I hope you, my fellow Eriberists, have enjoyed the festive season and are now looking forward to the New Year and the adventures it will bring.

I am now starting to think about the projects that last summer I declared that I would do once we had returned to the UK. One of these projects is to consider (having first costed and sized the project) the installation of solar panels for our Eriba Triton. My question is, has anyone on this forum actually carried out such an installation from scratch??

As they say 'answers on a post card (or in this case forum) please.

Clippie

Hi Randa

Thanks, I have all ready read that post (the English translation) it is a very superficial coverage. Was looking more for the technical ins and out of such a project.

Clippie

Your lovely Triton has the excellent Schaudt SV409 power supply and charger I suppose. I think this has got a solar supply regulator as part of its fittings. In which case it should simply be a case of working out the best cable routing from the panel into the van and to the unit. Is there enough space on the rear part of the roof? I know somebody wrote about fitting one some time ago using a flexible cable (coiled type) to bring the supply through the pop top above the wardrobe and so straight down to the Schaudt pack. Perhaps a phone call to AL or Jandi might get so emotional useful advice about how they would do it.

TonyP

Hi Tony

I was thinking that a call to AL would be one of my first ports of call. I will have to check out the power supply and charger to see what make it is. Will keep you posted.

(BTW sorry I haven't picked up your PMs before know - I have replied to them)

Clippie

SO.... As you might expect I have spent the last couple of days researching solar panels and solar technology in an endeavor to obtain the best information, sources and suppliers for my 'Solar Project'. During this research I have come across this article on the web

http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/solar-panels.php

Which I would suggest that any one interested in going down the solar panel route to save money while being on tour for considerable time, should read. My rough calculation suggested that whilst away for 4 months last season we spent around £500 in EHUs. It appears that perhaps it is not as cheep as it first seems!! And.... on top of that you think that while in Spain, Portugal and the South of France all that free sun is going to waste, apparently for solar panels to work at their optimum they need to be kept in full sun and cool! Not much chance of that when temperature and hovering in the high 30 degs C!

This does not mean necessarily my project is dead in the water as technology advances very quickly but it certainly opened up my eyes to some little reported facts!

I will keep you informed of my progress.

Clippie

Apart from harvesting solar energy when travelling an added benefit would be keeping your battery in condition when at home without having to be plugged in.

However if you are in the habit of using electric kettles, toasters, TV, induction hobs etc then solar panels will not 'supply' the necessary and so might not be justifiable.

Perhaps a dinette would be a better investment? ⁉️



TandF

Quote: Frantone wrote in post #7

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Apart from harvesting solar energy when travelling an added benefit would be keeping your battery in condition when at home without having to be plugged in.

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If you don't like solar panels or generators have you looked at EFOY fuel cells. See www.roadpro.co.uk.

Thanks PooleDweller, EFOY fuel cells look very interesting and are a distinct possibility.....until you look at the price of them. At the moment I don't think that they are a viable alternative.

Clippie

Clippie. Yes they are a bit pricey. I was looking at them many years ago and thought 'ouch'. But on the plus side it is easily removable and could be used in either of your vehicles. Basically its an upmarket silent 'generator'. I wonder if its residual value is greater than a generator?

Sorry for the delay in replying to your comment PooleDweller, I am currently out of the country.

I agree with your comments and I would expect that their value would hold, other than the fact that as with most of technology as time goes on competion and other products develop costs drop considerably. With that in mind the £3-5K investment would represent 6-10 years of current EHU charges (if I continued to travel for 4 months a year). In that time I am sure unit cost will fall dramatically as new technology hits the markets and competators bring bring other models and options on line.

If I owned a small off grid retreat I would seriously contemplate such a unit, but in my opinion just for caravaning it is not a viable financial option at the moment.

My search continues............

Clippie

Have you considered a smaller portable solar panel that you could use to top up the leisure battery when appropriate?
You would generally be using ehu whenever you could I expect so it may only be occasional harvesting of solar power that you require.

Glide carefully!

Maybe something like this



Build a cycle generator

That will certainly help with keeping fit Lunarbri, and we always carry bikes, it will also help with Blueyonder`s current project to make lose weight, so I am struggling to find a negative with your suggestion........

for that

Clippie