Solar Power

Sparkster · Sparkster

I'm generally researching installing a solar system on our caravan, mainly to keep the battery charged whilst not in use. We don't do much freestyle camping so not trying to run 'everything' off the grid. I realise that an MPPT controller is preferred but looking around various web sites and supplie...

goldenyears · goldenyears

Planning to buy a 150 watt portable solar panel anyone else bought from this company ? appear to be great quality and better than most of the cheap overseas stuff .. as demonstrated in their video . -- Edited by goldenyears on Monday 11th of January 2016 06:30:11 AM

SteveS · SteveS

Hi all New to the forum and trying to get set up for a lap. I want to put about 240W on the roof with a 30A MPPT regulator to just charge one 110Ah battery for now. My concern is whether I need to have any special switching gear when plugged into 240V. Will the CTEK 240V charger and the MPPT charger work toge...

Ellynsteve · Ellynsteve

HI All, we have a 600 watts of solar panels on the roof of our Coaster, they are 2x 190watt house panels (24volt) and the rest are 12v types normally found on RVs....., our controller is 60 amp and can handle over 24volts and seems to manage to bring in mixed voltages without any problems, throwing a few to...

dishlicker · dishlicker

Hi should you turn the panel off at the regulator if it is not being used whilst parked up?????

Leather Tech · Leather Tech

Hi Guys I will be picking up my new Island Star caravan this week which only has 1 x 100ah battery and 1 x 120w solar panel. My question is I want to put 1 x 200w solar panel on the canopy roof of the ute charging 1 x 135ah agm in the ute tray joined by an anderson plug, this way i can leave the ute in the sun and the va...

Mattt · Mattt

Hey all, Been a while since I've posted anything, but I've been lurking and learning the whole while

Anyways, we've started our power system build so it's ready by the time we "hit the road". I've just managed to find some time to document what we have so far, and thought I'd give a littl...

dishlicker · dishlicker

Hi all our m/home has a large solar panel fixed to the roof question. How can i tell the wattage size 60-80-100 ect cheers

adventure before dementia · adventure before dementia

I got an old franklin caravan , it got 12 / 240 lighting set up , 2 gas burner hotplate with a griller and 2 x 240 power points , no fridge . Am thinking l get a portable fridge 2 way , may be around 50 litres and 12 volt tv , charger for i phone and some other stuff , not alot, lights of course, possibility a inverto...

Steely · Steely

i have just bought a 1992 Viscount Overlander pop top. There is provision for a battery which was apparently previously connected. I want to connect battery and charge with solar panels through an Anderson plug. Can anyone help me as to how I go about this. Thank you

Burgo1 · Burgo1

Hi all, at present I'm running 2 batteries in van and have just purchased a 120 watt set of portable panels. The reg is on the panels and 15 mitres of cable from there to one battery .when I bought the van it had one battery so I added another, is it better for reg to be close to batteries not on panels ?

Peter1059 · Peter1059

Hi Guys How do you clean your solar cells clean when you are on the road, at home I use a ladder etc and it's not a problem. Next year we are planning a 6 week trip and would like your wisdom. Many thanks Peter

Kendo · Kendo

On a recent trip I managed to destroy my 120 watt sola panel on my new Kokoda caravan . Adelaide City Caravans and the builder, Skytrax caravans have been great by supplying a new (150 watt) sola panel at cost price. The panels are the same physical size so there shouldn't be any moving of brackets and stu...

Hurls · Hurls

Hi All, Firstly hope you all have a great Christmas and Happy New Year. Now down to business. I have a 120w portable solar panel which I connect to the house battey. the van has an analogue voltmeter installed. When charging from the panel, the voltmeter needle fluctuates about 2v every ten seconds or...

Plendo · Plendo

If you have read the Basic information about solar you now understand what solar can do for you, and you may now be thinking you would like to add solar to your set up, or perhaps if you already have solar you may be considering increasing how much solar you have. The intention of the following informati...

