Solar panels, fixed to the roof, adjustable on the roof, or portable?

[IdaSHO]

What I'm saying is that by 8am my solar can replenish what was used overnight by the fridge.

I'm aware of what you are saying.

You like your solar, that's great, but using so little power overnight that your 200watts replenished usage by 8AM is hard to justify.

In a nutshell, you are carrying too much gear for your needs.

Is that so hard to understand?

 

[Dan Grec]

I'm aware of what you are saying.

You like your solar, that's great, but using so little power overnight that your 200watts replenished usage by 8AM is hard to justify.

In a nutshell, you are carrying too much gear for your needs.

Is that so hard to understand?

Do you mean 200W of solar is more than I need?
If that's what you're saying I disagree.

As long as I can get a couple of hours of full sun, the panels can keep up with the fridge easily.

If I park in shade and/or aggressively charge the two big laptops on board, then the panels absolutely can't keep up with demand and I have to start the engine and go for a drive every day or two.
So in that scenario, 200W is not enough for me.

Given that when I sit still for a few days I a) like to park in the shade and b) do a lot of work on laptops and cameras, then I need the full 200W, sometimes even more.

-Dan

 

[Fatboyz]

My local go to store Canadian Tire (we call it Cambodian Tire) Had the Coleman (sunforce) 100 watt panels 65% off this week. I bought two more for 170 each, that's $130.00 US for you folks in the states. I now have a full 300 watts. I also have use of a neighbors wire feed aluminum welder so I will be mounting the three in a pinned panel that I can elevate on each side if I so choose to.

 

[jeegro]

Here is my setup. 200w (100w x 2), on slides under my roof rack. Since my rear door has a fold down table and is the cook area, the panels double as a bonus awning.



Works really good for me.




Up to 3 more panels can plug in here (the 100w panels are wired in parallel and take up one slot). The idea was that I might have a portable suitcase panel, but I haven't done that as the 200w does the trick so far.

 

[Semi-Hex]

I have a fixed 180w panel on the roof of our trailer and a foldable 100w that I can put out if needed. Since we drive a bunch during the day, it has a lot of time to charge.

 

[Fatboyz]

Man that's a fancy looking control panel.

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

My local go to store Canadian Tire (we call it Cambodian Tire) Had the Coleman (sunforce) 100 watt panels 65% off this week. I bought two more for 170 each, that's $130.00 US for you folks in the states. I now have a full 300 watts. I also have use of a neighbors wire feed aluminum welder so I will be mounting the three in a pinned panel that I can elevate on each side if I so choose to.

I have one of those panels for my Travel Trailer...mounting it to the roof this spring. I have been using a pair of their 40 watt Coleman panels that I made into one panel for the past 4 years. It has worked out very well, and keeps up with my Fridge in hot weather, but it is indeed a PITA to move them around all day long.

Solid or permanent mount is great, but as others have noted it is not ideal or even possible to always park in the sun. I am going to mount a 100 watt to the roof of the new camper I am building, and get another 40 watt to move around as and if needed. Best of both worlds.

 

[VanIsle_Greg]

Ordered a Renogy 100 watt panel for the top of my camper build, and just picked up one of those Coleman Monocrystalline 40 watt kits at Canadian Tire on sale for $89.00. Cheapest I have ever seen them, and they are pretty OK for the $.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/coleman-40w-folding-solar-panel-0112043p.html#srp

 

[dstock]

I go portable, 2 x 100 watt Renogy panels, one for the Jeep for the fridge, and one for the trailer, or in shady times, both for the Jeep. I tend to park in the shade when possible and I ditched my roof rack on the Jeep. If we are moving everyday we don't deploy them as they are not needed.

 

[outdoornate65]

Informative thread guys.....thanks. I have a question that is sort of on topic if you'll indulge me.

I recently added a solar panel and second battery to support my Engel fridge. Aux battery is "stand-alone" (not wired to alternator) and lives under the sleep platform in the back of my 4_Runner.
I flat mounted a Renogy 100W panel to my Front Runner roof rack. I was pleased that I had enough space to mount the panel and still have room for a double Jerry can tray and saddles for my kayak.

Currently, I have the cables from the panel running through the door opening of one of the rear passenger doors to the solar controller/battery. This is temporary set-up while I muster the courage to drill a hole in my truck's roof to route the cables though.

My question is for those of you that have routed the cables through the vehicle roof. Any words of wisdom regarding getting a good/leakproof install?
I've researched "cable clams/glands" and that seems to be a clean way to do the install. Also looked at the wiring diagram for my rig to determine where to route the wires so that I avoid any wiring in the roof of the truck. So what am I missing? Tips and hints would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Nate

 

[Herbie]

Bringing up a slightly-old thread to further interrogate the folks who answered "Fixed AND portable":

What's your controller setup look like for this? I assume your portable panels are not necessarily equal in voltage and/or current output to your fixed panels, so do you use a 2nd controller, or what?

I've currently got a single 60w panel and a PWM controller. Planning to step up to a larger fixed panel + MPPT, but I like the idea of having a portable panel (either my existing 60w or something else) for the days when I get to park the rig in the shade or to act as a supplement. Can't figure out how I'd connect a portable panel with the new larger fixed panel. I could use one or the other, or utilize 2nd controller for the 2nd array, I suppose.

 

[krick3tt]

I have routed wires down the side of the rear door and through the tail light grommet to get into the vehicle without any holes in the exterior. There is plenty of room as the rear door closes to allow me to use silicone to fix them to the body so nothing shows. No extra holes, no leaks.

 

[Herbie]

I was more thinking electrically.

Not a great idea to connect a 60w panel in series w/ a 100w panel, as the current will be limited by the 60w panel. Similarly, if I went parallel, while the voltage output is nominally similar, I would think the current difference between the 60w panel and 100w panel would have the MPPT struggle to find the optimal set point, since at a given voltage, at least one (or both) panels will be out of the efficiency zone.

 

[rruff]

If they are both 12v panels, the optimal voltage won't be that different. But is your controller able to handle the amps of both in parallel? If so I think that's the way to go.

 

[Mundo4x4Casa]

Each of us has a different situation. Mine was to have enough amp hours in reserve to power my camper on truck and replenish and keep up my 3- group 27 batteries, even after stationary for 3-4 days at a time. No air conditioner. No microwave. 3-way fridge. small forced air heater. All LED lighting. My main concern was to have a solar panel system which was invisible from the street and completely automatic with no set up or storage hassle. So installing the 200w Renogy 12v system on the roof was a natural. One of the important parts of stealth traveling in an XTC is that there be nothing that changes shape from the traveling mode; nothing hanging outside; no telltale stairs down. Height is a concern with my rig, so I put the pair of panels both in the center and to the right side so as to have a target area above the driver which he can finesse any moving tree limbs or rock out croppings with a clear view. So the pic below is how they placement wound up.


the front of the rig is to the left:


control panel

jefe