Caravan & Motorhome Solar Panel Fitting in St Helens
Off-grid power for motorhomes, caravans, campervans and narrowboats — supplied, fitted and fully guaranteed by a St Helens workshop with more than ten years in the marine and leisure trade.
Most systems go in inside a day, and we can usually book you in within about four days of the call.
What the price includes
- Monocrystalline panels — the most efficient type we source
- Charge controller sized to your battery bank
- Cabling, glands and mountings, fitted properly
- Guaranteed installation with after-sales advice
- Leisure batteries, LED lighting and split relays if you need them
Solar Panel Fitting St Helens
Every installation is carried out in our own workshop with the vehicle inside and level, not in a car park with a tube of sealant. That matters more than people expect: the two things that ruin a leisure solar system are a roof penetration that was not sealed correctly and cable that was undersized for the panel it is feeding.
We mount to the roof structure, seal to marine standard, and run correctly rated cable back to a charge controller sized for the array. Then we test the output before you leave, so you drive away knowing what the system actually produces rather than what the box claimed.
Why fit solar to a caravan or motorhome?
A solar panel is the closest thing there is to free power on a leisure vehicle. Once it is on the roof it quietly puts charge back into your leisure battery every daylight hour, with no fuel, no noise and nothing to switch on. The practical result is that you stop planning trips around hook-up availability.
That matters most in three situations: pitches without electric hook-up, long stints of storage over winter when a battery would otherwise flatten and sulphate, and any kind of off-grid or wild camping where the fridge, lights, water pump and phone charging all have to come from the battery.
There is one thing we will always say plainly, because it saves people money: a solar panel is only ever as good as the battery underneath it. A large panel feeding a tired, undersized battery will not give you a better weekend away. If your batteries are several years old, tell us when you call and we will factor that into the quote rather than fitting a panel that cannot store what it makes.
Solar, and everything that goes with it
We are not a panel-only outfit. Because we work across the marine and leisure sector we carry, and fit, the whole system around the panel — which is usually where a self-fit kit comes unstuck.
Solar panels
Monocrystalline panels in the sizes that actually suit leisure vehicles, from a 100W trickle charger up to multi-panel arrays for full independence.
Adjustable mountings
Fixed flush mountings for most roofs, or tilting adjustable brackets where you want to angle the panel at a low winter sun.
Wind turbines
For boats and narrowboats especially, a small turbine alongside solar covers the darker months when panel output drops away.
Charging systems
Split charge relays so the engine tops up the leisure bank on the move, alongside the solar controller.
Leisure batteries
A large range across budgets. We size the bank to the panel and to how you actually use the vehicle.
LED lighting
Interior and exterior LED lighting — the single easiest way to make a modest solar system go a lot further.
Vehicles we install solar on
If it is a leisure vehicle or a boat, we have almost certainly put a system on one. The install differs quite a bit between them — roof construction, cable routing and where the battery bank lives all change the job.
Motorhomes
The most common job. Panel on the roof, controller near the battery bank, cable run through an existing gland where possible.
Caravans
Similar to a motorhome but the battery is usually in a front locker, which often makes for a tidier run.
Campervans
Self-builds and factory conversions. Space is tight, so panel choice and controller placement matter more.
Narrowboats
Long runs, bigger battery banks and a real need for winter output — often where a turbine earns its keep.
Boats & yachts
Marine-grade fixings and sealing throughout, because a deck penetration done badly is a leak waiting to happen.
What size solar panel do I actually need?
This is the question we get asked more than any other, and the honest answer is that it depends on what you want to run and for how long. That said, there are sensible starting points we would stand behind, and they are the numbers we work from when someone rings up.
A practical note on getting to those bigger numbers: it is generally easier to fit two 100W panels than one 200W panel. Two smaller panels are lighter to handle on a roof, easier to place around vents, aerials and rooflights, and if one is shaded the other keeps working. A single large panel is not wrong, it is just less flexible.
Through a British summer, a system in the 150W to 200W range will produce a lot more than most people expect and will genuinely cut how often you need a hook-up. Through December and January it will not, which is why we talk about a battery bank and, on boats, sometimes a turbine.
Rather than guess from a web page, ring us with a rough list of what you run — fridge, lights, pump, TV, phone charging, any inverter — and we will work out the amperage you need and tell you the panel size that fits it. It takes a couple of minutes and it is free.
Extending an existing solar system
If you already have solar and you have found it does not quite keep up, you usually do not need to start again. In most cases we can add a second panel alongside the first, wired in parallel, and keep the system you already paid for.
What we check before quoting is the rest of the system rather than the panel. Cable size is the common limit — cabling sized for one modest panel will not always carry the current from two, and undersized cable costs you output through voltage drop. The charge controller has to be rated for the combined array as well. Sometimes both need upgrading, sometimes neither does, and we would rather tell you which before you commit.
Worth knowing: mixing an old panel with a brand new one of a different type or size is not always the free win it looks like. We will tell you honestly if adding to what you have is the sensible route, or if replacing the array outright will give you a better system for a similar spend.
What a properly specified system gives you
Fully automatic
Nothing to set and nothing to remember. Once it is commissioned it manages itself whenever there is daylight.
Charges both banks
Where you want it, one panel can maintain the leisure batteries and the engine battery, so the vehicle still starts after a long stand.
Battery protection
A proper controller stops overcharging, which is what protects the lifespan of an expensive battery bank.
You can see it working
Clear LCD displays show charge state and what the panel is putting in, so you are not guessing at your power situation.
Monocrystalline only
We fit panels built on monocrystalline technology — the most efficient and reliable option for the roof space available.
