Why don’t Europeans fit solar panels to the roofs of their motorhomes?

R

RV-AL

LIFE MEMBER
Joined
Jan 31, 2021
Posts
77
Likes collected
57
Location
Twickenham, UK
Funster No
79,029
MH
Auto-Trail Delaware
Exp
Since 2021
I am staying on a campsite above Bilbao which is terraced and I am on the upper level. Looking out I have a great view of the city but also of the roofs of the 12 motorhomes on the terrace below. The first thing that struck me was that their roofs were all very clean (pleased my roof wasn’t over looked), but then that with the exception of two vans none had any solar panels and those that did only had what looked like single 80 watt panels which probably came with the vans. Most of the vans are Spanish or Portugese registered where they have a lot more sun than us with a couple of Dutch and German. I have 500 watts and am wondering if I over did it on the upgrades!

Does anyone have a theory on way the Europeans don’t go for solar panels, or is my sample just unrepresentative?
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
I can only think that they use their motorhomes more like day vans so have sufficient battery capacity for their shorter trips
 
Upvote 0
Maybe there are laws against it. In the UK now you have to inform some insurers of such installations.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
Amazed at how well timed this post is. I'm in castello just now there must be 100 vans here spread between the aire and in the side streets , I can't believe how many are sat with their engines running obviously trying to charge batteries as I'd say half of them don't have any solar fitted. And they're german ,french and dutch registered, mostly carthago and rapido vans ,I noticed this on a parkup in South France too where vans were again running engines to get some power. Its annoying as hell when parked near them. The price of solar these days is cheap . And there's an abundance of sun down here .


What's up with them
 
Upvote 0
Northernraider said:
Amazed at how well timed this post is. I'm in castello just now there must be 100 vans here spread between the aire and in the side streets , I can't believe how many are sat with their engines running obviously trying to charge batteries as I'd say half of them don't have any solar fitted. And they're german ,french and dutch registered, mostly carthago and rapido vans ,I noticed this on a parkup in South France too where vans were again running engines to get some power. Its annoying as hell when parked near them. The price of solar these days is cheap . And there's an abundance of sun down here .


What's up with them
Click to expand...
Suprised with the Germans, the ones I know are all up on solar, there is a massive overland show in Bad Kissingen every year and all have solar plus Mastervolt have a big stand there. I know some great Dutch swear words that might come in handy :)
 
Upvote 0
Run to the Sun said:
Suprised with the Germans, the ones I know are all up on solar, there is a massive overland show in Bad Kissingen every year and all have solar plus Mastervolt have a big stand there. I know some great Dutch swear words that might come in handy :)
Click to expand...
So am I and I never noticed it so much on previous trips but there seems loads this time. Never short of a satellite dish though that's for sure

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
I would say the reason that the ones you can see don’t have panels on their because they are on a campsite. I assume if they are campsite people, they have the ability and are possibly paying for electricity.

If you go to camping areas that don’t have electricity supplied/or available you would see more SPs
 
Upvote 0
Lenny HB said:
I get fed up with the French & Spanish starting up their engines at 8 am and ruining my beauty sleep.
If they are going to stay on Aires without EHU why don't they make their vans fit for purpose.
Click to expand...
I don’t need beauty sleep, I’m usually gone by then👍🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 1
It seems a lot of continental manufacturers don’t fit them as standard because they expect their clientele to be on EHU when they park up!!
 
Upvote 0
Run to the Sun said:
Suprised with the Germans, the ones I know are all up on solar, there is a massive overland show in Bad Kissingen every year and all have solar plus Mastervolt have a big stand there. I know some great Dutch swear words that might come in handy :)
Click to expand...
I met a Dutch gentleman early this year in Spain and his self-build was actually totally electric from drive to everything Habitation and he had the whole roof covered with panels and could charge up even on the move
 
Upvote 0
RV-AL said:
I am staying on a campsite above Bilbao which is terraced and I am on the upper level. Looking out I have a great view of the city but also of the roofs of the 12 motorhomes on the terrace below. The first thing that struck me was that their roofs were all very clean (pleased my roof wasn’t over looked), but then that with the exception of two vans none had any solar panels and those that did only had what looked like single 80 watt panels which probably came with the vans. Most of the vans are Spanish or Portugese registered where they have a lot more sun than us with a couple of Dutch and German. I have 500 watts and am wondering if I over did it on the upgrades!

