How Much Solar Can You Fit on an SUV Roof? Solar Options for Car Living
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- čas přidán 1. 10. 2023
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How much solar can you fit on an SUV? As nomads, understanding our solar needs is crucial for off-grid living in our vans, cars, or RVs. Here are a few great options of solar panels and batteries for building a solar system on your car, van or RV!
SOLAR PANELS:
-Newpowa 250W 15V Monocrystalline Solar Panel 55"x35"
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-New Powa 100W Solar Panel 20"x38"
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-Newpowa 100W Solar Panel 28"x29" Only $62.99!
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BATTERIES:
SELF HEATING LOW TEMP PROTECTION:
***We HIGHLY Recommend the SELF HEATING LOW TEMP PROTECTION BATTERY***
-LiTime 12V 200Ah Lithium Battery Self-Heating Low Temperature Charging (-4°F) LiFePO4 Battery 2560Wh Usable Energy Built-in 100A BMS 4000-15000 Deep Cycles
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HIGH TEMP PROTECTION ONLY:
-LiTime 12V 200Ah LiFePO4 Lithium Battery With 2560Wh Energy Max. 1280W Load Power Built-in 100A BMS,10 Years Lifetime 4000+ Cycles
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AMAZON LINKS - Items I Recommend:
~Power Stations
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~12V Batteries
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~Gas and Dual Fuel Generators
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Thanks for watching!
It was about a dollar a watt to put my 1260 watts on the roof. The main thing is know your solar charge controller, and know your inverter. I use Victron equipment. I really researched it a lot first. My rig is only 300 amp hours of Battleborn, but with the large amount of solar, I can literally run AC all day. (it's a 420 watt window unit), my deep freezer and everything else.
Can you tell us what brand ac?
Why was the DC-DC Charge Converter removed from the SUV ? That's a handy and very effective way to charge batteries when you're driving...
The DC to DC charger was removed becuase it was not working properly and the owner of the vehicle requested for it to be removed from the system. Thanks for watching!
I have three of the Newpowa 200W panels on top of my fifth wheel, for a total of 600W. The total size is about 5 feet by 7 feet. I have also found that the Newpowa panels are the most watts for the size. I installed them in 2018 and they still work perfectly.
Thanks, good to know 👍
For my rig, 6 used 320w panels give me almost the same power as 9 of the 220w Newpowa's (can't fit 9 of the 250w's would be stuck with 6). I also have a small gap between the two rows of panels to be able to walk and clean the panels. Also, I paid $80/panel as opposed to $200+ per panel. If you're in a city, check marketplace or craigslist for used panels, or check santan solar. You can get some crazy cheap deals. A neighbor bought a pallet of 25 220w panels for $400 shipped.
I have 500w on the roof, and another 440w on the ground, all rigid. It's more work to set out rigid panels every time, but they are so much more efficient than folders.
I watched a vid with a slide out solar panel system. So when you're parked you can double your solar capacity with a slide out system from underneath your existing.
I really enjoy these types of videos, but I would have recommended just adding a second 100ah battery and buying two panels to get the needed wattage as a hedge against component failure. If you have one of the battery or panels fail you haven't lost the entire system, just operating at a reduced capacity...
we have a 300 watt flexible solar panel with 1000 watt inverter and 2 deep cycle batteries... :)
I think the coolest thing in this video is that Mark got that big battery to fit in the same space!!! Very important to van living. I'm now realizing that the battery is almost more important than panels.
😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊I 😊😊a little 😊😊and the other two 😊😊I think 😊will have have a guide to to the best best best you to to sure that your your family will good good good your best and
Nope, it's not. A battery with no charge is worthless. Your solar panels are just as important as your battery, more so in most cases.
Thanks Bob for a great report on solar panels that will fit on cars. We appreciate your time and knowledge about all you do.
"I love a challenge" great words ❤
That would work for me. Curious what to do with the cable between the solar panel and battery. Nice to see Mark two. He looks like he's keeping well and a good example on how you can go from being pressed for money, to living a more productive and healthy life.
@mojo.2112 Thank you.
