Temporary solar panel.......tell me!

F

Fluff34567

Swiss member
T6 Guru
I'm going away for a few days with a caravelle, factory fitted leisure battery etc. If I borrow a friends large solar panel and have it going either to a cig lighter socket or to the main normal battery will it keep the leisure battery on charge?

I have a small fridge thats plugged into the rear cig lighter and would like that running as long as possible.

I tried to find which battery powers what but clearly failed.

I dont have a campsite electrical hook up installed btw.
 
Top of dashboard socket goes to leisure battery

Lower dashboard socket goes to starter battery
 
Does the solar panel have a controller built in ?
And how many watts is it ?

Pete
 
Zave said:
Top of dashboard socket goes to leisure battery

Lower dashboard socket goes to starter battery
Click to expand...
My caravelle only has 1 cig lighter socket on the dash and that's in the middle in the small storage area.. it's a comfort dash.

I also have one on the passenger seat , one by the rear cup holders and 1 in the far RH side rear corner.

I tried to find info which battery powers what but failed.
 
150W is more than 12A at full wack, but most cigarette lighter type sockets are generally rated at 10A max, so you could have an issue i.e. blow a fuse or overheat the socket.

Pete
 
Hi, very interested in this thread as we have also just booked into a campsite without electric hookup. Am I right in thinking that as long as you I.d. The correct (I.e. connected to the leisure battery) 12 volt socket and your chosen portable solar panel has a suitable charge controller and is not rated above 10 Amps, you’re good to go?
 
Maybe get a cigar socket to crocodile clip and connect direct to the battery you want to charge, via the controller obviously ?
 
Mark8303 said:
Hi, very interested in this thread as we have also just booked into a campsite without electric hookup. Am I right in thinking that as long as you I.d. The correct (I.e. connected to the leisure battery) 12 volt socket and your chosen portable solar panel has a suitable charge controller and is not rated above 10 Amps, you’re good to go?
Click to expand...

Yes, as long as the socket is permanently connected to the battery, and not switched with the ignition (which it shouldn't be with a leisure battery connection).

Pete
 
Fluff34567 said:
I tried to find info which battery powers what but failed.
Click to expand...
Passenger compartment sockets are powered from the second battery - fuses under left seat SH1, SH2, SH3 - assuming you've got option code 8FB on the configuration sticker.
See section 85 in ---> VW Transporter 2016+ - Electrical Wiring Diagrams | Free Download

Could also find out by measuring the voltage at each socket:
- switch off all loads/lights, open the hood, keep the van "steady" not opening/closing any doors, wait 10 mins
- switch on parking lights, wait 5 mins
- measure voltage at starter battery
- measure voltage at each socket
- you should see voltage readings "grouped" in two "groups" depending on they are powered from starter or second battery.
 
After looking at the whole solar thing and long term future options i decided to go for a traditional electrical hook up.

I say this as I have been offered a battery bank with built in inverter that I may use at a later date.

I am thinking of having the fridge running from the existing far rear cig socket and then just have a charger topping up the 2nd oem battery.

Thinking of a Ctek MSX 10 unit .. any experience with this unit or can suggest an alternative?
 
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