Solar panel installation

[elty001]

As the title suggests I'm looking to fit a second battery and a solar panel system.
Been looking at various kits on line but still scratching my head as to what size I will need.
Will be running a fridge,laptop/tablet and most likely a phone charger or 2.
I know Rick uses solar power but anyone have them installed on their vehicles????

 

[jims-terrano]

It’s something I’m looking into now for when I start converting a vw van. So far best solutions that I have seen are Victron Controllers and minimum of 100watt panel or maybe two 100watt panels. Take a look at a channel on YouTube called Gadget John On Tour and also John Virgo as they have made so e interesting videos on this subject.

 

[elty001]

Cheers Jim:thumb2
I was looking at a 120 watt kit from from a company called sun store.co.uk.
The question is do I go for a fixed panel or a removable one????
Decisions,decisions :lol

 

[zippy656]

Just need panel, matched regulator and a leisure battery,

 

[elty001]

Just need panel, matched regulator and a leisure battery,

Any recommendations on different manufacturers zips:nenau

 

[macabethiel]

Leisure Battery ?

Just need panel, matched regulator and a leisure battery,

I would go for an AGM technology battery rather than so called Leisure Battery. AGM are slower to discharge compared to all other designs - prices are now more reasonable too.

I have an AGM battery in our Merc as it it used infrequently - its now 7 years old & still good - I use a C-Tek connected most of the time in the garage. It cost me £137 in December 2012 from Battery Megastore Delivered.

 

[solarman216]

Do not know what vehicle you are fitting it to but if running a fridge cover the roof and it will not be enough, chose a controller after you work out what panels you are going to use and chose one to suite, Rick

 

[zippy656]

I fit sarget panels and regulators, but that's only what the company buys.

any panel won't run anything, it just charges the battery,

To run a caravan 12v fridge with 153w elementm a normal 110ah leisure battery will last only 2 hours.

12v cool box 8 hours. No element


So panel size, biggest that will fit.
Battery, ideally 2 or maybe 3 depending on use.

 

[panelbeater]

nononono,fridge a no no,gas only unless you want to run the lump full time.

 

[solarman216]

As said fridge is a no no, may surprise you to learn a fridge uses more than a washing machine, it is the most power hungry item, Rick

 

[jims-terrano]

Have a look at Compressor Fridges as people run those for a couple of days on a battery but longer with solar. Check out Snow Master, a bit later I’ll look for details of a supplier in Doncaster that sell a cheaper brand that are cheaper than Snow Master. Generally these are more like a cool box on steroids, obviously a little larger than your picnic coolbox that you put ice blocks in. These are the type that often get mounted on slide out runners in the boot of Landies. For more info check out YouTube channel called Bug Out Vehicles UK as Rich the bloke who owns the channel runs this type of setup.

 

[solarman216]

12v dc is what we have still pulls 50 Ah over 12 hours running average daily consumption if door not opened much, a 100 Ah battery cannot provide that as it will be pulled to 50% discharge, 30% is maximum if you want it to last more than a year, Rick

 

[jims-terrano]

I believe there are several people on here running compressor fridge coolboxs from a second battery in their trucks. Might get them popping up at some point to give their experiences.

 

[elty001]

I fit sarget panels and regulators, but that's only what the company buys.

any panel won't run anything, it just charges the battery,

To run a caravan 12v fridge with 153w elementm a normal 110ah leisure battery will last only 2 hours.

12v cool box 8 hours. No element


So panel size, biggest that will fit.
Battery, ideally 2 or maybe 3 depending on use.

Its a 12 volt cool box,mobicool 60 or something.
I know the panel will only charge the second battery,should have made that clear in the first post.
i was looking for info of what other folks have fitted and what size panel/panels they are using.

 

[Fez_uk]

If you're moving about regularly i'd just fit a 2nd battery and maybe a higher amperage Alternator. Remember a 120w panel will only provide that in ideal conditions with it angled and tracking the sun. On a cloudy day you may only get 20-30w.

