The Best Solar Panel for Long Life Campers
The solar panel for campers feed all the tools and appliances on board without needing to connect to electricity. Camper voyages are synonymous with autonomy and freedom, and not having to look for a way to recharge your batteries is a great advantage for holidays in any season. In this guide, we see how they work and how to choose the best photovoltaic panel according to their needs.
Installing a solar panel on the camper ensures a comfortable and peaceful journey. In addition, we can power TV, refrigerator, notebook and mobile phones, microwaves, lights, and other electronic devices on board thanks to solar energy.
The stops will not be forced or driven in search of electricity to recharge the batteries, and our vacation will earn us positively, both economically and in terms of time.
The autonomous and independent photovoltaic system, also called the Off-Grid photovoltaic system, is widespread and used in campers, boats, mountain huts, and in all situations where an autonomous energy source is desired.
The solar panel for campers is specially designed to be installed on the vehicle’s roof. Sometimes you can orient them to take advantage of better exposure when the camper is stationary. They are equipped with cables and everything necessary for assembly, so their positioning is generally quite simple and affordable for everyone.
How does the solar panel for campers work? First, the panel absorbs energy from the sun’s rays, delivered directly to the devices or stored in a battery. Then, an inverter will transform the direct current produced in alternating current usable by electrical devices.
Table of Contents
How to choose a solar panel for campers
To choose the right solar panel, we must first understand the camper’s energy needs, so you can buy a kit that suits our real needs. To do this, we check the power of the appliances we want to feed, calculate how many hours we use them on average every day, add all the values, and estimate the daily requirement.
We also consider devices powered by 12V in direct current and 220V in alternating current. The former can be fed directly from the panel without using the inverter. At this point, we can begin to orient ourselves towards purchasing solar panels, considering the following characteristics.
Solar panels in monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon
These panels have high efficiency with a smaller surface, but they must be oriented towards the sun to reach maximum efficiency. Polycrystalline silicon has a less homogeneous monocrystalline structure and slightly lower cost because its production is simpler.
Amorphous and/or flexible silicon solar panels
The amorphous silicon panels are made with lower use of silicon, with a non-homogeneous structure. As a result, they perform less with the same surface than others, but they are efficient even when not perfectly oriented towards the sun. This makes them particularly suitable for campers. However, the panel must be horizontal on the roof and cannot be oriented during the trip.
Panel power
For the solar panel’s power, expressed in Watt, we need to understand which panel is the most suitable according to our needs. In general, the solar panels for campers have a minimum power of 50 watts, the minimum necessary to keep the lights on.
From 100 watts, we have solar panels that can power TVs and other devices with a range of about two days. From 140-150 Watts of power, we can have power appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators with a range of a few days.
To understand the best panel for campers suitable for us, we keep in mind that the watts shown are always nominal. This means that in summer, with intense sun rays, the panel can produce up to 4 times its rated power.
A 100 Watt panel will be perfect for a 300-400 watt requirement. In contrast, the actual power rarely exceeds twice the nominal power indicated in winter. The same 100-watt panel then produces 100 to 200 watts per day.
Charge controller
The charge controller, usually included in the photovoltaic kit, regulates the current flow to and from the battery. To protect electronic devices from power surges and ensure that they remain efficient for a long time, a constant flow of energy is required that the panels alone cannot provide.
The charge controller also interrupts the supply from the solar panels as soon as the battery is fully charged. Through the regulator, we can also check the battery charge level.
Battery
Solar kits usually do not include the battery and must be purchased separately. The battery allows us the autonomy we need, thanks to the accumulation of energy from the panels. The most common batteries are the 12 V batteries, but in the kits, it is common to find regulators able to work with two batteries to guarantee the power of 24 V.
The battery capacity is expressed in Ah (ampere-hour). Thus, we can have batteries from 18 Ah or 300 Ah, depending on the devices we want to feed. The batteries are made with different materials; currently, the most common are lead. Among them, AGM batteries are those that guarantee a longer life.
Inverter
As mentioned, the inverter transforms the 12 V direct current produced by the 220 V alternating current panels to power the electronic devices. Therefore, it is necessary to understand what are and how many devices are powered by the alternating current to choose an inverter of the right size.
[divider style="solid" top="10" bottom="10"]The best solar panel for campers to buy
Below is the ranking of the best solar panel for campers selected with prices and features in a price range between $30 and $400.
- [Wide Application]: Daily Output 800wh/day under 4 hours full sunshine condition. Perfect...
- [Excellent Performance]: ECO-WORTHY solar panels use high-performance monocrystalline...
- [Durable]: Corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy frame, so that the panel can be used for...
- 【Plug and play solar kit 】complete kit includes a 100W solar suitcase, a 20A...
- 【Highly portable design】 foldable solar suitcase small in size, provide more...
- 【Remarkable efficiency】Renogy solar panels using grade A plus monocrystalline solar...
- 【Efficient Performance】This Starter Kit can generate an average of 500Wh of...
- 【Market-Leading Service Plan】Enjoy worry-free usage with our market-leading service...
- 【Exceptional Safety】Certified by UL 61730, CSA C22.2#61730, IEC 61730/IEC 61215, our...
- [Wide Application] 800Wh daily output depends on the 4 hours sunlight availability. This...
- [Excellent Performance] 22% High solar cell efficiency. Corrosion-resistant aluminum frame...
- [Multiple Protection] The Renogy Adventurer-Li is a 30A PWM solar power charge controller...
- 【High Conversion Rate】This 20W solar panel with monocrystalline A+ solar cell has an...
- 【Built to Last】 Low-iron tempered glass surface and corrosion-resistant aluminum...
- 【Smart Charge Controller】The charging efficiency of this upgraded 8A controller is...
- [Wide Application] 1600Wh daily output depends on the 4 hours sunlight availability.This...
- [Excellent Performance] 22% High solar cell efficiency. Corrosion-resistant aluminum frame...
- [Multiple Protection] Adventurer 30A PWM Charge Controller is designed to be used with 12V...
- Compact and Reliable - The 100W 12V Monocrystalline solar panel delivers a stable output...
- Superior Quality and Material - All Renogy solar panels are made from 100% EL-tested Grade...
- Advanced Solar Cell Tech and Panel Structure - Renogy solar panels adapted the newest 9...
- 【FOLDABLE AND LIGHTWEIGHT EASY TO STORE】-- This solar panel photovoltaic packs 160W of...
- 【COMPLETE KIT,WORKS OUT OF THE BOX 】-- Solar charger for all 12V batteries ,with its...
- 【PERFECT CHOICE FOR OUTDOOR AND EMERGENCY LIFE】-- 9.85ft (3M) cable length from panel...
- 100W solar panel kits ideal for 12v battery charging, designed for RVs, cabins, homes,...
- This kits include 4pcs Z mounting brackets and 1 pair Red and Black Solar Cable makes it...
- With the 30A charge controller with PWM function, it can prevent the battery from over...
- Upgrade Intelligent Charge Controller: Built-in internal protection system and smart fast...
- Smart Internal Protection System: From POWOXI technology Solar battery charger will not...
- Stronger & More Long-lasting: The 7.5W solar car battery charger adopts high-transparency...
Product prices and availability are subject to change. Therefore, any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to purchasing any products.