Here you go, anyone in the UK can easily put two of these on their van roof. 160 watts each (320 watts total) which is more than enough for most people's needs. (12V fridge, laptop, TV/DVD, LED lighting etc;)
Just £133.76 each including post. With the best offer option available, try at £125 and chances are you'll get it. With free delivery that's not bad at all.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160W-12V-Photovoltaic-Solar-Panel-160Watt-12Volt-Monocrystalline-Solar-Module-/350934331204?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item51b550ef44
If you want to aim the solar panels straight at the sun, just use car hatchback boot struts available for less than a fiver a pair.
To wire them up in parallel the waterproof connectors can be bought for less than £10 on eBay.
The solar charge controller for these would cost no more than £30 max on eBay.
The roof grommet can be made out of a plastic food/sandwich container and can be bought new for £1.
The wire going from the charge controller to the 12V batteries similarly would cost no more than a fiver.
The battery connectors can be bought for less than £5 new or much less from a vehicle breakers yard.
The 12V batteries you can use ordinary car batteries the bigger the better for holding a longer charge. These can also be bought at any car scrapyard for between £15-20 each. I use 3 in total in the back of the van, they've lasted so far 5 years and they're still going strong.
4 hours approximately to fully charge a 12V battery from flat.
Each battery will easily last the night.
A pure sine wave inverter can be bought for under £50 into which you can plug in a 3-pin ordinary household electrical plug, for example a four socket extension.
Put an extra 12V battery under the bonnet and you can use this battery to power your on board stereo. Use a relay switch on the dashboard to switch to the main engine battery for starting up in the morning. As soon as you start the engine both batteries will be charging up again.
Total outlay: +/- £400 total depending on the options you choose to use.
Simple.
Just £133.76 each including post. With the best offer option available, try at £125 and chances are you'll get it. With free delivery that's not bad at all.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160W-12V-Photovoltaic-Solar-Panel-160Watt-12Volt-Monocrystalline-Solar-Module-/350934331204?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item51b550ef44
If you want to aim the solar panels straight at the sun, just use car hatchback boot struts available for less than a fiver a pair.
To wire them up in parallel the waterproof connectors can be bought for less than £10 on eBay.
The solar charge controller for these would cost no more than £30 max on eBay.
The roof grommet can be made out of a plastic food/sandwich container and can be bought new for £1.
The wire going from the charge controller to the 12V batteries similarly would cost no more than a fiver.
The battery connectors can be bought for less than £5 new or much less from a vehicle breakers yard.
The 12V batteries you can use ordinary car batteries the bigger the better for holding a longer charge. These can also be bought at any car scrapyard for between £15-20 each. I use 3 in total in the back of the van, they've lasted so far 5 years and they're still going strong.
4 hours approximately to fully charge a 12V battery from flat.
Each battery will easily last the night.
A pure sine wave inverter can be bought for under £50 into which you can plug in a 3-pin ordinary household electrical plug, for example a four socket extension.
Put an extra 12V battery under the bonnet and you can use this battery to power your on board stereo. Use a relay switch on the dashboard to switch to the main engine battery for starting up in the morning. As soon as you start the engine both batteries will be charging up again.
Total outlay: +/- £400 total depending on the options you choose to use.
Simple.
