Use The Sun !
Solar Panels
Portable Solar Panels for caravans save a lot of money as you travel & enable you to do some free camping rather than have to spend money at a caravan park just for power to cook your food.
We are fortunate that we had solar panels in the caravan we bought as it was second hand & find having them very handy .
Most of the caravans these days now come with some sort of battery systems using a 240v battery charger to maintain the battery while we are on the 240 v electricity.
This is the time to charge all your batteries etc !
Most caravans now come with some sort of battery system. These systems use a 240V battery
charger to maintain your battery whilst on 240V electricity
When there is no 240v electricity this is the time when the solar panels will kick in and keep your fridge running.
You have a choice of sizes of solar panels and each one will provide a different amount of battery charge power ,You might want to put a few solar panels in if you want a higher power outlet.
It depends on what you are using in the way of power .
When we free camp we either cook outside or on the gas rather than worry about the microwave .
We have enough solar power for our fridges and lights and sometimes the laptop.
Solar Panels
Solar The Way To Go
Caravan Solar System
The best option is the solar system as once it is installed, it is fully automatic, reliable and maintenance free with a typical trouble free life of 20 years plus.
Once you have chosen an appropriate size panel(s) to suit your needs and a regulator is installed, you will no longer have to worry about having a few lights on each night and you will also be able to watch a few hours TV and use your laptop each night because the next day with a reasonable amount of sun shine, the batteries will recharge ready for the next night.
All this is done automatically without you doing anything.
A single 75W panel will generate approximately 4-4.5 Amps maximum or10 to 20 Amp Hours per day during the summer months or 2-2.5 Amps maximum or 5 to 10 Amp Hours per day during the winter months.
Portable Solar Panels for Caravans
Portable Solar Panels
A great option which we went for is to have a portable solar panel which is ideal for when we want to camp in the shade to keep cool .
The solar panels for caravans can sit in the sun collecting power for your use while you relax under the shade of the trees.
Again there are various sizes to choose from depending on your needs.Starting from 40 watt up to 120 watts depending on your needs for traveling.
Dingo Solar WA
Dingo Solar WA
We chose a premium quality portable solar kit from the Prospectors Patch in Perth as it looked the best for our needs and I would reccommend it for travellers around Australia.
It has 2 50 watt panels which are tested and qualified for the severest weather conditions which is important considering the way the weather has been.
It has a 15 amp controller/regulator included and all the cables as well as an extension lead included.
It weighs 14 kg and comes in the protective carry bag with a warranty.
Smaller Solar Panels
If you feel you don't need one quite as powerful then you can start off with a 40 watt solar panel which is adequate for the camper who needs power to run lights and occasional use of a TV and DVD or just want to keep your batteries charged when in storage. It is light weight, easy to set up and store, only weighs 5.2 kg.
If you don't need a big solar panel kit to run fridges like us or need a maintenance battery charger you will find this kit will meet or beat all of your expectations.
The next size up is an 80 watt solar panel.
40 watt solar panel
Choosing solar Panels
Before you rush out and buy a solar panel work out what you need it for and then go for the size reccommended.
Think about what needs you have such as
Your fridge
TV
Lights
Cooking
Laptop
Do you use a hairdryer / Iron / Jug/ and so on ?
We prefer to free camp so we try to use as little as possible , however I use the laptop a lot.
I am fortunate that I can charge the laptop/ phones up while driving which is a big help!
solar panels prices
For portable Solar Panels they start from about $495 for the 40 watt
An 80 watt on one site is $670 and a 100 watt starts from about $795 all depending on where you buy your solar panel from so it will pay you to shop around so you can get the best deal.