Does anyone have a theory on way the Europeans don’t go for solar panels, or is my sample just unrepresentative?
Click to expand...
Hi, we live in France and nearly every motorhome or camping car as they’re known over here has at least one solar panel. Most motorhomes over here also have a satellite dish.
 
Upvote 0
Broadway said:
It seems a lot of continental manufacturers don’t fit them as standard because they expect their clientele to be on EHU when they park up!!
Click to expand...
But even if they are on EHU in Spain and Portugal it is only 6 amps and you see some of the mega German trucks like the morellos etc without solar.
 
Upvote 0
We have a Spanish van...and have Solar on the roof...
All the fittings are registered for ITV it didn't present any problems..

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
Don’t you just like the satellite shuffle, the van arrives dish goes up and around and around!
Next the vans on the move, dish up again.
Have seen vans leave a site.

Then get to me , poor mobile signal, this window that window, no signal, WTF, switch it off and on, now no signal!
But where to go to? need a signal to find out another location.
Finally get a grip and start to sorting my photos into albums, hoping a signal will arrive soon!
 
Upvote 0
From what I heard from a salesman at Erwin Hymer, the Continentals do not use their motorhomes (and caravans) the same as we do. They ma9nly go to sites with EHU and use the toilets blocks for everything. Many do not go off grid and sit and watch football matches for example, so their power needs are not the same.
 
Upvote 0
jumar said:
We have a Spanish van...and have Solar on the roof...
All the fittings are registered for ITV it didn't present any problems..
Click to expand...
Same here.
And we start the engine when we're ready to leave. We also are silent and speak very quietly.
But we are a bit strange also🤨

On a side note, it's true the solar panel must be in the "vehicle technical sheet" to be legal (since a recent change in the law), also the electric step, if not ITV would be faulty.
 
Upvote 0
Peavy said:
Same here.
And we start the engine when we're ready to leave. We also are silent and speak very quietly.
But we are a bit strange also🤨

On a side note, it's true the solar panel must be in the "vehicle technical sheet" to be legal (since a recent change in the law), also the electric step, if not ITV would be faulty.
Click to expand...
Hi...the Panel needs to be added to the Tech Sheet...the engineer wasn't interested in the electric step on our van...
 
Upvote 0
Verteuil Man said:
From what I heard from a salesman at Erwin Hymer, the Continentals do not use their motorhomes (and caravans) the same as we do. They ma9nly go to sites with EHU and use the toilets blocks for everything. Many do not go off grid and sit and watch football matches for example, so their power needs are not the same.
Click to expand...
Aye right


Go to any Spanish coast carpark or the coast of Greece, Germans French and Dutch outnumber every other Nationality, free parking and 90% with satellite TV. And they like to spread themselves out too some have gardens, plant pots , fake grass, gnomes, others have trailers.

Subscribers  do not see these advertisements

 
Upvote 0
Northernraider said:
Aye right


Go to any Spanish coast carpark or the coast of Greece, Germans French and Dutch outnumber every other Nationality, free parking and 90% with satellite TV. And they like to spread themselves out too some have gardens, plant pots , fake grass, gnomes, others have trailers.
Click to expand...
Gnomes...Who the F**K has Gnomes in their Motorhome...(Motorgnome)
 
Upvote 0
ArchieDog said:
Hi, we live in France and nearly every motorhome or camping car as they’re known over here has at least one solar panel. Most motorhomes over here also have a satellite dish.
Click to expand...
We are in france as well, when we bought ours it already had a 450w panel fitted by the previous owner.
 
Upvote 0
Reallyretired said:
On the subject of sat dishes, I once had a German partly on my pitch on a nearly empty site about 6 inches from my van, because he said it was the only place he could get a signal. I told him to go forth and multiply or words to that effect
Click to expand...
But did he follow ze orders ?
 
Upvote 0

Join us or log in to post a reply.

To join in you must be a member of MotorhomeFun

Join MotorhomeFun

Join us, it quick and easy!

Join us

Log in

Already a member? Log in here.

Latest journal entries

Back
Top