Customised your caravan? Get paid for your story...

Had a couple of very interesting emails already, so thanks for those!

Just to make clear it can be anything from 100wds to 5000wds depending on the complexity of the project. Main thing is a selection of pictures.

Any questions, feel free to get in touch

Reader's Workshop

 Hi Nigel 

At the end of June I emailed you an item such as requested above but as yet have received no reply (let alone a cheque!) for a wonderfully simple and simply wonderful idea. Has it got lost in cyberspace?

Mike Stone

Hi Nigel, Where do you post the mod. i've done?

Thanks

Rusty 

Mike,

I've only just noticed your reply. Sorry about that. Could you resubmit your idea please? I cannot find any emails from you I'm afraid...

Please click here to email me your ideas!

Look forward to seeing them

Did this article ever get published? I have been looking out for it but wondered if i had somehow missed it.

Steve

No go faster stripes, reclining leather chairs or flame transfers I'm sorry to say Nigel but I installed my 80 watt solar panel last week.

I bought an 80 watt solar panel 12 months ago and have used it on rallies when off ehu to keep the 110 amp/hour leisure battery charged.
Up until now I used the panel as a free-standing unit but the main drawbacks were the need to re-connect the cables from the solar regulator to the leisure battery whenever we set up, the necessity to cart the panel around and store it safely and the danger of people falling over it so I decided to install the panel on the caravan roof and hard wire it rather than having to reconnect every time.
The opportunity finally arose to bring the caravan home from storage and complete the job last week. I bought a suitable frame to mount the panel from Amber Electronics who provided good advice and excellent service and I chose an adjustable model for ease of cleaning and the panel can tilt upright if trees block direct sunlight.

Adjustable Solar Panel Frame

 and using rustproof locking nuts I bolted the two pieces of Z section aluminium to the frame and the frame to the solar panel using a workbench.
I placed the solar panel complete with frame on to the caravan roof and marked the fixing position of each side using masking tape. I rubbed the shine from the paintwork to provide a key for the Sikaflex 512 which I used to permanently bond the Z sections to the caravan roof without using screws or fixings.

I used White Spirit to clean the bonding surfaces and Methylated Spirit to remove any oily residue left by the White Spirit before applying the Sikaflex

I applied a generous amount of Sikaflex to the bottom of each Z section mounting rail, two lines on each side so that when the panel assembly was turned over and pressed into position on the roof the Sikaflex oozed out from underneath the Z section mounting rails slightly.

The next step was to drill a small hole from the ceiling inside the wardrobe to the outside taking care to avoid  the tv aerial and any 12v  lighting flex installed in the roof insulation to the second main 12v light fitting. I then used a small hole cutter to cut a suitable hole in the aluminium roof skin leaving the insulating material intact. I enlarged my original small hole enough to accept the two 6mm solar cables which I fed through after fitting the shroud containing the  Cable Entry Gland  and a rubber grommet. I used Sikaflex to re-seal the cable entry hole, the grommet after it was pressed into position and the cable glands after I'd tightened them around the cable to create a completely waterproof seal. I roughened the surface of the paintwork (using the masking tape to mark the shroud position) and ran a generous bead of Sikaflex around the mating edge of the cable shroud.

I used cable ties to keep the solar cables together and removed any excess Sikaflex and the masking tape that I'd used to mark the mount position but I did not connect up the solar cable just yet.

N.B.
Solar Cable Guidelines
To find the correct solar cable and fuse ratings divide the wattage of the solar panel (in my case 80 watts) by the voltage (12 volts) which gives a figure of 6.6 amps.
I rounded this figure up to 7 amps and added a safety margin of 35% which provides a figure of 9.45 amps meaning that my fuse and cable rating was 10 amps.
Automotive cable sizes can be misleading, 4mm cable has a conductive area closer to 1.80 sq mm so read the information

Click Here for more installation information

in order to choose the correct size flex to avoid overheating and excessive voltage drop.

I needed to identify a cable run that would enable me to hide most of the solar cable and on my Abbey 620 I chose the space for the wiring over the kitchen sink strip light which could be accessed by removing a wooden panel and next to it a similar false panel underneath the microwave provided a route into the wardrobe which is where the solar cable enters the caravan.

From the kitchen light cable run I removed the trunking above the kitchen worktop which contains the wiring for the 240v socket

I could not gain access behind the fridge so I drilled through into the space behind the kitchen socket trunking and fed my interior solar cable through into the spaces to reach the wardrobe

Inside the wardrobe I connected the interior and exterior solar cables using a 20 amp 'chocolate block' connector which was then hidden behind the aerial cable trunking inside the wardrobe. The exterior solar cable can be seen entering the trunking at the top of the picture where it runs along between the wall and the ceiling. I used a piece of suitably coloured mini trunking to cover the solar cables where they enter the wardrobe from the kitchen.

A similar piece of mini trunking covered the solar cables where they exited the kitchen socket trunking to connect with the solar regulator inside the front bed box. (The black flex that is visible belonged to the vacuum cleaner which I was using to tidy round after I'd replaced the trunking panels, I'd left it plugged in when the picture was taken.   )

The solar regulator that I used was Maplins Dual 16 amp Solar Charge Regulator and I decided on this model because it uses spade connectors rather than screwed connection ports which can restrict the size of the solar flex that it's possible to connect. Because of the length of the run from the roof to the front right under-seat locker (or bed box) I used 6mm tinned copper automotive flex which gave me at least 4 sq mm conductive area.

I connected the solar charge regulator directly  to the charging circuit on my Abbey 620 using a Sargent solar connecting kit for Swift caravans.
Click Here for information
I incorporated a 10 amp fuse between the solar charge regulator and the charging circuit.

Before final connection I covered the solar panel to prevent a voltage surge which could occur when the panel is connected under load.

I mounted the solar charge controller on some 6mm  square trunking offcuts to provide an air gap underneath in order to prevent overheating.

The amber light shows that the solar panel is charging, when the battery is at it's optimum voltage the charge is regulated so that the current pulses and this is shown by a green light on the solar charge controller.
The panel will continue to charge the battery to around 14 volts from dawn to dusk 365 days a year and the useful life of a solar panel is over 21 years so for around £250 it should be a good long term investment.
If I decide to change my caravan in the meantime the adjustable frame can simply be unbolted from the bonded Z sections for re-installation on the replacement caravan.

Now, where are those flame transfers?

Steve,

That's a very serious bit of fitting you've done there. Looks neatly done too!

Reckon you could email the photos? I'll get it turned into a piece in the advice section of the site.

Cheers

Hi Nigel

No problem,

I have to nip out for a couple of hours but I'll email the original photographs to you when I get back.

It was not a difficult job and it allows us the freedom to use sites without ehu.

I like looking at the old vans at the back of the mag and in particular I was interested in the Viking Fibreline on the back of a lorry conversion

My daughter has a Viking Fibreline that she has coach painted and done a few renovation/customisings on

It was standing in a garden near where she lives and she knocked on the door and asked if it was for sale and she paid £200 for it

It was full of equipment including a very nice crockery set that looks original

It was well planted with bushes growing through the steadies and very dirty

We dug it out and got it to the house at the second attempt after the tyre blew as soon as it reached the road

The vendor then found two more wheels in the garage

A housing association lady was on hand when we arrived with it and refused to allow it in the garden the state it was in

After some negotiation they were given a week to smarten it up and its been there a year now !

It had been fully wired with 230V including trips etc and that all works and the gas has been reconnected

We have also rewired the road lights,fitted a new roof vent of sorts and its cosy inside and a much loved refuge from the family

HAPPY CHRISTMAS