RV FEATURE
Some caravan manufacturers install a separate Anderson plug on the side of the van that is wired in parallel with the rooftop panels . Here , you can plug in an external solar panel without needing a solar controller . In this case , the external panel should have an open circuit voltage ( OCV ) rating that is the same or very close to the rooftop panels . It ’ s not critical but if the difference is more than 2-3V , it can have a negative effect on overall performance .
The best solution is to install a separate solar controller in your caravan purely for external solar panel connection . This will give you the flexibility to use any external panel while maintaining maximum performance from your rooftop panels .
Advantages : Wide variety of options and configurations available to suit any budget . Silent operation . Great if you ’ re camped under trees or if you need to maximise solar charging on cloudy days .
Portable lithium power station technology has developed to the point where they can be considered a viable alternative to a petrol powered generator .
This Redarc 300W solar blanket is a beast of a panel . It easily produces 15A even in less than ideal conditions .
Disadvantages : Solar panels rarely produce their maximum rated output . Solid folding panels often perform better than the equivalent blanket but they can be bulky to store . If the sun isn ’ t shining , and you have no alternative means to recharge your batteries , you could be packing up early and heading for a caravan park .
PORTABLE LITHIUM POWER STATIONS
These devices are the latest thing in camping and caravanning . They consist of a large capacity lithium battery , a 240A AC charger , a 12V DC charger and an MPPT solar charger all in one portable unit . They also feature a pure sine wave inverter for powering a range of appliances when you ’ re camping off the grid . You can plug your caravan into one of these as you would a petrol generator and , depending on the capacity of the unit , it will recharge or , at least , supplement your van ’ s batteries .
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