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Choosing And Installing A Solar System To Your Caravan

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We own a family size Coromal caravan and I have recently fitted our van with 1×200 watt solar panel. (Read our post comparing the best family caravans. )

I have documented the process to help others that are looking into it. It cost me a total of $1,015 for parts but that amount included 2 deep cycle batteries.

solar-panel-top-van-2

When we purchased our van we did not option it with solar as I knew I could do it myself for 1/3rd of the price (less actually). The one thing we did option and pay for was the ‘pre wiring for solar’. This is done at the build stage of the van when all the panels are off. Trying to run wires through the roof or walls after the build stage is nearly impossible. The pre wiring is installed at an approximate solar panel position in the roof cavity from an electrical junction box above the sink cupboard to the one 12 volt battery that came standard with the van. The wiring is not connected to the battery from factory and not required to (more later re the wiring).

How much solar did we need?

This question leads to so many other questions and remembering solar is really only needed when you are on non powered sites or out in the bush free camping. If you are on a powered site your van would normally have a 12 volt charger run off the 240 volt supply that charges your battery.

I needed to work out some basics prior to installing a system

  • What appliances I was going to run off the battery (such as a separate 12v fridge like an Engel, TV, fan,etc)
  • The current draw each of these items drew (amps) over an hourly period (amp hour) x how many hrs in the day they would operate.
  • Total battery capacity (van came with 1 x 105ah battery) and type of battery (AGM, wet Cell, etc)
  • Approximate Peak Sun Hours (PSH) that the panels would be producing their highest output. Less sun equals less output. Panels can also lose their efficiency when they get very hot and most panel output rating is actually less (some say up to 30% less) than manufacturer stated.

Shopping for my solar system

With crazy work hours (leave home at 4am & arrive home at 18:00) I couldn’t get to any shops and decided to purchase item online. eBay was my first stop and I found everything I needed to do the job with free delivery on all items.  The only items I didn’t purchase online were the 2 x 110ah AGM batteries which I purchased from a local battery shop (I replaced the factory battery with an AGM and fitted a second identical battery). The battery which was removed will be living in the Landcruiser as power for the Engel fridge.

Purchased Items

  • 1x 200watt solar panel $215
  • Plastic mounting brackets and cable block $93
  • 2m solar cable extension $13
Above 3 items purchased from Marsol Ind Solar Solutions eBay store with free shipping
  • 1 x 30amp MPPT solar regulator $60
  • 2 x tubes of ‘Sikaflex 291’ $34
  • 2 x 110ah AGM batteries $295 each ($590 for 2)
  • 1 x battery box for 2nd battery $15
Other items required but already in possession were thick gauge wire to connect the batteries in parallel, 30cm of 4mm auto wire for battery to regulator wiring, connecting crimps, cable ties and electrical tape and a packet of stainless screws

