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Old 09-16-2010, 12:27 PM   #1
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Installed Flex Mat Solar Panel



I bought the ADH-PM68 Power Mat Kit from Energy Del Sol in June of this year. We can't be more satisfied. The Kit included a 68Watt flex mat that is mounted on the roof. You lay it out, peel off some paper and stick it on the roof. There is a rubber self-sealing frame that also gets attached. The kit also includes a SunForce 12V 10A battery charger and 16 ft of 12AWG wire.

The mat itself was fairly easy to install. Most of my time was spent figuring out where I wanted the control unit and how to run the wires to the control unit and batteries.

We have a 26 ft Sunline Travel Trailer. I have two 6V golf batteries on my trailer. I have installed LED lights for our main reading lights over the dining table and over our bed.

In the past, even with our modest electrical usage, our battery would be below 11V after 4 days.

We just spent two weeks camping in the Boston area. We spent 9 straight days camping where there were no electrical hook ups. We camped at a park called Harold Parker State Forest. It is a nice park where the sites are in among a pine tree forest. We like to camp in the trees. So I was worried about how well the Power Mat would work for nine days in the shade. We took along a gas generator just in case.

The first 4 days of our trip in rained almost all day, every day. While during the day, we did some touring around, we spent the late afternoon and all evening in our trailer. Not much fun sitting out in the rain. So we ate, read and played cards in our trailer a lot over those 4 days. We also listened to our CD player. We do not have an inverter, so we did not run major appliance, like microwave or TV; just lights, water pump, fans and CD player. Even though the refrigerator was on propane, it still uses some electric. Also our propane alarm uses electric.

During the 4 days of rain, unless it was as dark as night, the Power Mat continued to charge my batteries. WOW !! In the shade, cloudy, rainy and it still charged the battery.

Over the whole 9 days the battery remained between 12V and 13V. It never went below 12V and we never had a problem. Fantastic. We never had to use the gas generator.

Our goal is to start camping for longer trips, 2 to 3 months at a time. We like state parks and national forests, most of which do not have electrical hookups. And we like camping in among the trees. That is what camping is to us. With the Power Mat installed, we can now feel comfortable taking these trips without worrying about our battery going dead. We can now leave our gas generator behind and lighten our load.

The Power Mat does everything advertised. It is light weight, easy to install, works in shade, works on cloudy days, works on rainy days, and works in the sun.

Thank your for such a good product and one that actually does what it advertises to do.

If anyone wants more details, just let me know.

For pricing and info on the internet, do a google on Flex Power Mat. It really works.
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Old 09-18-2010, 07:18 AM   #2
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Here is a picture of the installed Flex Mat Solar Panel. It weighs only about 25 pounds and is a flexible rubber mat that charges the battery using sunlight, indirect light on cloudy days, and even by moonlight.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg CIMG0284.jpg (48.9 KB, 11 views)
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Old 09-18-2010, 07:33 AM   #3
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Mr Tweety has a birthday coming up, and after looking at their website he really really liked this item.
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Old 09-18-2010, 09:14 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tweety View Post
Mr Tweety has a birthday coming up, and after looking at their website he really really liked this item.
Most places I found on the net have the complete installation kit at $699. One "green" site has it for $679. Unknown on shipping costs as of now.

FWIW, the MSRP is $798 which I suspect most RV dealers will charge in their stores.

Doesn't look to be a terribly difficult DIY, either. (Entering penny saving mode now. )
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Old 09-18-2010, 09:50 AM   #5
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Hmmm....he told me $600...but he tends to round down when he reports a price on a toy he really wants
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Old 09-18-2010, 10:01 AM   #6
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We paid $675 + $33 shipping for a total of $708.00. We already saved on camping by staying at a State Forest 9 nights for only $14 a night compared to $30 and up for campgrounds with electric. We did pop-up camping for 25 years so we are used to conserving and doing without things like microwave, toaster, coffee maker, etc. We bought this solar mat to keep the battery charged to use the lights, fans and water pump mainly.

KathyH
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Old 09-18-2010, 10:40 AM   #7
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One net place has the pad itself for $599, but the whole kit for $699. The complete kit includes the 12vdc 10amp digital charge controller, 15' of wire, and connectors.
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Old 09-18-2010, 11:09 AM   #8
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You said we'll need 9 feet of length. How wide is it? We have alot of "stuff" on the roof in the front since our living area is in the front.
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Old 09-18-2010, 11:24 AM   #9
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DH out of town so I am trying to decipher his notes. It looks like 9.5' by 17.5". Cant' find the dimensions on the site but if you call Travis Fitch at 480-861-3783 in Arizona they were very helpful and knowledgeable about the Solar Mat.

KathyH
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Old 09-18-2010, 12:21 PM   #10
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You said we'll need 9 feet of length. How wide is it? We have alot of "stuff" on the roof in the front since our living area is in the front.
The mat itself is 112.1" x 15.5" (9'4" x 1'3").


I don't believe it can be cut down to a smaller size.

Specs viewable at:
http://www.spheralsolar.com/products...-Boat-Kit.html
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Old 09-18-2010, 02:41 PM   #11
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You have to add 1" to each side for the rubber edging that goes around the mat so that makes the total length 9.5 feet and the total width 17,5".

No you cannot cut the mat to any smaller dimensions.

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Old 09-19-2010, 12:30 PM   #12
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How was the rubber edging screwed down without having a walk-on roof?
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Old 09-19-2010, 02:25 PM   #13
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The solar mat has a strong adhesive backing that sticks to the roof of the trailer. You place the mat where you want it and then roll it up and pull off the paper from the adhesive backing a little at a time. Then there is a 1" rubber edging that also has an adhesive backing that goes all around the edges of the mat. Then there were either 2 or 3 self-tapping screws that went into the trailer roof at the 2 short ends.

Good to see you and Roz at Promised Land SP. Stopped there on our way back from Massachusetts and used site 457 - great site - easy to back into and no ditches on the sides of the entrance.
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Old 09-19-2010, 05:29 PM   #14
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So I guess it's not removable if you decide to buy a new RV.
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Old 09-19-2010, 06:13 PM   #15
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I don't think it would be removable to another RV. You would have to add the solar mat to the cost of the RV as an add-on. We plan on keeping the T2499 for a long time so that was not a consideration for us. Our plan is for charging the battery in non-electric camping sites. Already in just one 2 week vacation we saved at least $144 in camping fees toward that initial cost of $700 by being able to choose a state forest at $14/night. We plan on going out 3-4 months at a time beginning next year and hope to stay at more state forest and BLM sites. So it would depend on your plans and how long you want to keep your trailer whether it is a worthwhile option for your situation.

KathyH
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Old 09-19-2010, 07:23 PM   #16
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So I guess it's not removable if you decide to buy a new RV.
Doubtful at best. But, on the other hand, it sure adds to the resale value!

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