Pretty cool topic,I put one on my truck.Its really simple (really).What I like about it is your vehicle will always have power and it can be used offgrid at your site,the power is where your vehicle is.

This is a good link to show how one guy did it.I was surprised a bit by how many people are getting onboard with a vehicle based solar power setup.Like on vans or even jeeps.

http://cheaprvlivingblog.com/2012/07/installing-a-solar-power-system/

This links many topics to show and explain very well what having solar involves,note panel prices are a LOT cheaper than what you will see here,they are as cheap as a dollar a watt used and new depending on how good a shopper you are.

http://cheapgreenrvliving.com/Page_Index.html


Here is my truck system if you missed it on another thread

http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/PV/TruckPV/TruckPV.htm

I have been using a solar system on my vehicle (pick-up camper) for several years.

200w panel, 210ah of AGM batteries. Controller is a C40, overkill for this but I have the same controller on my 5w in the AZ desert. If one fails I use the other until I get a new one.

This provides all the power we need, and we use a lot. Typically 2 computers, cell phone chargers, Ham radios and more.

I have not even thought about it in years.. it just keeps going...and going...and going.......

Nomad

Alright,we solar junkies are taking over the world !

Nomad,that C40 is a workhouse,I dont know anyone who ever had one fail.Good system you have.NICE!
=====================
As Arlo Guthrie said.....

And the only reason I'm singing you this song now is cause you may know somebody in a similar situation, or you may be in a similar situation, and if your in a situation like that there's only one thing you can do and that's walk into the shrink wherever you are ,just walk in say "Shrink, You can get anything you want, at Alice's restaurant.". And walk out.

You know, if one person, just one person does it they may think he's really sick and they won't take him. And if two people, two people do it, in harmony,....

they may think they're both ******* and they won't take either of them.

And three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people walking in singin a bar of Alice's Restaurant and walking out. They may think it's an organization.

And can you, can you imagine fifty people a day,I said
fifty people a day walking in singin a bar of Alice's Restaurant and walking out.

And friends they may thinks it's a movement.

And that's what it is , the Alice's Restaurant Anti-Massacre Movement, and all you got to do to join is sing it the next time it come's around on the guitar.

Is than an Xantrex C40? How do you like it?

I've been looking at a C35 to will shunt power to a fan or small pump when the batteries are full.

Doug,Im using morningstars.Because I got a bunch of em on craigslist and checking them out they had good reviews.So far mine are fine.

My Friends with xantrex/trace c40's have had since their inception or later.....none has ever had one fail.Theirs arent mppt's but robust.Hugely so.

Im sold on xantrex but since the move to China I dont know personally folks results. I do have an Xantrex Prowatt Sw2000 2000w True Sinewave inverter I havent hooked up yet.So I cant review it personally yet but properly wired seems to do the job per reviews Ive seen.

Both work fine, but they are very old. I don't know about the recent ones. I have never used it in diversion mode so I have no info about your application.

I wired them up, did the set-up and ignored them. One has been running for about 15 years. Probably much better stuff on the market now. I have an abundance of solar power so the old technology is ok in my application.

I do not hear much in the way of noise from them on my ham radio gear. If I am near other rigs with newer stuff I can hear their solar controller for quite a distance. Again, I don't know about the new stuff.

Nomad

The debate over MPPT vrs PWM controllers is a hoot.

Yes,Mppt DOES get you more power in full sun,yet in early morning and late evening they dont even operate.Or that they only really produce extra power in bulk mode when battery bank is well depleted.So the huge gains arent all that huge in practice.

Another thing they miss is that newer high wattage panels now have less volts,they HAVE to have Mppt to even function.

Finally,who even makes a PWM controller anymore,the tech going forward is MPPT and the prices have dropped significantly.And accept that in older systems PWM is just fine

When I see the venomous arguments about em....be nice if they had some facts about WHY they are needed NOW.

For us guys using older higher volt panels,and with price per watt in the one dollar range.....pwm controllers still do the job very well IMO.

LOL,I LOVE

http://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/

This fella is the real deal and sure has good advice. I like his rants on the quacks out at Quartzite robbing those retiree's on solar with poorly installed systems.

Shaded,undersized wires,massive wire runs.Improper voltage at batteries.Follow his advice and you will have a fine system.Makes me want to buy a ton of #6 and #4 wire to have on hand.

Thanks, guys. I already have basic charge controllers (rather junky IMO), but not a ton of storage. I use the bulk of my solar generation in real-time (entirely possible here in sunny Alberta), with the batteries being voltage regulators as much as storage devices. But when I'm not using it, the shunting capability should let me run a modest vent fan or micro pump. No sense in wasting free juice!

HandyBob mentions he had a newer c40 and it failed in 3.5 years,a china model.

Bud had a tristar morningstar that had problems from the get- go,several emails with a responsive tech source and a few tests and they sent him a new one,so they did have good customer service.

HBob likes the morningstars for their many easily accessed charging modes.