Can i use a portable solar panel?

[renandlou]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6FYgzbkOPO4bm1lbkFEaS16OUFNb0NGejV3OWpDc1lFRnNv/view?usp=sharingI would like to buy a portable solar panel to keep my battery topped up when away. I have checked the current battery arrangement and am struggling to see how I would attach a panel to the battery without disconnecting it from the caravan as there doesn't seem to be any available room because of the battery connections.
Is there an easy way to connect a portable panel? I am somewhat technically challenged so the easier the solution the better. I have added a link to a photo of the current arrangement.
Thanks in advance

 

[Martin24]

When we bought our portable 55w solar panel at the NEC show 10 years ago it came as a complete kit. The positive and negative went onto the battery a very thin wire with the female connector fitted easily in the section of the box next to the battery where your mains lead connects. It was then just a case of plugging in on arrival on site. Worked really well and we were always nicely topped up. Main thing to remember was to change any existing halogen bulbs to LED.

 

[Raywood]

On site when you are keeping the battery topped up then just connecting it to the battery should work. When in store though you would need a regulator to prevent overcharging.

 

[glenno]

That's bad advice. A regulator is required for any decent sized solar panel to avoid damaging the battery. Assuming the kit comes with a regulator and your dilemma is just how to connect to the van battery cos there's no room for crocodiles clips make up a cable and plug. Hard wire the cable to the battery and have the plug handy somewhere in the battery box.

 

[Tukums]

Try to get wires, ideal 4mm or 6mm, connected to the battery wires, then using Anderson connectors you can connect to the solar panel wires. I could not get the croc. clips onto my battery, no room. However my caravan does have a 12v / 10amp solar socket in the battery locker, so just put a plug on, Anderson connectors are the grey things on the left. However these 12v plugs are not very good they can come loose so looking to wire direct to the battery wires; I can get to them under the side seating and connect up there, then just plug in. I use a 150w folding panel, gives out 8amp in full sun.

 

[VicMallows]

That's bad advice. A regulator is required for any decent sized solar panel to avoid damaging the battery. .

I fully agree with you. However do check with a decent meter that your regulator is actually doing what it claims it should do.

I recently bought a PV regulator which appeared to have an ideal specification. Both the advert, and the enclosed instruction/specification leaflet claimed it was a '4-stage' regulator and that the important parameters (bulk-charge voltage; float charge voltage) although preset to sensible values, could be adjusted to user defined values.
Yes, they could be viewed and adjusted on the LCD display ...... but that had absolutely no effect on the output which was simply limited to 14.6v by the regulator, no matter how long the battery remained on charge.. That would result in severe overcharging of the battery.

Two identical regulators from the same seller behaved in precisely the same way. In this case the seller very efficiently refunded the cost and reimbursed my postage.....but if I had not checked I could well have had a ruined battery or worse.