Newbie Advice Needed

[Jane Bratley]

Hi,

Shortly to pick up our 2012 Burstner Nexxo T569 and intend, a bit later in the year, heading south and wintering in the warmth.
This will also include some "wild camping", so I am intending to get a couple of solar panels fitted.
Having a look around this forum and the internet, it looks as though a couple of 120W panels to charge the leisure and van batteries might be a good balance of power, cost and weight.
Any other suggestions?
I am also getting a new Pioneer AVIC Head Unit and want to have a reversing camera fitted to.
Does anyone have any recommendations for a fitting company to do both in the SE of England (we have a flat in Broadstairs)?
Ideally, we want to get a service, M.O.T. and habitation service as soon as we get the van, so if anyone has any recommendations for someone to do the lot, I'd be very grateful.

Jane

 

[Mickey1]

Mickey.

 

[f6c]

Welcome aboard

 

[Pia]

can't help with your query...I'm sure someone willl....try putting it on the Beginners board if you don't get a response here..you definitely will from there

 

[Riverbankannie]

Sorry, cannot help with places in South East but hopefully someone will be along.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Stealaway]

We have a Nexxo 660 - a slightly longer version of yours.
I have fitted two 125W solar panels but it was a squeeze. I could have fitted one panel behind the rear roof light but I wanted the cables as short as possible. The cables come through the roof inside the cupboard behind the driver seat and drop down a void behind the driver's seat into the battery compartment under the seats. I kept the solar separate from the Electroblock by fitting one of these controllers with an amp meter so I can monitor the amount of charge and running 4mm charging wires to both sets of batteries.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20A-Dual-...06&rk=1&rkt=1&&_trksid=p2045573.c100506.m3226

We always wild camp and have never had any power issues even when using the 240V inverter / 24" TV/ and soundbar for over three hours every night.

A reversing camera is good but I would also strongly recommend a set of wireless reversing sensors.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wireless-...740795&hash=item489e37da6a:g:zAsAAOSwosFUWTLM

 

[Jane Bratley]

Stealaway, for various reasons, we didn't manage to get a solar panel fitted when we had other work done and we are now thinking of having a go at fitting one ourselves.
The size of the panel will be determined by the space we have, but looking at the various kits and doing some more reading I am more confused than when I started.
I note you have used a separate controller and these kits come with a regulator, but I have read people recommending using a Schaudt LRM1218 and wiring it into the Elektroblock (I believe our T569 has the EBL99).
Does this take the place of the regulators old with the kits and would I just discard the regulator/controller?
Would this also mean I don't have to actually touch the batteries, I just connect the cables from the panel to the LRM1218 and then the elektroblock?
Have I got completely the wrong end of the stick and should I just get someone to fit something for me>?

 

[Richard n Ann]

^^ @Stealaway ^^

 

[Stealaway]

I note you have used a separate controller and these kits come with a regulator, but I have read people recommending using a Schaudt LRM1218 and wiring it into the Elektroblock (I believe our T569 has the EBL99).

I have a similar Electroblok and it seem you can utilise it - up to a certain solar panel amps output, with an additional panel costing I think about £80.
I didn't want to involve my existing system and opted for an entirely separate system controller. The solar panels are really just another form of battery charger.
The dual battery controller is mounted next to the batteries under the cabin seat. There are short 4mm leads to the domestic and I ran 2 further 4mm cables under the floor to the Fiat starter battery.
I can still monitor the battery voltages via the Burstner panel and the amp meter give me a good indication throughout the day that I'm in the sun and charging.
I have the controller set to 90% domestic and 10% starter. When the voltage meter is up at about 14V on both batteries I know that I now fully loaded