Enthusiast III
Finished my install of my solar panels to run my fridge when I'm off grid. And easy to remove if I want to use cross bars for some thing else
Solar panels
- Thread starter Dave_McNaughton
- Start date
-
Guest, we will be conducting site maintenance August 4th and some downtime is expected. At this time Rally Point and the Member Map will also become an app-only feature for long-term security and stability. A few days after this maintenance, a major upgrade revision to the forum site will occur.
I've been considering similar, but what's the advantage here of panels rather than just having, say, a 500W Jackery to run the fridge at night and just run the fridge off alternator/main battery power during the day? Just less load on the alternator?
Member III
The Jackery is fine for a day or two. Base camp for anything longer and your wanting solar. I run 100 watts on my cruiser and 400 on my trailer with a 200 watt folding as a backup if I'm camped in the forest.
On my old trailer, my 150 watt put back whatever my fridge used over night and still had enough to run it during the day.
As for extra load on the alternator, if you used the alternator to recharge the Jackery, your still using the same amount of power. If I'm driving constantly then my alternator is my main. If I'm camping without sun, in just the cruiser, I have three days of battery before I have to drive to recharge.
On my old trailer, my 150 watt put back whatever my fridge used over night and still had enough to run it during the day.
As for extra load on the alternator, if you used the alternator to recharge the Jackery, your still using the same amount of power. If I'm driving constantly then my alternator is my main. If I'm camping without sun, in just the cruiser, I have three days of battery before I have to drive to recharge.
Protector III
- 14,131
- First Name
- Bjoern
- Last Name
- Eldracher
- Member #
-
20111
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- DO3BE
Protector III
- 14,131
- First Name
- Bjoern
- Last Name
- Eldracher
- Member #
-
20111
- Ham/GMRS Callsign
- DO3BE
A solar system in an Overlander rig is a step towards self-sufficiency. If you are on the road every day, charging the batteries via the alternator is usually sufficient. However, if you are on longer trips and have extended periods of camping somewhere without driving, you will need an additional power supply. But with a shore power connection, you are dependent on a certain infrastructure. A power pack will eat up space in the rig and needs recharging also anyway. A solar system, on the other hand, offers an independent power supply. Once installed, it usually does its job quietly for many years. And you have power without additional running costs, and the solar system itself is low-maintenance.
I have solar on my rig for around 15 years now and wouldn't want to be without it on my trips. Just 100 watts but that´s absolutely fine depending on my needs.
