Portable solar panel/battery etc

[Chuck]

Questions:

1. What size panel & battery combination would be required to run a 40L Engel - fitted in the tug - generally as a fridge but possibly occasionally as a freezer for short periods?

2. When travelling, would/should the Engel be connected to the tugs power or simply run off the dedicated battery fitted in the back of the tug?

3. What size/brand battery would you recommend?

Our local autosparky has 120W folding panels for around $450.. whilst this may be overkill for the Engel, is it possible that they could be utilised as additional to the 2 x 120W panels on the van via Anderson plugs when stationary & possibly partly with late afternoon shade? Or am I dreaming?

This bloke is offering to supply the panels & fit an AGM 120a/h battery - box - controller & heavy duty cabling for $1100. Good... ok... or expensive? His hourly rate is $75.

If the answer to Q2 is yes, it should be connected to the tugs power... would that have any effect to the house batteries supply? I don't know if the solar tops them up during travel or not.

[T1 Terry]

I think you need to talk to Erich, he is doing exactly what you are talking about at the moment.
If you want to be able to power the fridge continuous withot any other charging source, you will need more than a 120w panel. 2 of these will do the job fine http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-GP-100w- ... 257a2049e6 at a cost of $280 and you will have a spare regulator as the one that comes with each folding panel is big enough to handle the two panels.
With the money you saved, buy one of these http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/HEAVY-DUTY-5 ... 460a7f30e8 so you can place the panels in the sun and the vehicle in the shade and it will double as an extension cord between the vehicle and van. Use quick disconnect plugs on the two sets of panels and fit a 50amp Anderson plug with matching plugs and short leads. Mount the regulator close to the battery with a 50 amp Anderson plug near the tow bar wired to the regulator. It's not hard work mounting a battery in a box and a few wires, spend the other $700 on something better than paying for the local sparkies next holiday, maybe a lithium battery in place of the AGM? You would still end up with money left over.

[Chuck]

Thanks Terry, those panels & extension lead make sense & will certainly save on the $$$.


E R I C H !!!

[Chuck]

Terry, just read your reply again & I'm a little confused.

You say "If you want to be able to power the fridge continuous withot any other charging source, you will need more than a 120w panel" then give a link to a site selling 100w panels & suggest that 2 of them (200w) would do fine... the extra 80w makes that much difference to a 40L Engel? Would not the size of the battery linked to the solar panels - in my quoted case 120ah - make the difference. I would have thought that a 120ah battery would have handled the Engel for a couple of days at least... but then I'm only guessing.

If... we go the way of your batteries... what size battery would I need? The cost? And cost of associated equipment required?

[T1 Terry]

The size of the battery gives you how many days before recharging, the amount of solar need to be enough to power the fridge and recharge the battery, then the stop is unlimited, except for 2 days continuous rain, by then you would have driven on anyway and the alternator would recharge the battery.
A lithium ferrous battery big enough to run the fridge as a freezer easy for 2 days is around $540 plus tax plus freight from WA, or you could build the same thing up out of slightly larger cells coming down from Nth qld for about the same sort of money, if you were going to put it all in a battery box it's 6 of one and half a doz of the other really. The one from WA is just slightly smaller capacity cells already straped and in another plastic battery case, so it looks just like a normal battery, if you contact Martin (Dapope) he might send you a photo of his battery so you get an idea.

The added bits, depends just how far you want to go, for a manual system with an alarm, about $60 to $70, a fully automated system, roughly about double that, not the huge numbers some peole have been trying to make out.

[Mrcoolabah1au]

Sound good will kept watching ok

[Chuck]

So, Terry, going with your suggestion...

$280..... 2 x 100w folding panels.
$095..... Anderson extension lead.
$540..... Lithium Battery.
$054..... GST
$130..... Auto system.
------------------------------------
$1199..... Total - Plus freight.
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Hmm, considering my original quote from local sparky was $1100 - reckon this is a much better option.

Unknown quantity at this stage would be cost of freight, but doubt that would be excessive, & getting it fitted...

Coz I'm dumber than dog shit when it comes to electrickery!

[T1 Terry]

Bring it with you to Whitfield, I'm sure someone there will help you connect it up

[BruceS]

I'd bring mine for 'someone' to connect up too if i was invited!
Then again i'd hate the 'ear whisperer' to strike!!

[Chuck]

Thanks,

Seriously considering taking the plunge...