New Solar Panel

Hi Wild,

I'm sorry to say 5 watts will not even keep up to parasitic loads.

I would bungee cord it to the roof and try to tilt it towards the sun. Use a pencil at 90 degrees to the panel and set it for the least possible shadow.

You may simply want to return it--if it is NIB.

I hope you realize 5 watts will charge very very little. It is mostly to keep an already charged battery charged.

I use one to keep our Ford Expedition battery charged, as we mostly just use it as a tow vehicle and battery will discharge if unused for months.

Sorry, can't help on location.

If you're going for 4 days I hope you have a generator. Don't sweat somebody stealing that panel.

IMO 4 days dry camping should be ok, as I doubt you'll be using the furnace!

I would put a bungee or strap on it. Even the smallest amount of shade will cut power from very very little to virtually nothing. So don't just put a strap over the top of it.

5w is best for maintaining a fully charged and disconnected battery when in storage.

Thanks for all the advice, I am not looking for keeping the battery fully charged the whole time I am camping just extend the life of it an extra night or two, we really don't use much electricity just the water pump, cassette toilet, and lights at bed time and if hot enough a bunk end fan or two. It would have to be almost snowing before I would think of using the furnace.

I always carry an extra battery in the storage trunk but I am hoping to avoid having to swap batteries in the dark like the last time. I mainly bought it to help keep up the battery on my old pickup I rarely drive but figured I would try it out with the pop up since I have it.

I will figure out a couple of Bungee cords to secure it on the roof with something to prop it up with. We will be about as far north in the continental US you can get so I doubt I could get an optimal angle without some sort of brackets.

Thanks for the input

Wildcat

Put in on the ground and move it from time to time to point at the sun.

The potential output of that panel is so low you will most likely not notice any improvement in how long your battery lasts over not having it at all.

Jim

Hi,

Based on 6 hours of perfect conditions the panel will do 30 watt-hours. That's about 2.5 amp-hours per day. A single 1156 bulb consumes that much in a bit over an hour.

I put my 15 watt panel on the ground pointed to the sun. Moving it from time to time if I return to the campsite.
Some trips it provides more power than I use, a few minutes of LED before bed.
Other trips it provides for an hour or more of 40 watt furnace fan use a day.