The ultimate camping solar setup!
This is our camping trailer with 4 x 80w solar panels and 4 x 130ah deep cycle batteries. I use a 20A regulator to regulate the power from the panels to the batteries, and then to the inverter. The inverter is a 1kw pure sine inverter that converts DC power to AC power. I might have to upgrade the regulator to 40A, but I haven’t seen the panels push more than 20A yet.
The panels generate around 19A in peak sun (usually 5A per 80w panel) and around 100Ah per day, on average. The panels are mounted to the trailer top with proper stainless steel solar roof mounting brackets. I’ve got the angle of the panels set at around 15 degrees, but that could be a tad higher, especially in the winter with the sun being a tad lower in the sky as compared to the summer.
While we’re not camping we’re still using the power from the panels to power items in the home. Right now the solar panels on the camping trailer are powering my office and the fridge/freezer in the kitchen. On average that’s pulling a fairly constant 200 to 300 watts, so nothing too drastic there. The panels and batteries can easily handle that load and it takes that load off the grid. When we go camping, we plug the house fridge/freezer and office back onto the grid. I’m also hoping to use this solar setup to power the 50″ Plasma in the upstairs family room. It would be great if I could pull that off the grid, as it’s a hungry appliance for power usage, using on average around 400 watts.
I wanted to build the ultimate solar panels for camping, and putting them ontop of the camping trailer seemed logical. There’s no wires to connect when you get to the camp site. There’s no heavy batteries to lug around. All you need to do is make sure the camping trailer has plenty of sunlight and preferably is north facing, and you just plug the lead into the trailer power point and away you go. Very simple. That’s how I roll. 
Having portable power opens up where we can camp as we are no long limited to camping on only powered sites, because being a web host with AussieHost.com I need to have access to the net at all times, so we can camp anywhere so long as there’s mobile broadband access.
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Bob
Great article. In the near future I will be building a small cabin on acres as a weekender. I was looking at alternatives for power for the cabin and your setup seems to be perfect and maybe just what I am after. I am new to the solar game so I am looking at all the information I can before I start which may help keeping the cost down. Would your setup power a small cabin containing…..
Small hot water service, small fridge, water tank pump, TV and a couple of lights all on 240v. I am intending on using gas for cooking and only use a generator on days solar is not available.
If you have any info it would be much appreciated or advise what equipment I would need to power the cabin suitably with solar.
Cheers
Ed