Dave+Addy · Dave+Addy

A question for the techies (as I have no idea about this stuff), will 300w of solar power and two 110ah batteries, be enough to let me run my RV off-road indefinitely and if not, for how long then? I will be running a 12v fan a 140L 12/240v fridge and led lighting, and will also be charging two iPad's and iPho...

greyhoundtom · greyhoundtom

In the very near future I intend to fix two 140 watt solar panels to the roof of my 2010 Jayco Sterling.After looking at the roof it appears to have a layer of some type of plastic over the top what appears to be ply. In some areas this top layer is loose and therefore any thought of fixing the panel brackets w...

merv61 · merv61

Hi All This portable power system thing is, spinning me out, can I get all the Expert thoughts on wether Monocrystalline, or polycrystalline is better for Solar panels, is the one shown in the attachment any good, and what are your thoughts on these batteries?

Kendo · Kendo

Never saw the tree, never saw the branch. It was just there when we got there?? Ouch!

Gundog · Gundog

Wiring a Solar panel array. The plan is to fit 3 or 4 80 watt panels to the roof of the van, each panel will be connected individually to bus bars 1 each for positive and negative, what size wire from each panel to the bus bar ? Depending on the location of each panel i would expect the longest cable run to be a...

Topic		Started By	Replies	Views	Last Post
	Solar Controller Brands (Preview) I'm generally researching installing a solar system on our caravan, mainly to keep the battery charged whilst not in use. We don't do much freestyle camping so not trying to run 'everything' off the grid. I realise that an MPPT controller is preferred but looking around various web sites and supplie...	Sparkster	15	2360	04:32 PM Feb 23, 2016 by Sparkster
	kickass solar panels (Preview) Planning to buy a 150 watt portable solar panel anyone else bought from this company ? appear to be great quality and better than most of the cheap overseas stuff .. as demonstrated in their video . -- Edited by goldenyears on Monday 11th of January 2016 06:30:11 AM	goldenyears	13	2071	09:03 AM Feb 20, 2016 by goldenyears
	Will multiple charging sources work together? (Preview) Hi all New to the forum and trying to get set up for a lap. I want to put about 240W on the roof with a 30A MPPT regulator to just charge one 110Ah battery for now. My concern is whether I need to have any special switching gear when plugged into 240V. Will the CTEK 240V charger and the MPPT charger work toge...	SteveS	8	2324	09:15 PM Feb 19, 2016 by SteveS
	Mixed panels and amps question (Preview) HI All, we have a 600 watts of solar panels on the roof of our Coaster, they are 2x 190watt house panels (24volt) and the rest are 12v types normally found on RVs....., our controller is 60 amp and can handle over 24volts and seems to manage to bring in mixed voltages without any problems, throwing a few to...	Ellynsteve	6	1822	03:31 PM Feb 19, 2016 by PeterD
	should solar be turned of whilst layed up (Preview) Hi should you turn the panel off at the regulator if it is not being used whilst parked up?????	dishlicker	7	1983	12:50 PM Feb 18, 2016 by oldtrack123
	Miss-matched pannels (Preview) Hi Guys I will be picking up my new Island Star caravan this week which only has 1 x 100ah battery and 1 x 120w solar panel. My question is I want to put 1 x 200w solar panel on the canopy roof of the ute charging 1 x 135ah agm in the ute tray joined by an anderson plug, this way i can leave the ute in the sun and the va...	Leather Tech	5	1691	01:17 PM Feb 17, 2016 by oldtrack123
	Our power system build... (Preview) Hey all, Been a while since I've posted anything, but I've been lurking and learning the whole while Anyways, we've started our power system build so it's ready by the time we "hit the road". I've just managed to find some time to document what we have so far, and thought I'd give a littl...	Mattt	26	2343	11:10 PM Feb 14, 2016 by Aus-Kiwi
	solar watts?? (Preview) Hi all our m/home has a large solar panel fixed to the roof question. How can i tell the wattage size 60-80-100 ect cheers	dishlicker	12	1598	04:05 PM Jan 31, 2016 by madaboutled
