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Portable Solar Guide


In the Portable Solar Guide, learn about the benefits and advantages of having a portable solar kit to charge your batteries in remote and off-grid situations. Simply unpack the solar panel and connect it to the battery that you want to charge. Position and direct the solar panel to have a clear view of the sun. Here are a few things you need to know about choosing a portable solar kit.

  • Micro to Small – These portable solar kits are designed to charge small items like cell phones and small batteries. They often fold into very small packages that are not much larger than a regular envelope, although the footprint can be a few inches thick. The units often have a charging output of 1 Watt to 20 Watts.

  • Medium To Large – The kits are used to charge anywhere from one battery to a battery bank. These portable solar kits have out put ranges from 40 watts all the way up to 160 watts. They often include Charge Controllers inline and have specialized connection kits. This article will mainly focus on this segment of panels.

Portable Solar Kit Basics

BENEFITS OF PORTABLE SOLAR PANELS For years we sold rigid solar panels that people converted into their very own solar kits. Now many manufacturers have created truly portable solar charging kits.

These panels included the ability to do many of the following actions from a single kit:

Easily stow solar panel when not in use Easy to unpack and setup An integrated inline charge controller Enough wire to move into a more sunny area Legs that can tilt to maximize sun Quick connect battery connectors Accessories that allow for easy setup in your situation

PORTABLE SOLAR KIT SIZES When purchasing medium to large portable solar kits you will find only a few sizes on the market. These kits are made in 90 Watts, 130 Watts, and 200 Watts. The main differences are the physical size of the panels, the price, and the output amperage from the panels.

Finding the right size for application involves determining a couple pieces of information:

Area available to store panel when not in use. (Physical opening and storage size) Amount of power required. (More solar charging power is almost always better) Your budget to purchase the panel.

COMMON PORTABLE SOLAR PARTS & TERMINOLOGY

Below you will find a diagram referencing each part of a typical portable kit.

Common Portable Solar Kit Parts and Features

  • Solar Charge Controller – this device allows the solar panels to charge the battery when it needs additional power. The charge controller will stop or significantly reduce the power to battery based on the current charge of your battery. These range from Shunt Type, PWM, and MPPT. The most common choice is the PWM – or Pulse Width Modulation.
  • Rigid Solar Panels – Most portable units are being made with rigid solar panels to increase durability of the unit when in the field.
  • Hinged Panels – The center of the panel is a hinge between two separate photo-voltaic panels. This allow for reduced size when stowing.
  • Tilt and Place Legs – The legs are used to keep the panel in any configuration other than flat on the ground. The panels can be better angled to capture the maximum sun for your area. The legs often have a bolt for easy adjustment.
  • Solar Cable – Most portable solar kits have a solar cable able to extend the reach of the panel by 15 to 30 feet.
  • Battery Connectors – The battery connectors on most portable solar kits are designed for easy attachment and removal from your battery. This includes the use of alligator clamps and also Anderson connectors.

A collection of portables that work with solar on the side connections

Connecting to the solar port on the side of your RV

The port on the side is connected directly to the battery in most wiring setups. Check your Rv's manual to make sure this is the case.
This port has a standard connector in many portable solar kits. Commonly referred to as an SAE connector. Portable kits usually have the charge controller in line or on the back of the panel. This is why the port usually is wired directly to the battery.
If there is a side connection, a customer needs to look at our portable solar units and our portable solar guide for more information.

Many of the portable solar kits come with a wide range of connectors. This allows easy connecting to your RV and also other equipment.

Go Power 200 Watt Solar Kit
Go Power 130 Watt Portable Solar Kit
Renogy 200 watt portable solar kit
Go Power 90 Watt Portable Solar Kit
Go Power 130 Watt Portable Solar Kit

Go Power 130 Watt Portable Solar Kit Go Power!’s 130-watt Portable Solar Kit (PSK) folding solar modules offer some of the most versatile and convenient battery charging options for those who don’t want to permanently mount solar to a rooftop or want to supplement a roof top system. The Anderson-style battery charging connectors allow you to quickly interchange the charging accessory to best suit your needs – from maintaining your RV or trailer battery while on the road to trickle charging your car, ATV or boat battery.

