Reply With QuoteWell worth checking FB van groups.
Need to get a leisure battery for my van. I'm not sure whether to go for a big ah battery like a 240ah or to go for a smaller battery and then fit a solar panel.
It will only be powering a small compressor fridge, TV and lights with a couple of phone chargers for around 2 to 3 nights away.
Don't know much about solar but a quick search brought up this https://www.sunstore.co.uk/product/s...le-kit-deluxe/
Shouldn't be to hard to fit. Anyone had any experience with fitting and using?
Well worth checking FB van groups.
I built my own Campervan and bought a lithium 200ah battery. They’re expensive but they’re so much better than the lead/ gel equivalents.
You could probably pick up a 100ah one for sub £500 and it gives you a true 100ah of use.
Something to be careful of is that compressor fridges tend to very sensitive to voltage drop. This means that even though your battery still has power, the voltage drops as the capacity reduces. This caught me out initially and left me with a fridge which wouldn’t work but still had power for lights and usb sockets etc.
The Jackery is one I have seen used in a lot of YT videos - though that may just be due to sponsorship. Anker have just bought their own out too which I imagine is decent given the brand.
My old camper van came to us with 300w of solar panels coupled to two 120aH leisure batteries using a cheap 30a Chinese solar controller PWM type. It ran a Mobicool compressor fridge, three circuits of LED lights in the van and two 10a charge sockets (one of which was permanently on with an illumination ring around it).
The fridge could be adjusted well below freezing if required but we would leave it at 3degrees C. Even when we were away and it was really hot so the fridge was working hard by 10.00 in the morning we would have 100% charged batteries.
In 2020 we rewired the leisure side of the van. I replaced the solar controller with a Victron MPPT 20a unit. Relocated the leisure batteries to a better place and installed a small battery to battery trickle charger. I also changed most of the 12v cables as I wasn’t overly happy with the quality of what was installed by the previous owner.
Fridge
https://www.compass24.com/hot-deal-c...pressor-cooler
12voltplanet.co.uk for your wiring etc.
When connecting / disconnecting your solar panel cover it completely with a dark cloth - they don’t have off switches
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Did someone say solar panels?
https://www.sunstore.co.uk/product/s...le-kit-deluxe/ That kit has an old PWM controller. The norm is now a MPPT controller as they are more efficient. I use a Victron which has bluetooth so I can bore anyone within earshot of how much energy I'm harnessing from the sun.
A 100Ah standard battery should last you a couple of days with no solar input.
With decent sun it will last forever, but you need at least 100W panel and a decent controller.
What sort of van is it ?
Pete
Victron….Bluetooth….you too eh!Originally Posted by spud767
Did someone say solar panels?
https://www.sunstore.co.uk/product/s...le-kit-deluxe/ That kit has an old PWM controller. The norm is now a MPPT controller as they are more efficient. I use a Victron which has bluetooth so I can bore anyone within earshot of how much energy I'm harnessing from the sun.
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It's a movano I picked up. I've put windows in and laid out the back how I want it. I've now got cushions made for the seat's since these pics. Still a got a bit to do yet but it's campable.
Looks good. Were you planning to fit a DC-DC charger to charge the leisure battery from the alternator while the van is running ?
That way you arrive on site with a fully charged battery.
I like Victron kit too, especially the Bluetooth enabled stuff.
Pete
It already has electrics and battery put in by BT. The battery is shot though. It's all fused up with a split charger. It's all in the wooden box in the 3rd pic.
I've taken pics of the specs of fridge and TV. What's the best way to work out the AH of them?
I am no sparky but you can calculate most of it from your spec sheet.
The TV is 16W divide that by 12V and you get 1.33A. Your fridge say 6A at 12V.
So if you’ve a 100AH battery and your TV and Fridge were both operating continuously you can divide 100 by 7.33 which will give a little below 13.5 Hours of operation. BUT never, ever drain a battery to that degree. Best keep it above 70% if it’s lead / acid or gel type. So in that scenario you’ve got 4 hours.
