solar panels

Hi pjp

The average solar kit you need would be 100W. This would give you around 5 amps while it is in full sun. Cost around $1200.00

You could get a 1000W inverter and a good 20 amp charger for around $1500.00. This would give you up to 20 amps while you are running it.

2 hours per day would give you what the panel would but some parks won't allow even the Honda Eu series.

Solar may be the way to go. (Provided there is sun !)

Regards Derek.

PJP,

I have the same set up as the last respondant described. It will run a fridge and associated lighting without any problems providing the sun is out.

Make sure you have an Anderson plug fitted in the engine bay for ease of use. I cover the plug with Gaffa tape to keep it clean whislt driving.

Regards

Kim

I have been using a 115Watt solar panel, which cost me $795 inc GST and a Morningstar 10amp regulator, which cost me $110, to run a single battery system in my Pathfinder running a 40 litre Engel Fridge, for over a year now. Fridge is kept as -1 degree.

Why on earth would someone suggest you need a 1000watt inverter? Good grief! It would flatten your battery in about 3 hours!.

To run all the gear you run now, you could get away with a 150watt pure sine wave inverter. If you want to run a few more items, such as TV and satellite decoder at the same time as you run your laptop, a 300watt would do it easy!

Derek,

Thanks for that. I was'nt aware covers are available.

Regards

Kim

If you thinking of going solar, yeah do it, its a must. I put a 70watt panel permanently mounted on the roof of my hi top troopie, and I bought and a fitted a PL20 plasmatronics regulator, (300 dollars) which is the bees knees in solar regulator, a bit overkill but very nice. It has digital memory and data logging so it tells you batt volts, charging current, load current, total power in for the day, total power out for the day, and even told you all the details for up to 30 days back. Using a 80AmpHour second battery, I can park in one place for three days and never have to start the engine, and the fridge still holds -4 deg even in summer.

I even found a strange situation two months ago. Went to fraser, had a great time, nothing went wrong, drove home, then a week later had the denco turbo fitted. Guy said the power cable on the alternator was almost burnt off. When I fixed it, found that it was so bad, it could not have been charging the battery during the fraser trip. It seems the solar cell was keeping both batteries charged while driving and during the whole trip, and since the diesel engine does not use much electrical power to run, and we did no night driving, it didnt get a flat battery!

Dont get a sine wave genny, get solar and fit it all permanent, and you will be able to plug in the fridge and forget it. The regulator I explained above even has a low voltage alarm when the battery is going flat. Ive only heard the alarm once, and that was when a battery terminal came loose.