Fitting the solar system to the caravan

solar-panel-top-van
I fitted the solar panel to the front of the caravan.
The first job was to drill a hole in the perfectly good roof of the van so the wires from the panel could connect to the pre wiring terminals inside the van. Next was to Sikaflex and screw the panel to the mounting brackets, lift it up onto the roof of the van and trace around the mounts so Sikaflex can be spread over the mounting area. The mounts for the panel are not screwed into the roof panel, they are simply Sikaflexd on and once cured they won’t come off in a cyclone. Obviously 2 people were required to lift the panel up due to its physical size. I weighted the panel down with bricks sitting on cardboard whilst the Sikaflex was curing. As the panel’s wires were not long enough to reach the cable block/ drilled hole, a 2m extension wire was used. The wires pass through the cable block and into the van. The block is then Sikaflexed onto the roof over the wires and the hole.
[creativ_alertbox icon=”warning-sign” colour=”green” custom_colour=””]Keep solar panel covered while doing the install so no power is being generated, especially when connecting wiring.[/creativ_alertbox]
A simple wire connector (BP type) connects the positive output of the solar panel to the positive pre wired red wire. The negative from the solar panel connects to the negative pre wired black wire.
solar-pre-wire-junction-box
From here we move to the batteries. With 2 batteries now fitted side by side they need to be connected to each other in parallel. This means a wire connects the positive from 1 battery to the positive on the other and another separate wire connects the negative of 1 battery to the negative of the other.
regulator-batteries
The last job is mounting and connecting the solar regulator. Mount the regulator as close to the batteries as possible.
The regulator has 3 different sets of wires that need to be connected. The regulator will have clear indications where each set of wires has to be connected.
  • First set are the wires from the solar panel
  • Second set are the wires for the van load (these were originally connected to the battery at the factory)
  • Third set are new wires that need to be run from the regulator to the positive and negative of one of the batteries
solar-regulator
Double check the wiring and if all ok then remove the cover over the panel and watch the regulator LCD light up and show you the magic of solar. The regulator that I purchased has a LCD panel and shows various operating voltages, temps and adjustable options.
Hope this give you some insight into installing a solar system on your van

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Comments

  1. Great descriprion of your install Warrick. Given there is a real lack of information out there on how to do this I think heaps of people will appreciate your article.

    Reply

    • Hi Jason, thanks for the comment. Let me know when your ready to do your install and I’ll help you out as much as I can.

      Reply

      • Just read your comments re fitting solar panel am doing the same can you tell me did you user a primer on the before you glued the solar brackets on . If you did what did you use can you reply to my email address
        Thanks
        Ron

        Reply

  2. Hi Warrick,
    I hope this note find’s you both fit and well, plus the two littlie’s.
    I have a query about solar panels and my knowledge on the subject is extremely limited.
    I have a theory that if I can’t see it, weld it hammer it, cut it saw it, belt it it is out of my range.
    I will try and relay my problem to you in My language. Here goe’s,
    I have a portable, folding ,camping 240w solar panel that I would like to place on top of my pop top caravan.
    I have also purchased 2 tubes of siksflex and a set of large panel surround’s to hold the two panels in place.
    I will strip the leg,s handle, and hinge’s from the panels and screw it together to form one panel.
    Problem one, I assume the regulator and othe thingo’s on the back of the panels can’t be removed so will stay in place.
    I will probably sickaflex. The to the underside of the panel to secure them.
    I can route the wires down the TV tubing but when there can I connect the wires to an existing 12v TV socket or do I have to go through to the battery? If so, will I need another regulator?.
    Any advice will be gratefully appreciated as I intend to free camp a lot more in the future,
    We have done the Block, 11 month,s. The Cape, Darwin, out back Qld and Nsw on lot,s of trips as our base is in Toowoomba, Qld.
    Thank’s in anticipation,
    Bob.

    Reply

    • Hi Bob, sorry for the delay, I hope our response doesn’t come too late.

      Warrick says that if you are going to all this trouble you’ll want to do it properly the first time.
      Yes you’ll need a new regulator and the existing regulator you’ll have to bypass as it most likely won’t be suitable for use as a regulator for a caravan.
      A regulator for a caravan has 3 sets of wires that need connecting. (1) is the input from the solar panel, (2) is the input from the batteries and (3) is the input for the load wires from all of the 12 volt circuit in the caravan. You can buy a half decent regulator (40Amp MPPT regulator) for $50 of ebay.

      The MPPT regulators are the ‘smart’ regulators, they charge the batteries depending on the outgoing load and incoming solar charge. Obviously the regulator has to be mounted in the caravan. The one I fitted to the caravan is a 30Amp with a digital display and a USB outlet.

      Does that make sense?

      Reply

  4. Hi mate.

    It’s been a while, since you installed it. What are your thoughts on the regulator, you’ve bought for it? I’m looking to buy the same off ebay, but I’m a bit skeptic about quality of it.

    Thanks for any feedbac
    Cheers

    Reply

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