or you could get the drill out @67westy Fibreglass fills Seriously though, @pkrboo 's install is very neat. An option maybe for you to mount the panel in your rear rack. There's some neat work if you search samba as some people in the States have gone down that route. Another option if you don't want holes is to buy a suitcase type panel. This way you don't have to align the bus with the sun & can park in the shade with the panel out in the sun....
@67wesry is an early with front hinge and large rear roof rack, gagging for a couple of big solid panels!! I am already looking at adding another panel, just because I can!! Tiger seal is the way forward for attaching these flexi panels there really is no movement once it's done off. I know that doesn't fit with your belt and braces ethos though!! Believe me it was a leap of faith the first time I drove it at any sort of speed, expecting them to fly off!!
That's some serious panelage going on I'm just very averse to drilling holes in the bus I think I could just about live with them being in the poptop though, easiest part to fix I guess. I'll have a look at the rack option. Suitcase could work as well I guess, just wouldn't want to leave it out if we are out for the day....
Yeah, I edited my post when I actually thought about his roof configuration doh! Tiger seal is the dogs I agree. My panels are actually boned to ally sheet with an MS polymer & then the sheet is pop riveted to the roof. They weigh about 15kg in total. The roof is harder to pop but struts will sort that. You'll end up with 4! It'll look better Chain it to the rack if you go out. You'd have to be very unlucky to have it knicked off the roof in that instance
Could work Would be nice to just rock up and have it charging with no effort though. I think permanent is the way to go, less faff especially when sorting out awning/daughter/wife/dogs etc.
That's exactly why we went with the flexi panels, Huw was saying a suitcase one would be better but I want to be able to park up and have minimal stuff to do and put out etc. Means I can just pull the bus out of the garage and having it sucking in free energy without me having to do anything. Might start using the fridge all the time and switch the house fridge off!! And yes perfect Friday at work research job
Despite suggesting it as an option, I too agree with you both regarding ease of use. The panels are up there charging as we type & the battery is sitting above 13.2v. I know that without even looking at the charge controller so convenience for the win
So is there any need for the ctek being permanently installed then? Would your panels give enough juice to live without EHU (only charge phones, run LED lighting and compressor cool box). Charge with CTEK whilst in the garage and then keep the rest topped up off the panels whilst away
Yep that could work if you had good enough panels. I would have the ctek installed though for ease to be honest, another thing if just plug the bus in and its done, no faffing connecting stuff up.
Yeah that's true, looking at the output of yours the other day I think that should cover the needs whilst we are away. Tend to do a week or so at the most and mainly in the sunnier part of the year, well as sunny as it gets here
Ok no names on it but think it's that type , is it ok to drain the battery down to nothing? To be fair when camping(tent) we normally use hook up ,so suspect we will do the same with the camper , makes you wonder if it's worth having a leisure battery, would a solar panel not keep it topped up ?
No, draining the battery too low will kill it. Worth having a leisure battery in my opinion, just for short trips. A solar panel should be able to keep up but it depends on the current draw from the fridge really
@Popsy https://www.google.co.uk/search?ie=...zZFMbEaLr6nXg#gfe_rd=cr&imgrc=-L-9gmIuUKV2tM: Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk
One thing to bear in mind is that solar panels lose efficiency when they get hot. As they are almost black they tend to get hot. The best installation would have a decent air gap under the panels so air can blow through to cool the back unless what they are sitting on is a good thermal conductor. A fibreglass roof or an insulated roof is probably not the best place for a solar panel that is glued down. A smaller toughened glass fronted panel in a frame with a bracket that allows it to be angled up to face the sun could work better than a bigger flexi panel. Part of the price you are paying for some flexi panels is the strengthening that they need for putting on yacht decks where people may walk on them.
My solar panels have a thin bead if glue holding them on round the edge and the westy roof as a ribbed effect to it and they span one of the ribs so some air can get under
It depends on the type of panel Mike. CIGS technology allows extremely thin & flexible panels to be produced & many are used integrated into flat roof systems. Admittedly, the technology is not quite as efficient when deposited on a flexible substrate such as aluminium. Glass based panels are still more efficient but in use you probably wouldn't notice. However, heat transfer is not so much of an issue as you may think, again due to the nature of the semiconductor. For me, the benefit of a smooth profile rather than a panel in a frame was the winner. My panels are rated at 90 watts each, therefore 180 watts total. There you see the downside as I could have had a more compact panel rated at 150 to 200 watts, but it would have had to have been the usual framed one & aesthetically that didn't work for me.
It's good to have one of everything but it's better to have more than one. So hook up, built in 240v charger, permanent solar panel and controller, split charge from alternator and a big leisure battery. It's the way forward, solar as has been said will provide more charge if it's permanent simply because it's fit always on, no faffing and can't easily be nicked.
