18' Series Solar Generator
- Thread starter Jennymay
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Ive had a cursory glance at some flexible solar panels to compliment the traditional panels, but my stumbling block was the substantial cost and size required to produce compatible energy. They look impressive, but those drawbacks made it a "no go" for me. I suppose they'll cheapen up once the novelty value wears off.
I cart a 2.0kW genset about and like you have a diesel ute, but a 10ltr jerry isn't such a big inconvenience for us and if I need more fuel than that .... bad luck. Rarely happens tho
I cart a 2.0kW genset about and like you have a diesel ute, but a 10ltr jerry isn't such a big inconvenience for us and if I need more fuel than that .... bad luck. Rarely happens tho
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I thought he said something about keeping it simple. I gave up part way through when it became obvious it was anything but KISS.
This looks like a really complex and expensive solution to a simple problem.
Those folding panels cost a lot of $$$ per watt ($A1520 for 200W). The $ 76 per watt is very expensive. They may be very high quality panels, they look military design and are well packaged for transport. They are probably over engineered for most caravan owners.
The fancy lithium battery (240W = 12Vx20A) with incorporated inverter and USB port called "Solarpod 240" looks very neat ($US600), but I bet it is not cheap in Australia. It is an expensive lithium battery but in a nicely put together kit. Probably a bit over the top for most caravan users as they usually already have a battery in their van.
Overall you would be better off with a simple folding panel from eBay (or some other supplier) and an inverter and decent deep cycle lithium battery (or use your van deep cycle battery). If you want flexible panels off eBay get a bag and bit of PVC pipe and save a lot of $$.
The system in the video is simply 200W solar panels with 20A 12V battery incorporating a solar regulator with an inverter and a couple of USB ports. If you have the $ go for it as a turn key solution but solar solutions for bush camping do not have to cost over $2,000.
It can be done a lot cheaper.
Those folding panels cost a lot of $$$ per watt ($A1520 for 200W). The $ 76 per watt is very expensive. They may be very high quality panels, they look military design and are well packaged for transport. They are probably over engineered for most caravan owners.
The fancy lithium battery (240W = 12Vx20A) with incorporated inverter and USB port called "Solarpod 240" looks very neat ($US600), but I bet it is not cheap in Australia. It is an expensive lithium battery but in a nicely put together kit. Probably a bit over the top for most caravan users as they usually already have a battery in their van.
Overall you would be better off with a simple folding panel from eBay (or some other supplier) and an inverter and decent deep cycle lithium battery (or use your van deep cycle battery). If you want flexible panels off eBay get a bag and bit of PVC pipe and save a lot of $$.
The system in the video is simply 200W solar panels with 20A 12V battery incorporating a solar regulator with an inverter and a couple of USB ports. If you have the $ go for it as a turn key solution but solar solutions for bush camping do not have to cost over $2,000.
It can be done a lot cheaper.
In a nutshell " What a waste of money "..................if you have the right gear you really only need a small amount of power.
Although he did explain that they need a lot of power while making their TV shows, and it's not a caravan orientated one, it's hard to imagine that they wouldn't have even a small generator with them somewhere that would take less time to set up and produce more power. That said what gets me about many of these shows is the not said part of them. They are doing it all while sponsored by their various favourite companies and I doubt they even pay for the stuff, or if they do it's all tax deductable anyway. They may even be charging the companies for advertising their products. Therefore their views expressed on the worth of any product should be treated like any other TV advertising. Mostly they don't reflect real world people who don't have the luxury of support crews and vehicles who are rarely shown or acknowledged that can carry the extra, and sometimes superfluous, gear. I have a particular dislike of the frequent driving on beaches and in to the salt water with no cleaning down of them shown or mentioned. Unlikely that the vehicles last too long before a newer one is obtained from the sponsors or written off on tax.
For reality I prefer to watch Penny and Jodie (Top of Downunder) who manage to do everything by themselves (despite the couple of husbands in the background). Or is it that I'm just a bit of a D.O.M.?
For reality I prefer to watch Penny and Jodie (Top of Downunder) who manage to do everything by themselves (despite the couple of husbands in the background). Or is it that I'm just a bit of a D.O.M.?
