New Solar Battery Box by Torklift

[FrankShore]

For those of you that don't want to put a solar panel on your roof, Torklift makes a nice Solar Panel Battery Box. Now not only can you keep your batteries safely locked up, but charged as well. I think the solar panel is made by Zamp Solar, a well known name! Made in the US of A too! I think I'll be buying one of these ASAP! It will fit my 2 Group 34 Batteries just fine.

Power Armor Solar

[MarceloWarn]

RoyB wrote:
A typical 10WATT SOLAR PANEL manufactured in solar panels factory will develop around 15-17VDC@ 0.5 AMPS of usable DC Current when in high sun. AMAZON sells 10WATT Solar panel for around $39

PROGRESSIVE DYNAMICs says to charge a 12VDC DEEP CYCLE BATTERY that has been run down to 0% CHARGE STATE which is around 10.5VDC will require 14.4VDC @ 17-20AMPS DC current to be able to recharge to its 90% charge state in a quick three hour time frame. Even this will take a good 11-12 hours of charge to get to its 100% charge state.

It looks like to me the small 10WATT SOLAR PANEL is a bit on the small side. If you was lucky enough to even be in the high sun for the rule of thumb of 6 hours high sun available each cloudless day will only produce around 3AHs... A typical 12VDC battery is rated around 100AHs. The GP24 12VDC Batteries that are usually delivered with our trailer is rated at 85AHs.

The 10WATT SOLAR PANEL only possible purpose in this application would be to a trickle charger for the battery in the box. With only a 0.5AMP DC OUTPUT it would be a weak trickle charge at best...

Having looked up the specs and said all of this I think it is a great idea but it would not replace any of my standard battery charging procedures built-in to my trailer..

The smallest parasitic current drain your trailer has will overcome this 0.5DC AMP charge source. The only time this would be useful for trickle charging your battery would be sitting in a storage mode with a battery disconnect switch operated to totally disconnect the battery from the trailer system. This trickle charge would only be used between the regular required standard charging times.

The only experience I have ever had was with a small rechargeable back yard motion light which used a 7-watt solar panel I think it was. It worked for a couple of season as I recall. When the battery finally wouldn't charge up anymore I discarded it...

Just my observations...
Roy Ken

Thanks for sharing out the review..Sounds like a good product to me..I do need portable charging system and will consider it..

[rickeoni]

People complain about all posts being the same and them flame a poster for showing something new...jeeesh!

[Raften]

Ignore them Frank, the solar should be considered just to maintain but not to charge after a big drawdown.

[FrankShore]

Thanks westend. I felt like I was being smashed up for bringing something to peoples attention.

Beemerphile1, group 34 is a common size and they will fit inside the battery box. I already measured my group 34's.

Battery Chart BD Batteries

[westend]

Frank,
It's a good product. Torklift makes an excellent box. If you find that you need more wattage, another panel can be added.

Thanks for posting so others know about the product.

[RoyB]

A typical 10WATT SOLAR PANEL will develop around 15-17VDC@ 0.5 AMPS of usable DC Current when in high sun. AMAZON sells 10WATT Solar panel for around $39

PROGRESSIVE DYNAMICs says to charge a 12VDC DEEP CYCLE BATTERY that has been run down to 0% CHARGE STATE which is around 10.5VDC will require 14.4VDC @ 17-20AMPS DC current to be able to recharge to its 90% charge state in a quick three hour time frame. Even this will take a good 11-12 hours of charge to get to its 100% charge state.

It looks like to me the small 10WATT SOLAR PANEL is a bit on the small side. If you was lucky enough to even be in the high sun for the rule of thumb of 6 hours high sun available each cloudless day will only produce around 3AHs... A typical 12VDC battery is rated around 100AHs. The GP24 12VDC Batteries that are usually delivered with our trailer is rated at 85AHs.

The 10WATT SOLAR PANEL only possible purpose in this application would be to a trickle charger for the battery in the box. With only a 0.5AMP DC OUTPUT it would be a weak trickle charge at best...

Having looked up the specs and said all of this I think it is a great idea but it would not replace any of my standard battery charging procedures built-in to my trailer..

The smallest parasitic current drain your trailer has will overcome this 0.5DC AMP charge source. The only time this would be useful for trickle charging your battery would be sitting in a storage mode with a battery disconnect switch operated to totally disconnect the battery from the trailer system. This trickle charge would only be used between the regular required standard charging times.

The only experience I have ever had was with a small rechargeable back yard motion light which used a 7-watt solar panel I think it was. It worked for a couple of season as I recall. When the battery finally wouldn't charge up anymore I discarded it...

Just my observations...
Roy Ken

[beemerphile1]

FrankShore wrote:
For those of you that don't want to put a solar panel on your roof, Torklift makes a nice Solar Panel Battery Box. Now not only can you keep your batteries safely locked up, but charged as well. I think the solar panel is made by Zamp Solar, a well known name! Made in the US of A too! I think I'll be buying one of these ASAP! It will fit my 2 Group 34 Batteries just fine.

Power Armor Solar...

Box - okay

Solar panel on box - waste of money

Group 34 batteries - never heard of that size and they won't fit the box anyhow. From your link; "...engineered to hold and protect either Group 24 to Group 31 12 volt batteries or 6 volt T105 or SC2 golf cart batteries..."

[BobsYourUncle]

I have that exact battery box on my TT. It's awesome - a wonderful product.
But the solar? Put a couple 100's on your roof - you will be much happier. The ten will do next to nothing.

[FrankShore]

Sorry, I'm not a shill for the company, I just like their idea for a product. Good strong box to lock up your batteries with a solar panel on top. Seems like a good idea, or not.

[Community Alumni]

If you came here looking for opinions, I offered mine. Or perhaps you are a shill for the company that makes the box. If not, and you like it, buy it. It's your money.

[FrankShore]

I suppose that locking up your batteries is also a bad idea?

[Community Alumni]

How much juice is that 10 watt panel going to produce when the sun will be blocked most of the time by the TT and the propane bottles?

[FrankShore]

It can't hurt can it?

[Community Alumni]

The 10 watt solar panel is a waste of money.