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Subject Topic: solar panel output Post Reply Post New Topic
Personscawbyboy
29/12/2021 at 7:49pm
 Location: North Lincs
 Outfit: Ace Diplomat 2017 Ford Kuga View scawbyboy's Profile View Profile   Reply to scawbyboy Reply   Quote scawbyboy Quote  
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I have a 100w solar panel fixed to the roof of my caravan. The caravan will be on a seasonal pitch from March till october, and whilst we are not on the site the mains electric is disconnected. Do we think the solar panel will keep the battery and fridge going (obviously with the fridge on 12volt setting}.We shouldn't be away from the site for more than 10 days at a time

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scawbyboy


PersonDave and Cyn
via mobile 29/12/2021 at 9:10pm
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Caravan fridges work on 12 volts when hooked up to the car with the engine running. Not from the leisure battery!
Your panel should keep your battery charged OK.


Personmacquatic
29/12/2021 at 9:34pm
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The fridge won't work on 12v, it's only designed to run 12v when hooked up to a car with the engine running.
The solar panel will keep your battery topped up if it and the controller are decent quality.

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I came into this world with nothing and I've still got most of it left.


Personscawbyboy
29/12/2021 at 11:06pm
 Location: North Lincs
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Many thanks for the replies. Still learning after 40 years!!

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scawbyboy


Persontrog100
29/12/2021 at 11:51pm
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just for a laugh i have 20 x 150 watt solar panels on my garden shed roofs.. a theoretical 3000 watts.. i have just installed them..

currently they are producing about 5 amps for 4 hours out of the day..

for what its worth even if you could run your fridge off 12 volts.. you would need more than a 100 watt panel.. it will keep your battery topped up but that is about all..

a caravan fridge uses about 7 or 8 amps while its running..

trog


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PersonDaveS1
via mobile 30/12/2021 at 10:35am
 Location: Hatfield Peverel Essex
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Just to add a little to the above perfectly correct answers, whilst unconnected to the car and working off gas or 230v electricity, the fridge still needs a 12volt supply to operate the control panel, interior light and ignition system.
DaveS1


Personnavver
30/12/2021 at 8:38pm
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Surely when not on site you will switch the fridge off and empty it out remembering to leave the door open to stop it going mouldy. If that's the case the solar panel will keep the battery well charged.

Numbers wise, the fridge 240 volt element is about 100 watts maybe a little more. The solar panel is 100 watts and only provides that under very specific conditions of temperature and sun strength etc. Most of the time it will provide less especially when not in June or July, the peak output months.

It provides nothing at all at night.


PersonMisterB1959
01/1/2022 at 8:35am
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i think some answers, might not be accurate.

which type of fridge is it and its size? compressor fridges will run on 12v quite happily if you have the right amount of 12v power available, some people fit lithium batteries to support their compressor fridge. not sure it would run for 10 days though with only a 100w solar panel to top it up, though i suppose you could install more solar and more lithium, but i suspect the cost might end up being more than the van is worth LOL.

standard absorption fridges will usually only function on 12v when the vehicle/caravan is being driven and towed and getting power from the alternator - its the way they are usually wired up. Though that could be altered, its not really advisable as they do take a massive chunk out of your battery.

another alternative for an absorption fridge would be to install a separate 240v circuit in your van which only feeds the fridge and leave just that connected to the EHU when off site?


PersonColin21
01/1/2022 at 11:30am
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The compressor fridge in a boat I had ran for a week on battery alone, but I did have 220ah battery power available. At the time I had no mains electricity on my home mooring, and no solar panel either as they weren't so readily available as they are now. It did help that as there was nobody aboard, the fridge door didn't get opened in that time. I forgot to turn off the battery isolator when I went home.

If you had a compressor fridge in a caravan the 12 volt power to it would have to be re-wired so that it could run off the leisure battery, as that is not normally possible with the standard manufacturer's wiring. As others have said, thy are normally wired to just run off the car's 12 volts when towing.


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Best Regards,
Colin


PersonPaul_B
05/1/2022 at 11:39am
 Location: Yorkshire
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The older fridges didn't need 12v to operate, mine doesn't.

It works on 12v from car only, on gas it doesn't need a 12v supple and the gas is ignited by Piezo button


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PersonDaveS1
via mobile 05/1/2022 at 2:41pm
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Yes, well said Paul.
I originally thought that the fridge is in a 2017 caravan but of course Ace had been taken over by Swift by then. Re-reading the original post it looks as though it is a 2017 car!
DaveS1


Personscawbyboy
05/1/2022 at 5:52pm
 Location: North Lincs
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Thanks everyone for the replies. To clear up any confusion, the car is a 2013 Kuga and the caravan a 2017 Ace Diplomat, which is a special edition from Wandahome ,sorry to confuse. Never had a solar panel before

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scawbyboy


PersonPaul_B
06/1/2022 at 10:29am
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Quote: Originally posted by scawbyboy on 05/1/2022
Thanks everyone for the replies. To clear up any confusion, the car is a 2013 Kuga and the caravan a 2017 Ace Diplomat, which is a special edition from Wandahome ,sorry to confuse. Never had a solar panel before


Thanks for the update



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