be different depending on if your usage is mainly sunny weekends away in summer or weeks around a mountain in Scotland in winter. I tend to mountaineer in my van so I sized the solar to be enough to replenish my estimated battery draw during winter in high latitudes. That then leads to a bigger panel and more cost so it's always a balance.
sebdangerfield said:
R56Cooper said:
Nice one - trying to get my head around solar so following with interest.
What are you trying to achieve? Good resources are the blogs on https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/
And the YouTube channels run by Greg Virgoe and another by Explorist Life.
One of the biggest issues I've found people experience when buying solar for vans is the amount of information out there and sorting the wheat from the chaff, there's a huge amount of poor advice out there. That leads people to install solar by guessing a panel size when logically, the panel size is dictated by how much you need to replenish your batteries and how powerful you expect the sun to be while you do it. Even if your usage and battery size is the same your panel will be different depending on if your usage is mainly sunny weekends away in summer or weeks around a mountain in Scotland in winter. I tend to mountaineer in my van so I sized the solar to be enough to replenish my estimated battery draw during winter in high latitudes. That then leads to a bigger panel and more cost so it's always a balance.
My van has a 12v Vitrifrigo compressor fridge and LED interior lights which we try to use quite sparingly.
We have a pop up vent and I tend to use a large roof box so a permanent roof mounted one may not be practical but I've seen some people with the little fold out ones that look quite neat.
Useful article here
https://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/advice...
Tells you all about Amps Watts Voltages etc and how to calculate your requirements, types of panels and so on
https://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/advice...
Tells you all about Amps Watts Voltages etc and how to calculate your requirements, types of panels and so on
Fridge is often the single biggest consumption, but also bliss if you can pull it off.
As said, work out the specs of that, do some sums and or take some reading as to how much power that uses in a day.
Then get some specs, and real world figures for panels, and try and match the output of that to the consumption of the fridge.
If you only want a few days, even a week, the battery can add enough to make a difference.
Running the engine will charge it back up, if driving, but a 20min run wont get anywhere near back to full.
Daniel
As said, work out the specs of that, do some sums and or take some reading as to how much power that uses in a day.
Then get some specs, and real world figures for panels, and try and match the output of that to the consumption of the fridge.
If you only want a few days, even a week, the battery can add enough to make a difference.
Running the engine will charge it back up, if driving, but a 20min run wont get anywhere near back to full.
Daniel
Obison said:
I looked into solar after putting a compressor fridge in my van, to be honest it was much easier to just put another battery in, both leisure battery's linked together gives me 260ah of power and they charge while driving, plenty of power for a few days away.
I think this is the approach I might take. My leisure battery is under the seat and it looks like I have space for a second. The portable solar panels look quite vulnerable to getting whacked with a football!
Obison said:
I looked into solar after putting a compressor fridge in my van, to be honest it was much easier to just put another battery in, both leisure battery's linked together gives me 260ah of power and they charge while driving, plenty of power for a few days away.
That's a very good point. My solar panel is handy for long stays off-grid, but a second battery would hold a huge amount of power. And you can just idle the engine for a while to charge it up.How eco do you feel!?
I had a 100w 2 panel job that I bought from aliexpress a few years back. I started off with just a spare car battery the panel and one of the electric cool boxes. It wasn't really up to the task, mainly the cool box, so I've upgraded to a Allpower 200w 4 panel one, a poweroak solar power station and a compressor fridge. The power station can run the fridge in about 20c heat for a couple of days and while at LeMans with the solar panel flat on the roof of my car each day the battery was fully charged by lunch. I think most of the time in full sun I was seeing 120w going into the battery pack. I do suspect these things can get a bit fragile and the material I suspect will breakdown with the sun exposure I do make sure I keep the panel flat and not flexed. The 100w one is still going well but in the uk I was only seeing 50w going into the battery and less on overcast days hence the upgrade.
Big outlay, but you could consider a lifepo4 battery (ours is a genuine 110a as opposed to a AGM type which can only discharge about half as much, while weighing twice as much at least, or a lot more to get similar capacity as the lithium one). Add a good 30a b2b charger and you're fairly well set.
Also, as someone else said, consider propane and a gas fridge as an option. The burner is only like a pilot light, and they'll run forever on a bottle (or it feels like that to me, even though we also use the gas for the hob and oven, occasional hot water, and a quick flash up of the heating when off grid).
Also, as someone else said, consider propane and a gas fridge as an option. The burner is only like a pilot light, and they'll run forever on a bottle (or it feels like that to me, even though we also use the gas for the hob and oven, occasional hot water, and a quick flash up of the heating when off grid).
