WitchCityMounty
Active Member
- Joined
- January 31, 2007
- Messages
- 53
- Reaction score
- 2
- City, State
- Salem, MA
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '00 Monterey Mountaineer
So I installed a solar panel on the roof of the mounty this week!
Let me first address the reason of why: I'm a college student, my truck often doesn't move for a week or so. In the summer and winter I go to sea for a couple months on end. The battery always dies during this time. If I leave the truck for over two or three weeks the battery also dies. I know I should pull the battery and leave it someplace warm (especially in the winter) but I rarely have the time before shipping out. Basically, my battery often dies when I leave my truck for a long time. I put an amp meter in line with the truck main and the battery and found the truck draws .22 Amps when off. This is going to the PATS and the head unit to a smaller extent. So I decided a solar panel would do the trip to maintain the battery. I know it will not charge a dead battery but it should do a good job of trickle charging the battery and keeping it in great shape.
So here is the panel:
http://www.batteryjunction.com/12vsopabachs.html
Also at bass pro shops
A few notes about getting one... No matter what the websites say it is not waterproof out of the box it needs to be water proofed which I will cover later.
If you google product search you should be able to find one around $20 and change.
I like this unit because it has built in diodes and over charging brain. If you just buy a panel you will need to build or buy these components.
THE INSTALL:
first things first was water proofing. I used a flowing windshield silicon. I like this because it flowed into the cracks. It several applications with the panel leaned in different directions to make it work.
You can see in this pictures I have run a bead of silicon down one edge.
All sealed up
The bottom all sealed up
The install itself was pretty easy. I drilled a couple holes in the factory roof rack. I picked up some stainless fasteners at the local hardware store. I painted them in a flat black so they blend in.
here it is between my PIAA 80 xt pros
Here it is all bolted up
I drilled a hole through the roof on the passenger side and ran the wires through. I cut the clip off the solar panel wire and spliced it into some 12gauge wire. I then ran the wire down the passenger side roof inside the truck and down the passenger side A-Pillar. From there I went behind the dash over to the drivers side and out the hood release gasket. Then up to the battery and done. So now every time the truck is sitting in the sun the battery is being trickle charged!
Check the link in my profile for all my other truck mods!
Cheers and I welcome your comments and questions.
Again this is a great mod for those of you who use your truck on a less-then-daily basis. If its your daily driver and you use it every day this is probably not going to do you any good.
Let me first address the reason of why: I'm a college student, my truck often doesn't move for a week or so. In the summer and winter I go to sea for a couple months on end. The battery always dies during this time. If I leave the truck for over two or three weeks the battery also dies. I know I should pull the battery and leave it someplace warm (especially in the winter) but I rarely have the time before shipping out. Basically, my battery often dies when I leave my truck for a long time. I put an amp meter in line with the truck main and the battery and found the truck draws .22 Amps when off. This is going to the PATS and the head unit to a smaller extent. So I decided a solar panel would do the trip to maintain the battery. I know it will not charge a dead battery but it should do a good job of trickle charging the battery and keeping it in great shape.
So here is the panel:
http://www.batteryjunction.com/12vsopabachs.html
Also at bass pro shops
A few notes about getting one... No matter what the websites say it is not waterproof out of the box it needs to be water proofed which I will cover later.
If you google product search you should be able to find one around $20 and change.
I like this unit because it has built in diodes and over charging brain. If you just buy a panel you will need to build or buy these components.
THE INSTALL:
first things first was water proofing. I used a flowing windshield silicon. I like this because it flowed into the cracks. It several applications with the panel leaned in different directions to make it work.
You can see in this pictures I have run a bead of silicon down one edge.
All sealed up
The bottom all sealed up
The install itself was pretty easy. I drilled a couple holes in the factory roof rack. I picked up some stainless fasteners at the local hardware store. I painted them in a flat black so they blend in.
here it is between my PIAA 80 xt pros
Here it is all bolted up
I drilled a hole through the roof on the passenger side and ran the wires through. I cut the clip off the solar panel wire and spliced it into some 12gauge wire. I then ran the wire down the passenger side roof inside the truck and down the passenger side A-Pillar. From there I went behind the dash over to the drivers side and out the hood release gasket. Then up to the battery and done. So now every time the truck is sitting in the sun the battery is being trickle charged!
Check the link in my profile for all my other truck mods!
Cheers and I welcome your comments and questions.
Again this is a great mod for those of you who use your truck on a less-then-daily basis. If its your daily driver and you use it every day this is probably not going to do you any good.