Solar panel

[aldive]

Has anyone mounted a solar panel on the roof of your truck? Purpose - charging batteries, etc.

Thanks....

 

[mattadams]

Aldive, what brought this up? Did you see a vehicle with solar panels or something? I have never heard of anyone installing full-fledged solar panels unless their utilizing it as a solar vehicle. The explorer would be quite an inefficient solar vehicle, you'd want something with at least SOME aerodynamic ability.
My buddy has a dodge 3500 with solar panels mounted on the bumper. He otld me what they were for but I don't recall... they aren't huge though, about 2"x10". I think they were to keep the dodge battery from draining while it was sitting (apparantly thats a problem with the dodges) .

 

[aldive]

Originally posted by mattadams
Aldive, what brought this up?

Freedom brought this up; (1) Freedom of Speech and (2) the Freedom that it can provide as a recharger for one's batteries. The use of panels are quite common on boats where 12 volts becomes a way of life. The Explorer is perfectly shaped for solar use - a nice FLAT top. I just wondered if you off roaders used them. (3) Free power, well kinda free….

 

[aldive]

Originally posted by Gimp
You'd have to have some way of separating the two power regeneration sources (alternator and solar panel) from one another so that backfeed from the alternator wouldn't burn up the solar panel. Here's what a friend of mine did for his gate operator:
12VDC swing gate operator that operates off of a deep cycle battery. The solar panel is only 5 watt, which will do an adequate job of recharging the battery, but it will limit the number of cycles per day that he can operate it. The recharger is 200 watt but when the power goes off, your gate won't work. He used a 4-pole relay that would pull in when 120VAC was present at the recharger. The secondary side of the recharger (transformer) went through two NO contacts of the relay so that, when 120VAC was present, the relay was in, the NO contacts were closed and the 200-watt recharger charged the battery. The leads from the 5-watt solar pane went through two NC contacts so that it was isolated from the battery when it was being charged by the recharger. When the power went off, the relay dropped out, the NC contacts closed and the solar panel began the recharging process at a much slower rate. He feels that it's the best of both worlds---works and recharges when the power is off and when the power is on.

For the life of me, though, I can't really think of a practical application on my Explorer unless there were something causing a constant drain on the battery that the solar panels could overcome.

Some of the marine panel "kits" come with all the necessary hardwre to make em work in conjunction with the battery and alternator(s).

 

[aldive]

For the life of me, though, I can't really think of a practical application on my Explorer unless there were something causing a constant drain on the battery that the solar panels could overcome. [/B]

What about playing music with a heap of amps in the truck?