Car Camping - Solar for Battery Charging

[Aushiker]

Hi

We have a Kings 50L Camping Fridge/Freezer that gets used now and then with a 100Ah Slimline Lithium Bonza Battery Box battery (similar to this one, Access 12Volt Warehouse do not list it anymore).

Generally, we tend to camp overnight and move on, so I have not worried about needing to charge multiple days, but that is changing. So, I am in the market for a solar setup I can use camping. It would ideally provide sufficient charging to get the fridge through the night.

I noticed that Snowy's has a Hard Korr 200-watt solar mat for $579. They also have a Hard Korr 300-watt solar blanket for $583.90.

I emailed Hard Korr seeking further advice but never heard back. I'm not so sure about their customer service. That said, their products seem well-reviewed.

From my research, solar mats seem to be the easiest flexible option, but for 100 watts more ....

Would this be a good option? Do you have other suggestions?

[Moondog55]

I got the foldable 100W mat at the last ALDI sale, it seems to work but perhaps two of them would have been better.
You need more area when it's overcast or not direct sun tho so I guess bigger is better. No other experience so I can't comment further

[Bam]

Personally I would choose a foldable solar blanket that has integrated legs allowing it to be free standing in order to maximise its output.

All solar cells reduce efficiency (and therefore power output) with increased heat, therefore laying a blanket flat on the ground or over a bonnet/windscreen is not recommended as there is no air flow between the cells and the surface.

Be very careful about which product you finally decide to purchase as a lot of manufacturers vastly overstate the output wattage of their blankets.

Like most things, good quality blankets that “actually” produce their claimed outputs don’t come cheap, only you can decide what offers value for money based upon your own circumstances.

After much online research I decided to purchase a blanket from the company (no affiliation) in the link below as it offered me exactly what I was looking for, a quality blanket in a small package that could produce its full rated output for the touring setup in my Troopy.

I purchased one of their 180W Solar Blankets, it wasn’t cheap but it has performed flawlessly over the last 3 years, I’ve been very pleased with the output that it achieves even in overcast conditions & it will easily put enough charge into a battery to enable you to run a fridge overnight.

https://www.offroadliving.com.au/solar/folding-solar-panels/

Other suggestions, use a minimum of 10 B&S gauge wire to connect your blanket to a quality MPPT solar regulator that is positioned as close to your battery as possible to maximum the charge going into your battery.

Most solar regs & wiring that come with the cheaper panels are rubbish & severely restrict the panels output.

[Aushiker]

Personally I would choose a foldable solar blanket that has integrated legs allowing it to be free standing in order to maximise its output.

That is what I am looking for now.

https://www.offroadliving.com.au/solar/folding-solar-panels/

Thanks for the advice and link. I assume you are referring to this one or similar.I note that they state on the FAQ for the blanket that it can be used with a DCDC charger in lieu of a controller. I understand that my Bonza V2 100Ah Slimline Lithium Battery Box has a 'lithium compatible DC-DC charger' so it is possible that a controller is not needed. Checking that with OffRoad Living. If so, that makes is good price given the specifications and warranty.

[Bam]

Yes, that’s the one I’ve got.
I also plug mine straight into the solar input on my Redarc Manager 30 battery management system rather than using a seperate solar controller.

[Aushiker]

Yes, that’s the one I’ve got.
I also plug mine straight into the solar input on my Redarc Manager 30 battery management system rather than using a seperate solar controller.

I contacted Off Road Living yesterday and got a reply this morning from Jon Ryan suggesting I will need a controller Great service, but from Jon Ryan. Two other suppliers have never bothered to reply.

[Neo]

From a Kings 120w folding panel/blanket I have only ever registered ~60w charge coming in, even on a direct full sun day. Had I known this I might have gone for, say 200w, although the folded size packs well for my vehicles.
I have a lithium power station with built in controller and inverter. The little screen shows power levels going out and in. (also put my own dual battery wiring in so I can recharge when driving, using the power station like a dual battery)

[Bam]

From a Kings 120w folding panel/blanket I have only ever registered ~60w charge coming in, even on a direct full sun day.

That’s a very familiar story I regularly came across when reading through multiple reviews of many different manufacturers solar panels, it appears that most seem to randomly pick a number to put on the packaging in order to flog their products!

After all, who wouldn’t want a 200w panel for the price of 100w one especially if it also comes with a solar regulator thrown in for good measure!

In fact, it all became quite depressing as I didn’t think I was ever going to find an actual folding solar panel that suited my needs & could actually produce the manufacturer’s claimed output for sale at a reasonable price point.

Must admit, even though I spent more than I really wanted to, I’m glad that I did as I ended up with a quality product that simply does what it states it can do on the box plus the seller obviously has confidence that it will continue to do so based upon the long warranty that their products come with.

[Neo]

I had guessed it was some electrical mathematics I don't know about, where 100 of whatsies only ends up as 50 of do dahs.

[Aushiker]

From a Kings 120w folding panel/blanket I have only ever registered ~60w charge coming in, even on a direct full sun day. Had I known this I might have gone for, say 200w, although the folded size packs well for my vehicles.
I have a lithium power station with built in controller and inverter. The little screen shows power levels going out and in. (also put my own dual battery wiring in so I can recharge when driving, using the power station like a dual battery)

Reading 4WDing Australia review of the Allspark Solar Blanket, he mentions the Kings in a not too positive way. Turned me off them.

I thought this comment on the page would help assess other panels. At least a starting point for verifying the claims regarding output.

Given the fact that it does the wattage advertised, I was keen to know how the actual solar panel sizes add up. You should get roughly 160W of panel per square metre, and each panel on the All Spark 160W unit is 560x 440mm, with the actual panel a little smaller. 4 of these panels together is almost bang on 1m2, so they’re not false advertising like so many other panels do.