Test of the Solarblvd 160 watt portable solar kit

Jeremy P.

Adventurer
I recently purchased the 160 watt portable kit from solarblvd, mainly to keep our camp trailer battery charged while camping, but I also plan on adding a fridge to my 4runner soon so I plan on using the solar to keep the vehicle battery charged. The 160w size is really more than I need currently, but since it consists of two 80w panels I am going to look into changing the hinges out to a style that can be disconnected so I can carry just one panel if I want.
The kit was well packaged; the weight as listed on the site is definitely off since the kit with packaging weighed 43 pounds, and 32 pounds without packaging or the carrying bag.

I inadvertently got a chance to find out what the panels could do when I accidentally left the key on in my 4runner, after which the battery (Exide orbital AGM size 34/78) was reading only 9 volts. I was going to put the battery charger on then thought what the heck, I'll see what the solar kit can do. It was around noon when I hooked the kit up using the supplied extension cable and alligator clips. The panel before the charge controller was at 17 to 18.5 volts and 13.7 volts at the output of the controller. At the battery end of the cable I measured around 13.2 volts which shows a significant voltage loss through the extension, so a future upgrade to heavier gauge cables may be in order. I left the panel hooked up for exactly 20 minutes, then I figured I would see if it would crank over. I disconnected the panel; the battery was reading 12.5 volts. The 4runner started up with no hesitation! I was quite surprised at how little time it took to charge the battery enough. I will feel a lot more comfortable when camping in remote areas knowing that a dead battery will more likely be an inconvenience rather than a potential major ordeal.

We also used the solar kit last weekend while camping in Moab to keep the trailer battery charged. With using lights, water pump and the heater fan the battery was no lower when packing up than when we arrived (12.8v after a rest). I don't think I'll worry about putting dual batteries in the trailer anytime soon.

Checking the durability of the package:
2014-03-11 17.31.26.jpg

The carrying bag. It has some padding but it is a little thin. Dimensions on the site are accurate at 40" x 21" x 3.5". The panels themselves are 40" x 20".
2014-03-11 17.43.00.jpg

The back of the panels with legs and charge controller. The picture on the website is not accurate, which makes the legs look much longer.
2014-03-12 07.47.26.jpg

The kit fits nicely behind the rear seats in my 4runner, even with the 3rd row seats in place.
2014-03-12 13.00.45.jpg

Keeping things charged up at camp:
2014-03-15 15.14.26.jpg
 

gwittman

Adventurer
I bought one of their 100 watt portable units that looks just like yours except smaller. I am very happy with it so far. I just am trying to keep my vehicles battery charged that is drained by an ARB refrigerator while the vehicle is parked more than one day hot day without the engine running. I tried it once already on a fairly warm day and it looks like it will be very suitable for what I need.

I kept the box it came in and keep it stored in it. I cut out a hole in the box to make room for the pouch on the carrying bag to protrude with the accessories in it. The cardboard makes a better surface for sliding it in and out of my travel storage spot. It seems to be a good unit so far. I hope it has a long life.

I considered the 160 watt unit but don't have the space for it. I am already loaded down with too much stuff (racing gear and parts).
 

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