Hi, on my Sprite major 6td where the cables from the battery come into the caravan there is an inline 20a fuse on the +ve side & a spade connector on the - ve side so I just piggy backed a harness which runs to an extra cig lighter socket & connect the solar panel into it. As long as the main consumer master switch is off it keeps the battery topped up.
I wanted to connect the solar panel to the dedicated plug on the caravan for the solar panel but I can't find it! So the system outlined above will do for now.
Hope this helps
Paul
You need to connect the solar panel and regulator (where needed) directly to the battery as the vans control panel will almost certainly disconnect all other 12v stuff to stop the battery from discharging in storage. Fairly easy to do but you will need to fuse protect the cabling as close to the battery as possible for safety and fire prevention. I have recently done exactly this with a removable 25w solar panel fitted in the roof heki skylight connected to a regulator and then the battery. Works a treat. Got the idea from here [URL=http://caravandiy.blogspot.co.uk/2013_06_01_archive.html] I bought the biggest solar panel plus regulator and cable kit that would fit in my heki roof from a well known auction site (E***) and it works very well. Hope this helps
------------- Why am i doing this instead of camping??!!
They can easily be connected directly to the battery; the controller will have the two wires clearly identified and as already said a fuse in the positive post feed is desirable.
Placing the panel behind a window will significantly reduce its efficiency, the extent depending on a range of things however it might still be adequate for your needs.
By far better performance will be achieved if it can be left outside such as laid on the roof. Keeping it clean however is a requirement so it can't be relied on as a fit and forget solution, it needs occasional checking and wipe off of dust, leaves and droppings etc.
IMO a toy sized panel is a waste of money and very likely far too small.
I assume it is not required for winter use where the challenges increase significantly.
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Topic: Portable solar panel
