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Fitting a SOLAR PANEL to a CAMPERVAN - DIY Budget Campervan Conversion
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- Опубликовано: 27 авг 2020
- In this video we'll be fitting a 270W solar panel to the roof of our campervan.
Below are the product links* if you're interested in checking out more closely what we've opted to use in our solar panel installation.
270W Smaller Size Perlight All Black Mono Percium Solar Panel NOW DISCONTINUED BUT BELOW IS A LINK TO THE NEWER VERSION
Perlight 270W Delta Monocrystalline PERC Solar Panel
www.pluginsola...
Solar Panel Mounting Aluminum Brackets in Black
amzn.to/300JWUv
Roof Duct Dual Black For Motor Home
amzn.to/2HqOxcp
Everbuild Puraflex 40 Industrial PU Sealant Black
amzn.to/33Q83Gz
W4 Mastic Sealing Strip
amzn.to/35SHdQS
100 Self-Adhesive Cable Clips for car cable organizer management
amzn.to/2R3tLVh
We opted for a Perlight 270W Delta Mono Triple Black 54 Cell module due to its small physical size, perfect for fitting into a tight space on a campervan. The panel measures just 1482 X 992 X 35mm, offering great flexiblity for smaller and more complex shaped roofs.
The Perlight 270W Delta Mono Triple Black 54 Cell module is a classic all black mono-crystalline solar panel which use the state-of-the-art technology in the design & manufacturing process, thus ensure the superior quality as well as the modern appearance. The Perlight 270W Delta Mono Triple Black 54 Cell module is designed especially for the European market by Perlight, recognizing the importance of aesthetics in construction.
So WHO are WE? We’re Scarlett, Craig and Merlin and along with Helsing, form the PILGRIM PODS!
If you enjoy this video why not check out some of our other content? Delve even deeper into our channel; we thought we’d create a series of vlogs chronicling the conversion of our old panel van HELSING (did you see what we did there?) into a weekend warrioring campervan for ADVENTURING and EXPLORING in the UK.
Each vlog will cover a stage or smaller element of our campervan build, showing our ideas put into action and highlighting our SUCCESSES and FAILURES along the way. With no previous experience this may make for an interesting journey! Our plan is to convert a cheap van on a small budget without cutting corners and at the end, have a campervan to be proud of. We’re hoping you’d like to join us for this journey and that you find our uploads ENTERTAINING and even, INFORMATIVE!
So, in this vlog we're showing hot to fit a solar panel to the roof of a campervan or motorhome, or at least how we tackled it having done our own research.
Want to see what we’re up to between videos?
► Instagram / pilgrimpods
► Facebook / pilgrimpods
Thanks for checking us out. MUCH LOVE!
Scarlett, Craig and Merlin x
Music we used in this video:
Lioness (Instrumental) by DayFox / dayfox
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Track: Evening Walk - Amine Maxwell [Audio Library Release]
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Arrival by MBB / mbbofficial
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Inner Peace by Mike Chino / mike-chino
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*All the above are affiliate links from which we earn a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
#pilgrimpods #fittingsolar #howtofitsolar #solarpanel #citroenrelaycampervanconversion #citroenrelaycampervan
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Fantastic, nice and simple and clear to understand. Thankyou
Just came across your videos a few days ago. Thanks for sharing your interest and knowledge. Great videos. Well narrated.
Thanks for checking them out. It's less my knowledge rather others I have researched, but the videos go to show that if I can build my own campervan anyone can! 🙂👍
Great video, especially the 1920’s part! Lol Get the next one ready to rock! Stay safe and take care! Cheers
Cheers! Glad you enjoyed the little but you inspired... took me a bit to figure out how to put that together. 😂👍And right back at you; stay safe and take care too! 👊✌
Cool. Looking better all the time.
I don't know if you need to hold your cables down in case they keep hitting on your roof when going over bumps.
Ta man! 😁🙌 I was just going to gaffa tape the cables down but decided to order some rubber clips from Amazon. Just waiting for them to arrive now. 👍😊
Super clean install looks so good!
