Solar/12 volt system for the caravan

Just one quick question, do you realise that is going to consume wel over 100 kg or your 300 or 400 kg loading allowance? We run one one 110 Ah battery and an 80 W panel. This keeps us going in lights and a bit of TV,

Your 700 watt inverter won't be big enough to run the hair dryer.
You may be able to find a baby one, but an average hair dryer consumes in the order of 2200 watts and anything much less, well, wouldn't dry hair very quickly at all.

Perhaps you should rethink the need for a hair dryer when free camping and save yourself some grief.

Save your money. If its only for free camping , why not get a quiet 2 kva honda generator?

Hair dryer...your joking, right?

Ray,

Suggest have a read of Electricity for Camping. I think it will answer lots of questions.

Suggest too forget the "odd hairdryer", and any heating appliance. They are very hungry devices and will call for plenty battery storage and charging capacity. A 700W inverter won't be big enough to run them - though they don't need a pure sinewave one. You can reduce your charging and battery needs by probably 2/3 if you abandon heating appliances. If you must use heating gear, suggest it's better and cheaper to carry a small QUIET generator.

Cheers

John

The "fairer" Half needs to do what mine did. Cut the hair off and bin the dryer. A bit hard to convince them of this I realise.

G'day Ray,

I am no expert, but from what I have read & researched, you are going to the extreme, without really knowing if you will have enough power for it all anyway?

Try http://www.fridge-and-solar.net & read the techno info about how much you may need?

Don't forget, you can charge your batteries with your car, as well?

Good luck

This is our setup and is in perfect balamce for us free camping

3 x 130w fixed panels on the roof
3 x 105 ah agm batteries
1 x 1500 w pure sine wave inverter (rarely used just a quick zap to reheat the odd meal for convienence)
fridge is a 220L compressor type
all lighting is 12v
TV sat TV etc is all 12v....(the most power user..but not used a lot)
Heating is a diesel heater for the interior
Water heater is gas
Charging the odd device like laptops etc is all 12v

Controller is a Plasmatronics that enables us to monitor in and outs on a daily basis plus history logging

Average daily use is around 80 /90 ah in the high 20's to mid 30's ambient and we are nearly allways in balance with batteries rarely below 80 %

Always some variables come into the above but overall works perfectly for us...if thats any help to you

Ray

I have read with interest the replies to your querry. Having had some experience with solar on my previous van I have just ordered a new van equiped with 2x150w panels, 2x120ah batteries, and a prostar30, I do have a portable 80w panel from my camper trailer days but use that mainly for the dual battery system in the Cruiser, I am having a 1000w inverter fitted only to charge phones, computer etc.
I believe there could be occasions where it didn,t matter how many panels you had you still could run short of power, for this reason, and to allow me to run the aircon. I have swallowed my pride and purchased a Honda generator.