New Sunpower solar panel

Nebster, You say "I am looking at making it so that tables clip over the front of the panels when travelling to avoid stones"

If the panels are covered then they are not charging your batteries and will only be working when you actually remove the table.
It appears to defeat the purpose of having them on the roof!!

I'm sure you will find the BP regulator will not work correctly when running on SOC because the 2 x panels will not put into the battery as much power as the accessories take out, that gives a negative reading and disconnects the fridge from the battery because the low voltage disconnect will activate.
The vehicle alternator charge going into the battery is not recognised on SOC by the BP regulator, the battery can be 12.8v and still showing as a negative SOC and the fridge will not be connected.

The best way is run on "Voltage" and it will only apply 'auto disconnect' when the battery is low.

Mainey,
I hear what you're saying, my setup is a little bit different to the main thought process I suppose. I set it up to suit what I wanted.

Ok here goes.... I use the regulator as a visual aid more anything when set up in camp as to what the solar is coming in and a check on the volts in battery.

I run my fridge from another power box on a seperate set up which is on the other side and the regulator does not control.

I generally turn the regulator off by a switch you can barely see under the gray box. But if Im camped up for a while then I activate the system in question. I reset the amps in and out on the regulator and it all starts fresh from then. The top white plug on the gray box is where the solar panels plug into.

When I initially got the regulator I only wanted to see how any amps the fridge and accessories were drawing and after that I have reverted back to my current ways. Ive got more sockets then I really need cause I only run the fridge and charge a detector battery or two.

Sometimes I dont even have the solar panels with me and that box doesnt get turned on.

I'll keep this in mind thanks
"The best way is run on "Voltage" and it will only apply 'auto disconnect' when the battery is low."

Cheers

http://www.suntechaustralia.com.au/product_page.php?prod_code=STA110-12

Suntech 110wt panel is 1315 x 661 and delivers 6.4amp ($881.00 EXcluding GST, so that’s $969 +30 = $999)

Sunpower 90wt panel is 5.1amp, however is only 1038 x 527 and more affordable :-)
The technical specifications of the two panels are also vastly different.

The Sunpower 95wt won’t be available till later this year and will be ~$45 extra.

Sunpower are good panels in the heat...
Sharp are also very good, the rest well there has to be a second choice LoL

90 watt Sunpower at 802 is a bit expencive for a "mates" rate deal :-)
Sharp 123watt is a good panel (7.16 amp) but has just had a price rise last week to aprox 940, as many other brands will have shortly.

Steca's are excellent prices... and a really good product, that's why many other companies rebadge them, including BP.

$1,065 for a Sunpower 90watt panel at 'Energy matters' :-((
Compare it with the prices quoted above.

At my "mates" rates I can source the 90wt panel below 800 :-)
(save ~300)