Solar charging while camping? "thoughts"

[JeremyP]

Here's an example of maximizing the solar potential on a travel trailer. He doesn't have an electric tow vehicle yet but uses the energy generated while at home to charge their tesla. I've been contemplating this for our trailer where I could potentially fit 3kw of panels and would probably build my own battery bank of around 20kwh. The combined weight of the equipment would be around 600 pounds.

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[Calisoulla]

Here's an example of maximizing the solar potential on a travel trailer. He doesn't have an electric tow vehicle yet but uses the energy generated while at home to charge their tesla. I've been contemplating this for our trailer where I could potentially fit 3kw of panels and would probably build my own battery bank of around 20kwh. The combined weight of the equipment would be around 600 pounds.

thanks for the video, thinking about going the same route

 

[JamuJoe]

Come across the interesting video


maybe adding solar to the to of the roof might be a good option

There is potential for very limited vehicle solar charging in the right solar situation. As an example, I carry an Ecoflow Delta Max with two smart batteries (6 kWh total storage) in my ICE truck (RAM 2500). 320 W of solar on the truck cap (two thin film panels, no wind resistance) charge the power station. I use this 6 kWh to supplement our Airstream power station when boondocking. (The Airstream has the same power station with 700 W of rooftop solar). It would take about 20 hrs of ideal solar conditions to recharge the truck power station. Practically speaking, figure twice that. I have used the power station to charge our Polestar 2, and gained 10 miles of range in three hours, depleting the power station. So yes, one could add range while boondocking, but you’d need a lot of solar and patience. Still, it’s fun to experiment.

Happy camping,
Joe

 

[kopper]

200 Watts, in a perfectly sunny location, always aimed perfectly, would produce enough energy per day to drive about 4 miles assuming perfect energy transfer. It won't. realistically, you'd add about a mile of range per day. You'd be better off just charging up an EcoFlow or similar to run your camping gear off and leave the truck in low-power mode.

To be useful, you'd need significantly more solar panels - and that person acknowledges that the solar panels mounted on top to travel cause about a 20% decrease in range. Basically offsetting any power they could add.

Your math checks out!

200 Watts, in a perfectly sunny location, always aimed perfectly, would produce enough energy per day to drive about 4 miles assuming perfect energy transfer. It won't. realistically, you'd add about a mile of range per day. You'd be better off just charging up an EcoFlow or similar to run your camping gear off and leave the truck in low-power mode.

To be useful, you'd need significantly more solar panels - and that person acknowledges that the solar panels mounted on top to travel cause about a 20% decrease in range. Basically offsetting any power they could add.

Your math checks out!

 

[HighVoltOverland]

Thoughts on this?
Form factor alone looks like it could be a neat package for over a Kw of deployed panels


GoSun EV Solar Charger

 

[docwhiz]

Thoughts on this?
Form factor alone looks like it could be a neat package for over a Kw of deployed panels


GoSun EV Solar Charger

Rough math... 1200W max 6kWh/day or 12 miles for a Rivian.
Would be good for extended boondocking to run kitchen and gadgets but not rely on it to travel very far.
Also, $3K expensive.
Delivery 2025

 

[Tarkus]

At some point, if you really want to get rid of range anxiety, then consider something like Pebble Flow trailer. Personally, I don't camp enough to justify cost of any trailer, much less something like this.

That said, plenty of people here on the form appears to own Airstream so this camper is well within the range for those...

https://pebblelife.com/

I pre-ordered/reserved my Pebble back in Oct '23. Hope it arrives later this year or 1st quarter 2025
and when they start building it, I'll be asking them to add that 1200 watt Solor Awning as well

 

[Tarkus]

Thoughts on this?
Form factor alone looks like it could be a neat package for over a Kw of deployed panels


GoSun EV Solar Charger

I just pre-ordered this as well...

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