solar panels?

[brad72]

does anyone know anything about fitting solar panels to a 4wd to run a camp fridge.
how much would it cost & what size would i need?
any help would be appreciated.

brad.

[coasty]

it would have to be bigger than your car to get them to charge if the fridge was on all the time.
they would help and make the fridge go for longer.
the 1 i have cost $400.00

[hoga]

it depends on how many amps you need mine put out 5 + on a realy good day uni solar panels are a good brand hoga

[David_P]

Hi Brad72,

What size / type of camp fridge, how are you going to run it, ie fridge or freezer? I have a 90 litre evakool fridge on the boat, hooked up to a 123 watt solar panel and a 130 amp hour Trojan deep cycle battery. This is all controlled by a PL20 solar regulator. None of this stuff is cheap. Panel was about $900, battery around $200 and regulator $300 + the fridge!

With a clear sky in summer at it's peak, the panel pushes around 8 amps an hour back into the battery. With the fridge running as a freezer it draws around 4 to 2.8 amps an hour when running. Usually about 50 to 60 amps a day. The panel puts that back in summer in perfect conditions. I did a trip a while back with mostly overcast skies, and had a flat deep cycle in two days. So, now I tend to run the fridge off the start batteries when motoring and fishing during the day, and use the deep cycle at night, particularly if the skies aren't clear.

If you're running it in a 4wd, then you can charge from your alternator too. I haven't set up mine to charge off the outboard as I was told it may over charge the battery and shorten it's life?? Not sure about this though. Would good to be able to give it a boost in charge when on the go...

Hope this info helps.

Regards,
Dave.

[wiseguy67]

Hi, I have just set up a troopy with two house batteries in order to run a EvaKool 60ltr fridge/freezer.
I was going to go with solar but the extra $$$$ and extra space needed to carry panel etc seemed not worth it.
I am set up to plug a panel in and maybe i will get a small panel just for the extra charging while stationary.

I have been looking at a $1500.00 Honda EU10i 8amp/12volt DC Maximum 1000W/240v AC that charges batteries simutaneously. Weighs as much as a deepcycle 100amp battery and runs for 8 hours cheap as chips. Draw back is National Parks do not allow them. I have an idea to conceal in a semi-soundproof box as they are very quite to begin with...

With the EvaKool on 8 hrs a day should be enough to keep it cold enough unless its really hot. This I have yet to test. Only going on what i have been told. EvaKool has great insulating qualities.

If I run the fridge with the house batteries for 3 to 4 days and then charge with the genset for 6 hours while boosting the fridge at high i should get my system back to near full capacity and be good for another 3 to 4 days with no chance of having dead batteries.

It really depends on what sort of camping you are doing. I intend to be off the beaten track so the genset won't be a worry. I like to stay put for a few weeks when i go to suitable camping areas.
I do not like the idea of three way or two way fridges; transporting gas bottles and refilling can been a pain when in remote areas as well in the long run cost wise they are not efficeint..

Good Topic.

[David_P]

Hi Wise67,

Those little gensets look great. If I had more room on the boat I'd have one of those as a back up. A mate of mine has a 50 litre Trailblaza, 60 watt panel + deep cycle dual battery system set up in his patrol. I think he is ok for a couple of days, but then needs to go for a drive to charge up the deep cycle.

Go the genset I reckon.

Dave.

[ShaneJ]

I reckon you should get some BP panels from me! Then you can brag to your mates that you got the best deal on them ;)

[brad72]

thanks for the replies guy's,
I'm heading of in january probibly up north i will be traveling around doing some fruit picking work and a lot of fishing apparently a lot of the farms let you camp there while you are working so i will have to be set up pretty well so i don't have to waist money on powered camp sites & s*#t like that. also if i am fruit picking i will be staying in the same place for some time so dead batteries could be a problem.

I don't have a fridge yet, i was thinking that i should look for one with good insulation so i don't have to run it as much and one that dosn't draw to much power. if i use a good deep cycle battery and have an 80wat solar panel to back it up i think that should do the trick what do you guy's recon?

any advice from people who have done this type of trip before would be great not just about the fridge but also any other advice about how to set up the car as that will be my home for quit a while if everything goes to plan.

brad.