Built to last outside
We do not compromise on the fixings, sealing or cable quality. It lives on a roof in British weather for years.
Booking, timings and what happens on the day
We keep this simple. Ring the workshop, tell us the vehicle and roughly what you want to run, and we will size the system and give you a price. There is no obligation in the call and no charge for the advice.
From there we can usually fit you in within about four days. The exception is a special-order panel or a larger multi-panel array, which can take a little longer to come in — we will tell you at the point of booking rather than after.
On the day, we normally have a system installed within the day. If you already have an old system that needs stripping out first, or the cable run is awkward on a particular conversion, it can take longer, and again we will say so up front. You are welcome to leave the vehicle with us.
Church Square & the town centre
The main shopping centre, high street, cafes and the market. Easily enough to fill an hour or two while a same-day job is under way.
World of Glass
St Helens' own museum telling the story of the town's glassmaking, with live glassblowing demonstrations and the Victorian tank house tunnels underneath.
Victoria Park
Bandstand, walled garden and open green space just north of the centre. Good if the weather holds and you fancy a walk rather than shops.
Taylor Park & Sherdley Park
Two of the bigger parks in the borough — lakes, woodland trails and space for the dog. Sherdley also hosts the annual show.
Totally Wicked Stadium
Home of St Helens RFC. Worth checking the fixture list before booking a weekend slot — match traffic is worth avoiding either way.
Dream, Sutton Manor
The 20-metre white sculpture on the old colliery site, with views back across the borough. A proper stretch of the legs on a longer job.
Carr Mill Dam
The largest body of fresh water in Merseyside, with walking routes around the reservoir. Quiet, and a world away from a waiting room.
St Helens Central
If you would rather not wait at all, the station is a short walk and runs direct to Liverpool, Wigan and Manchester.
We look after drivers across St Helens and the surrounding areas — Eccleston, Rainford, Thatto Heath, Clock Face, Parr, Sutton, Windle, Moss Bank and Billinge — along with Haydock, Newton-le-Willows, Earlestown, Prescot, Rainhill and Whiston. We also see plenty of cars from further afield in Huyton, Kirkby, Knowsley, Widnes, Runcorn, Warrington, Wigan, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Golborne, Leigh, Skelmersdale, Ormskirk, Liverpool, Crosby, Aintree and Culcheth.
Spread the cost with Payment Assist
A full solar and battery installation is a planned spend, and not everyone wants it to land in one go. We are a Payment Assist garage, so you can split the work into monthly instalments and still have the vehicle back the same day. Ask us when you book and we will run through what is available on the amount you are spending.
Message us and we will size it for you
Send us the make and model of the vehicle, a photo of the roof if you have one, and a rough idea of what you want to run. We will come back with a panel size and a price. It is genuinely the fastest way to get an answer.
Caravan & motorhome solar: your questions
The things people actually ring up and ask, answered straight.
As a starting point we would fit at least 100W on a motorhome for a good everyday charge, and around 200W if you want genuine independence from hook-up on a medium-sized van. Larger motorhomes are usually better on 300W, normally as two or three panels rather than one big one. The honest answer depends on what you run, so ring us with a rough list and we will work out the amperage and size it properly.
We normally have a system installed within the day. It can take longer if there is an existing system to strip out first, or if the cable run on your particular conversion is awkward. We will tell you which applies when you book, not when you arrive.
Usually within about four days of booking. A special-order panel, or a larger multi-panel array, can take a little longer to come in and we will tell you at the point of booking.
Usually yes. We wire the additional panel in parallel alongside your existing one and keep the system you have already paid for. What we check first is the cabling and the charge controller, because cable sized for one modest panel will not always carry two, and undersized cable quietly costs you output. Sometimes an upgrade is needed, sometimes it is not.
It can. Where you want it set up that way, one panel can maintain both the leisure bank and the engine battery, which is what stops a vehicle refusing to start after a long stand in storage. Tell us when you book and we will specify the system to do it.
Through the summer, genuinely yes. A 150W to 200W system produces far more than most people expect and will noticeably cut how often you need a hook-up. Through December and January it will not carry you on its own, which is why we talk about battery capacity, and on boats sometimes a wind turbine alongside. We would rather set that expectation now than sell you something that disappoints in winter.
Sometimes, and we will tell you straight. A solar panel is only as good as the battery underneath it, so a big panel feeding a tired or undersized battery will not improve your weekend. If your batteries are several years old, mention it when you call and we will factor it into the quote.
It is generally easier to fit two 100W panels than a single 200W panel. Two are lighter to handle on a roof, easier to place around vents, rooflights and aerials, and if one is shaded the other carries on working. A single large panel is not wrong, it is just less flexible on a busy roof.
Yes. Narrowboats and yachts are a regular part of what we do, and they are a slightly different job with longer cable runs, bigger battery banks and a real need for winter output, which is where a wind turbine alongside the solar often earns its keep. Everything above deck is fitted with marine-grade fixings and sealed properly.
Leisure batteries, split charge relays so the engine tops the bank up on the move, and interior and exterior LED lighting. Swapping to LED is the cheapest way to make a modest solar system go a lot further, and it is worth doing at the same visit rather than as a second job.
Yes. Every installation comes fully guaranteed and the after-sales advice is a phone call away. We have been working in the marine and leisure sector for over ten years.
Yes. We are a Payment Assist garage, so a solar and battery installation can be split into monthly instalments with the vehicle back the same day. Ask when you book and we will run through the options for the amount you are spending.
Book solar panel fitting in St Helens
Supply, fitting and after-sales advice from a workshop that has been doing marine and leisure electrics for over a decade. Tell us the vehicle and what you want to run — we will do the rest.