Solar panel installation on Eurovan Camper

[Steve in Sunnyvale]

I just installed a 100W solar panel on our Eurovan Camper.

In order to keep the weight down, avoid increasing the height, and keep from adding the risk of water intrusion through new holes, I decided to use a Renogy bendable panel. It cost me $199 (shipping included!) and only weighs 4 pounds.

I glued it to the pop-top using silicon caulk, laid in strips from from to back, so there should still be a small gap where air can circulate:

The next part was tricky, because I didn't want to drill holes through the roof. When the top closes, it has a thick pad that sits on the metal roof, so I run the cables under that. The canvas is attached to the top using a 'L' bracket, so I cut some notches to let it bend enough to let the cables fit through:

I stuck some fiberglass around the cables to keep the bugs out:

It is visible from the inside, but it's not ugly:

Here's the view from the outside:

It was surprisingly easy to get the cables down to the battery box. I was able to just feed them down:

They ended up here in the battery box. (We had an RV shop replace the dead battery with 2 6-volt batteries.)

The charge controller is the SunSaver Duo. I chose it because we park the camper on our driveway when we're not camping, for months during the winter, and in California we still get sun in the winter when it's not raining, and this controller will charge the vehicle (starting) battery as well as the camper battery. We had the RV shop run a 12-gauge cable from the engine battery to the camper battery box, which made it easy to hook up.

There have been discussion about PWM vs MPPT controllers, and while I could get more power using a MPPT controller, it's not that big a difference when using a single 100W panel. Besides, I couldn't find a MPPT controller that would charge 2 batteries at a reasonable price. I mounted the controller against the rear wall of the battery compartment:

Again, to avoid drilling holes, I used sticky Velcro™.

TODO

On my list of things to do next:

• Install the Morningstar Remote Meter. I'll probably put it above the 12v power outlet in the rear.
  
• Actually use the large batteries by installing an inverter. My wife wants to use a small rice cooker while we're camper.

Concerns

I am a little worried about the silicon glue (caulk) while driving on the freeway. However, because the panel is so thin, and the air pressure should press down at the rear of the vehicle, I'm not too concerned. I carefully cleaned the top of the camper and the bottom of the panel with alcohol, so it should hold quite well.

I am also a little worried that the cables will let water get underneath in contact with the canvas. However, there should be enough air flow to let it dry out after the rain stops, so we'll have to wait and see. (I may have to wait a long time before the California drought is over.)
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2001 Eurovan Camper

[GotMojo]

I recently did something very similar on my Rialta (2002EV). http://hbrialta.wordpress.com under the Solar menu.

You're going to want to use some 3M tape and seal the edges with some Dicor. Once air gets between the panel and the roof it'll start loosening up.

I've been very happy with it so far. It can keep up with a 12V fan on medium and a 4cu ft fridge running off of a 750W inverter without any trouble.

[Steve in Sunnyvale]

I got the meter installed:

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2001 Eurovan Camper

[joseph928]

I have the same meter, now all you have to do is learn to read it! We Put the same cell on a Syncro, but we sealed it up all around. Yes the wind made us think twice.
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1987 syncro westy tin top sun roof , GW2.3, rear locker, decoupler, Gary Lee tire rack & winch mount, lift, south african grill, big brakes , rhein alloy ,15 BFG AT, Fiamma 10 foot awning ,140 watt rear 85 watt front solar , mppt, truckfridge, automatic fire extinguishing system, tencent oil cooler, And a RMW SS exhaust! - 1971 bug convertible 1776 engine- 2010 Subaru turbo - 1993 Toyota 4x4 truck - 1999 Harley 95 CI, big bore, Andrews cams . Also 80-84- vans. Stock 65 sunroof bug.

[runinguy]

How did you make the hole at the back corner of the top bunk needed to feed the wires down to the cable box?

