
While driving through downtown Carson City I noticed The Solar Store.
I'd considered getting a solar panel for the Mystery Machine for sometime.
To get a better idea of how much power I'd need, the store loaned me a Kill-A-Watt.
I left my laptop and utility bag plugged in for 24 hours. My power consumption was just under 1 KW.
Watts: 45-55 on average (as low as 40, as high as 65)
Kilowatts: I used 0.96 KW in 24 hours.
Volts: 120V was brought down to 118.4V
Amps: fluctuated between 0.44-0.48
VA: 52-55
Hz: 59.9
PF: 0.79-0.82
Back at The Solar Store, we settled on an 80 Watt solar panel.
It was a tempting purchase. We calculated I'd get about 4.5 hours of electric power per 6 hours of sunlight charging.
The panel dimensions were just right: 47.3" x 21.1" x 1.3". My under bed storage is: 47.5" x 25" x 12". An old foam cushion would sandwich the panel when it's stowed.
Nevertheless, I do most of my computer work at Starbucks. A few hours of lounging there charges all my devices for the day.
The solar panel would also be left unattended while charging outside the Mystery Machine. I worry about theft. Permanently mounting the solar panel on top of the camper is not a practical.
The biggest set-back was inside storage. I'd need to cut a slot in the backstop of my van. This would significantly weaken the structural integrity of the Mystery Machine.
This meant the solar panel was no longer a day project, but a major renovation.
In the end, I opted not to buy and install a solar panel. In the future, I intend to incorporate one in the Mystery Machine. And certainly, my next camper van will have one.
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