	whats a basic solar set up (Preview) I got an old franklin caravan , it got 12 / 240 lighting set up , 2 gas burner hotplate with a griller and 2 x 240 power points , no fridge . Am thinking l get a portable fridge 2 way , may be around 50 litres and 12 volt tv , charger for i phone and some other stuff , not alot, lights of course, possibility a inverto...	adventure before dementia	5	1748	08:54 PM Jan 30, 2016 by Aus-Kiwi
	Solar (Preview) i have just bought a 1992 Viscount Overlander pop top. There is provision for a battery which was apparently previously connected. I want to connect battery and charge with solar panels through an Anderson plug. Can anyone help me as to how I go about this. Thank you	Steely	10	2044	05:13 PM Jan 27, 2016 by Steely
	Portable panels (Preview) Hi all, at present I'm running 2 batteries in van and have just purchased a 120 watt set of portable panels. The reg is on the panels and 15 mitres of cable from there to one battery .when I bought the van it had one battery so I added another, is it better for reg to be close to batteries not on panels ?	Burgo1	6	1821	03:31 PM Jan 20, 2016 by Nomad_Nev
	Cleaning Solar Cells (Preview) Hi Guys How do you clean your solar cells clean when you are on the road, at home I use a ladder etc and it's not a problem. Next year we are planning a 6 week trip and would like your wisdom. Many thanks Peter	Peter1059	13	1792	05:34 PM Jan 13, 2016 by Peter1059
	Replacing a panel (Preview) On a recent trip I managed to destroy my 120 watt sola panel on my new Kokoda caravan . Adelaide City Caravans and the builder, Skytrax caravans have been great by supplying a new (150 watt) sola panel at cost price. The panels are the same physical size so there shouldn't be any moving of brackets and stu...	Kendo	4	1437	05:04 PM Dec 26, 2015 by KevKim37
	Analogue Voltmeter Fluctuations (Preview) Hi All, Firstly hope you all have a great Christmas and Happy New Year. Now down to business. I have a 120w portable solar panel which I connect to the house battey. the van has an analogue voltmeter installed. When charging from the panel, the voltmeter needle fluctuates about 2v every ten seconds or...	Hurls	4	1426	10:43 AM Dec 26, 2015 by Nomad_Nev
	Delving a little deeper into solar. (Preview) If you have read the Basic information about solar you now understand what solar can do for you, and you may now be thinking you would like to add solar to your set up, or perhaps if you already have solar you may be considering increasing how much solar you have. The intention of the following informati...	Plendo	4	2007	06:31 PM Dec 16, 2015 by Ray n Shell
	300w of solar power (Preview) A question for the techies (as I have no idea about this stuff), will 300w of solar power and two 110ah batteries, be enough to let me run my RV off-road indefinitely and if not, for how long then? I will be running a 12v fan a 140L 12/240v fridge and led lighting, and will also be charging two iPad's and iPho...	Dave+Addy	6	1610	09:00 PM Dec 13, 2015 by Dave+Addy
	Fixing solar panels to van roof (Preview) In the very near future I intend to fix two 140 watt solar panels to the roof of my 2010 Jayco Sterling.After looking at the roof it appears to have a layer of some type of plastic over the top what appears to be ply. In some areas this top layer is loose and therefore any thought of fixing the panel brackets w...	greyhoundtom	10	2601	07:49 PM Dec 11, 2015 by greyhoundtom
	Which solar panel and batteries (Preview) Hi All This portable power system thing is, spinning me out, can I get all the Expert thoughts on wether Monocrystalline, or polycrystalline is better for Solar panels, is the one shown in the attachment any good, and what are your thoughts on these batteries?	merv61	12	2087	03:56 AM Dec 10, 2015 by Aus-Kiwi
	Ouch! Watch out for those low branches (Preview) Never saw the tree, never saw the branch. It was just there when we got there?? Ouch!	Kendo	1	1332	04:19 PM Nov 26, 2015 by Reed
	wiring sizes (Preview) Wiring a Solar panel array. The plan is to fit 3 or 4 80 watt panels to the roof of the van, each panel will be connected individually to bus bars 1 each for positive and negative, what size wire from each panel to the bus bar ? Depending on the location of each panel i would expect the longest cable run to be a...	Gundog	8	2496	10:26 PM Nov 22, 2015 by Baz421
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