SOLAR BUILD SERIES – ADVENTURE VAN

Are you tired of the limited power options in your adventure van? Are you looking for a more sustainable and cost-effective solution? Then look no further than a Newpowa solar build for your van!

With the help of solar panels, you can power your van without having to constantly rely on gasoline or electrical hookups. Not to mention, you’ll be doing your part for the environment.

Here are some adventure van solar build ideas to get you started!

Solar Panels & Mounts

The easiest and most common way to incorporate solar power into your van is by installing panels on the roof. This way, you can absorb sunlight while you drive, and store the energy in your van’s battery for later use. Due to the width of the typical roof of consumer van platforms (5.75ft wide), we recommend choosing a 200W 12V Solar Panel in order to maximize space and power.

Our 200W 12V Solar Panel’s width is 27.76in., which will allow you to mount two of these panels on top of the roof of your van, while allowing some extra space for anything else you may like to add.

Then in terms of mounts, we recommend using two sets of our Universal Z-Bracket mounts in conjunction with these panels as they will not only give your panels a sturdy mounting surface, but they have enough backspacing to passively cool your panels.

Charge Controller

At the heart of any solar setup, a charge controller regulates the input power being generated by your solar panels and safely channels it into your battery bank.

Given the above wattage, we recommend our Frigate 40A MPPT Charge Controller as it’s rated for 12/24V systems, and its max input wattage sits at 520W for 12V systems and 1040W for 24V systems. Did we mention you can monitor it remotely given its Bluetooth compatibility? This makes it a great choice for any solar setup!

Battery Bank

A battery bank allows you to store and use solar power even when the sun isn’t shining. This is perfect for those long trips where you’ll need constant power.

Given the above panels we are using, we recommend running (2) LiFePO4 12V 100Ah Deep-Cycle Batteries. One 12V 100Ah lithium battery would technically be enough, but as the old saying goes, it’s better to have and not need, than need and not have.

Inverter

If you want to power AC appliances, you’ll need an inverter to convert the DC power from your battery into usable AC power. This will allow you to use devices like a laptop, television, and/or microwave.

Given the above wattage requirements, a 1200W or 2000W Pure-Sine Wave Inverter will allow you to power/charge electronic appliances with ease, essentially turning your van into a small mobile home.

Portable Option (optional)

If you don’t want to commit to a full-scale solar panel installation, you can still utilize clean energy by using a portable generator or foldable solar panel kit. In terms of portable generators, our 300W or 700W options will extend your capabilities when it comes to charging/powering small devices and appliances.

Regarding foldable solar panels, a customer favorite is our 200W Lightweight foldable Solar Panel Kit which has everything you need to charge up your off-grid batteries, including the foldable panel, PWM or MPPT charge controller, as well as the cable needed to connect to the controller.