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Subject Topic: Solar Panels Post Reply Post New Topic
PersonCarol1626
13/8/2008 at 7:44am
 Location: Bedfordshire
 Outfit: Bailey Pageant Provence Audi A6 View Carol1626's Profile View Profile   Reply to Carol1626 Reply   Quote Carol1626 Quote  
Joined: 28/12/2007

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Hi We are thinking of getting a solar panel to top up the battery of our caravan for weekends away when we do not have electric hook up. We know nothing about them so any information as to what we would need / Make, model price etc would be a great help.


PersonScampi
13/8/2008 at 8:27am
 Location: Leeds
 Outfit: None Entered View Scampi's Profile View Profile   Reply to Scampi Reply   Quote Scampi Quote  
Joined: 02/8/2004

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We have a 13W brief-case style solar panel that we connect directly to the battery when we are not on mains.  We are going to Wales on Sunday and will have 14 nights with no EHU - with a fully charged 110 Ah battery and with help of the solar panel, we will have enought battery power for the lights, water-pump and charging mobile phones, and still have enough left to use the motor-mover to help with hitching-up for coming home.

We do a lot of non-mains camping and wouldn't be without the panel now.


Personpippa10
13/8/2008 at 3:12pm
 Location: Cheshire
 Outfit: Avondale Sandmartin & Mondeo Estate View pippa10's Profile View Profile   Reply to pippa10 Reply   Quote pippa10 Quote  
Joined: 09/3/2007

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We have a 45W solar panel that sits on the roof with suckers. We have just returned from Anglesey with almost a month without EHU. We have a 110 battery and a small colour TV which we can use for 2/3 hours per day. Considering there has been very little sun, we have had no problems at all. Obviously the more wattage you can afford the better but the price goes up too. Our is a Detroit Solar panel. They have a website if you want to google it and we paid £249 about 5 years ago at a caravan trade show. We are very happy with it. Much better than a noisy generator.

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Margaret.


Personeel28
14/8/2008 at 1:39pm
 Location: Letchworth Garden City
 Outfit: Conway Cruiser View eel28's Profile View Profile   Reply to eel28 Reply   Quote eel28 Quote  
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we have one of the briefcase ones, same as Scampi.  we regularly go for weekends with no EHU and often quite local too, so there is not much chance of the battery charging enroute.  so far we have had no problems with it, but then we haven't yet really tested it by using for more than a weekend.

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Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional


Persontee47
14/8/2008 at 7:20pm
 Location: Carmarthenshire
 Outfit: AutoSleeper Broadway View tee47's Profile View Profile   Reply to tee47 Reply   Quote tee47 Quote  
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Purchased a Kyocera 43w panel, used rubber door-stops as 'feet', added good quality cable and a regulator and hey presto! A great addition to any caravan. Indeed, I'd encourage  manufacturers to fit a panel as standard!

Scan the internet.... buying seperates is much cheaper than buying a kit! Your guide re size is the size of your Heki!

If you need more info, e-mail me on: evans at brodirion.co.uk

Good uck


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Personrexgrant
14/8/2008 at 7:55pm
 Location: 
 Outfit:  View rexgrant's Profile View Profile   Reply to rexgrant Reply   Quote rexgrant Quote  
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Hi all
Just a tip.
If you use a standard leisure battery do not discharge it below 11.8 volts as this will shorten the life of the battery very quickly.
If you intend to fit a solar power charger, I would buy a deep cycle battery that you can safely discharge down to 10.5volts without damage, a good alternative is the mid ranged Elecsol that will also accept been discharge below 11 volts.
Regards.
Rex.

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"Be the person your dog thinks you are" (BM)



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