Trickle Charging with Solar...

[Johnny&Ruby]

A friend of mine swears by this. He's got an older model Land Cruiser and he's installed a Cambodian Tire solar panel on the roof which he says trickle charges his battery and his Eliminator unit. Sounds cool... but when I went into CT to ask about it, I was told that yeah, it'll trickle charge yer battery but it will also fry it dead in no time at all. So I'm like "whaaa?"

So... anyone here ever hook one of these things up in their Delica? And with what results?

[mararmeisto]

A friend of mine swears by this. He's got an older model Land Cruiser and he's installed a Cambodian Tire solar panel on the roof which he says trickle charges his battery and his Eliminator unit. Sounds cool... but when I went into CT to ask about it, I was told that yeah, it'll trickle charge yer battery but it will also fry it dead in no time at all. So I'm like "whaaa?"

So... anyone here ever hook one of these things up in their Delica? And with what results?

Your alternator charges the battery(ies) while the engine is running--this is what it's supposed to do. I you have a 'leak' in your electrical system or your vehicle is sitting for a long time (and I mean months) then a trickle charge might be an option. The idea behind a trickle charger is to 'top-up' after short charging times (i.e. you didn't run the engine for very long before you shutdown) or cover a slow drain (such as using accessories while parked for a period). Your friend is probably trickle charging the Eliminator unit more than his Land Cruiser because he's using the Eliminator for pluggin' in a DVD player, beer cooler, hair dryer, etc...

Charging a lead-acid battery all the time is not necessarily bad, but the CT-guy might have been confusing his statement with a NiCad battery. NiCads have 'memories' and if not discharged sufficiently, they will only charge up to the last charge potential. A lead-acid battery can be drained and fully charged many, many, many, many, many times.

Considering diesel-electric submarines have been using lead-acid cells for more than 100 years, the technology is definitely proven and viable, as long as it's taken care of properly. But at some point, the lead-acid battery has to be changed too.

[Green1]

Solar panels put out extremely low current, but at unpredictable voltages, any panel other than the smallest panel Canadian tire sells (the one that's about 3 inches by 8 inches) require a regulator, these will keep the voltage in the appropriate range, and reduce it or cut it off completely when the battery is full.

Solar is great, but it has limitations, that aforementioned panel (the tiny one) is effectively useless, there's just not enough sunlight that you can capture in such a small space to make a difference, the big panels do work though, just remember to buy a regulator too.

[vsyxx]

Costco had Coleman solar trickle chargers on sale this week. I might drop by and get one. If the charger is working fine, they are really meant for maintaining a vehicle's battery if there are prolonged periods of unuse. Otherwise you would remove the battery from the vehicle and store it properly (with a trickle charger even). If you are using your vehicle on a daily basis then one isn't required. However, if you are camping and using your vehicle electrical system then it wouldn't be a bad idea. That's why I'll get one.

[JMK]

if you are camping and using your vehicle electrical system then it wouldn't be a bad idea. That's why I'll get one.

If it's something like their 18W, it will supply 1.2A of charging current. So if you run one of those 13 Watt energy saver bulbs in the evening, you could replace the energy used by a couple of them on a good sunny day (depending on what time it gets dark and what time you go to bed of course). You could also replace the energy you use to watch a movie on your notebook computer or portable DVD. The equation changes if you, let's say, want to boil a cup of water using your 1100 Watt microwave that you're running from your inverter. That would probably take approx 8 amps. That's probably about what you'll get back from the solar panel on an average partly cloudy summer day. So if you're going to be cooking from your inverter, or staying up late to work on your manuscript that is the size of War and Peace, you'll still need to start your engine and use your alternator to charge your batteries. Also keep in mind, because it's best to have your panel in the sun, if it is roof mounted, then you'll be parking your van in the hot sun instead of the cool shade.

[JMK]

I just had an additional thought that is worth considering. If those panels are roughly the same price as a new spiral cell battery, AND: you're going to have to run your alternator to charge your batteries when you are camping anyway, AND: you're still using the original JDM batteries that came with the van, then you may want to consider putting the money toward a spiral cell battery. I thought I remembered reading that they accept a charge 60% faster than a normal lead acid battery, which would be good reason alone to use them with inverters for camping.

[electrik_jester]

Interesting, very interesting.
Was thinking of a solar option as well, however to start with I have purchased an inverter(Coleman800w/1600w peak for $37 at that overstock import place whose name escapes me near the Douglas Canadian tire in Victoria)

Not to hijack a thread but are there any tricks or potholes to having one permantly attached to you batteries( I have a two battery system).
Things like: minimum wire gauge, tie direct to the batteries or tie in elsewhere. permanent install or use the alligator clips, battery life time experiences, I blew up my van, the addition of the Christmas lights and electric fireplace certainly sets the mood etc.

Cheers to all

[JMK]

You'll permanently mount it with 4 or 6 guage cable (should be in the instructions). In this pic the grey wires go to my inverter, they are 4 guage (you can see why I want to get new batteries). Keep the run as short as possible, behind the passenger seat is perfect. Inverters should not be mounted in the engine compartment.



I had a 750 Watt Black and Decker Inverter and it wouldn't even power my 17" notebook which supposedly didn't draw more than 2 amps. In the end I forked out $300.00 for a decent inverter, and even it is only square wave, sine wave is double that. The consequence is I can't run an Induction cooker or Panasonic hot water dispenser, which is a shame because they are so energy efficient and compact for camping (Induction cookers are 80% efficient as compared to a hot plate that is 50% efficient). You may get frustrated with your inverter and end up getting a more robust one.

[Jonny5ive]

If you are thinking solar check these out from Brunton:

http://www.brunton.com/catalog.php?cat=8

[Templar]

Hi all,

I used to be in the battery business, it was a long time ago but some of the knowledge still gets loose from time to time. Those little solar panels from CT are unlikely to kill your battery, especially around here. The larger panels that you can get for sail boats and rvs can damage batteries if left unchecked, but those are usaully 75 watt panels. Ideally you want to figure out what you are going to draw from your battery while camping, and then design your solar system around that. If all you are using is interior lights for a little bit, those dash mounted solar panels can help a bit, but if you are planning on something bigger they likely won't help much. One excellent way to see how your batteries are doing is to buy a hydrometer and check the electrolyte lvl, and the specific gravity, which should be about 12.5.

Interstate Batteries, on Jacklin Rd in Langford is a good place for info and batteries, and the rv and marine dealers have some pretty knowledgable people and some neat products. Hope this helps.

Simon

[electrik_jester]

You do seem to have a number of wires attached to you batteries I do agree. 4 gauge looks pretty thick. Thanks for the pic.

[JMK]

It may look thick, but you did say 1600 Watts which means you'll need cable capable of 130 amps or so if I've got it right. The maximum amps for chassis wiring for 4 guage is 135 amps/60 amps for power transmission (when you draw 800 watts at 12V = 66 amps). In fact the 4 that you're looking at in my setup is a bit too small for what I've got. Looks like you'll need to go with 4 guage as well. You can buy 4 guage at Can Tire off the rack in packs of various sizes, I bought mine too long so mount your inverter first and then measure. I drilled a hole through the engine cowling under the passenger seat to run the cables through.

The other wires in the pic are just for my headlights, and a direct feed from the front of the vehicle for charging the batteries direct from a Honda Generator.