Thanks! 👍
These videos are so helpful thank you! The colour looks amazing ☺️
Glad you can take something away from them and thank you for watching! 😊👍
Nice tidy job, thanks for that👍
Ta mate. 😊👍
Pu40 is excellent stuff, used a ton of it on my conversion. It's made by Sika too, so it's just as good as the expensive stuff!
Great vids!
I'm with you there! 😊🍻
Lovely job mate well plained out...
Another excellent video mate. Using this as a guide my son and I just installed our 2 solar panels in no time at all.
Awesome to hear! 2 panels is just greedy! 😄🙌
@@PilgrimPods haha true but only 240W.
again well done it looks great ... I hope to start our project (2011 Ambulance) in the next 2 weeks :)
Best of luck with your own conversion! 😊🤞
You do a very good job mate... I like it so much.
Cheers Bruce. 😄🙌 Hope you got the Boxer sorted after the MOT. 😊🤞
Pilgrim Pods not yet mate, I’m in a parking lot in Derby waiting for a slot they can fit me in.
@@BruceLauderdale fingers crossed not too long to wait man. 🤞👍
screws good idea ( jock in a box, dave) said he was in his van in that last storm he thought someone was walking on his roof it was the wind under his solar panel had parked on a mountain mind he moved all good
Yeah we watched his video. 😂 Granted adhesive should be enough to hold the panel but I'd never fully trust it, particularly knowing the state of our paint beneath. A couple of screws or a bolt in each bracket as a precaution every time for me just for that peace of mind. 😊👍
Really nice work. I was going to try the unistrut roof rack but this method is so clean, cheap and simple I'm wondering why I shouldn't just copy you.
I thought about using unistrut too but opted for our solution for the very reasons you give; clean cheap and simple! 😁👍
Brilliant channel. It's helped me loads thanks
Glad it's helped someone! 🙂👍
Excellently done - the only difference I would have considered is putting the gland further forward and on the same patch of roof space as the front vent - as then you would have had less work on getting the gland orientated correctly - this is just my view.
Thanks Dave. Yeah, I did consider mounting it on the flat area next to the front vent for ease but aesthetically it just didn't look quite right to me. 😄
I would tie down the solar cables to prevent them flapping otherwise the job's a goodun 👍
Good advice! We've bought some clips to hold them down but admittedly I haven't got on the roof to sort it out yet. Thanks for checking it out! 😊👍
@@PilgrimPods What clips did you use in the end? Just searching for some suitable ones for my cables on the roof. Thanks.
@@NipperNeilson I've thrown a link down in the video description for what we're using. We've opted for cheap and cheerful and the ones we've bought haven't got great reviews because folk complain that the adhesive fails but that isn't a concern as we'll be removing the adhesive and securing them with PU40. The clip also has an open end which potentially I guess the cable could come free from but I'll be dabbing a bit of PU40 on the cable to secure it inside the clip. Hope that helps mate. As soon as I connect the panel up to our battery I'll get up there give the panel a good clean and secure the cables with the clips we've bought.
I enjoyed the video buddy. Great info.
Thanks for watching mate. 🙂👍
Love his twitch
Great Video !! AT 8:49 in the video did you specify the type and size of screws you used to afix the panel to the roof? Are they self tapping sheet metal screws? and how are they fairing with the weather any leaks. Thanks🐸
Been watching the progress on Instagram 👍
Cheers Ste. It's been a bit slow what with work and the filming but I'm hopeful we'll start motoring on once we start on the interior. 😁👍
@@PilgrimPods stek liverpool on there mercedes sprinter 👍
@@stek2190 and Vauxhall Movano before... 😁🙌
@@PilgrimPods yeah
Much more hazzle, destroying the resale value of your vehicle, but neater looking: The frame on solar panels is made of extruded profiles, so they are double walled. This means you can cut around the upper edge of the solar panel and remove the outside of the profile, making the circumfrence of the panel have an inverted L profile, which will fit and seal nicely in a cutout in the roof with just sealant just like a sunroof. You also get the junctionbox of the panel inside the van and if you have no roofliner, you'll have a diffused skylight from the light seeping in between the solar cells. On the inside, you secure the panel with the remaining L-shaped pieces of frame from the panel you just cut out, with self tapping screws and more sealant. Impressive size panel on a van btw!
