Briefcase style solar panels - which ones?

[itchyfeet]

^^^ exactly, I rarely need more than my leisure battery ( a standard T3 battery) can provide because I rarely camp off grid for more than 2 days and I don't have big power needs, a 60w folding panel is fine for the once a year I need it.

You started off wanting to charge a phone, be careful not to get carried away by advice from people who camp off grid lots.
On the other hand if that is what you think you would do more if you had a good power source then go for it.

[kevtherev]

Hmm...well id love permanent. I guess I have to look at how much that setup will cost - if I was to roof mount. Im sure this topic has been exhausted , so I apologise to those who've had to discuss it a gazillion times with others!
A 60w looks like as much as I'd need (I think?!) - I have solar power fairy lights, so lights aren't too much of an issue. I don't have a fridge, so it would only be for charging appliances I guess.

You can have a coolbox running all day on 12v with solar

Jus' sayin'

[Emma&Al]

Thanks itchy feet - you're right to offer that advice because I do tend to get carried away!

Ok, so I can probably do without a whole load of solar panels - the one you suggested (60w) does seem plenty to me, and I like that it folds away.

Oh no! Ive just seen Kevtherev come in with another good idea! Id love to run a cool box! - could I run one on what you have itchy feet?

[itchyfeet]

No fridges and coolboxes eat power.
If you want a fridge off grid you need gas power.
coolbox is only going to keep you milk cool if you don't open it too often, forget cooling beer and you would need a very big panel to do it.
If you have low power need and don't camp off grid for days start with a leisure battery and recharge when you get home.

[CovKid]

Some excellent thoughts put forward. Without getting into the technicalities too much, I suppose the thing to bear in mind is that its highly likely that you'll eventually want (even if funds don't permit it to start with) a more robust powerhouse that leaves you more independent of hookups and help keep everything charged up in Winter or when your camper is not in use. If you underpower yourself at the start, you'll ultimately pay twice and end up with a panel you no longer want and is worth less second hand. That said, in the end the choice is yours but try to avoid the rather silly and small solar bank contraptions that are more hype than substance (the 6w and 13w ones fall into that category).

I run exclusively 12v and rather enjoy the challenge of sourcing 12v items that draw little but which actually prove useful. Cooling the interior is one I'm building into my new interior this year and I managed to source a couple of powerful and silent server fans that draw less than half an amp each. I'm mounting them over the bed for those hot evenings in the Summer, triggered by a thermostat. They will barely tax the leisure battery but make things a lot more comfortable at night. I'm not overly interested in 'real time' solar performance but I always check everything for amp draw so I have a clear idea of what I can or cannot run during overcast days. As a rule of thumb, anything that gets very hot or very cold will draw significantly more and I think gas should handle those where possible.

If you're charging phones/laptops, 60watt would seem a minimum as you'll at least be supplying them with more than they use rather than having to wait hours or even days to charge them up. Then you have to weigh up whether the extra cost (which isn't much) in a jump from say 60w to 100w is worth your while. Portable panels have to be stored somewhere whereas a fixed one is out of your way entirely. In the past I've had too many flat battery moments to put up with being underpowered. I don't even need a split charger now. If you bear in mind the above, you should save some money both now and in the long term and have less need for jump leads - other than assisting those around you.

Kev, and many others use a 'solid' panel which they can swivel about (and do) whereas I've gone for a flexible overkill array that just sits there and produces about the same. Several ways you can do it, even if your demands are modest. Just avoid the "it'll just do the job" route if you can afford it.

[itchyfeet]

Not much mention of leisure batteries, most people take their power from a seperate leisure battery and use solar to charge it, that way you always keep a charge in your origional van starter battery.

Using only the starter battery is possible but you have to be very careful not to drain it overnight to find you need to drive away the next day.

[Emma&Al]

Thanks CovKid what you've said has been useful to me. I've decided, thanks to everyone, that Im not going for either that I originally mentioned. So its 60w and upward.

I know very little about solar power in terms of the setup. I was going to ask whether you definitely needed a leisure battery with a solar panel, my guess is that you do, and itchy feet you've confirmed that I think.
I now have a 5yr old stepchild to consider so am being much more careful in making sure I have everything on board that we'd need

As a run down - what do I physically need in order to use a solar panel?

[lloydy]

if you buy one of the folding portable panels they tend to come with all the stuff you need prefitted. so you only need to attach the cable to your battery and away you go! (most come with crocodile clips for this purpose)

I'm looking at going down this route, but will swap the croc clips for either a cigarette type plug or even an external waterproof connector.

[Emma&Al]

Thanks lloydy

[kevtherev]

All you need.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/80W-12V-Solar ... 1583417697" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and plug in a starter or leisure battery you can run a coolbox

[CovKid]

Well spotted Kev. Good price too.

[Emma&Al]

Oooh thanks Kev!

[Emma&Al]

Kev...when you say plug in a leisure battery...what do you mean?

[kevtherev]

Kev...when you say plug in a leisure battery...what do you mean?

If you haven't got a leisure battery to run the cool box, then you'll need one for the panel to plug into.
Can't run the box directly from the panel in other words

[Emma&Al]

Ah I see - thanks. So if I go ahead and buy this, I just need to use the crocodile clips on the battery? But would that be a leisure battery or the main engine battery?