Solar panel kit (1 Viewer)

[jordano]

can anyone recommend a solar kit with everything I would need included I thought about 150-200 to charge cab batt and two 110 leasure batts

 

[Minxy]

You can buy 'kits' but they tend to be quite pricey and you have to accept whatever regulator etc they have.

I've just fitted a couple of semi-flexible 100w panels to my camper costing £180 (£90 each), about £105 on a Votronic 250w solar regulator, some connectors, cables, adhesive etc, say another £25, so all in it cost about £320. A 'put together already' kit would probably cost double that.

 

[jordano]

Where did you source them all from Minxy girl?

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[fullfat]

Where did you source them all from Minxy girl?

http://www.friendlygreengiant.com/
Good kit Great Prices

 

[Minxy]

The Votronic Duo 250 came from Germany via Amazon:

Most of the other stuff was from Ebay:

Solar panels 'buy it now' (first link) however he'd listed some as 'bidding' ones which no-one else spotted so I got them for £89.99 each delivered, he's got one on at the moment but has started the bidding lower so has set a reserve price (second link):

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MC4 waterproof connectors:

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MC4 waterproof 'Y' connectors for connecting the leads for 2 panels into 1 set:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-Pair-Y-Type-MC4-Solar-Panel-Cable-Connectors-Male-Female-M-F-Wire-Branch-PV-UK/372276809784?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649​

Tyko Mate-n-Lok to connect to the EBL:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111412307620​

I already had a suitable 'cable box' to use on the roof instead of a purpose made cable gland one, but you can get these:

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I used this adhesive in black:

http://www.olearymotorhomes.co.uk/olearys-caravan-pu-adhesivesealant-50-p.asp​

I got the fuse holders from The Range and they were £1.49 each (they have quite a bit of electrical stuff in there which was a pleasant surprise!):

Broken Link Removed​

I already had suitable ruses and also 15 amp wire connectors but these are also available from Ebay, The Range etc. Cabling and trunking I already had but isn't expensive and lastly some insulating tape, again which I had.

If you haven't got any, get yourself a pair of these as they make it a LOT easier to do the cable work:

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[two]

The advantage of buying separately is that you can get exactly what you want, with little waste. A kit may provide too much (or little) for some circumstances.
The disadvantage of purchasing from different sources is the cost of multiple shipments and, if it doesn't work, no single responsibility for resolution.

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[tonka]

Is your van the autotrail as per your avatar, if so do you have the EC500 Sargent unit ?
That has a built in solar regulator already set up to smart charge both cab and leisure batteries. Max is 120w and you just need a lead to plug in the solar panel.

 

[Minxy]

The advantage of buying separately is that you can get exactly what you want, with little waste. A kit may provide too much (or little) for some circumstances.

Yes, especially since a lot of the regulators supplied with kits aren't the best.

The disadvantage of purchasing from different sources is the cost of multiple shipments and, if it doesn't work, no single responsibility for resolution.

True but that is an unlikely situation in reality and if bought via Ebay you do have their support if something isn't working as it should ...

 

[Minxy]

Just a thought, if you want to charge up your cab battery as well as the leisure ones you'll need a regulator with the output to both to save having to mess about putting in a relay to do the cab one, that's why I went for the Duo which has this.

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[two]

Just a thought, if you want to charge up your cab battery as well as the leisure ones you'll need a regulator with the output to both to save having to mess about putting in a relay to do the cab one, that's why I went for the Duo which has this.

But a relay/BatteryMaster would also charge while on EHU and might be easier to wire.

 

[tacr2man]

I got my solar from these people , and they are quite happy to
pick and mix , to suit you https://www.bimblesolar.com/offgrid/12v?page=2 I found them very good pricewise per watt
@jordano

 

[Minxy]

But a relay/BatteryMaster would also charge while on EHU and might be easier to wire.

... but cost more ... it was actually very easy to connect ... it just meant taking a lead from the + point on the regulator (called Start) to the cab battery with an in-line fuse ... that's it. However if the camper doesn't already have a way to charge the cab battery one EHU then obviously something else would be more beneficial, when ours is on EHU it does both cab and hab so no problem for us..

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