Do you feel like you need an escape from the frantic city life? Why not up and leave to a more serene camping destination? It’s the perfect way to leave all your troubles behind and calm your racing mind. Just picture it for a second – you feel the sun grazing your skin and the fresh air filling your lings as you listen to the birds chirping around you. Could it ever be any better than that?
The tricky thing with camping is that it involves a lot of preparation. This is mainly because you’re setting off into the wilderness, with no immediate contact with the modern world. So, if you’re planning on staying for a few days, you’ll need to pack all of the bare necessities in your camping caravan. But there’s one thing in particular that keeps your caravan up and running – that’s right, it’s electricity. And since you don’t have a power source nearby, you’ll need to use caravan portable solar panels instead.
How Do You Set Up a Caravan Solar System?
Putting together a solar system for your caravan is like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle. You need to make sure all the pieces work together seamlessly if you want to have the final product in all its glory.
Solar Panels
Obviously, you can’t have a caravan solar system without the panels. You can attach them to the top of your caravan for convenience but that means that you’ll have to move the whole vehicle into the sunlight for proper exposure. If you don’t want to go through the trouble of doing that, feel free to use lightweight and portable solar panels for caravans as the quintessential pieces of equipment that make for an amazing camping experience.
You can move these bad boys around wherever you want, whenever you want. The number of panels you get depends greatly on what you intend to use them for. Each panel produces approximately 250-300 W of energy when it comes into contact with direct sunlight. This efficient method of energy production lies mainly in the multitude of grid-like cells located in the caravan solar panel that are made of semi-conductive materials, including silicone. Once the sunrays reach these cells, they generate a powerful electrical current that powers up all of your devices and gives you the ideal camping experience.
Taking proper care of your solar panels shouldn’t be an issue. You should use a soft sponge or brush to wipe down the surface. Make sure you get in all the little cuts and crevices to ensure that there’s no dust and dirt build-up over time. If that happens, your portable solar panels for caravans won’t be working as intended. And don’t forget to be extra careful when handling these devices since they can get damaged when you least expect it. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Regulator
This little rectangular box serves as a safety plug when connected to the battery. This is because it prevents overheating by maintaining the recommended levels of electrical charge. Some models even serve a double function: they provide electricity for your devices and charge your batteries in one go. Evidently, a regulator is a useful addition to your solar system arsenal.
Inverter
This is essentially a conversion machine for electrical current. Its sole purpose is to transform the DC power found on your battery into AC power that’s used by electronics. So even if you get the best caravan solar panel you can find, it’ll be virtually useless to you without a good inverter.
When looking at inverters, it’s important to find a suitable match for your particular solar system. After all, it needs to withstand the electrical load you put it through without becoming a hazard to its immediate surroundings.
The voltage is perhaps one of the most crucial factors in the decision-making process. For instance, you shouldn’t connect a 12-volt inverter to a 24-volt battery because that could lead to a short-circuit. If you want to keep the system running smoothly, make sure you get matching volts on both ends.
Battery
Batteries and chargers are essential pieces of camping equipment, in addition to being the most expensive. The first thing you need to figure out is the battery type – lead acid or lithium? While the former is more affordable, it generally has a shorter lifespan.
Things to Consider when Completing a Caravan Solar System
Now that you’re aware of all the components, let’s look into a few useful factors that will maximise the power output and functionality of your system.
Size
You don’t have to be an expert to know that the larger the panels, the higher the electricity level will be. If you want to get the size right, think about how much electrical current you’ll need while on your trip in the great outdoors. Plan ahead and prepare accordingly.
Power Output
This is directly tied to the size of the panels since larger models inherently have a stronger power output. If you want to be sure that you don’t run out of precious electricity while you’re off the grid, a general rule of thumb is to go 20% higher than your expected usage so that you don’t fall short when you need it the most.
