Solar panel on the bonnet

[Markd]

As others have said solar harvest in winter is very low. Engine wouldn't be running very long to match the solar harvest especially with B2B bumping the voltage up.
I don't think a bit of idling will do a modern engine much harm - just think of all the idling city commuters do.

@Derekoak - As a matter of interest what is your daily electric consumption?

 

[Derekoak]

As others have said solar harvest in winter is very low. Engine wouldn't be running very long to match the solar harvest especially with B2B bumping the voltage up.
I don't think a bit of idling will do a modern engine much harm - just think of all the idling city commuters do.

@Derekoak - As a matter of interest what is your daily electric consumption?

At the moment we are facing south looking to park with clear southerly view and occasionally idling the engine. We dont like that because it is irritating and if there is no wind smelly.
Markd We have a vitrifrigo 70 litre fridge, time clocked off for 7 night hours, led strip lights and recharging 2 phones and 2 x 10 inch tablets, sometimes (twice a week) a 19inch lcd 12v television for an hour. The propex has hardly been used, the 170w wand blender 3 minutes total in 6 weeks

 

[caledonia]

Do you think it would be more efficient to just leave your fridge on?

 

[Derekoak]

It is off because quiet at night is important but surely concentrating use is more efficient. There may not be much in it but clocking off from 9 to 1 and 2 to 6 must help a little

 

[vintageb3]

Online, I saw a T5 with an external screen cover fitted and 2 x flexible panels bonded to the cover. It was neat.

 

[vintageb3]

Found a pic...

 

[vintageb3]

And a link: https://www.solara.eu/products/solar-modules-mobile-series/

 

[Derekoak]

Trouble with an external screen cover with a value of 700 € is it is easily nickable?

 

[mfw]

Trouble with an external screen cover with a value of 700 € is it is easily nickable?

Anything is nickable to determined thief only got to look at bikes that get stolen when locked on bike racks and probably metal shears or scissors could remove that in seconds unless you remember to pack away every evening or daytime if you go out parked in isolated spot

 

[Tookey]

 

[vintageb3]

Trouble with an external screen cover with a value of 700 € is it is easily nickable?

Sure...I didn’t say they couldn’t be nicked. I said they looked neat...as in tidy. My thoughts on the issue are that you don’t need the panels if you are driving as you would be charging the battery at that point, so you could put the cover on when stopped or hang it from the side of the van if you are not facing into the sun. I wouldn’t spend €700 on that cover. The OP suggests he has a cover, so two 50w panels can be added to that cover. Some security could be added if thought is given to the task.

 

[mistericeman]

Just bolt one of these on....

 

[vintageb3]

Last year in Germany I saw a car trailer that had 4 x 100W standard panels fixed on the bed. The tyres/wheels missed the panels driving on and off. When the car was removed, the array was available to use. When I saw the rig, the motorhome was parked on the main road, and the trailer was parked in a car park behind bushes at 90degrees and a cable run between the two. Clever in one respect, but I did think some kid could have easily run his bike up onto the trailer. Maybe flexible would be better in that case.

 

[Nabsim]

As others have said solar harvest in winter is very low. Engine wouldn't be running very long to match the solar harvest especially with B2B bumping the voltage up.
I don't think a bit of idling will do a modern engine much harm - just think of all the idling city commuters do.

@Derekoak - As a matter of interest what is your daily electric consumption?

I asked a friend who is a motor mechanic about this. After telling him my van was based on a T1N he advised me against idling the engine to generate power. I dont have an ear valve fitted so thought it would be okay. The answer was if I needed to run the engine it should be kept above 1200rpm, this meant sitting in the drivers seat with foot on the pedal.
I did have to do this year before last when i go snowed in for 8 days and before i bought my genny. I mainly kept the revs above 1200 as advised but when I came to move from where i was parked you should have seen the smoke from the exhaust. Took it for a run for 10 - 15 minutes and smoke cleared. I assume that it was unburnt fuel so what will that do to the cat?
It costs me around a fiver a week running my generator or £1 a day if I dont move and no solar. Much better option to my mind but you do need space to store genny and a can of fuel.

