Perry Mack
We needed a rugged portable power system nimble enough for all our camp, RV and outdoor adventures.
Story and photos by Perry Mack
Having a truckload of battery power for RVing is reassuring and very convenient. But burning fuel by running your truck or firing up a generator to recharge your batteries is noisy and creates exhaust fumes at a campsite. This doesn’t make sense when a sky overhead full of free power shines on you.
There are many options for portable solar panels and we settled on the 200 Watt FlexSolar Briefcase Solar Panel Kit that met our needs for multipurpose portable power. We use it to overland and enjoy RVing. It also charges the batteries for our 1976 Toyota FJ40 LandCruiser, Massey-Ferguson tractor, and Yamaha FJ09 motorcycle.
This is a rugged portable unit constructed of glass panels that are surrounded by an aluminum frame with extra bumper protection on the corners. With the two 100W panels that are hinged with clasps to secure them together, we appreciated the convenient carrying handle and case to transport it easily.
Measuring 92.8 x 72 x 6.7 cm (36.5 x 28.3 x 2.6 in) and 17.5 kg (38.6 lb), it’s larger than a traditional briefcase, but still manageable while moving the unit from storage or vehicle to vehicle.
It opens to 142 x 93 x 3.3 cm (55.2 x 36.5 x 1.3 in) with built-in, fold-out stands and a 20A 12V/24V pulse width modulation (PWM) solar charge controller. The controller charges all types of automotive batteries including flooded, sealed, gel, AGM, and lithium. A port allows you to charge multiple devices simultaneously. We use the two included USB ports to charge smaller devices like our phones, tablets and cameras. Three cables also attach to the PWM, one with alligator clips for charging automotive batteries, another with an Anderson plug and a DC 8055 male connector for accessories.
Perry Mack
The complete kit folds into a protective easy-to-carry case.
The numbers hit our charging targets with a maximum power voltage of 18.6 volts and maximum power current of 10.8 amps. The solar panels are rated at 21.5 percent efficiency, which means it converts 21.5 percent of sunshine that hits it into electricity. 17 to 19 percent is average and the best solar panels can hit 23 percent.
Another benefit is they are chainable, which means that if 200 W is not enough, we could add more panels to collect more power.
The instructions are understandable but what’s missing is you need to connect a load (battery or power station) for the display to light up. While the support staff couldn’t explain why it was designed this way, they did reiterate a warning in the instructions for connecting an automotive battery to the system to prevent damage to the PWM controller. The two solar panels are connected by a cable.
Remember, the PWM is the most sensitive part of the system and is water- and dust-resistant with an IP65 rating. To confirm this, we left it outside for a few days charging an automotive battery and a cellphone. It became completely covered in dust. While it didn’t rain, we showered it with a hose and it proved to be dust and water-resistant.
FlexSolar offers a variety of products including solar chargers from 5A and up, foldable solar panels, RV charging systems, and a 100W version of the Briefcase Solar Panel Kit. For more details visit https://flexsolarenergy.com