solar panels sunware RX experiences?

[patrick m]

this world is all new to us: our Cali is coming in 4 weeks and since we are going to use it as a camper on a site with no electrical power and maybe not moving for days, I wonder if anyone of you got experience with the 100Wh sunware RX panels, which seem to be so simple with their plug-in (so simple I am wondering if any of you has tested them already)?

 

[MattBW]

Many folks use solar panels on their california via one of the forum sponsors @Roger Donoghue .

I use a folding panel at present with a victron charge controller but most prefer a permanently installed one. This has the advantage of an always on configuration but can't be moved into the sun like a folding panel can. Different solutions will suit different folks.

If I am looking at the correct site they seem very highly priced for such a product at 1200euros for 100watt panel. They do look very nicely engineered but you could get get double capacity for probably half that amount maybe less. VW also don't recommend charging via the 12v sockets but many report its ok.

May be worth a look here, you could get more capacity for less and they could be installed onto the rail system. There is some DIY installation required however so it depends how confident you are.

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/updated-bolt-on-cali-and-t5-6-solar-panels-for-2017.16907/

 

[Roger Donoghue]

The main catch with panels that you pop open and align with the sun is that you have to put them away when you leave the van, for security reasons, which then means you are missing out on a lot of the sun. This works for some people though, as Matt says.

The kits I make and sell are very easy to install (around 1.5 hours for a novice, with clear instructions) and I post all over Europe.

I am also switching to a new type of panel as we speak, a flexible panel that has an aluminium core internally, that gives it much more strength than all-plastic flexible panels. Less flexible (still enough) and a bit heavier, but very robust.