Solar on a tintop

[CovKid]

Seems likely I'll get this one Steve: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100w-Flexible ... Swl9BWH8~j" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hopefully it'll let me run the Propex every night on camps too.

[Mocki]

Yep, looks like it will do the job, only thing I would say is, I chopped the connectors off as they would have meant either big holes in the roof, or untidy wiring, neither of which I was allowing !
Made no odds in the real world, as it is a fixed insulation... Fit and forget !

Under normal uk conditions I find that my 100ah leisure battery and my 085 starter battery have both finished charging by the time I have had my elevenies after eberspaching and using lights and chargers etc the hours of darkness before , and if it's bright sunny clear blue sky type of weather ( 2nd week in July normally ) it's all charged by the time I have has the first coffee of the day !

More than keeps up with the eberspaching during daylight hours anyway ! ( just remember to wipe the snow off the panel tho, as it can reduce the effect !)

[CJH]

Seems likely I'll get this one Steve: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100w-Flexible ... arine-cara" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; van-Charger-Controller-FlexiK1-/331682478700?hash=item4d39d0fa6c:g:d0QAAOSwl9BWH8~j

Hopefully it'll let me run the Propex every night on camps too.

Who are you, and what have you done with the real CovKid?

https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... 4#p8024774" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... 8#p8091888" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

etc, etc.....

[keith]

Looks like the suns eventually got to him....


It really is a practical addition to any van....especially as the cost keeps falling.

[CJH]

Looks like the suns eventually got to him....

Or lack of perhaps. I think the technical term is SAD.

[keith]

Seems likely I'll get this one Steve: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100w-Flexible ... arine-cara" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; van-Charger-Controller-FlexiK1-/331682478700?hash=item4d39d0fa6c:g:d0QAAOSwl9BWH8~j

Hopefully it'll let me run the Propex every night on camps too.

Who are you, and what have you done with the real CovKid?

https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... 4#p8024774" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.p ... 8#p8091888" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

etc, etc.....

That 2nd link is a clasic....made me chuckle ...again....once.

[CovKid]

I think this is more of a desperate need to be honest Chris. I'm a daily driver and its killing my batteries (gone through five in 3 years). The only other option is to take a spiral route to work rather than as the crow flies.

[marlinowner]

Higher output alternator?

[CovKid]

Already have 90amp. Problem is purely down to distance with heavier load on battery. Cold start, headlights on plus heater some mornings and its just not getting enough of a run to top up battery. 4 miles there, four miles back. Engine is just abut warm by the time I get there. I can put batteries on charge at night (and often have to) but not very practical. I'd use the local bus but its a fiver. Costs twice as much as the fuel. I'd have thought that even allowing for subdued sun, I should be able to charge them during the six hours of winter daylight I'm at work. I think you need at least a minimum of a ten mile run each way otherwise. I just don't have this problem in warmer months.

[CJH]

I know what you mean. I had an early start to get to the train station yesterday morning, and my car wouldn't start - too many days of doing nothing but running my lad to the bus stop a mile away. Where it was parked it was blocking my camper in on the drive, so imagine my joy at having to jump start it, in the dark, in my suit, trying to keep the noise to a minimum, and with virtually no spare time before my train.

The panel on my camper does a good job keeping up with parasitic drains, but it's a struggle during the winter. There aren't enough sunny days, and the sun isn't high enough, so it's strength when it hits the panel is reduced by the sine of the elevation angle (given that my panel is flat on my roof).

[CovKid]

Has to be flat on my roof too as I like the tintop look and there are several car park height restrictors I can sneak under easily. Even a small charge has to be better than no charge at all.

Yesterday afternoon as I left work, I had an uniterrupted fast run all the way home and it started on the button first thing today so clearly it doesn't need much at all just to give it that top up. Normally during the Summer months, most events I attend give a nice charge before I get there and I'll get a couple of days useful power from the leisure no problem but these short runs are not good for my batteries at all. I was actually about to buy a huge leisure battery but I think I'll hold fire and see if this works first.

Nothing against solar (use it at home) - just hate getting cornered by a fanatic at VW events who talks about nothing but how many amps he's getting. Its akin to people who buy a stereo and go on and on about tweeters, forgetting to actually listen. If it works for you, it works, end of.

[ghost123uk]

Seems likely I'll get this one Steve: Ebay-100w-Flexible-Solar-Panel-Charging-Kit
Hopefully it'll let me run the Propex every night on camps too.

Who are you, and what have you done with the real CovKid?

[CovKid]

You're too late John ^^^^

[ghost123uk]

The panel on my camper does a good job keeping up with parasitic drains, but it's a struggle during the winter. There aren't enough sunny days

I have taken mine off for now. It hardly produced anything on a dull day, it was only a 60W one, but that is only ~1/3 less than a 100W one. Maybe they vary quite a lot between manufactures and mine is just a carp one. Others seem to do fine even on dull days.

[CJH]

The panel on my camper does a good job keeping up with parasitic drains, but it's a struggle during the winter. There aren't enough sunny days

I have taken mine off for now. It hardly produced anything on a dull day, it was only a 60W one, but that is only ~1/3 less than a 100W one. Maybe they vary quite a lot between manufactures and mine is just a carp one. Others seem to do fine even on dull days.

Yes but there are dull days, and then there are dull days. A dull summer's day is a great deal brighter than a dull winter's day. Even with cloud cover during the summer, the sun is high enough (and therefore coming though a lot less atmosphere) that it can give a decent charge. On a winter's day, the low sun has not only more atmosphere to get through, but also the path through the clouds is a lot longer, and then the angle of incidence is very low too. As I say, my 100W panel just about copes with parasitic drains (~50mA but 24/7) during the winter.