solar panels

When we're staying off-grid, whether it be an unpowered site in a caravan park or a secluded spot in a State Forest, we use solar power to keep our battery topped up. Connected to the Flamingo's on-board power control system (Setec) is a 12v 100Ah AGM battery. This is sufficient for all our 12v equipment; including the lights inside and out, the water pump, stove ignition, fridge fans and a couple of USB outlets for charging the speaker dock and our phones. We also have a 600w pure sine inverter, which will convert 12v battery power up to 240v mains power for things like laptop chargers, cooling fans for hot days and of course the hair straightener!

To keep the battery charged when off-grid, we have a folding solar panel kit. This setup has two panels combined to provide 160 watts, with a regulator on the back of the panel. From the regulator, we connect a 6 metre lead with Anderson plugs to the battery, via a  short connection from underneath. When not in use, it has a tidy carry bag with a pouch for extra leads, battery clamps, etc. You can still get kits like this from BCF, Jaycar, Kings Adventure to name a few, and they come in different outputs to suit your battery capacity.

There's pro's and cons of portable panels vs panels that are permanently mounted to the roof. Van-fitted panels are really set-and-forget as they're always there, constantly topping up the battery and you won't forget to pack them! The downside is that your charging capacity will be affected if you're set up in the shade, missing out on that bright morning or afternoon sun. The portable panels can be left at home when not needed (or forgotten), saving space and weight. They can be placed in the brightest sun and moved to suit the suns position throughout the day.

Of course, when the van is plugged in to a 240v outlet in a caravan park or at home, the Setec takes care of battery charging and providing 12v power for all the equipment listed earlier. When driving to and from our adventures, 12v power runs from the car alternator to the van fridge and trickle charges the van battery at the same time, via an Anderson plug on the van drawbar, running through to the engine bay.