Solar charging while camping? "thoughts"

[Calisoulla]

You can get panels over 500w. These guys might be able to give you some recommendations. They specialize in helping off grid homeowners.
https://www.altestore.com/store/solar-panels-c541/

thank you I will take a look

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[Calisoulla]

Keep in mind that the vehicle uses more than 500w just to drive the charging electronics. Trying to charge with anything less than 1000 watts likely going to drain the battery rather than charge it. Try it home, plug into 120 volt outlet and set the charge speed to 2 amps and check back in a few hours and see if you gained or lost range.

Also, there is no way to dynamically tell the vehicle to adjust the charging current based on the current solar production. So you will need to set the charge rate to match the minimum production you expect. Since you aren't going to get the maximum rated for more than a few minutes, you probably need at least 2000 watts of panels to be able to reliably get 1000 watts for a significant portion of the day.

And make sure you unplug as soon as production drops below the charge current setting (evening). When the vehicle is trying to draw more than you are producing it isn't going to get any charging done, but it is going to waste a bunch of electricity keeping the vehicle awake trying to charge.

What might actually might be doable is to attach solar to a 12 volt power supply and keep the 12 volt system fully topped off. If you can keep the vehicle from ever tapping into the HV battery while you are parked you might be able to completely eliminate vampire drain. Preventing 5 mi per day of vampire drain is effectively the same as adding 5 mi to the battery everyday.

thank you very much for the input
will see how charging with 2 amps goes at home first

 

[defcon888]

Not worth it. You would need a LOT of solar to get any meaningful charge. Even if you had a kw your production is not going to be constant.

If your going to camp and you need to use the vehicle for power I would try to hit the closest fast charger and top it up as close to 100% as reasonable so you have max power when you pull up at the camp site assuming your boondocking it.

Our TT has 30 amp service so we try to get sites that have 20/30/50 hookup. That way we can plug in the TT30 for our TT and then we can charge the truck off the 50 amps. If we don't have a 50 then we will plug into the site 110. If there is only a TT 30 then we plug in to the outdoor outlet in the TT and set max charge rate to 8 amps.

It would be nice to have the skin or the sunroof be a solar panel so while you are parked it will charge...albeit a few % but that few % might be the different between making it to a charger or not.

 

[mkg3]

Consider something like this:
https://xponentpower.com/

 

[Calisoulla]

It would be nice to have the skin or the sunroof be a solar panel so while you are parked it will charge...albeit a few % but that few % might be the different between making it to a charger or not.

agreed

 

[Calisoulla]

Consider something like this:
https://xponentpower.com/

would be ideal, going to talk to my trailer dealer to see hoe much solar we can add on the roof
or a slide out as shown in the pic

 

[JamboF4]

Not worth it. You would need a LOT of solar to get any meaningful charge. Even if you had a kw your production is not going to be constant.

If your going to camp and you need to use the vehicle for power I would try to hit the closest fast charger and top it up as close to 100% as reasonable so you have max power when you pull up at the camp site assuming your boondocking it.

Our TT has 30 amp service so we try to get sites that have 20/30/50 hookup. That way we can plug in the TT30 for our TT and then we can charge the truck off the 50 amps. If we don't have a 50 then we will plug into the site 110. If there is only a TT 30 then we plug in to the outdoor outlet in the TT and set max charge rate to 8 amps.

To quote Joe: “don’t”

 

[SurfnBike]

I do a lot of camping in my R1T and I could go for a solar solution, enough to offset my vampire drain at least. I lose about 4 miles overnight, and another 3 or so during the day.

 

[Calisoulla]

I do a lot of camping in my R1T and I could go for a solar solution, enough to offset my vampire drain at least. I lose about 4 miles overnight, and another 3 or so during the day.

yes totally agree, I would be happy with just that

 

[Calisoulla]

To quote Joe: “don’t”

not worth trying to charge at all?

 

[SurfnBike]

You want power? These women didn’t mess around

https://www.renewable-innovations.com/rebelle-rally-2023

Correct me if I'm wrong but those big rigs pulling the massive charging equipment in those tractor trailers are consuming way more diesel than the gas powered vehicles in the race would ever use. Still a cool idea if they could get a Tesla semi to drag them around.

 

[RivRyan]

Presumably y’all are camping in the desert southwest? Almost everywhere I’ve ever camped the tree canopy would’ve made this pointless.

 

[Electrified Outdoors]

It would be nice to have the skin or the sunroof be a solar panel so while you are parked it will charge...albeit a few % but that few % might be the different between making it to a charger or not.

agree. Hyundai Sonata hybrid has a solar roof...at least the 2021 model a family member drives does.

 

[jjswan33]

As others have said if you want to recharge your truck you are going to need a lot of solar and likely a large secondary battery as a buffer.

On the other hand if you just want to power your camp site with solar then by all means. I have about 300W of solar on my camper shell but no intentions of charging my truck, I use it to power a fridge, lights, water pump etc so I don't have to rely on my truck for those small loads. The idea is to let the truck sleep to minimize vampire losses.

 

[mikehmb]

I think the best and/or most straightforward way of doing this would be to get a portable larger-capacity power bank with small panels.

Fill the power bank, then discharge it to the Rivian. Repeat.

It might buy you enough to get out of a tough spot. Or at least keep the vampire drain at a minimum.

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