Hey Tore! That's a great idea mate; I'm going to see if I can find a video of someone who has done exactly just that for future reference. I'm not sure I'd be brave enough cutting a hole that size in my own van though and to do so it would probably mean cutting into structural supports which if that were the case I'd definitely be too scared to attempt. Thanks for swinging by and checking the video out and sharing that pearl of wisdom! 🙂👍
@@PilgrimPods I'm building currage to do it myself, so just checking the comments about how crazy that sounds. Did it to a small 20W panel now mounted on the rear spoiler for trickle charging. Looks as good as the stock panel on a Nissan Leaf. Yep, you'd need to preserve the support, or it will fail MOT, so either remove it and remount it last. With foam inserts it should provide good support for the panel too. Ordered an expensive 20% eff 70W panel that fits between my supports, which is the size of a full size solar roof for my car. If this works, I'll mount another 70W panel in front of the support too, for a total of 140W, which is more than I need on hollidays.
Thanks for your videos and the effort putting them together.
Would it not make more sense to connect the negative of the PV panel to the leisure battery negative terminal?. Bad earths are one of the most common DC faults. This would be a better connection and also keep your leisure 12v electrics separate from the driving battery circuit.
Whilst definitely no expert I've tried to do my research as thoroughly as I can. 🙂 I could do exactly as you suggest but because I'll already have our B2B, fridge and diesel heater negatives connected to a bus bar I just thought it made sense to do likewise with the negative from the MPPT; keeps things together all neat and tidy. Of course none of this is highlighted in the video as I was focusing on just the solar aspect of things. Hope that makes sense. 😊
@@PilgrimPods Makes perfect sense, but connect the bus bar to the negative terminal rather than the chassis.
@@dynagen7013 yeah that might be a better bet and looks just as neat. Thanks for the advice, really appreciate it. 😊👍 I've never wired 12v electrics before and am just following the advice and guides of people who know better than me. I certainly won't be trying to reinvent the wheel with my own wiring. 😁
Really interesting video again Craig. You make it look so easy. Do you have any links to the products you are using for either EBAY/Amazon? Possibility of a little extra income via links? I am going through the back catalogue so maybe some questions from videos either before or after. Anyways stay safe you guys until the next time
Thanks Captain F! 😊🙏 Didn't think affiliate links were worth bothering with as we're a tiny channel to be honest. You do raise a good point though and moving forward I'll be mindful of linking everything I use as it might help others. 🙂 Thanks for watching our videos and of course, any questions ask away! 😁
You explain the screws in addition to the glue, but why not nuts & bolts with rubber & lock washers?
Screws came with the kit. I will probably upgrade to nuts and bolts at some point. Still stuck fast two years later though.
Will you have to secure the cables on the roof
Just thinking they will vibrate !!
I’ve just attempted fitting my panel today and screwed up one of the mc4 connectors... nightmare. Wish they came pre crimped
Ah gutted. Hopefully you've sorted it out now. 🙂 It wasn't a consideration at the time when we purchased ours but the panel we had came with the MC4 connectors on the cables. You've reminded me though that we need to start thinking about buying some crimping tools and connectors for when we start our electrical wiring... Sounds like you're making good progress on your van! 😀🙌
Hi, thanks for the videos they've been really helpful. Good to hear a fellow midlander too.
Just wondered if you'd encountered any problems since the install or if you'd do it differently now?
I'm going to give this method a go once the weather gets a bit more reliable!
Not that I know of.
Great job that. have you got a link to the panel fixing kit? had a look for those brackets but can't find them on amazon. cheers
There doesn't appear to be a link for that seller now... The seller was called POWOXI and they have other items but not the brackets. There are identical brackets available on both Amazon and eBay under different sellers at around the same £10 price point though.
The alternative is to get a single solar panel with a high enough voltage to charge the higher 24V battery voltage by itself. Any Large Solar Panel has an open circuit voltage of >30 Voc which would achieve this, but in the winter it may struggle to reach a high enough voltage. Aim for >45 Voc, like our Perlight 200W Delta Monocrystalline Solar Panel that has an incredible 50.97 Voc !
Is this a mono or polo solar?