Your fridge will only be consuming power for short periods. Once it’s got down to temperature it cuts off. Then as the temperature rises it will kick back in again.
Solar will keep you topped up even on cloudy days.
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I've got a Dometic they have amazing efficiency.
Yours is Energy Consumption 12VDC (Ambient@90F, Internal@41F) 0.85 Ah/h -- 5degs C so hardly anything. Go for a panel or 2 on the roof rack and you're good to go but probably not that kit though. I went for Renogy panels and wiring and Victron controller.
This is what I'm going to do. Was thinking of the portable renogy 200w which I could stand up or chuck on my roof and strap it to the roof bars. I think it's a bit of a weight though.
So I might buy 2 100w panels that I just strap to my roof bars when I go camping. Not sure of what wires I need it controller though.
I have just fitted this to give me maybe 3 days of power.
Yes I'm thinking TV, fridge, lights and charging phones may use around 60ah a day or there abouts.
I think for now I'm going to get one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Renogy-Mono...jaz10cnVl&th=1
One of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B08...MZV604RR&psc=1
Correct me if I'm wrong but do I then need a 20amp controller and some crocodile clips for the battery?
Last edited by sprite1275; 4th August 2022 at 17:58.
One of those links doesn’t work for me.
Some solar panels come with a controller, and all you need to do is attach that to your battery.
You could always buy a foldable or suitcase solar panel, with inbuilt controller. These sometimes come with battery connectors.
The benefit of these is that you don’t have to carry then around all the time.
Pete
Something like this has all you need.
https://www.photonicuniverse.com/en/...2V-system.html
Pete
Link works now.
Yes been looking at the portable ones. Trouble is you seem to pay a lot more for the panel to be foldable. The 100w panel i linked to was £80, the cable £30. I just need the controller now which i can get a MPPT one instead of the PWM which the portables seem to come with. Maybe something like this for £85 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Renogy-Rove...ps%2C76&sr=8-5
So its pretty much the same thing for £200 with 50watts less but better controller. I was looking at the 100w renogy portable but thats £180 without a controller.
I have a 120w solar panel feeding 2x110 leisure batteries through a RENEGY li30a MPPT controller, this runs my water pump, lighting, 12v TV and 3 way fridge, if we need a cuppa we can use either the Cadac or switch to the inverter and use the batteries to run our electric kettle a couple of times but the Renogy does sense we are using 240v when boiling a kettle and diverts all power into the inverter so the batteries dont drain too much
Sounds a good set up. I have just ordered the same controller with Bluetooth.
The Renogy controllers are amongst the very best you can get, they simply do what they are supposed to do with zero fuss, the big screen shows everything its doing, so simple and effective, you have made the right choice.
Seems a reasonable system. Don’t forget about an isolating switch, fuse board for the different circuits (LED lights, Fridge, phone chargers, water pump if you have one) and inline fuse protection for the leisure batteries
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What are these for then? I was just going to connect the controller straight to the battery?
Just connect this or similar between the controller and + terminal of battery
https://www.electricalcarservices.co...saAt13EALw_wcB
and from the battery take the + and - cables to the relative connecting points on one of these
https://www.amazon.co.uk/blocks-ENDA...a-866240024124
then instead of running wires from the batteries to the appliances, you run the wires from the fuse block so all is protected, very cheap and simple to do.
As for the isolating switch, a simple on/off switch between the batteries + terminal and 12v fuse block is ok just so long as it kills power to the fuse block, and all is good and all fitted in 20 mins and less that £30 if you shop around
Last edited by Dangermouse64; 6th August 2022 at 09:37.
On your Solar Controller you will have PV (Solar Panel Input) Battery and Load connections. If you are using a 20A controller it will probably take 10awg (6mm) cables, it might take 8awg (10mm).