I was going to put a system on my minivan, didn't get it built. But I wasn't figuring to find the largest solar panel that would fit on my roof. My thought was to match the area of the widest part of my car. If I can miss bumping into something with my side panel, I can a kid running my constructed panel rack. I would even go past the top of the windshield, shade the cab a bit.
Great video and installation tips Bob, her Lithium Battery and Solar Charger wiring is extremely well done.
Wow I have the 150watt square set-up on my minivan! Charges my oupes power station 1200 watt. Sometimes when I get to area with clouds I take my little jackery 300 watt into a coffee shop charge it up then top off my oupes, easier to handle smaller unit. It's not perfect but it works in a pinch! Thanks for your videos 👍 happy trails to y'all 🤠
Yes I'm going to try, I'm new to this lifestyle, looking for a better way to survive. Have Equinox SUV. Know nothing but willing to learn. I'm in Wilmington Delaware right now. I have a lifetime pass yo all Delaware State Parks. I have to get out of where I'm living if I don't want to have a stroke or heart attack told to me by my cardiologist. It's End of October now. I really appreciate all your help and information. It's a way I can survive. Thank you Bob.
I've got two 100 watt panels feeding a 300 AH battery. I really like the Newpowa panels, there're smaller because they are very efficient.
Always informative and thought provoking content Bob. Thanks!
Was Mark the guy that used to work for Space X and built his own cargo trailer? If so it is good to see him doing installs. Would love to see a follow up video with him. He does such good work!
Such valuable information! I look forward to stepping into the next stage of my vanlife - having power, having SOLAR power!
I love that compact system inside the SUV with that 200 ah battery. Very clever, very neat! Didn't realize that the 250w panel would be so large! I was wondering how many watts I could get on my SUV! Thanks a bunch, Bob! Thanks, Mark! Great video!
Thank you for the solar panel information Bob. Mark did a good job on the install. How do solar panels hold up against hail? We get pretty big chunks of hail here in Canada. I'm just curious if they would get damaged easily? I have seen cracked windshields from golf ball sized hail, that is why I a would like to know, thank you.
@@mojo.2112 Thank you mogo, that isn't good to hear. Too bad they didn't have a cover to protect them. Thank you for letting me know, have a good evening.
Very informative, as usual! Thank you for the video! I am going to check into the smaller panel, as I am making my Chevy Spark into a micro-car camper, so I don’t have a ton of room. Hopefully I will be able to get things set up enough so that I can head to the 2024 RTR and maybe I will see you there!
I have 200w Solar and 2 6v golf cart batteries 125aH and runs a freezer/fridge 24/7 for 6 months.
Cool, what about the portable panel approach, that way you dont have to keep your vehicle in the sun all the time to get power you can just put the panels where they're needed. why id looks for the lightest weight , easiest to store panels, those flexible ones would be good canditates, although not that durable from what i hear, they would be easy to store and take out when needed, maybe even store them on the roof and have the optioin to take them off, but you cant do that with the heavy aluminum framed ones, well not easily. I have those aluminum framed + glass coating solar here in my apparentment and dont like the weight of the panels as im considering van life id trade them for lighters ones.
Flexible panels aren't rigid and they don't do well if mounted directly to the surface. If they have grommets and you hang them off the luggage rack, that would work well. You could use cut conduit and pound the end down and bolt them together to make a frame. Many other options. Flexible panels would also fit under a mattress to save space, if you have a flat surface, not slats.
Why remove the dc-dc charger? Alternator charging is great.
It's nice as a backup, but alternator charging will prematurely wear out your alternator.
The DC to DC charger was removed becuase it was not working properly and the owner of the vehicle requested for it to be removed from the system. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for the solar panel links!
Always very informative. Enjoy your vids
GREAT INFORMATION!
I have 2 400's (Trina and Canadian Solar) on my Chevy, and 2 more on my trailer..and I'm building hinged mounts for 3 more on the trailer..1 on the beveled front part, and 2 more, 1 in each side.👍
I have 400w on my astro and could fit more but buck boost systems is only good for 400 and my space is limited to 120ahr battery but I can always just start the van
And I always get something out of your videos
This just popped into my head, can you drive through an automated car wash system? If it will go through, is it not suggested that you, do it, by just causing damage to the panel or messing with the integrity of it, longevity etc. Thanks
You would most likely be fine. Roof panels, if installed correctly, are very water resistant. I doubt a car wash would be more than a big storm.