Hi Craig just come across your page what an amazing job you've done with your van! I've watched every video lol
As I'm starting on my van this is one of the next jobs of mine, when you bought the solar panel did it come with any of the cables etc or did you have to order these separate?
Hope to hear from you
Thanks Craig! 😁
Apologies for the slow reply. It came with cables but I had to purchase some extention cables to run inside the van.
Great video 👌🏻 i'm looking at the same panel and wondering if i could fit 2 on my LWB sprinter roof if i position them landscape side by side. please let me know what you think. Thanks
Thanks Josh. Ours isn't connected yet but lots of folk with the same panel rave about it. Two will fit but of course it all depends on what else you have up there. Good luck with your decision mate. 😊👍
That's a good choice of output - I put a REC 280w on my Autostratus hooked up to a 100a lifepo4 via a 20A EpEver MPPT - I know some think I should use a 30A but flat panels seldom hit the sun head on and max out at 14a most of the time and if this model gets near 20a it feathers back the charge - by the time the suns over head the battery is near charged and on constant voltage lower current anyways - I recommend fitting this battery monitor it lets you know current going in and out - and % charge in battery - I use the 100A one - It runs everything inc a microwave, toaster, low current kettle and coffee maker - but only one at a time !!!!!! www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UK-Battery-Monitor-DC-80V-50A-100A-350A-VOLT-Capacity-Tester-Voltmeter-Ammeter/402381831530?hash=item5dafd37d6a:g:4UUAAOSwy45fRMse
Thanks Trev. 👍 Not sure we'll be stretching to those batteries but that sounds a cracking setup. Thanks for the battery monitor link. It's something I was planning on giving thought to. 🙂
@@PilgrimPods Its kind of fun cooking on a microwave and watching the sun put back while you eat - we use a 1500w pure sine wave inverter 3,000 peak and an 120amp relay to connect it to the battery pack - the triggering wire is fed from the output side of the BMS so it still provides shut down on under voltage etc the 700w microwave takes 80 amps the toaster/kettle and coffee maker 55 -70a - Its not like any are on more than a few minutes.We also have a roll out MPPT charger lead for our two ebikes _ I think Lead /aci might sag too much unless you had over 200a/h - Lifepo4 is just so much lighter and compact and charge much quicker.
@@trevortrevortsr2 it sounds like you have a lot more power needs than we are anticipating! 😁 Lithium is definitely the way forward providing you can afford it but unfortunately for us, way too pricey for our budget. Maybe when we're ready to replace our batteries later on prices will be a bit more reasonable. Do like the look of those ebikes too but again another extravagance we can't stretch too. Sounds a cracking motorhome you have going on there. 😊👍
How well did this perlight panel do? About to find a new panel to my van and like this one as you said it’s smaller size.
But most research says the black panels are less efficient as they get hotter. What kind of wattages and amps did this get, especially in UK seasons?
Hey man, do you have a link for the brackets you used? I'm using the same perlight panel.
Hey mate. I've added the links in the description. When I originally made the video Amazon had sold out of the brackets and other slightly more expensive ones were available. I seem to recall mentioning this to someone else here, however(!) Amazon do now have the exact same ones (POWOXOI) in I used in black and for the same money if you're interested. 😊👍
Hi, nice and a neat installation 👍. I was just wondering where your panel connectors are located? Are they hidden under the panel, or did you manage to get them through the gland? Tia
Under the panel. 😊
Enjoyed the vid thanks. I was thinking off purchasing the similar 330w Perlight panel How are you finding it performs, particularly in non direct sun UK winters?
Still haven't hooked it up yet to be honest. It's been a bit of a write off this year for one reason or another but we'll be done and out on the road March 2022 whatever happens. Heard great things about the larger panel, if we had a LWB it's the panel we would have opted for. 🙂
Hey, thanks for the great video! What size hole saw did you use for the cable entry point?
Hi Dewi, thanks for watching. I can't remember 100% what hole saw I used sorry. I'm almost 99% certain it was 20mm as was the rubber grommet. Sorry I couldn't be more specific but it was a few months back when I cut it.
