solar panel

macpete

hi all, just like to know what you think about solar panel on a motorhome, I have a 4 berth low profile with tv and sat dish, I have 2 leisure batteries. we mostly stay in serviced sites but now and again stay in public place, would a solar panel be worth while and which size[ie. 5,10,20 watt] is best.
love the forum , regards macpete.

peasant

To effectively charge your batteries you'd have to go a bit higher than 20W, 50 to 100 at least.

Have you seen the weather lately?

I too considered solar power for a while, but reading up on efficiency in overcast conditions and then factoring price vs gain into the calculations, I pretty quickly decided that the money would be better spent elsewhere.

Different story if you bought a van that already has a solar panel.

macpete

thanks for the advice, as you say with the weather at the moment you would not get much return from a solar panel, so with the cost and hassle i think i will give it a miss and possible get a awning which would get some use, what do you think. macpete.

peasant

yepp ...an awning with side walls.

(and a patio heater )

Malta1

Think I would be buying the patio heater before the awning at the moment:D

I have solar panels on the house for heating water and at the moment they are about as useful as an ash-tray on a honda 50:mad:
Given any sort of sun though, I would have to say that they are super......although they are a bit big to go on top of a camper:D

JamesM

macpete wrote:

hi all, just like to know what you think about solar panel on a motorhome, I have a 4 berth low profile with tv and sat dish, I have 2 leisure batteries. we mostly stay in serviced sites but now and again stay in public place, would a solar panel be worth while and which size[ie. 5,10,20 watt] is best.
love the forum , regards macpete.

I have 2 50W panels on the roof of a caravan - charging 2 110 ah batteries. Gives better power in sun, but plenty in dull weather - not the same as panels for heating water. Great for water pump, lights, TV, laptop, charging phone - even toaster through inverter.
Jim.

macpete

hi, Jim glad to hear you find the solar panels good, just a few questions, where did you buy, were they expensive and are they hard to install ie. do you need a regulator. thanks pete

peasant

Totally off topic:

Macpete, that was post number

1000

on this board

You've just won this:



now ...back to topic

JamesM

macpete wrote:

hi, Jim glad to hear you find the solar panels good, just a few questions, where did you buy, were they expensive and are they hard to install ie. do you need a regulator. thanks pete

I think that there may be newer models and better buys now. See http://www.photowatt.com/home/home_uk.php?page=../shop/shop_uk.htm
I bought 1st panel and regulator about 6 years ago, PWX500 - €307 plus regulator €40, delivered frm France to my door. 3 years later I decided to go for the same again - same price. Works well for me.
Should also say we have the Lidl/Aldi camping sat dish etc. - works really well.
Jim.