Solar On Camper Shells – About It
There are a number of reasons why a camper shell could make the truck even more useful than it already is – you can stow stuff that you want to protect from the weather there, hide it from the public eye, you get the point.
It’s not uncommon for people to use that place for even more than that, and by that i mean either as a temporary place to dwell in during a weekend camping trip, or on certain occasions, more of a permanent residency.
Long story short, if that’s the goal for you, being able to charge up all your electronic devices while being inside the cap is only a lifesaver, and one of the simplest ways you can do so off the grid is with the help of solar panels.
What will you want to run?
How much money you will need to invest into the whole setup has everything to do with how much stuff you will want to power.
If you just intend to charge your laptop, smartphone and leave a couple of lights on in there, a basic 100W solar system should be more than enough.
Demands change once you start to consider a fridge, big fans, TV and such, in that instance you might just need to bump up the whole system to 400W.
How much money are we looking at?
A quality, long lasting kit that consists of the essentials, that is, the 100W solar panel, a charge controller, battery and all the other miscellaneous add-ons can cost you over 800 dollars.
This is the bare minimum you should be prepared to spend if you want to supply all of the not-so-hungry electronic equipment. Sure, you can save more by buying a more budget friendly battery, charge controller or even the solar panel, though i can’t guarantee you the same quality.
Mounting the panels
There are really all sorts of methods you can go about this, however the most safe and secure one is certainly in combination with the roof rack.
Don’t have one? Not a problem, as long as you are not afraid of drilling holes right into the camper shell. You can also install the panels without any of the drilling involved, as it’s possible to just adhere them to the surface, with the right tape of course.
What i suggest to use in the cap
One of the first things you should consider installing into your truck’s cap as soon as you have power, even more so if you consider staying there for a longer time, is a fan.
It will make it so much easier to regulate the temperature inside, and help prevent any condensation issues, since it is such a small space.
As a backup plan, a generator can provide you with the needs when there is no possibility of a good solar charge.