Solar Dashboard

[thebarefootbadger]

Just wanted to chime in about my favorite discovery about a Sienna build that's been a bit disappointing in some ways: my solar panel. (https://www.amazon.com/AIMS-Power-Portable-Foldable-Monocrystalline/dp/B07XZL2Z2V but I paid so much less!) I have a foldable 130 watt solar panel and I've found that it fits perfectly on my dashboard. I used a sharpie to black out the white checkerboard so there was no glare or reflection. This to no apparent detriment, I didn't notice any decrease in current and it charges my auxiliary battery just fine over the course of the day. I don't have the aux hooked up to the car engine because it's a hybrid car and everyone including me is a bit nervous about fiddling around with that. But this way I get the benefits of a portable panel even while driving and no theft worries. I do have it well secured, it shouldn't decapitate me even under the worst situation imaginable, ha ha.

Obviously there isn't enough real estate on a dashboard for a big solar setup, but this works fine for the usual lights/fan/electronic charging and a heated mattress pad that I run off electricity.

I'm also considering a rear set-up where it rests on top of a build that's about the height of the rear window, and when parked i could prop it up against the window for both better charging and as a rear "curtain". That's for next year. A little surprised the glass of the car is so solar-permeable, but I guess this is a silver lining.