How does my solar panel work?

Depending on specification, your tourer may be fitted with a 20w solar panel and regulator.This solar panel and regulator will provide additional 12v power whenever sunlight is available to the panel. This will be directed to the leisure battery whether the control panel is ON or OFF, and regardless of the position of the SYSTEM SHUTDOWN button.The solar panel can be used to:

• Extend the amount of time, when the tourer is in storage, between required re-charges of the leisure battery. (i.e. between re-charges using an electrical hook up / the on board charger)

• Extend the amount of time, when rallying before the leisure battery is depleted.

• Provide a trickle charge to the leisure battery when no other electrical systems are in use.

The use of the solar panel does not enable the use of any 230v appliances or systems it only supplies a 12V feed.

The amount of power available from the panel is a maximum of 1.17amps at 12 volts. This figure assumes the panel is in direct sunlight in perfect conditions, and is a much lower figure than that which is available from the on-board battery charger (approx. 25amps) - as a result, the best way to charge a leisure battery remains to be use of the on board charger via a main hook up connection. Aside from low light levels, there are various factors which can reduce the amount of power available from the panel:

• The direction of the sunlight available to the panel. The performance will be highest when the sunlight is from directly overhead. When the sun is low in the sky, a lower output can be expected. Direct sunlight will provide better performance than bright cloud.

• Objects overhead or to the side of the tourer (such as branches or tall buildings) may place the panel in shadow and reduce performance.

• Debris on the surface of the panel will filter sunlight and so restrict available power.

Please consider the above factors when positioning the tourer, particularly for storage, and where practical and safe please consider cleaning the surface of the panel as part of the cleaning routine for your tourer.It is possible to fit additional solar panels, which will increase the amount of power directed to the leisure battery when sunlight is available, and there is an electrical connection underneath your existing panel which will simplify the fitting of additional panels. Your dealer will be able to advise further, in terms of the physical sizes of panels which are available to fit on the roof of your tourer, and whether this will require a change of regulator / any further changes to wiring.