4th Gen Solar Generator For Battery While Camping

[Snagglepus]

Developed some concern about my 4Runner battery drain-operating and charging small devices while camping. Hate those RV generators and wanted to go solar.

I had a conversation with a couple RVers at a motorcycle rally about the differences between solar panels-the advantage of those that still charge in partial sun. And so I have been searching for an inexpensive efficient and storable solar panel to maintain my 4Runner battery without having to get too elaborate with extra batteries and fancy inverters with meters and the like.

So here is what I discovered at Harbor Freight. A $64 dollar 25 watt simple solar panel with a $20 solar regulator that works under partial sun and stores nicely for transport. I just returned from a week of camping and had the piece of mind. Unit setup quickly and cord provided was long enough to reach the cargo area regulator and plug into the 12 volt socket.

OMG, (miracles upon miracles) the panel fits (glass side up against the headliner between the double clothes hooks in the cargo area! Its a nice tight fit and stays up without any additional straps, no worries. But to fit the panel has to go glass-side up, which is what I wanted anyway.

See the pictures below of the Thunderbolt Magnum 25 watt solar panel setup from Harbor Freight. Also here is a link to the other mods I did for camping with a bed in the back of the 4th gen 4Runner: https://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/275777-mods-4th-gen-platform-bed.html

 

[JONBOY345]

This is pretty slick. Might be picking one up too.

 

[techno]

Nice. How robust is the panel? Will it standup to rough trails/roads?

My cargo area doesn't have those double hooks, I have grab handles, so I would probably need an alternative storage location.

 

[Snagglepus]

Nice. How robust is the panel? Will it standup to rough trails/roads?

My cargo area doesn't have those double hooks, I have grab handles, so I would probably need an alternative storage location.

Not exactly sure which 4Runner years or models have the double hooks, maybe it’s the Sport models.

The panel is held tight against the headliner and you need to work it in from the front to aft alternating both ends until it’s centered between the hooks.

The legs that fold down rattle when traveling down rough roads-I will likely take the bracket off because I don’t think I would ever set it up vertically. I believe the bracket would only make sense if you had four of these to make 100 Watts-all connected together.