Solar kit for charging leisure battery

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Solar kit for charging leisure battery

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chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Tue Oct 16, 12 6:13 pm Post subject: Solar kit for charging leisure battery
Any recommendations? Because we have this camper van now, you know ... I'm having a google around and it looks like there are lots of different suppliers out there; my decision making glands are not at their best at the moment, so any input would narrow the field ...

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Tue Oct 16, 12 6:22 pm Post subject:
Your starting at the wrong end. First work out how much power you will use. Then work out how to store it. Then work out how to replace it. If your using very little & moving the camper everyday then a bigger alt would be the best bet. Or is the solar just to keep the bat in good condition whilst its not in use?

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Tue Oct 16, 12 6:31 pm Post subject:

Thanks, Richard, that's a good point.

I guess, topping up the battery whilst stationery would be our first priority. There's currently a large engine battery that will run the lights for four days of moderate usage (according to the previous owner); but, obviously, if you get it wrong, you need a jump start - so that's my first priority.

I can see us wanting to charge laptops and phones more than she did. There is space for a large leisure battery elsewhere in the van.

I will go away and do more research.

I guess, an expandable system as finances allow is what I am looking for.

I am right in thinking it's fairly easy to charge the battery and get it to run 12v lights; but to get it to charge laptops/phones requires an inverter-type thingy?

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Tue Oct 16, 12 6:36 pm Post subject:
You can charge laptops and phones, even iPhones, from the vans cigar lighter.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Tue Oct 16, 12 6:43 pm Post subject:

If you can keep all the loads on 12v. Saves on the cost of an inverter plus any losses in the conversion.

First job is to fit a second battery (or two if your total usage is large) & make sure that all the existing loads are only powered from it & not the starter bat. Having the loads on the starter bat is bound to end in trouble. Make sure you fit a fuse in line to the bat & a fuse block for all the individual loads. 12v dc wiring is very easy to set on fire. Make sure you use the correct wire size & fuse size for that cable/load.

As part of that fit a split charger so that when the engine is running the second bank gets charged as well as the starter one.

Dont worry starter bats dont use much energy (about 1ah) to start the engine so will get recharged up very quickly.

goldy1

Joined: 17 Sep 2006
Posts: 729

Posted: Tue Oct 16, 12 7:01 pm Post subject:
change all lights to LED it makes a huge difference. In my caravan the loo light alone was 10 watts changed all lights whole van roughly that now.

gardening-girl

Joined: 25 Feb 2009
Posts: 6024
Location: Somerset.

Posted: Tue Oct 16, 12 8:38 pm Post subject:
Speak to Barrie. He explained all this to Arvo at the skillshare.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46207
Location: yes

Posted: Tue Oct 16, 12 8:45 pm Post subject:
what they said re batteries get a pair of largeish ones and you can use em in tandem ,as big single or in rotation gel is safer than liquid make sure they are leisure and can be deep discharged with minimum harm chandlers that supply fishing rather than pleasure boats are a good source of leccy kit a van roof size pv panel might save a fair bit of fuel in charge but might use it in drag

john of wessex

Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Posts: 2130

Posted: Tue Oct 16, 12 10:01 pm Post subject:
i would have thought that unless you are planning on parking up for a few days and/or not going far it would be simpler to just charge from the engine. And of course as everyone else says, make sure the load is as low as possible

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Wed Oct 17, 12 9:27 am Post subject:

gardening-girl wrote:

He explained all this to Arvo at the skillshare.

Oooh, okay. We don't actually *talk*, you know

mark

Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 2191
Location: Leeds

Posted: Thu Oct 18, 12 1:09 pm Post subject:

The main thing to remember is that charging phones is usually OK but charging laptops makes a big demand on a leisure battery. Solar recharging probably won't be able to keep up with the demand if you make any serious use of laptop unless you can set up a serious solar farm. The problem is its those sunny days when we don't use the laptop - and those overcast rainy weeks and short winter days when it gets maximum use.

You need to either have enough battery capacity to manage from a hookup charge when you can get one - or seriously manage your laptop use.

A lot depends on how much driving about you do if you are charging off the engine - but I don't like to do too much driving when I'm camping and prefer to get outside walking etc..

Using other gadgets to replace as much laptop use as possible is the best way - a 7 in tablet can do your emails, web browing and light writing. A kindle or other e-ink screen is best for reading books. If you can use lower gadgets like this you will do loads better - if you use laptop don't use dvd drive (copy everything to hard drive before you go) and use a laptop with the smallest screen you can and use it for the shortest possible time . Make sure all gadgets are fully charged before you set off.

It is usually more efficient to charge gadgets direct while driving if you can than to charge a leisure battery and then use a battery to charge the gadgets .

Avoid the use of an inverter where possible - and power what you can direct with a charger/adapter intended for auto use.

Where solar power is great is for keeping a battery topped up when you are not using it - and it can be used to supplement all the strategies above .. But its usually better to spend money on additional battery capacity you can charge from mains than solar chargers for mobile use.

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