Thread: solar panels

Depends on the type of trips and or camping you do. I have an 80Watt pannel which I use when I am going to be camped in one place for a while, with only a little driving (like a Fraser island trip) but I'm planning a Simpson Desert crossing in a month or so's time and don't intend taking it with me on that trip becasue with that much driving the alternator should be able to keep up my dayly drain.
That's my thoughts anyway.

Originally Posted by bob10

G'day, recently saw a defender with solar panels on the roof.

you might have seen my defender.........and there is one other that that i know off also with a solar panel on the roof

i reckon its a good idea

if your holidays are touring type one where you are driving every day than on is not needed however mine works as a wind deflector for the roof rack as well

if your stopped over for a few days it helps your batteries out but you have to point your car to the north or move your car every few hours

by having a solar panel alway hooked up to the car helps your batteries by trickle/float charging them.....well i think that is the theory anyway

there is also the option of '2 x 40w' panels that fold up, the only downside is that this will tkae up more internal storage space, this way you can park your rig in the shade and have the panel out in the sun...save moving the car although i just point mine to the north and leave it at that

Bob, I have a single 80W panel on the roof-bars of my Defender.

My setup also has a controller to charge a secondary battery from the alternator when the main cranking battery is fully charged.
It is enough to keep the 100AH deep-cycle battery topped-up and keep my fridge running at about 4 degrees 24/7. When we go on a trip, it gets a really good charge on the way (from the alternator) and then the solar panels keep it going while we're parked.

The only drawback is that the roof bars aren't as useful for carrying things as they were before I put the panel up there.
The panel seems to be very robust, and has been ther for around 2.5 years now without problems.

My two bobs worth

I reckon a solar panel mounted on the roof is a woftam for an idea. When I go out I want to try and park my car in the shade and not the sun. Why not just fire the car up every now and then to give it a charge.

I guess if you were to make the panel moveable so it could be in the sun and the car in the shade that would be ok. I don't like the idea of cooking the car keep the battery topped up.

Rich

what i have been told is that the car alt will charge the battery to 75% in the first 20 min then it may take a couple of hours to fully charge it so i was told to run the car for 20 min in the morning and then let a sola panel top up the battery during the day that way you dont need a bigger panel