Industry application
Camping and Vehicle Auxiliary Power
12 V charging for camper vans, trucks and equipment left standing.
Pain points
What Goes Wrong in This Sector
- Starter and leisure batteries go flat and sulphate when a vehicle is laid up
- Portable panels have to be set out and packed away at every stop
- Truck auxiliary power draws down the battery overnight with no way to recover it
- Hardware bought piecemeal leaves you without a way to fix the panel down
Requirements
What Buyers Actually Need
- Small 12 V modules that maintain a battery without supervision
- Mounting hardware that suits a van, truck or trailer roof
- Sealed cable entry so the installation stays watertight
- A single supplier for module, mount and gland
Our approach
How We Specify for This Work
Maintain rather than recharge
A 5 W or 10 W module holds a battery up against self-discharge and parasitic loads on a vehicle that is not in daily use.
Mount it once
A permanently mounted panel works every day the vehicle is parked. A portable one only works when someone remembers to put it out.
Choose the fixing to suit the roof
Aluminium Z or L feet where the surface takes a fastener; bonded ABS mounts where it must not be drilled.
Seal the entry
A bonded gland box gives a permanent watertight seal around the cable rather than a sealant repair that has to be redone.
Recommended products
What We Supply for Camping & Auxiliary
BSM005P-TBSM005P-T 5 W Multicrystalline Solar Module
A 5 W 12 V multicrystalline module for battery maintenance, remote gates and garden lighting.
View details →
BSM020P-TBSM020P-T 20 W Multicrystalline Solar Module
A 20 W 12 V multicrystalline module, 10.0 % efficient, with a 36-cell 2 × 18 layout.
View details →
BSM020P-NBSM020P-N 20 W Multicrystalline Solar Module
The 24 V nominal 20 W module — 68 cells, 41.3 V open circuit, 10.38 % efficient.
View details →
BSM020MBSM020M 20 W Monocrystalline Solar Module
A 20 W 12 V monocrystalline module at 650 × 306 × 17 mm with a 6063-T5 anodised frame.
View details →
BS09009-KitsCaravan RV Solar Mount Kit with Short Side Brackets
Four white corner brackets plus a short white side bracket set — everything for bonding one panel to a caravan roof.
View details →
BS090018-KitsCaravan RV Solar Kit with 530 mm Side Brackets
Four white corner brackets plus 530 mm long white side brackets for larger framed panels.
View details →BS090033-KitsCaravan Solar Panel Mounting Kit 510 mm
The 510 mm variant of the caravan kit, for panels whose long edge does not suit the 530 mm profile.
View details →BS090034-KitsCaravan Solar Panel Mounting Kit 550 mm
The longest kit in the family — 550 mm side brackets plus four white corner brackets.
View details →Application notes
Worked Examples
Two Panels on a Caravan Roof Without Drilling
A caravan owner planned to DIY-install two 80 watt polycrystalline panels on the roof of a 21 ft 6 in van. The question raised on…
Waterproof Roof Cable Entry on a Camper
When the cable assembly of solar panels on the roof of a camper is run, the practical route is to bring the cable through the…
Knowledge
Guides for This Sector
How a Photovoltaic Cell Turns Sunlight into Electricity
The physics behind every module on this site, in the terms our own FAQ uses.
The Three Parts of a Motorhome Solar Battery Charging System
Panel, regulator, battery — what each one does and why you cannot skip the middle one.
Sizing a Solar Panel for an RV
Count the loads first, then pick the module — not the other way round.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What are these modules listed for?
12 volt DC battery charging, weather towers, camping and hunting, RV, marine power supply, wind hybrid systems, truck auxiliary power units, landscaping and garden lights, remote area applications and remote gates.
How big a panel do I need to maintain a battery?
A 5 W module at 0.29 A offsets self-discharge and small parasitic loads. If you are running real loads, start at 20 W and go up.
Can I fit a panel to a truck or van roof?
Yes. Use aluminium feet where you can fasten into the roof, or bonded ABS mounts where you cannot.
Do I need a charge controller?
We recommend one on any installation you intend to leave unattended. Check your controller's maximum input voltage against the module's open circuit voltage.
Specifying for Camping & Auxiliary?
Send us the vehicle or vessel, the panel you are fitting and the quantity. We will come back with part numbers, carton quantities and a price.