Electrical Best portable solar and battery combo

[Andrew_n_Amy]

Planning our first trip into the free camping world, I'm looking for a suitable solar panel size and battery size that would be most suitable for us....we only plan to free camp a couple of nights in a row, we have a 2014 starcraft so only running led lighting and a tv, any help would be greatly appreciated even some links to reputable ebay sellers would be great too Cheers

 

[G Daddy]

The standard 100 amp/hr battery in the van will probably last the time, but you could add 140 watt portable solar in case you extend your stay.

 

[mfexpanda]

I have found that having " just enough " doesn't always work . We have slowly built a system that we could slowly add to over time . Buy a solar reg that's bigger and can take a lot more amps than you need but is still a reasonable price and slowly add panels or extra batteries if needed . You can't always count on having a sunny day each day to charge the batteries

 

[NoWorries]

If you are going to do the work yourself I would recommend putting in 1 x 100 a/h deep cycle battery for now and see how you go.
But if you are paying someone to do it then get them to put a 150watt solar panel on the roof as well because the labour charge won't be much different.

Led lights take next to nothing and a TV (if it is the standard) will use about 40watts and 1watt on standby
I think you will probably use about 10a/h per day so even without solar you can pop in a 100a/h and be fine for 4 days before needing a charge.
But as @mfexpanda says you can never have "just enough"

 

[NoWorries]

Sorry just noticed you want a portable solar and battery combo
120watt or 140watt solar and a 100 a/h battery will be heaps.

You could get away with a Waeco 36a/h battery pack and a smaller solar but cost wise it would be about the same.

 

[Dobbie]

If you really want to keep it simple and only do the occasional free camping....then a portable battery (arc, thumper, Projecta) with a deep cycle battery. You can always find a space to carry it in the vehicle or van....or set it up in the van battery space. This gives you extra 12v sockets as well, depending on what you choose.

Add a portable solar panel, with 20amp regulator at least, close to the battery and you can plonk the panel in the sun to do its job.

Then just wire the battery (fused) to the Setec to access the on board 12v lights and power for tv, or take the tv power direct from the battery itself.

Just remember to keep the battery fully charged when at home.

This worked for us for years before we became precious and had it all built in and complicated....battery and solar can then be used for other things as well and satisfies the 'multiple use' rule many of us follow.

 

[Drover]

also refer to http://www.expandasdownunder.com/threads/basic-solar-setup.9309/#post-160042

we have a double up, at least on here we don't have the nutters who chuck a wobbly when this happens, so since I've replied elsewhere let me use this thread to :welcome: you to the forum @Andrew_n_Amy , we can start you on the road to having a great time with your van and also help you spend your money on it as well............................take time to browse the many topics and especially the individual van threads as they have some great ideas for mods, some us do them ourselves while others do the shop bought one's, all in all makes for a great read....:yo:

 

[Dean Anderson]

Double up?

Overcast weather.....Camping in the trees.....Pic of my solar pre LC200...
2x120Watt portable panels 2x100A/Hr GVM batteries (now 4 years old and doing fine)....
Get 2 long lead/s 10m +4m just in case of trees (6B&S cable with the regulator in the van not on the panels to help prevent voltage drop).. Running the fridge, lights, TV, 2 laptops, etc... didn't really need the second battery but its nice to have it just in case... In overcast weather the kids watch a lot more TV and use their laptops more as well.

Thick overcast and drizzle I was still getting about 3.5 A/Hr 10am-2pm I was probably right for about 4 days per battery in those conditions.

When its sunny I've seen it get to about 17A/Hr (depends on how flat the batteries are). Most of the places we have camped roof top wouldn't be much good. One little wavering branch shadow from a tree and the panels put out nothing, you need clear space. Hence the two batteries.

 

[Drover]

Thats pretty good, I prefer not to camp under tree's seen to many on top of tents............plus the crap I get over the van.

 

[Dean Anderson]

I definitely agree. Don't park under trees with limbs that would do damage if they fall down. The problem is...the sun does not shine directly down unless you are on the equator... and then only at midday.

Using solar effectively relies on knowing where the sun is in the sky and how it is going to travel, and knowing where shadows are going to be cast from the 20 meter high gum trees that you are parking 20 meters from so branches don't kill you when they fall. This involves an extra battery and longer cables if you want to use solar solely for longer periods.

In summer a bit of shade on the van is a good thing when your off the grid. Nah a great thing......Of course I could change and be one of the people that turns on a generator and destroys the peace for everyone.

 

[Drover]

I try to park near a river then so i can go for a swim..........................yep your spot on though @Dean Anderson I have found while my small portables kept the Engels battery topped up even in summer once they went on the utes roof they struggle in summer to keep the battery in good order as they don't get full value from the sun all day laying flat, winter okay as the fridge isn't working so hard, need another 40 w I think to make up the difference.

 

[ROnEM]

Hi @Andrew_n_Amy,

1st - Welcome to the forum. A great place to learn much, as I have over the years.

There are plenty of different solar panel and battery setups and sizes to choose from when getting ready to free camp. What you need to do is look at what it is you want to do and keep running.

We free camp and use a 200W panel (2 x 100W folding) and 2 x 100AH batteries, CTEK 250S Dual DC-DC charger & solar regulator and a 2,500Watt inverter for the microwave, toaster, coffee machine, hair dryer and washing machine! Call if free Glamping more like it!! We have free camped for up to 9 days straight with this setup and no issues.

First thing is to look at what you want to run, the AMPS it will draw (Volts x Watts) and how long you will run things for.

Don't forget any portable electrical devices like cameras & phones. iPad and phone chargers typical draw 2.1Amp, and if left on once the device is charged, they still draw a small current.

The key thing from a battery sizing perspective is that for optimal battery life, do not draw the battery below 80% of the battery's AH rating. If you are using 100AH batteries, then you should as a guide, not use more than 20AmpHours per day, per battery. If you have 2 x 100AH batteries, use 40AHrs per day. Some deep cycle batteries can be drawn down regularly to 60% of capacity with little impact to their life, but this is manufacturer and battery type dependant. Refer to the manufacturer's technical specifications.

At the end of the day, the critical part is also how much power you can put back into the batteries - this will also depend on where you are in Australia.

Assuming a "sunny day" and typical solar panel size and wattage:

2 x 80W over 4 hours @ 80% efficiency = 29AH recharge per day
2 x 80W over 6 hours @ 80% efficiency = 43AH recharge per day

1 x 250W (@13.8Amp) over 4 hours @ 80% efficiency = 44AH recharge per day
1 x 250W over 6 hours @ 80% efficiency = 66AH recharge per day

As mentioned above, put the Solar regulator as close to the batteries as possible. Run min 6mm wiring everywhere - I use 6B&S cable. We use portable solar panels as if van is in shade, we can move them anyway we want and keep them in the sun most of the day.

The guys I buy from are Vic based sellers:
Solar Panels - Low Energy Developments - http://stores.ebay.com.au/Low-Energy-Developments?_rdc=1
CTEK, Cable, Fuses, Anderson Plugs, etc - AutoelecAU - http://stores.ebay.com.au/autoelecau?_rdc=1
Batteries - hunt about, but I am still using the batteries I had put in the van by Jayco in 2012.

If you go the newer Lithium battery, make sure you get the chargers that are designed specifically to charge at higher voltages than normal batteries.



Hope this makes sense and helps.

Cheers,

Rohan

 

[Drover]

That is a great post @ROnEM we should sticky it or copy and have it ready to paste when this question comes up again as it no doubt will.