The Baron Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 Does anyone have experience of using the small cheap (under £20) solar panels to trickle charge the vehicle battery on Peugeot/Fiats - the sort that just plug into the 12v (lighter) socket and stand on the dash? They look a great idea, but as the lighter sockets are 'dead' when the ignition is switched off I just wondered how the power would get to the battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankkia Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 The answer is the power will not get to the battery! If you wanted to use one of these you would also have to put in a separate socket wired directly to the battery or have the wiring to the in built socket wired to a permanent live. Having said that - most of the cheap solar chargers have a max of half an amp in perfect conditions (at mid day in brilliant sunshine) and will give substantially less than that under "normal" conditions. That means that if say you have an alarm fitted you wont even be replacing the draw that it takes. You would be better off buying a more substantial panel and wiring it to the leisure battery and then fitting a battery mate which sits between the leisure battery and the engine battery. This will then trickle charge the engine battery with any surplus solar energy. - Sorry but it is a much more expensive solution. i have tried the small solars and they are not man enough for the job but I have found them handy for keeping the motor scooter battery healthy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Baron Posted June 30, 2007 Author Share Posted June 30, 2007 Thanks for the info and your experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 If you want to play with solar panels with your motorhome then get something meaningfull that will support wild camping in summer and still keep both batteries topped up during winter layup. This means circa 80 watts and £400. If you just said "ouch" you now understand the economics of it all! Good luck C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 Friend bought one of these from Maplins just a small one not much bigger than a dinner plate although obviously a different shape. He is sick of his battery running down whilst it is in storage he only paid £20 for it . Anyway put in in the hecki roof light and left it. Last night they came to visit he brought it with him we said why in the hell have you brought your solar panel with you ..Reply I just wanted you to see it because you would not of believed that this would happen...When we looked the whole thing was warped beyond recognition . Turns out it must of been to hot in the hecki blind its a good job that they went over to check on the van because could of had a nasty fire including all the other vans stored there???. made me think about where would we put one if we had one.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 The more substancial ones are mostly glass and aluminium apart from the active cells beneath the glass of course. The least troublesome place is to have it glued to the roof - and leave it there. Connected via a suitable regulator and fused near the battery end. I did see somewhere a bloke who had a solar powered garden lamp, he had removed most of the plastic bits to leave just the active top with cell and lamp. He used this like a table lamp and placed it close to the side window in his van during the day sat on the dinette table. If in the night he needed to "go for a walk" he had enough light to find his way without waking up the other occupants of the van. And no fear of leaving lights on a discharging the leisure battery. You could say this is about the smallest useful solar panel for a MH? C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 Clive - 2007-06-30 3:07 PM I did see somewhere a bloke who had a solar powered garden lamp, he had removed most of the plastic bits to leave just the active top with cell and lamp. He used this like a table lamp and placed it close to the side window in his van during the day sat on the dinette table. If in the night he needed to "go for a walk" he had enough light to find his way without waking up the other occupants of the van. And no fear of leaving lights on a discharging the leisure battery. C. Now you've done it! along with all the other paraphinalia that some find to place around there vans, now they will be setting up 1/2 a doz of those garden lamps. *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Champstar Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Has anyone any experience of the portable briefcase solar panels...I think 13 watt are they any use or just a pig in a poke. I mean for keeping the battery level manageable when not hooked up or (whisper it) wild camping? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spartan3956 Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 I used one of these solar panels for winter storage and guess what the battery went flat and never recovered. Only drain at the time was the alarm at a few milliamps. I tested it in strong sun light and it managed .5 of an amp next to nothing in the winter when light is poor. I wouldnt bother with one, they are probably ok in summer when you leave the car in a car park and go on holiday but for long term they are just not good enough. I run a motorcycle optimiser into the power socket which i altered to direct feed to the battery. Battery always at full charge but you need electrical hook-up. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 My Rv came with a large solar panel already fitted I have since fitted another 80 watt Sharp panel ( E'bay £270 delivered ) these keep the 4x6 volt batteries well charged even wild camping. Most charge amps I have seen on the display in really bright sunlight was 11 amps! That was during our summer in May here in UK!! Regards Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 So the message is simple, If you want one get a biggun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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