Solar - Trickle Charger

Like buying anything used as a DIYer, you downplay the cosmetic and focus on the costly.  One of those inexpensive fixes was the chassis battery bank solar trickle charger.  I knew from my inspection it wasn't working.  Something about the stomped in glass was an obvious clue.

Broken 12x12 solar panel.

Next to the 12x12 solar panel was a very small one mounted forward of the refrigerator vent.  I figured it once ran a solar powered fan to help remove heat from the refrigerator cooling coils.  The fan was nowhere to be found.

Solar powered fan panel.  Condition of the roof at the time of purchase.

Broken 12x12 solar panel.  I love the chalking on the glass.  I wonder what they thought they were fixing?

Recoating the roof was a higher priority than the solar panel, so when it came time to address the panel, the condition of the roof had changed substantially.

Roof recoated with elastomeric roof coating.

Removing the old panels and all the old chalking and Dicor was a mess.  A combination of mineral spirits and Acetone was used.

The previous installation had created a debris collector.

 After removing the refrigeration vent cover, I discovered that whoever installed the solar fan had cut through the rodent screen and never restored it.  Seriously!  To repair it, I drilled a number of small holes through the sides and then used stainless steel wire to reattach the screen to the sides and restore full functionality.

Refrigerator vent.

Site ready for the new panel.

The solar panel I installed is a Sunforce Solar 5W 12 volt battery trickle charger.  Widely available for less than $50.  No additional hardware, like a solar controller is needed, because the unit can't overcharge the battery.

Installation was straight forward.  The panel's wiring was spliced to the wires running inside the refrigerator vent, the wires were covered in a protective sleeve, the panel was screwed down with four screws, and then everything was sealed with Dicor lap sealant.  Once the Dicor had cured enough, two coats of elastomeric roof coating were applied.

Installation done.

 Now the chassis batteries are once again on a solar trickle charger.

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