I like the idea of Solar power
however, the expense is what kills it for me.........
your paying a hell of a lot of money, for something that gets used maybe 4-8 times a year.......
I cannot see the added value in getting Solar over a cheap Genny & a 10l Gerry Can
however, the expense is what kills it for me.........
your paying a hell of a lot of money, for something that gets used maybe 4-8 times a year.......
I cannot see the added value in getting Solar over a cheap Genny & a 10l Gerry Can
I guess it is personal preference. I do not like the smell of genny fuel and the noise of a generator in the bush.
In time I am sure most vans will come with some solar capability as standard. Most van manufactures charge way too much for solar added on as an option. The Jayco outbacks now come with one 120W panel as standard, extra panels are options which are over priced.
However, at least they include the wiring in all their new vans. So it eventually solar will be standard on all their vans.
All new ideas and technologies attract the lower forms of life in society, to make a fast buck. The phone call from the dodgy call centre trying to sell you solar panels for your house, the company that looks too good to be true and then disappears. The rip off merchants who find new technology in China and sell it for way too much money in Australia. I am afraid the solar industry due to rubbish government policy is attracting sharks who make it hard for the good genuine people who believe in this neat technology. We just have to be careful as buyers of new technology and educate ourselves in places like this excellent forum.
Hopefully, I think the next relevant technology move will be flexible solar panels on the roof as standard. They only weigh about 2Kg for 100W and currently a bit more expensive than rigid panels. They make a lot of sense. Combine these light weight panels with modern Lithium batteries which are about the ⅓ to ½ the weight of lead acid batteries. You have a simple and robust power 12V power supply.
In the meantime, back to reality 240W folding panels for around $320 with regulator hooked straight up to existing van deep cycle battery (or batteries). Means cheap 12V power for most applications such as laptop computers, TV, lighting, etc. If you want 240v for short duration a decent sine wave inverter for a couple hundred $ is a good addition (Aldi have had some good ones in the past for a good price). Maybe not as capable as a good Honda or Yamaha generator but cheaper and quieter and no fuel smell. We see a change in energy technology and change hurts, solar is already good value for many things we do in our vans, but some things are still a bit expensive and a generator can supply peak power and we are accustomed to them. Like all the things we do we trade $ and weight for comfort.
In the good old days a bit of leaky canvas and a wet down sleeping bag with a groundsheet was luxury and if you could have a camp fire and a torch without flat batteries, the world was almost perfect. We are all changing and getting older and softer, but wow do I ever like camping in the bush and when some clever person makes something to new make my life easier I look at it closely.
All in all, a tent out in the bush by a creek, sitting around the fire with just a Tilly lamp, good conversation, laughter..........no phone, no computers, no internet, TV or fridge.................the kids played, they talked and generally were worn out by the end of the day . It can still be done without all the gadgets and my kids were brought up on it...........................
Mind you, now I'm quite happy with my comfy camp chair, cold beer and salad and non smoky cooking units and thank god for AirCon.....but sometimes....the tent is in the shed along with the swag.
Mind you, now I'm quite happy with my comfy camp chair, cold beer and salad and non smoky cooking units and thank god for AirCon.....but sometimes....the tent is in the shed along with the swag.
dont get me wrong @yabbietol , I have the "obligatory" 120w panel on the roof of my van, which will do for lights etc, as you say
I would like to get "more" power for when camping away from CVparks, but as you say:-
there is WAY too much information - but only 1/2 of it is useful.
mono crystalline panel - good / bad / indifferent
poly crystalline panel - good / bad / indifferent
amphorus panels - good / bad / indifferent
then you have the controllers.............
then what gauge wiring to get
for someone with electrical knowledge, this is child's play - but Im not an auto electrician, so I have to rely on others opinion, which varies from person to person.
I am NOT willing to buy something, then find out if I had looked harder (if I knew WHAT I was looking at) I could have gotten a bigger / better / cheaper / more power option........
and if I hear another person trying to sell me crap tell me that "they will look after me for what I need......."
I will shoot them. end of conversation.
