Solar panel camper - complete sets

Always power

Independent of campsites with fixed connections — generate your own energy.

Complete sets

All-inclusive — solar panel, charge controller, cable and mounting material.

Free advice

Unsure which system suits your motorhome? WhatsApp Vincent – he'll help you out.

Why a solar panel on your camper?

Solar panels on your camper are becoming increasingly popular — and for good reason. With a solar panel set on your camper, you are not dependent on campsites with fixed power connections. In addition, you are being environmentally friendly and also saving a nice amount of money that you can use for other fun things.

Difficult? Not really. As long as you keep a few things in mind, you can equip almost any camper with solar panels. We have put together complete sets to make it as easy as possible. The 120W monocrystalline solar panel set is our best-selling set. Do you want a completely customized system? That's also possible.

Is my motorhome suitable for solar panels?

Yes – all campers are suitable for solar panels. A camper has at least two batteries: a starter battery and a leisure battery. The leisure battery is also called the accessory or house battery. This battery is used to power all electronic equipment in your camper. Every type of battery that can be in your camper is suitable for charging with solar energy – whether it's a lithium, AGM, GEL or semi-traction battery. For lithium batteries, settings may sometimes need to be changed; please check with us about this.

The idea is simple: make sure the house battery is always full, and you can live freely. You can charge it via the alternator, shore power, or solar panels. Solar panels are rarely standard in a camper and therefore need to be added.

Important: ensure the panel is free from shade. Because solar cells are wired in series internally, even a small amount of shade significantly impacts output. A 120W panel without shade will generate more power than a 185W panel that is partially shaded all day, for example, by a satellite dish. Keep this in mind when making your choice.

Glass or flexible solar panels on your camper?

Flexible solar panels are very attractive, super lightweight, and thanks to an ETFE top layer, they can now last up to 10 years. However, these panels also have disadvantages compared to glass panels. They are more expensive, heat up faster, which reduces their output, and despite a lifespan of up to 10 years, this is still less than the 25+ years that glass solar panels last.

Therefore, we recommend the following: if you have the option to install glass panels, this is preferred. If you are limited by weight and/or height or have an inclined surface, flexible panels are the perfect solution. In all other cases, you are better off with a glass solar panel.

How many peak watts do you need for your camper?

How many peak watts should the solar panel on your RV be? This depends on three things: what you want to achieve (extend your stay or be completely off-grid), which appliances you use, and which period of the year. December only provides two percent of the annual yield due to the short days and low solar intensity.

Please note: absorption refrigerators are not suitable for solar power — they simply consume too much. Only compressor refrigerators work well on solar power and are up to 7 times more efficient. A compressor refrigerator is typically running 20% of the time. If the label says 65 watts? Then in practice, it consumes 65 × 20% = 13 watts per hour.

Use Table 1 to calculate your daily consumption — fill in the wattage and hours of use for all your appliances. Sum the "Consumption" column to determine your total daily consumption in watt-hours.

Then compare your total consumption with table 2 — which shows the average daily yield per month for a 120W and 185W panel. Choose the months in which you are most on the road and check which panel has sufficient yield.

Apparaat	Watt	Uren/dag	Verbruik
Koelkast (65W × 20%)	13	24	312 Wh/dag
LED verlichting	10	4	40 Wh/dag
Waterpomp	60	0,1	6 Wh/dag
Telefoon	10	2	20 Wh/dag
Totaal			378 Wh

Tabel 1: voorbeeldberekening verbruik per dag (24 uur).

Maand	Zonnepaneel opbrengst
Maand	120 Watt	190 Watt
Januari	144 Wh	228 Wh
Februari	216 Wh	342 Wh
Maart	408 Wh	646 Wh
April	432 Wh	684 Wh
Mei	540 Wh	856 Wh
Juni	552 Wh	874 Wh
Juli	552 Wh	874 Wh
Augustus	480 Wh	760 Wh
September	360 Wh	570 Wh
Oktober	240 Wh	380 Wh
November	144 Wh	228 Wh
December	96 Wh	152 Wh

Tabel 2: gemiddelde opbrengst per dag in wattuur per maand in Nederland.

The Charge Controller — Not Unimportant

The charge controller converts the voltage from the solar panel to the correct charging voltage for your battery. It charges in phases — bulk, trickle, and equalization — and stops automatically when the battery is full. This extends the life of your battery.

There are two types: the PWM controller and the MPPT controller. The PWM controller is the simpler of the two but proven reliable. It starts charging as soon as the solar panel exceeds the battery voltage. The MPPT controller is smarter—it constantly searches for the point at which the panel delivers the most power. Depending on the conditions, an MPPT controller can extract 10-30% more energy from the panel. An MPPT controller is significantly more expensive than a PWM controller—so for each system, you need to weigh up which is the best option for you.

Do you have two solar panels on your camper? Then almost always use an MPPT controller and connect the panels in series—plus from panel 1 to minus from panel 2. This way, you add up the voltages and have enough voltage to start charging even with little sunlight. Exception: if one panel is partially in the shade, connect them in parallel using Y-split connectors.

Installing solar panels on your RV

Self-installation is easier than it looks. You don't need extensive technical knowledge — mainly a knack for DIY and some time. The entire installation consists of four steps:

Glue the solar panel to the roof with the supplied corner pieces and Sikaflex sealant.
Drill a hole above the battery location and route the cable watertight indoors via the roof feed-through.
Mount the charge controller near the battery and connect positive and negative.
Connect the cable from the solar panel to the controller — the system is immediately operational.

Please note: the Sikaflex sealant must dry for at least 24 hours before you can safely hit the road. You can download the installation manual with every set.

Veelgestelde vragen

Hoeveel zonnepanelen heb ik nodig voor mijn camper?

Dat hangt af van je dagelijks verbruik en de periode waarin je op pad bent. Gebruik de verbruikstabel op deze pagina om je verbruik te berekenen en vergelijk dat met de opbrengsttabel. Twijfel je? WhatsApp Vincent — hij helpt je gratis verder.

Werken zonnepanelen ook bij bewolkt weer?

Ja — zonnepanelen werken ook bij bewolkt weer. Er komt minder energie binnen maar het systeem blijft opladen. Onze panelen zijn opgebouwd uit klasse A zonnecellen voor de hoogste opbrengst bij zowel volle zon als daglicht.

Moet ik een glazen of flexibel zonnepaneel kiezen?

Kies glazen panelen als dat mogelijk is — ze gaan meer dan 25 jaar mee en zijn goedkoper. Flexibele panelen zijn de betere keuze als je beperkt bent in hoogte of gewicht, of een hellend oppervlak hebt.

Wat is het verschil tussen een PWM en MPPT laadregelaar?

Een PWM-regelaar is eenvoudig en betrouwbaar — geschikt voor kleinere systemen. Een MPPT-regelaar haalt 10-30% meer energie uit het paneel en is aanbevolen bij grotere systemen of twee panelen.

Kan ik zonnepanelen zelf installeren?

Ja — de installatie bestaat uit vier stappen en vraagt geen grote technische kennis. Bij elke set kun je de installatiehandleiding downloaden.

Zijn onze complete sets geschikt voor alle campers?

Ja — alle campers zijn geschikt voor zonnepanelen. Onze sets werken met lithium, AGM, GEL en semi-tractie accu's.

Heb je een lithium-accu? Kies dan een set met MPPT-regelaar, zoals onze 190W-set. Neem daarbij de Bluetooth-regelaar, zodat je het laadprofiel goed kunt instellen.