Portable 90 Watts Solar Power Kit 30 Feet Away Go Power 90 Watt Portable Kit

This portable solar kit has 90 Watts of power now Thats right an extra 10 watts of solar chargin in the same form factor. Go Power 90 Watt Portable solar kit with 30 Foot Extesnion Cable This 90-watt portable kit paired with the 30-foot extension cable will get you in the sun and charge your batteries in a flash. The Go Power portable solar panel is rated at a total of 90 Watts of power.

130 Watt Go Power Portable Kit Solar Battery Charger GP-PSK-130

The 120 watt portable is now 130 watts of charging power from the sun The part number is GP-PSK-130 The rugged durability of our Go Power 130 watt portable kit guarantees you will generate solar power everywhere you go. Our Portable Solar Kits allow you to park in the shade while your kit sits in the sun to charge your batteries. 130 Watt Portable Solar Kit is a great solar battery charger These have a built-in PWM solar controller that prevents your batteries from overcharging.

130 Watt Portable Solar Panel With 30 Foot Extension Cable

The 130W Portable Solar Kit with 30 Foot Extension Cable can quicky connect to your RV when in a shady spot New upgraded higher output solar panel UPDATE* This is the new 130 watt portable solar kit as the 120 watt Portable Solar Panel has been upgraded to a larger output. The rugged durability of our solar panels guarantees you will generate solar power everywhere you go and with its portable setup features you will be charging in no time.

Portable Solar

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Portable Solar Kits

Portable Solar Kits Go Power and other manufacturers have a wide variety of solar kits available. The portable solar kits are a great addition to your RVs supply kit whether you are adding extra solar to your roof mounted array or just want something extra to keep your battery bank topped off. Accessories for Portable Kits Extension cables Custom connectors 7 pin connector SAE Connector

Additional reads

Check out these articles for more information from Outside Supply.
RV Power Guide
RV Power Guide

RV Solar Options Solar Panels - Rigid Roof Mounts Updated July 2020 More efficient solar kits is what Go Power keeps striving for. What stated as a 160 watt solar panel is now a 190 watt panel in the same footprint. Need to add solar panels to your RV? Depending on how large your charge controller is on your mobile solar array, you may be able add additional panels. Important factors to know when trying to add panels to your array: * How many amps can your charge controller handle * How many amps of solar are in your array * How is your array wired (Parallel, Series, Series/Parallel) * How much space do you have on your RV roof for more solar panels Here is a selection of panels to grow a Go Power System Go Power 190 E Expansion Panel Go Power Flexible Solar Panel 100 Watt Expansion Go Power Rigid 100 Watt Solar Panel Expansion Kit There are other brans on the market, we have found Go Power!

Complete RV Solar Power Kits With Agm Batteries 2
Complete RV Solar Power Kits With Agm Batteries 2

RV Solar Power Kits and AGM Batteries A full selection of complete RV solar power systems with AGM batteries for the house battery bank. Complete power kits for your RV include an Inverter Charger, solar array for charging your RVs house battery bank. In this group of products, we include AGM batteries. These Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries are second to only the lithium kits. AGM batteries can be more affordable, but they do require larger banks and more weight.

Starlink RV Guide
Starlink RV Guide

The solar power guide for Starlink in your RV updated 8/23 CoastalRVCrew Starlink, SpaceX’s Global Satellite Constellation, might be the remote worker and RVers’ dream connection. With a global connection footprint, you could really travel in your RV just about anywhere. Numerous times on the road, we were near national parks like Yellowstone and Glacier and had no internet services. This lack of service required long drives sometimes to complete only short tasks online.