Why even use Solar Panels?

[bullfrog]

It is probably to good to last but I have done pretty well using a house battery and an 18 volt Ryobi 4 amp hour tool batteries and a vehicle charger for them. They provide lights and a fan. You could get their boom box that has USB charging ports but I just use the house battery for charging phones and etc. but I do usually drive at least 4 hours a day.

 

[vanlifeadventures21]

An alternator is not going to charge a refrigerator. You would have to have it plugged in for way too many hours.

BUT you’re right that solar isn’t necessary. Swap out the fridge for a high quality cooler and you can power all of those other things with your alternator.

 

[Seminole Wind]

An alternator is not going to charge a refrigerator. You would have to have it plugged in for way too many hours.

this doesnt even make sense? you dont "charge" a fridge. but if you are just trying to say an alternator as sole charging source is not capable of keeping up with a fridge, you are not correct. while simply hooking a wire from the alternator to the house bank (batteries running the house loads like the fridge) direct or via the often mis professed "continuous duty solenoid" may not be the most efficient or effective way to go about it, it most certainly can be done. most of the 12v fridges we see people putting in their rigs consume 3-5 amps while running and most alternators can easily put out an extra 30 or more amps if not running headlights and heater blowers at the same time. it is true with a simple connection it would take many hours to fully recharge a deep cycle battery but if you are driving often enough even that basic connection will get the job done. take an example of a fridge that uses 35 amp hours per day. a house bank of 2 golf cart batteries (6v) with 220 amp hour rating, so lets say 110 amp hour usable for good battery life. and an alternator with 30 amps available to charge after the normal loads are served. i camp and sit in 1 site for three days. fridge consumption is 105 amp hours. now we pack up and head to our next camp if it is just around the corner you are not going to get back to full charge but it will only take a couple hours of driving (not idling) to get back around 80% then a few more hours driving to get back pretty close to full.

of course, the standard alternator regulator often will not get you back to full charge and then will hold the batteries at a high then optimal float voltage and that is not good for battery longevity. Yet there are several options to improve the charging quality and capability of relying entirely on the alternator for power, ranging from commercial battery to battery chargers, aftermarket 3 or 4 stage alternator regulators and battery bank isolation or even do it your self projects.

so while it is not a simple "twist these 2 wires together" solution, if you spend enough time driving it can be more than enough when a proper solution is installed.

 

[Seminole Wind]

Automotive electrical systems are designed to provide for SLI, starting, lighting, and ignition.  Those are what the vehicle requires.  

I don't remember the actual quote.  I think it was from Henry Ford.  He said that if you cut a penny of cost out of a car, after a million units it adds up to a lot of money.  

Most people overestimate how much electricity you can take from a vehicle.

but even the cheapest car is designed to be able to continuously power the needed loads. some of those loads are not on all the time. for example, your head lights, brights and heater/ac fan are loads that are loads you need to be able to run continuously and simultaneously if you're cruising through the mountains of colorado at night in january. but now if you are tooling along the oregon coast one afternoon in july and not running the fans and extra lights you will have that power available to charge with and not be unduly taxing the alternator

 

[bigskybob]

Don't worry too much , do the best you can with what you got,and let the rough end drag.