@@PilgrimPods Thank you that's all I needed, I have a 22mm TCT hole saw and I was wondering whether it would be up for the job, it seems so! I hope your conversion continues to go well, your videos have been immensely helpful for me :)
22mm will get the job done. 😊👍 Best of luck with your own mate.
Hi - how have the brackets stood the test of time and bumps of driving around. Any play or issues you've had to resolve? Was going down the uni strut route but my solar panel (similar dimensions to yours) means it will be a right pig's ear to fit.
Really nice video and neat job. New sub 👌 Cheers
Hey Michael. Admittedly with lockdowns and the camper not being complete I haven't done any real miles in it since fitting the panel. It went for its MOT last week and I asked if it was worth giving it a full service again despite not being used a great deal. The mechanic said it shouldn't need one as it hadn't even covered 1k miles in the past 12 months. It's been used for tootling about picking up materials and that's about it. There's been no play or anything in the brackets or panel and no leaks inside the van. If I fitted one again I'd follow the same route but use bolts instead of the screws provided for peace of mind. I'll keep a close eye on everything when cleaning the panel and if anything does start to loosen I'll replace the screws with nuts and bolts. Hope that helps mate and thanks for the sub!
@@PilgrimPods Amazing thanks for the response. I agree with the nut and bolt solution - II've got 8 of these brackets for a panel 170cm * 100cm to make sure it's extra sturdy. Some stainless bolts are needed next! The uni strut route would mean I need additional pieces both widthways across the roof which would raise the height of the panel and look like some scaffolding eye sore.
I have seen a few people in the states using the same mounting system as you and it does look secure. For your own piece of mind I've used that exact Puraflex stuff before for bonding a sheet of steel to the roof of a van. I had to remove it at a later date and it did not want to budge. Cheers!
Where did you get the brackets from please...
Hey Michael, we picked them up from Amazon for around a tenner. If you do a search for 'solar panel brackets' they should come up. They're just generic brackets with a few Chinese sellers. They're available on eBay too. 😊👍
@@PilgrimPods sorry dude i watched the video in work with sound down i hear you say now
@Pilgrim Pods have you a link for the exact panel please?
Hey again Dan. My particular panel has been discontinued but they do have a newer version with the same dimensions. I've put a link down in the video description BUT they are currently out of stock. If you copy and paste the panel name into your browser you may be able to find another supplier. Good luck! 🙂👍
@@PilgrimPods thanks so much for the reply and info! I think I have found a panel that's suitable and around the same price 👍. What batteries did you go for? Just ordered Windows and skylight so wish me luck 😅
@@danieljames9884 I haven't picked my battery up yet but will probably go with Roamer Lithium. They do 100AH for about £450.
Why not turn it length ways so no need to build up the edges
Didn't want the panel close to the edge of the roof and we had the space to run it lengthways. With all the narrow windy UK roads and overhanging branches etc I wanted to the limit the risk of the panel being damaged. That said, if we didn't have the space we definitely would have fitted it sideways.
Morning ive just subscribed great channel thanks how much paint did you use?
Thanks for checking us out and deciding to stick around! 😊🙏 We bought two 2.5ltr tins but so far thinning 4:1 we've only used around 2/3 of the first tin. Bear in mind ours is only a MWB though but we did paint the whole van before cutting out windows and rooflights. 🙂
@@PilgrimPods thats great cheers im doing a iveco daily LWB and thought three would do it were they the hairy roller sleeves?
the channel is great thanks
@@optomisticostomistsmith501 check out the 4" Prodec gloss pile rollers on Amazon. That's what we used and were more than happy with the results. A lot use the more expensive Fussy Blokes rollers and rave about them.
Why did you dismiss semi flexible s?
It's widely accepted that they just aren't as good. 🙂
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24v solar panel. You’ll need 2 12v batteries in series to make your own 24v battery. Meaning you’ll have a 24v system not a 12v.
The panel works just fine in either a 12v or 24v system but in our case will be used in the former. It was purchased from Bimble Solar and if you head on over to their site you can see all the 12v packages they sell it with. Those guys know what they're talking about so I'm happy with my purchase. 🙂👍
I did something similar with Avasva solutions.
Good to hear John. Hope it worked out great for you too. 🙂👍