NO! The car washes with brushes or the fabric cloths that “scrub” your car get caught and tangled up in solar panels and cargo boxes, etc. It rips the crap out of your setup. And you have to pay the car wash for damaging their equipment!
Good info- Thank you ! ! !
I have a single 400W panel on top of my SUV. The key is finding house panels that are this size. The downside is that you have to drive to a warehouse that has them, because shipping 1 large panel is cost prohibitive and likely to break in-transit anyway.
But the hard part is to find someone to install it. I have a 1999 Ford E150 Conversion van and want to put a roof rack on plus at least 2 solar panels. But do I want to drill holes in the roof? I do need to set up a complete power system instead of using my power station.
Thank you Bob and thank you Mark! 🇺🇸
What about making a drawer that slides open when at campsite to double or even triple the amount of solar.
Very informative ,thank you
Great info, thanks for sharing this.
I put Renogy solar panels, 400 watts, on top of my truck to support my Bluetti system for our travel trailer. While traveling through Montana, we were experiencing cross winds. We felt the truck sway sideways, and watched the solar panels, the framework to support the panes and the anchor system on the canopy fly through the air in my outdoor mirror. After I got off the road, I walked back to see if anything could be salvaged. It was a total loss. Including damage to the truck canopy. Which was replaced.
We finished of our trip and sold the trailer and Bluetti.
Another think the panels on the roof block the sun heat from coming into you rig
You could add 4 more panels to your roof by using heavy duty shelf slides that allow you to slide the panels under the ones already mounted. Doing that will double your panels, and it will also give you some shade as well for an extra bonus.
Thanks Bob
Good Job !
Love your videos, Bob
I would have left the DC-DC charger in line. Mine works great when driving at night.
The DC to DC charger was removed becuase it was not working properly and the owner of the vehicle requested for it to be removed from the system. Thanks for watching!
Wire both batteries in parallel and have 300ah. They're the same chemistry and will work together fine.
I came here looking for a comment like this, why did they replace instead of adding a the additional battery, I'm confused hahah
Yeah buddy 200ah lithium is what I got and I love it 400 watts of solar panels on the roof
They would fit on my roof, but I don’t have roof racks and don’t know how to or which ones to purchase. Then how do I attach them? So I have the folding panels and so far they work very well. 😊 thanks for the fabulous video! ❤
Small gas generator for cloudy days is the cheap way .
We have 1236 ah of sok and 1200 watts of solar. Our generator has not been used but just in case we need it .
Always great to have backup power to help save those very pricey batteries tbh. worst no useful wind or Sun I had here in Britain, was a September through to the following April, but thankfully I had a small diesel Generator as backup to save those batteries. Best Wishes. Bob in Wales. 👍✨️✨️✨️❤️
You can! I have room for 4 100w Renogy Elicpse panels on my Jeep JKU roof. I only run two so I have room for a roof box next to them.
Great video! Do you have a link to the hardware used to install the panels?
Along with the battery why not invest in a Jackery generator there’s all different sizes
I’ve got 170w on my roof and 100ah lithium, never run out of juice. Maybe it’s the Australian sun/weather 😁
I don't know what size my Equinox is but will find out. Solar panel for roof, Refrigerator, Battey and power source, basic to survive, I hope. Live on SS only. Thank you so much
Thank youu.
#Grateful 🙏 love you guys, thank you, #mahalo
I've got 1200w into 400Ah of LiFePo4, mix of Victron and Renogy gear.
Question why dont anyone put thr extra batteries under the hood of the vehicle? Thanks for information on solar panels i will check some out. 73
Thanks Bob! I'd love to do this with the 250 w panel! Could you tell me what hardware he used so I can install this to my mini vans roof rack?
Depends on vehical but you could mount a panel on the engine hood or trunk lid
You can also add flexible or portable panels you keep in your storage area. I have a lot of ideas that could help save space if you don't have room on your roof!
You can get 1000w single flex panel these days great for car roofs
Have 3 160w panels on my Chevy Express. It just fits.
How do those panels do in partial shade?
