Solar panel on your camper: costs, yield and pitfalls

A complete solar panel kit for a camper consists of the panel itself, a charge controller (MPPT clearly provides more efficiency than PWM), cabling, and a roof feed-through. Add it all up to a few hundred euros if you install it yourself, and easily double that for professional installation.

Important points to consider:

• The roof must be able to handle it. Drilling into a camper roof is asking for leaks. Have the feed-through properly sealed, because moisture damage is the most expensive damage a camper can incur.
• The battery determines the usefulness. A large panel on a worn-out leisure battery is like carrying water to the sea. The panel and battery should be matched to each other.
• The added value on resale is limited. A neat solar installation counts in the valuation, but don't expect to get the full purchase price back.