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

We put 2 x 150w solar panels on the roof of the caravan, with a controller, and were getting up to 20 amps out of them on those very hot sunny days we had. This was enough to keep the caravan battery charged, with normal caravan use (which in our case is quite heavy), and also allow the Mobicool portable compressor freezer to run day and night. If the nights had been much longer, I think we might have been in trouble though, as it ran the battery down to 11.9 volts by day break, so less than ideal.

 

[don simon]

I believe there are several people on here running compressor fridge coolboxs from a second battery in their trucks. Might get them popping up at some point to give their experiences.

And as if by magic... :thumb2
I have one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mobicool-Portable-Compressor-Fridge-Freezer/dp/B00ID2372U Mobicool, not quite cheap as chips but not that expensive and a 110Ah AGM battery on a split system, and foldable 120w solar panels.
The longest that I've been away from home is five nights with driving during the days. The fridge didn't miss a beat and I didn't struggle for power (phone charging and running lights with fridge), nor use the solar. I still haven't used the solar but will give it a bash this weekend to see what happens.
I think that the panels came from https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/ and the split charger from https://www.maes-group.co.uk/ and were the folding style.

Any solar you get must have the a controller that will work with an agm battery, if you go for an agm battery. And an agm battery is a must, imho.

I expect that in southern Spain or north Africa it'd be a different story.

Happy to let you have a nose around mine on the Northumberland meet.

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

And as if by magic... :thumb2
I have one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mobicool-Portable-Compressor-Fridge-Freezer/dp/B00ID2372U Mobicool, not quite cheap as chips but not that expensive and a 110Ah AGM battery on a split system, and foldable 120w solar panels.

SNIP

Thats the same one as we have... We have had it for about 5 years, and had just one problem, where the cooling fan packed up. I replaced it with a computer fan, but other than that it's been great. We often use it for 3 weeks at a time, and we are currently using it in the house, while the kitchen is being done.

I think the reason it was so power hungry on the solar panels, was it was in the back of the car, in a rack I have made for it, being used as a freezer for the ferret food, so was at minus 12. It was on an extension lead running from the caravan, and the car needed to be locked shut as there are some dodgy sorts at the GDSF, so it will have got very very hot in the car.

 

[don simon]

Thats the same one as we have... We have had it for about 5 years, and had just one problem, where the cooling fan packed up. I replaced it with a computer fan, but other than that it's been great. We often use it for 3 weeks at a time, and we are currently using it in the house, while the kitchen is being done.

I think the reason it was so power hungry on the solar panels, was it was in the back of the car, in a rack I have made for it, being used as a freezer for the ferret food, so was at minus 12. It was on an extension lead running from the caravan, and the car needed to be locked shut as there are some dodgy sorts at the GDSF, so it will have got very very hot in the car.

If I recall, I bought it on your recommendation.

If the ΔT is too great, then it'll suck power like a bad 'un. There are things you can do to mitigate that and keep the temp in the vehicle nice and low. Block out the glass or insulate the fridge itself. But in general running a fridge shouldn't be drawing too much as once clod, it'll just be running when needed to maintain the temp and the lower the ΔT, the better.

 

[Wheelie]

I have a 80w solar panel fitted on a slide under the roof rack with an MTTP charge controller. I have a dometic 12v 38 litre fridge, I also run a water pump and led strip lighting. I also only have a 75 amp hour auxiliary battery and a voltage sensing split charge system. I recently done the bank holiday in the new forest, we arrived on the Friday evening with a fully charged battery after an hours drive to the forest, I pulled out my solar panel ready for the following morning. I spent the next 3 days with my fridge running constantly on the thermostat along with using the water pump getting water from my 30 ltr onboard tank and running the led strip lights con and off throughout the evening. I never started the truck once in that time. So I’m a bit bemused at why people are stating running a fridge with only solar as a form off charging won’t work. I am extremely pleased with the setup I have, agreed it was a lovely sunny weekend and had it been cloudy it would have possibly been a different kettle of fish.