Thread: solar panel on the roof

What you have described sounds fine.

The regulator has protection for overcharging etc ...

As your VSR is "dual sensing" - it will close when the charging voltage from the solar regulator is above 13.3V - therefore allowing all batteries to charge.

Its worth noting 100W is a small(ish) solar panel. You would only expect roughly 20-30Ah per day, unless under exceptional conditions.

Can I ask, if two batteries were linked by a typical dual battery controller, and a solar panel had a regulator, would that be enough to prevent overcharging?
Also, is it better to direct the solar current to the starting or second battery?
Ask because this is on my 'wish' list so I'm trying to figure it out.
We have a folding solar panel we connect to the camper trailer for that battery and it doesn't seem to have any problems.
I also have an Ark battery box which is said to be fine to receive solar charge, so I might make it the second battery in the Defender, linked through a dual battery controller to the starting battery.

I have a 150 watt panel on the roof of the 101 charging the cranking and deep cycle batteries at all times. Doesn't overcharge, and makes for easy starting after sitting for weeks at a time.

The solar panel regulator is enough to prevent overcharging - that is one of its purposes.

I am not sure what you mean by typical dual battery controller. If it is voltage sensing then many/most will connect both batteries when sufficient voltage is applied to either battery. This is advertised as a "dual-sensing" voltage sensing relay. If it is not dual sensing then connecting the solar panel to the second battery will only charge the second battery. Connecting it to the starting battery will charge both. Obviously if you have an ignition switch relay then it only charges the battery it is connected to.