Solar panel battery charging advice wanted

[kaplang]

My 84 Vanagon sits in my driveway undriven quit offen. When I do need to use it the battery won’t always turn the engine over fast enough. I thought it would be a good idea to put a solar panel on the roof that would act as a trickle charger but I’m not sure what I need. I don’t want to mount it, just set it on the roof and hook it to the battery until I need to to drive the van at which point I’ll take it down.

Will a 12 volt 5 watt panel work for what I want to do?
Will I need a controller?

Thanks in advance for anyone that chimes in
George

[dobryan]

There are all in one units that do what you want.

I like this one but it is pricier than the others, but is more powerful and has flexibility to charge other devices when away from a power source.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07VNS7YCD/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
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'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

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[E1]

Honestly, I think I'd just fire it up and run it a few minutes every 2-4 weeks.

Seals and things don't like long dormant periods on most any car. Nor do batteries.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
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[jimf909]

If you choose to own vehicles that don’t get driven often (cars, tractors, snowblowers, motorcycles, etc.) then you need to choose a battery maintenance strategy (or plan on buying batteries more frequently than necessary). If this vehicle is near an AC outlet then you might consider a proper maintenance charger that monitors battery condition and charges the battery as needed. A simple solar panel that sits on the dash and gets some sun is another possible approach but may not monitor battery condition as well.

If you’ve drained your starter battery so much that it’s failed to start your car a few times it may be kaput.

This is what I use to maintain infrequently used batteries (one for each battery). There are countless other possibilities incl. solar chargers...

https://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-SC1300-Automatic...&psc=1
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- Jim

[wbailey2112]

Don't know where you are located but Harbor Freight sells a 1.5 watt kit for $14.99 that seems to have very favorable reviews. You just put the small solar panel on your dashboard and use either the supplied clamps to connect directly to the battery or the supplied male plug to connect it to your battery via the cigarette lighter receptacle.
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'74 Thing
'83 Westfalia

[tencentlife]

A 5, 10, or 15 watt panel will do the job nicely if the panel gets a few hours of direct sunlight daily, wired direct with no need for a controller. Over 15 or 20 watts you'll want a simple controller, which would be a waste of money, just get a 10w, wire direct and relax, you battery will always be ready to go.
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[SSWesty]

Not sure how long it is sitting but a good battery should be able sit for a couple months and still start the van. Maybe your battery is old or there is parasite drain on the battery or battery and starter connections could be bad. Adding a solar panel or trickle charger may just be putting a band-aid on an underlying issue.

How long does it sit before it's difficult to start?