I love your low profile pop top - I may have said this before hehe
Do i need solar?
- Thread starter TheGrapeEscape
- Start date
Any idea on the make on the panel mate? @Dellmassive
Sure it's from photonic universe. 180w. With a rear cable gland.
12V solar panels charging kits for caravans, motorhomes, boats, yachts, marine
12V solar panel solar charging kits for motorhome caravan boat campervan yacht marine off-grid
www.photonicuniverse.com
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I'll put up some pics when I get a chance.
If you have plans to attend some of the forum meets you will need a solar panel and a nice 105Ah minimum lithium battery. EHU is seldom available at the drinking, sorry, forum camps we go to! Especially with the weathers we had last year!
It makes it easier when you go out travelling to find a site that will accommodate you 'self contained'.
Lovely, cheers
Similarly if you use an aire/pub stopover/P4N etc. when we’ve been travelling abroad & visit a town, the solar keeps the fridge(s) running while we spend the day sightseeing. A 30deC day parked up in the sun can really muller the battery without solar.
I rarely use EHU and solar is an absolute must for me.
A fridge running all day will use 30Ah of battery capacity and if you stay anywhere without EHU for more than a couple of days you'll need to replace that charge somehow. Obviously you could start and run the engine for an hour but that's noisy and not great for the van.
Mine (along with the LB and Ablemail) also keeps the starter battery topped, meaning I can leave the van sat for weeks at a time and not worry about it. And in the summer months I can leave the fridge on 24/7 and have access to cold drinks whenever I want!
I’m fitting my big 360w rigid victron solar panel on to my pop top today.
I will be drilling and bolting the front 2 feet through my pop top.
I’m posting how I’m getting on with my upgrade in a separate thread
Upgrading to lithium and fitting a rigid solar panel on a pop top is name of thread
Wow that 180w flexi panel was nearly £200 dearer than I paid for my huge victron 360w rigid panel
I was £166 for it.
Yeah, but I wouldn't want to squeeze yours under a 2m barrier Gord!
Yes, but when you come to visit me I have a 2m barrier across my drive! X Scotland Rocks!!Barriers are for car parks.
I roam free my friend.
No car parks for me
Incodently my solar panels on my house roof are kicking arse today.
My 2 batteries are at 100% and I’m firing over 3300w back into the grid at the moment
My 2 batteries are at 100% and I’m firing over 3300w back into the grid at the moment
It's amazing what a different a couple of months makes, in Jan I was struggling to put back in the charge that my router was using, now I'm seeing 100w minimum before 10am and I'm back full by then too!
Yes, that sun is certainly on the move (fortunately)!
Quite pleased with my poxy 180 watt panel today!
@Dellmassive, how much space under the pop top do you estimate is needed for the cable from the rear junction box?
that depend on the pop-top.
mine has around 20mm void space, but the roof tub is around 15mm thick.
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you will need to drill your roof tub, to see how thick it it.
then use a cable tie in the hole to see what space is available under the tub.
Thanks. That sounds a bit "once started - no going back" lots of problems.
So from the top surface of the pop top to the bottom of the void underneath it, I would need about 40mm.
Will have to see what I can work out at the weekend.
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