Steve Kimberley said:
Big outlay, but you could consider a lifepo4 battery (ours is a genuine 110a as opposed to a AGM type which can only discharge about half as much, while weighing twice as much at least, or a lot more to get similar capacity as the lithium one). Add a good 30a b2b charger and you're fairly well set.
Also, as someone else said, consider propane and a gas fridge as an option. The burner is only like a pilot light, and they'll run forever on a bottle (or it feels like that to me, even though we also use the gas for the hob and oven, occasional hot water, and a quick flash up of the heating when off grid).
Just seen your post in the other thread about having 400w of solar. Coupled with lifepo4 with a usable 110ah of capacity I'd assumed you'd have a compressor fridge. What do you use all that power for if your fridge is gas?Also, as someone else said, consider propane and a gas fridge as an option. The burner is only like a pilot light, and they'll run forever on a bottle (or it feels like that to me, even though we also use the gas for the hob and oven, occasional hot water, and a quick flash up of the heating when off grid).
A 400w panel never pulls in anything like 400w. It's flat on the roof, and how often (apart from recent exceptional circs) do we get full sun? It's also not unusual for us to be parked in partial/dappled sun anyway.
I've sized it that way to ensure I can keep the house battery topped up, along with the vehicle battery while we are off grid, parked up, for extended periods. I also charge my Ecoflow 1600w pack from it (for charging the bikes, running an induction hob, madame's hair tools. I don't have a house inverter) I sometimes also run a small 12v freezer/fridge if I have room/payload for it in the garage. Oh, and a MaxxAir roof fan that's running pretty much full time in warmer weather and when cooking inside.
It's more about not having power anxiety to be honest.
(Edit: Forgot that I switched from a 700w Bluetti to a 1600w fast-charging Ecoflow in the previous post. The former now powers my shed with a 150w panel on the south facing sloping roof. Works well and means I didn't need to lay the previously planned 240v armoured cable).
I've sized it that way to ensure I can keep the house battery topped up, along with the vehicle battery while we are off grid, parked up, for extended periods. I also charge my Ecoflow 1600w pack from it (for charging the bikes, running an induction hob, madame's hair tools. I don't have a house inverter) I sometimes also run a small 12v freezer/fridge if I have room/payload for it in the garage. Oh, and a MaxxAir roof fan that's running pretty much full time in warmer weather and when cooking inside.
It's more about not having power anxiety to be honest.
(Edit: Forgot that I switched from a 700w Bluetti to a 1600w fast-charging Ecoflow in the previous post. The former now powers my shed with a 150w panel on the south facing sloping roof. Works well and means I didn't need to lay the previously planned 240v armoured cable).
Edited by Steve Kimberley on Saturday 20th August 09:33
Edited by Steve Kimberley on Saturday 20th August 10:42
Interesting, thanks. I can’t see you having power anxiety with that!
I’ve 360w and 120ah of lithium and run a 95 litre compressor fridge and freezer, two maxx air fans and other chargers for iPads, phones etc. inverter for a hair straightener every now and then and even in winter in the alps we off gridded from September to February with no issue and never hooked up.
I’ve 360w and 120ah of lithium and run a 95 litre compressor fridge and freezer, two maxx air fans and other chargers for iPads, phones etc. inverter for a hair straightener every now and then and even in winter in the alps we off gridded from September to February with no issue and never hooked up.
I squeezed 600W of solar on roof of my 20yr old bus. Its all coupled to a 50A solar/B2B, 200Ah of lithium and a 2kW inverter hard wired to the vans distribution board. The idea was to be able to run the little 600W roof mounted air con pretty much off the sun so we would not need to worry leaving the dog in the van in full sun for a couple of hours on continent.
Works a treat, even with no sun at all when batteries are full the AC will run for about 5 hours just off the batteries. The great thing about so much power is that all sorts of other options open, I could rig the TV audio output to the amp and sub for home cinema, build a microwave into the old TV cupboard, the Mrs can use her hair dryer, I was even even able to jerry rig an old sump pump and RO system to refill the water tank from a stream overnight when wild camping etc. All works just off solar and batteries
Works a treat, even with no sun at all when batteries are full the AC will run for about 5 hours just off the batteries. The great thing about so much power is that all sorts of other options open, I could rig the TV audio output to the amp and sub for home cinema, build a microwave into the old TV cupboard, the Mrs can use her hair dryer, I was even even able to jerry rig an old sump pump and RO system to refill the water tank from a stream overnight when wild camping etc. All works just off solar and batteries
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