Van battery solar trickle charger

Poppy Poptop

I’m lucky to have decent neighbours who allow me to store my campervan on their drive over the winter. However I’m finding that the van battery (NOT leisure) is becoming flat over a couple of weeks probably due to the van alarm. 

It’s currently on charge plugged into said neighbours electricity which they don’t mind but I feel guilty about.  So I’m considering a trickle charger run off a solar panel. 

Questions

1. Any pitfalls to this?

2. Any recommend for a decent solar charger

3. The van is covered so the other thing that concerns me is how to ‘attach’ a solar panel, it’d have to be propped somewhere I think!!

thanks in advance for any replies

 

 

 

DavidKlyne

I have a solar panel on my motorhome with a Truma controller which allows two feeds, one to the leisure battery and the other to the cab battery. Can't you just run a cable from your property to the motorhome? You could then have a Battery Master fitted to push any excess charge from the leisure battery to the cab battery.

David

 

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EmilysDad

Can't you just run a cable from your property to the motorhome?

It's plugged into a neighbour's house 🙄

cyberyacht

A lot depends on how much your camper van is in the sun. If you can park facing south then a small 20w panel connected via crocodile clips to the cab battery and propped up at a bit of an angle inside the windscreen should provide sufficient to cope with an alarm drain.

young thomas

if you want this system to be part of way of touring away from ehu as well as just maintaing the battery while not in use, then a 80w min panel and a simple dual channel regulator/charger will do the job...

ps...one of the big drag downs on cab batteries are fancy radio head units wired that way and which dont get properly switched off when you think they are.....Pioneer are reknowned for being very resource hungry even in standby..

DavidKlyne

But the OP feels guilty about that! 

KeithandMargaret

I have had a Split charge CBE CSB2 fitted for the last six years, powered by an 80 watt Solar panel on the roof, to keep the engine battery topped up and despite the British weather have never needed a boost from hook-up when parked at home.

They are £25 on Ebay and take a few minutes to fit.

If you do fit a Solar panel get the biggest wattage you can afford – but make sure there is enough room on the roof before buying.

Then, with a decent Solar panel, a refillable gas system and your own facilities (toilet,shower) the World is quite literally your lobster.

 

Poppy Poptop

Yep I do.  And my definition of “neighbour” is not my next door neighbour - they’re actually about 1/4 mile away!!

Poppy Poptop

Thanks  - I have a large solar panel on the roof which only feeds the leisure battery.  The van is covered therefore having something on the roof or windscreen is not an option unfortunately. 

EmilysDad

I'm sure Poppy would have already thought of that .... hence she wants a solar panel! 

EmilysDad

Is it possible to have a clear window fitted to your van's cover? 🤔

lornalou1

Why not slip them a tenner a month to cover the costs of using there drive and power. cheaper than all storage sites and probably closer.

ocsid

Why not buy a plug in Watt meter so what you take is evident and can be refunded. I actually think the amount will be trivial if it is only the battery and an alarm type of load; but this solution is cheap, non intrusive, expedient and equitable;

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/230V-250V-Monitor-Consumption-Calculator-Analyzer/dp/B07FZZ17ZY?ref_=s9_apbd_otopr_hd_bw_b27Ar03&pf_rd_r=RPW7TA7J122KV76H6YQ0&pf_rd_p=b2af2a7c-7eb4-5af0-aab9-5a0684350ebe&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-10&pf_rd_t=BROWSE&pf_rd_i=1938287031

Bakers2

You are in a much better position to know if they'd consider that 'offensive' as it was offered in a generous spirit and as a 'kindness'? You could give flowers or a meal/cinema voucher as a thank you. It's not about the money saved on storage or that taken for the electric but showing appreciation for their gesture.

Personally I'd go for a solar panel that would enable use off grid should you ever choose it or if it were necessary. What we paid for storage per year would give a really good set up, as well as the gesture 😉

Bakers2

Sincere apologies I've just caught the post where you say you have a solar panel already but it's under the cover. Please ignore my 2nd paragraph re fitting one. 😱😱. Once you've removed the cover and start touring again you maybe able to have a clear piece inserted, as MollysMummy suggests?

JohhnyL

Or a very long cable for EHU

Phishing

So if you already have a solar on top of the van then you already have a solar controller/regulator/charger fitted.

You can buy a flat panel solar panel and just wire it into the input of your controller. You will need to extend the wires (2mm2 cable) on the panel and have an inline plug so you can just disconnect. Just hang it between the mirrors with some string. 

The yacht type panels are the most robust and are waterproof something like https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-50W-Solar-Panel-for-Boat-Marine-Caravan-RV-Charging-12V-Battery-UK/163992142194?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131003132420%26meid%3Dbea766fc16fc497aa4c7d30d9e3c6c6a%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dco%26sd%3D303162030399%26itm%3D163992142194%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv5PairwiseWeb&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

 

hitchglitch

I am surprised that the battery only lasts two weeks. Before we had a motorhome we stored our caravan which had alarm and tracker. The battery would last a couple of months although we used to take it out and recharge more frequently than that. Our motorhome, like many, has a solar panel on the roof. I take it for a run once a month and without the solar panel I would have expected this to be adequate for charging the battery.

Maybe there is a current drain other than the alarm or perhaps the cab battery is reaching end of life?