This link has a ton of info. I read most of the links a couple years ago. Handybob solar is also a great resource. He mentions that if you even cover up a small portion of a panel with shade it decreases output by something like 70%.
http://forum.expedit...Solar-Power-FAQ
Last month I was in Death Valley. Upon arrival at the campsite I heard a weird noise as I begain to empty the camper. Once I removed my 100w panel I saw what the noise was. The glass was broken. Somewhere along the journey to camp the panel frame had bent, thus fracturing the glass.
The next day I moved again to a different location. I unloaded the camp gear again and began to set up camp. I decided to move the camper for shade reasons and forgot the panel was in front of the truck. This time the panel damage was my fault. I checked at the CTEK and it was a little lower than peak. Temps were a bit high and I'm sure my 0.7w fridge was drawing much more. The 2nd night in camp I looked at the fridge display and it showed an error. I thought I checked everything and even changed the plug to the main truck plug. With no fridge I decided to hit the road the next morning. Once driving and having the alternator charging the system the fridge was working again. Had I only run the engine a little while I could have determined that my house battery wasn't being charged by the bent/broken solar panel.
I have another new 100w panel at home since my original calculations per the reading in the first link suggest to double what you think you will need. This was mentioned in this thread already. Two 100w panels are quite heavy and getting them in the camper is a PIA so I did a few trips with only one panel and it has worked well up to this past trip.
In camp I tend to move my panels during the day to chase the sun. It really isn't a big deal if you are able to orient your rig and don't have a lot of tree cover, i.e. desert. I've not had to deal with a lot of trees yet since most of my trips are to desert areas. After the last trip however I did start wondering about mounting a panel to the Yakima tracks up top. I'd like to have the ability to angle the panel too. If anyone has come up with a fairly inexpensive DIY it would be great to see how to do it.
Founder of D.E.R.P. Desert Exploration & Research Project. A camp proper is a nomads biding place. He may occupy it for a season or only for a single night, according as the site and its surroundings please or do not please the wanderers whim- Horace Kephart.
2009 4x4 Tacoma Access Cab-The Gini
2013 Silver Spur Finch Shell- The Oxcart/Gini's Burden-
http://www.wanderthe...ory/#entry83606