I dont see that I need to spend half my life reading up on a subject "that bores me to tears" just to save a few dollars on what I can or should have........
to my mind, currently, if I want more power - yes I will get a 2nd hand genny, carry fuel, and 90mts of extension cord, so its far enough away not to annoy me.............
less headaches and less stress than going through all the crap ................
We seem to be agreeing.
I think it is just a matter of time before decent solar is standard on most vans and hence no real knowledge required hopefully you just park and use the power as needed. However, we are not there yet. There is currently lot of snake oil salesmen out there trying for our $ by confusing us.
I really lost interest, when I asked the questions about the panels themselves
mono crystalline panel - good / bad / indifferent
poly crystalline panel - good / bad / indifferent
amphorus panels - good / bad / indifferent
I got as many saying good for each as said bad for each, and a couple of undecideds..........
I was once told "get the dome shaped ones, as you dont need direct sunlight on them"
then I was told - "the dome shaped ones dont create as much power as the flat ones"
and also told "the individual solar blocks on each panel, are not as efficient as the solid type"............
so what I really want (apparently) is a panel with 1/3rd Mono Chrystalline, 1/3rd poly chrystalline & 1/3rd amphorous
but you know, no-one will tell me where to get one for less than a phone number in $$$$$$
bring on a standard that is easy to understand I say.................
mono crystalline panel - good / bad / indifferent
poly crystalline panel - good / bad / indifferent
amphorus panels - good / bad / indifferent
I got as many saying good for each as said bad for each, and a couple of undecideds..........
I was once told "get the dome shaped ones, as you dont need direct sunlight on them"
then I was told - "the dome shaped ones dont create as much power as the flat ones"
and also told "the individual solar blocks on each panel, are not as efficient as the solid type"............
so what I really want (apparently) is a panel with 1/3rd Mono Chrystalline, 1/3rd poly chrystalline & 1/3rd amphorous
but you know, no-one will tell me where to get one for less than a phone number in $$$$$$
bring on a standard that is easy to understand I say.................
@bigcol running on the same track, while I understand it all, my wallet is a bit on the slim side so I make economic choices and too date my choices have been good and far less expensive than some would want to know. I always ask "How long have you used them ? " the answer is usually "Well the data shows !!!" so I disregard the info given, if you don't use it then you don't know, it's just somebodies opinion and look for someone who uses the item, they usually have a good idea. But then I don't pay any attention to sales pitch, big sale killer in my book.
Rule of thumb if it's big name brand it's usually over priced, if it's cheap as, it usually is, brand thats been around but no hype, usually reliable and made by big name company just not as flash or "Look at me, Look At Me", do a Google and you can usually find the brand that made by the big name thats just as good but may have no frills in paint or something. I did buy an Engel and I did buy a Honda Genny though, research said GO, 36 yrs for the Engel all good, Honda Genny only a couple of years but starts first pull.
Rule of thumb if it's big name brand it's usually over priced, if it's cheap as, it usually is, brand thats been around but no hype, usually reliable and made by big name company just not as flash or "Look at me, Look At Me", do a Google and you can usually find the brand that made by the big name thats just as good but may have no frills in paint or something. I did buy an Engel and I did buy a Honda Genny though, research said GO, 36 yrs for the Engel all good, Honda Genny only a couple of years but starts first pull.
unfortunately, thats who I was asking - guys I know who have looked into / read up about / fitted to their campers and use them
and they confused the duck out of me..........
when we looked at our 16.49 in Feb last year, they "threw in at no extra cost" the solar system........
otherwise I wouldn't have that..........
then I did the - what have you got, and why......?? - with mates who play with these sorts of things
one guy I know has been playing with Solar gear since Dick Smith put out a simple solar Kit - late 70's early 80's
- he was the main confusion giver............ even after asking him to re-explain in English............
I want a shop - like a stereo shop - that you can walk in and go - I'll have that, that, that and that - fitted to that Jayco - GO...............
and NOT cost an Arm & a Leg & 4 pints of blood.................
oh
and it has to work for 20yrs without maintaining, as well.........
not too much to ask is it????????
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