[Steve in Sunnyvale]

[runinguy]

[DenverB]

awesome walkthrough here. Thank you so very much.
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'77 Transporter/camper (Bussy - Reef Blue/Pastel White)
'67 bug (Santos - VW Blue)
'84 Vanagon Westfalia (Pink Flamingo - Pastel White/Pink)
'88 Vanagon GL Westfalia (Frankie Says - Wolfram Gray)
'02 Eurovan Weekender (Green Apple)
'95-'03 Eurovan full campers and weekenders (rental fleet)
'84 -'91 Vanagon full campers and weekenders (rental fleet)
'72 Porsche 914 (Greta - RIP)

www.RockyMountainCampervans.com

[Michaelhilb]

This is a cool and very helpful guide! I think I found my next project, thanks so much!
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VW Camper Van Hire Devon & Cornwall http://lovevwcampers.co.uk/

[smdoherty]

This is quite an old thread but I've got some questions if OP or anyone else who's done this upgrade can help answer them.

I called up GoWesty, asking if they had instructions on installing the aux battery solar charger they sell. They told me they don't have instructions for installing the units they sell. And, to my shock, they told me the Eurovan Camper isn't designed to allow a solar panel to be added to the electrical system.

Now, I'm hesitant to add a solar panel, though I'd really like to do so.

On the Aux/House battery compartment, there's a very clear warning. It says to disconnect the battery before charging it. This lines up with what GoWesty was saying. I'm getting the idea that the charging system built into the EVC needs to be disconnected, if there's going to be another source charging the Aux/House battery.

Can anyone speak to this part of the install? Do you have a disconnect switch for your Aux/House battery from the power system of your EVC? Do you cutoff the connection to your stock system when you charge via solar?

Thanks a bunch!

[runinguy]

I can share some general info on what I know about the EVC auxiliary battery system based on my research and experience with it on my own 1995 camper. In stock form, the aux battery is set up for charging from two sources: (1) the van's engine battery (only when the ignition switch is in the ON position, which closes the relay that connects the engine battery with the aux battery); and (2) from the onboard converter/charger, which is only active when connected to shore power. I believe a third source (PV) can also be included as I have successfully done this myself and have seen many other examples on the net. It's as simple as wiring the panel(s) to the charge controller, and wiring the charge controller to the battery. It gets a bit trickier when adding an inverter to provide off-grid AC power. In this case, I rewired the incoming shore power and added a switch to ensure that the van's AC circuits could only receive power from either the inverter or shore power and never both simultaneously.

Hope that helps get you further along the way toward your own system and for what it's worth I say go for it. See below for some specific answers to your questions.

[Abscate]

[smdoherty]

runinguy

[jjvincent]

I'd think with the bazillion RV's out there that you can have everything you want in some unit. When you have an RV with a genset, the engine and shore power, somehow they can make that all work and not be too complex. I'd think that there has to be something out there that just replaces the genset with the solar setup. It doesn't have to be Eurovan specific, just something that is in use today. With all of the boon docking going on, there's got to be a ready made solution that you could retrofit into a EV.

I do know that the EVC charging system from the engine to the aux batteries is marginal at best as it's some pretty thin wiring along with that ancient modified starter solenoid. With many of the better more HD solutions out there (like I did on my EV) I'd look into redoing some of the wiring because the RV industry is good at one thing, sub par wiring and methodology. The EVC is right along with that. It "works" but could be made much more efficient and then get the full use out of the batteries.

[runinguy]

[smdoherty]

[sdunn35]

[jjvincent]

Use a three way switch. Position 1 for shore, position 2 for solar and then position 3 for when you are driving. On race trailers we have that. It's position 1 is the onboard generator, 2 is shore and 3 is off. 3 actually defaults to 12V for the batteries to operate the 12V lights and charge the batteries for the rear liftgate (some have a 12V backup just in case the generator takes a dump and there's no shore power. Last thing you want it a trailer full of racecars and equipment and not be able to get it out.

[runinguy]

Here are some resources I'm aware of, some specifically about PV on an EVC and some more general in nature:

http://xochi.com/evc/solar-panel/
http://www.agirlandhervan.com/where-am-i/goingsolar
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=582838&highlight=thin
http://www.camperize.com/mounting-solar-panels/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/slightholder/sets/72157632977105871/
http://www.exploringalternatives.ca/we-have-solar-power-in-the-van/

With this you can probably design and install a system you are happy with.

A three-way switch could give you good peace of mind knowing that it would eliminate any risk related to having multiple simultaneous charging sources. Personally I just wonder if it's necessary. And again, if/when you get to the point of adding an inverter, I definitely would recommend adding a three-way switch to eliminate the possibility of mixing the AC power from shore and inverter.

[smdoherty]