Flexible Low Profile Solar

[Pyabies]

Hey all,
Looking for a recommendation on wattage needed to happily run our 2006 Cali when wild camping, enough to keep the fridge ticking over in summer and also run diesel heater in winter and generally keep both leisure batteries happy. In addition our cab battery was never designed to charge from hook up so would be looking to include that function in any new circuitry. Ideally using a thin semi / flexible panel(s). Any thoughts or recommendations great fully read.

 

[johnyboy]

You could just start your engine when the batteries get low? I've had solar on home made vans before through necessity but it is good to be self sufficient from a big old tank of diesel now

 

[Pyabies]

That's what we've made do with up until now but want something cleaner, greener and just less intrusive on the whole. Our Cali is 2006 and when plugged in at home the cab battery doesn't charge, so we will want it to take care of that too as it's not used everyday etc.

 

[Andy]

I have two baird 100 watt flexible solar panels.
http://www.bestecoshop.com/biard-100w-12v-semi-flexible-monocrystalline-solar-panel.html
When my roof has been repaired by VW I plan to sikaflex them to the roof. Will probably use a Tracer 20A MPPT regulator.
Tracer Classic: Tracer 2210RN 20A MPPT regulator

Not sure how much of a charge this will put into batteries. Obviously depends on the weather.

 

[estresao]

Hi, how you connect the regulator and the hook charger? in parallel? when hooked up and sunny, which one is chadging?

IMO polycrystalline solar panels works better in these "latitude", don't do them?

 

[briwy]

Bit of info on this thread, I'm not sure how you would make it charge the starter battery though, either a manual change over switch or a voltage sensing relay I guess.
Solar | VW California Club

 

[Andy]

Bit of info on this thread, I'm not sure how you would make it charge the starter battery though, either a manual change over switch or a voltage sensing relay I guess.
Solar | VW California Club

Shouldn't need to charge main van battery as it is not used when parked up. The idea is to keep leisure batteries charged up when no hookup available.