RE: Recharging batteries with a solar panel?

[Camping Coxes]

 
After six days of camping and using the lights sparingly at night, we were completely dead, out of charge.  We re thinking of getting one of those solar panels that will trickle charge our battery.  Does anyone have experience with this, and if so,  how efficient is it?  Would it be better just to buy an extra battery to have on hand?

[Diplomat]

 Camping Coxes
Solar trickle chargers are meant to keep batteries charged during storage, not rechargine during use.  A trickle charger may give you a few more hours of use over several days but that is about it.  For less than $100 buy a 2nd good deep cycle battery and take it with you.  That way you can just switch the battery when the first one runs down.  To get an effective solar charger and voltage you would need to spend well over $100.  Check out [link=http://www.backwoodssolar.com]Backwoods Solar[/link]

[griffsmom]

 Camping Coxes
Hey Jeff!
 
 It s good to see you posting again!!!  Are you home now, or still logging in from around the world? Whenever you get the chance, visit the SCCampers forum ( http://www.popuptimes.com/members/tt.asp?appid=25 ).  We ve got some rallies coming up and we d love to finally get to meet you and Kathy and the kids!!

[Diplomat]

 Camping Coxes
I ve been thinking about your problem and remembered another solution is to make a battery charge cable so that you can recharge your battery from your TV.  tim5055 has directions on how to make one [link=http://www.title-3.com/BatteryCharge.htm]here[/link], the big features of his cable is that it is easy and cheap to make and it allows you to charge your battery without needing to get too close to your PU.

[tlhdoc]

 Camping Coxes
Send ForestCreatue an email about the solar panels.  She has used them for several years.

[ForestCreature]

 Camping Coxes
If the majority  of your camping is dry, then yes solar is well worth the cost. If you only occasionally dry camp the second battery is a more economical answer.
 One of those little 5 watt trickle chargers won t do anything. I d reccomend no less than 45 watts to make it worth while . Any less and you ll lose battery capacity with each day, not ending up with a full charge. An ICP 45 W starter system at Costco on line runs $320 and comes with the charge controler.