# Extra battery or Solar panel



## 122477 (Apr 16, 2009)

Hi All,
We have an E665 Bessacarr with a 110ah battery.
To obtain more capacity for several days without hook-up should I add an extra battery of the same type and size or, would I be better having a large solar panel fitted? Bardens have been mentioned as having the best panels!
Our van is two months old so the battery is fairly new.
I am also going to swap all the halogen bulbs for LED's.

Hope you can help.

Dickorep


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## RichardnGill (Aug 31, 2006)

Battery first.

Then Solar if required.



Richard...


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

RichardnGill said:


> Battery first. Then Solar if required.


Yep, agree with that.

We had a 2nd battery fitted before pickup, but being slightly paranoid (and now doing 5+ days off hookup and without moving), we've invested in a solar panel too. I can confidently predict that with a modicum of clear skies, we could camp indefinitely off hookup (in the summer months), and still using on-board shower facilities, TV and satellite.

Gerald


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## gibbo (May 1, 2005)

That's answered my question and raised another one. 

I've an Autocruiser Sarasota on an 06 plate with new 110ah leisure battery, now if I connect another 110ah battery; do I have to change/add an alternator?


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## Mike48 (May 1, 2005)

What wattage solar power do you need for say the fridge, lights and 2 hrs of TV per day?


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

gibbo said:


> That's answered my question and raised another one. I've an Autocruiser Sarasota on an 06 plate with new 110ah leisure battery, now if I connect another 110ah battery; do I have to change/add an alternator?


No 

Or at least, I didn't  :wink:

Gerald


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

gelathae said:


> What wattage solar power do you need for say the fridge, lights and 2 hrs of TV per day?


It's piece of string time. Does your fridge run off the habitation 12V? Do you have halogen lights or LED? Which TV are you using? Does it have a satellite receiver, or an aerial amplifier (which also need 12V dc)?

How long are you going to be off hookup and/or not moving? Where are you stopping, and when? Summer solar output is much higher than winter. he further north you are, the less solar output too (due to the angle of the sun, unless you have a swanky solar panel that tracks the sun).

And how much room do you have on your roof (noting you have a Duetto)?

If you intend spending a lot of time off hookup, and you have the fund, I'd go for the biggest solar panel you can fit on your roof.

NB: Frank (sallytrafic) has a spreadsheet in the download area, I think, which allows you to calculate your energy requirements, which helps in solar panel calculations.

Gerald


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## wakk44 (Jun 15, 2006)

Dickorep said:


> Hi All,
> We have an E665 Bessacarr with a 110ah battery.
> To obtain more capacity for several days without hook-up should I add an extra battery of the same type and size or, would I be better having a large solar panel fitted? Bardens have been mentioned as having the best panels!
> Our van is two months old so the battery is fairly new.
> ...


I would go for both,2 x 110 A/H leisure batteries and an 80 watt solar panel,then you wouldn't have to worry about a ehu.

I have the above system fitted and even watching 3-4 hours of satellite tv am self sufficient in summer and can last more than a week in winter before having to use an auxillary charger.


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## framptoncottrell (Jan 6, 2006)

Ideally, both.

My Murvi uses about 60AmpHours per day when off hook up and the solar panel is not working efficiently (because I'm parked under trees in leaf, for example).

In sunny climes without arboreal cover the 85watt solar panel I have fitted will just about maintain the leisure batteries at fully charged.

Dr (musical, not medical) Roy


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

Yes but your Murvi has probably got a compressor fridge and an Eberspatcher heater. Both consume large amounts of battery power.

If you have a fridge that runs off gas and similarly gas heating then battery demainds are considerably less.

C.


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## framptoncottrell (Jan 6, 2006)

CliveMott said:


> Yes but your Murvi has probably got a compressor fridge and an Eberspatcher heater. Both consume large amounts of battery power.
> 
> If you have a fridge that runs off gas and similarly gas heating then battery demainds are considerably less.
> 
> C.


Yes, I have both a compressor fridge and an Eberspacher heater.
When I did an electricity consumption audit on the van when I first acquired it, two of the main offenders were the halogen lighting and the television setup. I have replaced all the halogens with LEDs and I never watch television when off hook-up.
A substantial part of the electricity consumption of the Eberspacher comes from the fan which distributes the hot air around the van, and gas heaters will have a similar system of distribution, with a similar amount of electricity drain. If I am touring, the engine heats the water for the washing up and shower so, again, the presence of an Eberspacher water heater is irrelevant.
The compressor fridge has a cold store - a bit like a storage heater in reverse - and it has an auto-switch which I can press to turn off the compressor for several hours, without obvious detrement to the fridge temperature. Off course, eventually the cold store loses its coldness and the compressor resumes and runs for even longer since now it has to keep the fridge cool and replenish the cold store. I try to ensure that this phase is when there is daylight to allow the solar panel to take the strain.
However, your implied point is correct - do an energy audit and you'll soon see if you need an extra leisure battery and/or a solar panel, or, indeed, neither.

Dr (musical, not medical) Roy


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