Thanks for this info Bob. What about portable solar panels, are they any good?
I bought a refurbished EcoFlow 160W portable panel for $180 last Black Friday and it's been great for camping! You can try flexible panels in a portable configuration and save a little on money. He has some reviews on portable panels.
How much extra gas do they take as far as weight and added drag, please?
Ant the flexible solar panels are 18-20 inches wide!
Could you use a solid-state solar generator and charge it with vehicle 12v power when there was no sun to charge with solar panels?
How do you keep it from charging if you end up in a very cold situation? I really appreciate this video so much. I have a small Class C and I was gifted a brand new (still in box) 2000w inverter but I don't understand enough to be comfortable buying components without help. If I switch to lithium, do I have to do anything different for my RV converter? It's all confusing to me.
@@mojo.2112 thank you so much!
what i don't really understand as of yet is why people still go with a whole electrical set up like the one on this video where every single device is separate from each other (lithium battery, MPPT controller, inverter, breaker switches, etc.) when you can go with one single unit such as a Jackery or Bluetti???
A few things to consider that might give you your answer. First, most folks doing these are on a tight budget. The Bluetti/Jackery units cost considerably more due to the convenience factor. Also, it's a big lump sum to purchase one... the component set up can be bought one piece at a time as one can afford it, and as various pieces go on sale. The other consideration is that with the multiple component set-up, if one piece goes bad, it is pretty simple and relatively inexpensive to replace that one piece. With an all-in-one unit, you either have to replace the whole thing or send it away for repair, leaving you without power for possibly weeks while you wait to get it back. Those would be my main thoughts, anyway. 🤷♀️
I have a mini van but have no roof rack. How do you attach solar in this case?
How long does he usually take to do everything
What about the flexible solar panels There are 200 and even 300 watts each!
So those large rechargeable powerbanks like the jackery you can't power a laptop with it for days on end if it's connected to solar or is that not possible I'm homeless I've taken the last of my cash I'm living in my vehicle and I'm just trying to find an option that can work for me and least until I can save up money to move into a better space in about 4 years
Bob i so would be forever grateful if you guy's could recommend a person to put my solar together? I live in Vegas have the inverter, MPPT controller, fuse panel and solar panels. I'm just nervous with installing and need some help nomad guys.
Just curious why you didn't Just add the battery instead of replacing it 🤔
So like on you ambulance why couldnt you build framework and mount 4 more that fold up when parked and then fold down onto side of box and lock in fold down position while driving? It would also shade the sides when parked. would look strange when driving but you strike me as a person that cares more for performance than looks.
I want 48volt system next upgrade😅😅😅
she still has 100 ampre hour battery, cant she add that also and have 300 amp hr
Something to think about for EV owners.
Wouldn’t do anything. A lot of ev’s use a ton of energy and their batteries are huge. Otherwise the manufacturers would be making solar roofs for the car.
Can you PLEASE tell me if she could have used her old 100amp hour battery with the new 200amp hour battery, like linked them together, like i have a 108 hour battery could have buy another 108 hour one n link them together PLEASE-SOMEONE ?
No. If you put them on the same charge controller they will never balance, so the 200 AH hour battery would only charge or discharge halfway. Also, it's never a good idea to mix old batteries with new batteries, because they behave differently as they age.
You could put them on different charge controllers and different panels, but at that point you essentially have two separate systems.
EDIT: Since you want to use the same size, it will work fine, as long as they are the same brand and type, and the first one isn't more than a year or two old.
No, you should not mix different batteries in a series. The different capacities will result in uneven charge and discharge, damaging the batteries. It will work, but you're going to destroy your batteries.
im not an electriction so dont take my advice but i think they have to be similar in size and same chemistry
Space may have been an issue
No
There was a 400+W solar panel I had tried to order that would have fit, but it was early 2021 and they didn't have it in stock, so I had to order 4 100W panels from Home Depot. They took up a bit more space so I didn't get to use the slimmer, nicer looking setup I had planned, but I got 'em up there on my Toyota Sienna roof. Now that the height of the pandemic is over I should be able to get a single panel with more than 400W, just have to shop again.
Fellow Sienna owner here.
Did you find the 400W panel?