Help needed for SOLAR POWER in SUNNY TENERIFE! :)

[Canary Bird]

I have been reading lots of helpful threads, but not being very electrical-minded, I don’t know if my idea will work.



I have a 2016 VWT6 Beach with a factory installed leisure battery, (AMG 12v, 68aH, 420A) … that doesn’t have enough power to keep our Dometic CFX3 45 fridge/freezer/cooler going long enough when the VW is stopped in sunny Tenerife.



We would desire to get a couple portable 45watt solar panel(s) to connect (alligator clip) to the leisure battery through passing through the charge controller. (We want portable to use between different vehicles.) https://www.zampsolar.com/collectio.../products/45-watt-obsidian-portable-panel-kit



IS THIS A CORRECT METHOD TO MAINTAIN OR TOP UP THE LEISURE BATTERY WHEN STOPPED??

 

[dspuk]

Technically, yes. 45W should be fine in sunny conditions, 80W definitely fine and then some. I'd look at an MPPT setup rather than a 12V socket one as the manual does say not to put charge in to the 12V sockets. The process is rather simple. Solar panel to an MPPT. MPPT to the battery. The MPPT (or other cheaper unit) will then regulate the charge into the battery.

The kits above seem a little Heath Robinson to my mind for battery connection - I'd prefer something more robust.

if you wanted to do yourself I'd mount the MPPT in the van and connect to the battery and then use a portable panel that has robust connectors to plug into the MPPT when you want to lay it out.

A full "Roger" kit might be overkill, but he does sell Beach kits and ship to Europe.

Solar Camper Solutions - VW CALIFORNIA (T5 & T6) Solar Panel Kit

Drill free bolt on kit for the VW California, SE/Ocean/Beach, T5 or T6 / T6.1 variants (T6.1 has a slightly different battery connector) A kit that re...

www.solarcampersolutions.co.uk

 

[Canary Bird]

THANK YOU for your rapid and helpful reply dspuk! Yes, Roger's systems are the best, but I wanted to be able to move solar panels between vehicles (T6 and a crafter).

Maybe I mis-explained and I definitely am slow in understanding ... I would go from solar panel to a controller to leisure battery with aligator clips ... I would plug fridge/cooler into a 12v outlet in vw that is getting power from leisure battery. ... Is this what you are saying that I should do?

 

[Canary Bird]

Oh, I would plan to use two 45watt panels, needed smaller size versus one 100watt panel

 

[dspuk]

Nope - understood. Depends if you want to drag a battery out each time to clip onto it. I'd prefer something permanently attached to the battery I could clip into. You're not clipping into the van battery, but the leisure one. You can get a portable panel with a "controller" in it but I'd put a controller in the van and just attach the portable panel to that. I can see the kit has a lead that sticks out but it's still clips. You could modify the clip end to bolt onto the battery and leave it always on and the lead hanging out.

In short - you can use the kits above, no issues, I was just offering a solution that was semi fixed and easy to use but allowed you to move panels about.

45W in sunny conditions should be fine to power a fridge connected to 12V that is drawing it's power from a leisure that is being topped up by solar.

 

[Canary Bird]

Nope - understood. Depends if you want to drag a battery out each time to clip onto it. I'd prefer something permanently attached to the battery I could clip into. You're not clipping into the van battery, but the leisure one. You can get a portable panel with a "controller" in it but I'd put a controller in the van and just attach the portable panel to that. I can see the kit has a lead that sticks out but it's still clips. You could modify the clip end to bolt onto the battery and leave it always on and the lead hanging out.

In short - you can use the kits above, no issues, I was just offering a solution that was semi fixed and easy to use but allowed you to move panels about.

45W in sunny conditions should be fine to power a fridge connected to 12V that is drawing it's power from a leisure that is being topped up by solar.

great thinking ... I can remove back panel & push driver seat fully forward and get to connections of leisure battery without removing the battery, but having something left connected to the battery and just making connection without moving seat and panel would be much easier!

 

[Canary Bird]

could I also ask, if I had a portable battery/power station ... is it possible (easily) to maintain or charge a leisure battery from the portable battery ? (or portable battery needs to have certain specs to make that happen)

 

[dspuk]

could I also ask, if I had a portable battery/power station ... is it possible (easily) to maintain or charge a leisure battery from the portable battery ? (or portable battery needs to have certain specs to make that happen)

TBH, no idea if you can discharge a portable into a leisure but why would you? If you get a portable just use that to run the fridge and use the panel to recharge the portable.

 

[Canary Bird]

if I had a full portable battery, drained leisure battery and urban camping and not able to get out solar panels, or on a cloudy rainy day ... or with my crafter (used as a mobile therapy room), it will have extraction roof fans, if the fans drain my leisure battery on a long work day and I was where I couldn't get out solar panels, then I'd want to use the portable battery ... of course I could start the vehicle ... and it makes one say ... mount solar panels too

 

[dspuk]

You’re somewhere between overthinking it or needing a hotel.

 

[Canary Bird]

hotel california!