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Solar

A big advantage of a roof mounted panel is ZERO setup EVER. I'm sure my panel loses some efficiency by not being at the optimum angle to the sun. However, it's always getting something - unlike the 100% efficient panel that is still in the suitcase because it's just so hard to get out of that camp chair. :)
 
Evan said:
A big advantage of a roof mounted panel is ZERO setup EVER. I'm sure my panel loses some efficiency by not being at the optimum angle to the sun. However, it's always getting something - unlike the 100% efficient panel that is still in the suitcase because it's just so hard to get out of that camp chair. :)
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HAHAHA - I guarantee you that you have already spent more time on your roof-mounted panels than I will spend in a LIFETIME of setting up my movable panels. I bet it takes me all of 120 seconds to "deploy" the panels (and another 120 to take them down and stow them.)

and your panels aren't "always getting something" if the TD is parked in the shade (where is "should" be) ;)

Then again, you've never tripped over the wiring for your panels, and "some people" have....:D

-Al (after another weekend of camping at a park with ZERO sun making it through the forest canopy)
 
It would be a lot easier to camp in the woods if it weren't for all those darn pesky trees.

My little GoalZero 30 watt panel has the plastic molded handles that I hook a chain around and lock it to the Teardrop.
 
Funny coincidence, Susan and I were just talking about this vey issue, portable verses installed. Susan and I usually have a couple of cold ones at around 5 each day. Susan was cooking and I was puttering around as well, I angled our 120 watt folding panel toward the sun, checked the voltage and was amazed that we were still harvesting amps! Our neighbor turned on his generator as we sat back down again and I looked up to see that he had a couple of pretty good size panels mounted on the roof, but you could see their angle to the sun was just too shallow, especially for a winter sky sun, hence the generator. I’ve been experimenting with the angle of the panel to the sun, if it’s perpendicular on 2 planes you’ve got cold beer. The difference of only 10 degrees is a big deal. Yeah ok nobody’s gonna hang around camp all day long to clock a solar panel but if you do take the time to adjust it a few times a day while doing other things or when you get back from the hike, bicycle ride etc. then the payoff can be huge. I struggled with portable/permanent but am so glad we went with a 120watt suitcase panel for off season camping. We have plenty of juice for the fridge, lights, TV/DVD, laptops and devices without auxiliary batteries, just the one that came with the trailer. We have been primitive camping (no power post) for over a month now and have only resorted to using the TV to charge our battery a half dozen times cuz of rain and clouds.

It’s great living by example, we silently charge our battery while the whole of the campground is a cacophony of roaring generators.

Michael
 
solar panels are the perfect antidote to generators - the panel gives us enough juice so that when I hear a generator I can plug in my iPod and crank a little classic rock.

The tunes are turned off when the generator is. :)

(I don't use the music much, but I did use it exactly this way this past weekend. It's not really very loud unless you are very close to the galley - I'm pretty careful about that. I prefer the sounds of the forest, and even the sounds of an active campground - kids, etc. - but sometimes I just don't wanna hear a generator)
 
Amen brother, funny, I tend to do the same thing, turn up the tunes a little to try and drown out the generator noise.

Michael
 
Another wrinkle in the portable/installed debate. Susan and I hopped in the the car this morning to head into Cambria for lunch but the car wouldn't start, battery was dead. We didn't use the car for days and we may have had the doors opened with the lights on too much. What now, we have road side service but that would take hours, we're in the middle of nowhere, we could ask our neighbors for a boost but we don't carry cables anymore, a lot of people don't. Wait I thought why not use the solar panel. I have the alligator clips that came with the panel, I brought the panel over to the car and thankfully there is full sun today, attached the clips and waited. After 45 minutes I removed the clips and she started right up and we we're on our way. How cool is that!

Michael
 
Above reason why I carry cables and a portable power pack on trips after running down the car battery in a state forest campground after my friends left me stranded. Begged for assistance from a close camper to jump car.

Jean
 
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