 

[Nabsim]

One thing that may play a part in this, Construction & Use regs. I know we do have a couple of folks on here that are up to date on these so maybe they can advise if it is okay to fit solar panels on a bonnet. Its years now since i have read the regs

 

[alwaysared]

I asked a friend who is a motor mechanic about this. After telling him my van was based on a T1N he advised me against idling the engine to generate power. I dont have an ear valve fitted so thought it would be okay. The answer was if I needed to run the engine it should be kept above 1200rpm, this meant sitting in the drivers seat with foot on the pedal.
I did have to do this year before last when i go snowed in for 8 days and before i bought my genny. I mainly kept the revs above 1200 as advised but when I came to move from where i was parked you should have seen the smoke from the exhaust. Took it for a run for 10 - 15 minutes and smoke cleared. I assume that it was unburnt fuel so what will that do to the cat?
It costs me around a fiver a week running my generator or £1 a day if I dont move and no solar. Much better option to my mind but you do need space to store genny and a can of fuel.

What output is your Genny? How long do you have to run it to get fully charged batteries?

Regards,
Del

 

[Nabsim]

What output is your Genny? How long do you have to run it to get fully charged batteries?

Regards,
Del

I connect the genny to the 240v input on my van then use the two mains charger that are built in, I dont use the 12v charging function of the genny. I have a Hyundai 1Kw suitcase type genny, although a higher output would mean I can run bigger chargers this one means I can lift and carry it (and store it) easily, that may not be important for a lot of others.

How long I run it depends on how low my bank has gone but in worst conditions it may average at 2 hours a day although I normally run it every other day. It automatically adjusts the revs on the genny depending on how much power you are drawing, it usually runs the chargers and charges the dyson on eco at lowest sped.

I would like the Hyundai 2Kw model but as said previously I would struggle lifting and carrying it. The 1Kw weighs 14kg dry and only another couple of kgs or so toped up with oil and fuel. Everyone who has heard it has said it is quiet but as we know noise works differently to different people. I only run it during the day, usually when nobody is around

Edit: I have 200Ah lifepo4 battery bank and use approx 65amps every 24 hours

 

[vintageb3]

I connect the genny to the 240v input on my van then use the two mains charger that are built in, I dont use the 12v charging function of the genny. I have a Hyundai 1Kw suitcase type genny, although a higher output would mean I can run bigger chargers this one means I can lift and carry it (and store it) easily, that may not be important for a lot of others.

How long I run it depends on how low my bank has gone but in worst conditions it may average at 2 hours a day although I normally run it every other day. It automatically adjusts the revs on the genny depending on how much power you are drawing, it usually runs the chargers and charges the dyson on eco at lowest sped.

I would like the Hyundai 2Kw model but as said previously I would struggle lifting and carrying it. The 1Kw weighs 14kg dry and only another couple of kgs or so toped up with oil and fuel. Everyone who has heard it has said it is quiet but as we know noise works differently to different people. I only run it during the day, usually when nobody is around

Edit: I have 200Ah lifepo4 battery bank and use approx 65amps every 24 hours

I was in Spain parked nose to nose with a van when the owner started up his Honda generator. I said to my father...”Jeez...is that what people complain about? You can hardly hear that thing run” I then popped out to the garage for something and the owner of the generator ran up to apologise about running the genny. I said told him I could hardly hear it. He told me his fridge had stopped working on gas so had to start the genny from time time as they had just been to the shops and filled the freezer. They were booked in to get the fridge looked at the next day. I told him to run it all night if he needed to it wouldn’t bother me.

 

[vintageb3]

I asked a friend who is a motor mechanic about this. After telling him my van was based on a T1N he advised me against idling the engine to generate power. I dont have an ear valve fitted so thought it would be okay. The answer was if I needed to run the engine it should be kept above 1200rpm, this meant sitting in the drivers seat with foot on the pedal.
I did have to do this year before last when i go snowed in for 8 days and before i bought my genny. I mainly kept the revs above 1200 as advised but when I came to move from where i was parked you should have seen the smoke from the exhaust. Took it for a run for 10 - 15 minutes and smoke cleared. I assume that it was unburnt fuel so what will that do to the cat?
It costs me around a fiver a week running my generator or £1 a day if I dont move and no solar. Much better option to my mind but you do need space to store genny and a can of fuel.

I was told the same. Don’t idle the van. It kills the DPF.

 

[SquirrellCook]

I was in Spain parked nose to nose with a van when the owner started up his Honda generator. I said to my father...”Jeez...is that what people complain about? You can hardly hear that thing run” I then popped out to the garage for something and the owner of the generator ran up to apologise about running the genny. I said told him I could hardly hear it. He told me his fridge had stopped working on gas so had to start the genny from time time as they had just been to the shops and filled the freezer. They were booked in to get the fridge looked at the next day. I told him to run it all night if he needed to it wouldn’t bother me.

My silent generator isn't too bad with a very small load. Take it to it's limits and it's anything but silent.