Use the same sized cable that comes from the panel to the controller for everything else. So cable to the battery and to the fuse board - as Dangermouse64 showed you. Put an isolating switch between the controller and your battery and then an in-line fuse. Make sure its the same gauge cable as your main battery cables
If you have a particularly long run from the controller to the leisure battery you might want to use a bigger cross section cable to minimise voltage drop. On my old LT35 camper the leisure batteries were under the passenger seat and the controller behind the drivers seat. So I had more than 2metres of battery cable so I used 6awg (16mm)
I used 2.0mm cable for all of the other circuits except the compressor fridge (I used 4.0mm) because they can be susceptible to voltage drop
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Oh I see what you mean chaps. I already have a fuse box. If you look at the pic of my new battery you will see the fuse box screwed to the floor.
It all arrived today. I did not expect the controller to be that big. Are they a lot bigger than PWM controllers? When looking at the you tube vids of the portable ones the controller looks a lot smaller.
Anyway I connected it up. I have the 5m cable I bought from the panel to the controller. So opposite to the potable ones I've got the controller in the van instead of attached to the solar panel. Then got the crocodile clamps from the controller to the battery.
Works fine. Have not adjusted any parameters as that looks like a learning curve. The one thing that is surprising is how temperamental these panels are. I tested it this afternoon and if I had it strapped to the roof at 16.00 today I would of been pulling 1.5amps. when on the floor and angled to the sun it pulled nearly 6amps. I know roof setups are leave and forget but the amount of efficiency being lost is huge.
You are right, getting a good angle towards the sun makes a massive difference. It’s partly why I prefer portable panels.
Pete
I replaced a PWM Controller (cheap 30a thing that came from eBay and was on the van when I bought it) with a 20a MPPT Victron controller. They were similar in size but the Victron unit was much heavier and more sturdy.
Also worth noting that the controller will dictate the amount it draws and puts into your battery. So if your battery is fully charged you’ll see less coming in.
I can see the fuse box in the picture. Have you got that connected to the load outputs on the controller or the battery? I don’t suppose it matters if it’s just the battery but you’ll lose out slightly during the day as the battery will be powering everything whilst the solar tops it up. Whereas if you have the load connections being used your fridge will run directly from the solar and your battery will sit in float mode.
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I will leave the fuse board as is because I'm going to use this as a portable set up. Not sure of the best way yet. I'll either keep it as I have it at the moment with 5meters of cable from the panel then the controller with a short cable with crocodile clamps to the battery.
Or I might find a way of attaching the controller to the back of the solar panel somehow like the portable ones. Then just run 5metre cable with crocodile clamps.
Not a bad shout attaching it to the back of the panel.
The only worry you might have is if you leave it next to the van there’s a risk of theft either overnight or if you have parked up and gone for a walk or something. IMO I’d fix to the roof and forget it. Peace of mind
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After arriving on a site Monday evening I set up my solar panel about 10am on Tuesday morning. I put the panel on my roof bars and bungee corded it. Connected all the cables and away it went.
Since then I got 27ah Tuesday, 28ah Wednesday and today I've got 35ah. Obviously it's perfect weather but I'm pleased with that when it's just strapped to the roof. The battery has been fully charged twice so our power needs are pretty minimal.
One thing that baffles me is the renogy app says the solar panel is pulling say 2amps but then says the battery is getting around 3amps. Not sure how that works!
Excellent! Daft question: is that charge going into the battery or the drain on it? Turn everything else off and see if it drops to zero on the battery
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Everything is off a lot of the time. Although my volt panel and usb sockets are permanently connected with blue back lights. Just when the fridge kicks in really but that doesn't come on much. I did see the app said it was in float mode the other afternoon.
You’ll see three different modes of charging on your controller. Bulk, Absorption and Float.
Bulk is when the state of charge is low. So it’s a higher current to fast charge. When it reaches a certain level it kicks into absorption mode - lower current. Finally Float mode when the battery is fully charged or very close to it
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