WHY DO WE NEED A HOOD SOLAR PANEL?

Almost every weekend we will drive our small off-road vehicles with roof tents to camp or occasionally go on crazy long-distance trips which leads us to spend one or two or many days and nights on off-road vehicles. Therefore we need a solar panel to provide us with power to ensure that our daily equipment such as small refrigerators, night lighting, scene lighting, water pumps, mobile phones, computer, and other USB basic equipment are not paralyzed.

Most off-road vehicles have a small luggage rack or tent on the roof which makes it impossible to install solar panels on the roof. At the same time, we hope that the solar panels can be permanently fixed in a place to facilitate a plug-and-play system and not easy to be stolen but not like the other panels outside, you need to pull out the panels and deploy them in the camp before they can be charged that will take up space in the vehicles and cause each use to be quite troublesome.

As an FYI, in the US in order to make the newer 2012 and up vehicles get better fuel mileage and meet the “government standards” for fuel economy the “engineers” decided to only put a minimum charge in the battery when driving, so they are turning off the alternator, thus reducing the load on the engine, until the battery goes down to 12.2V and only put a higher charge when your foot is off the gas or it drops below the 12.2V. A car battery should be kept at a 12.7V minimum to be reliable in all weather conditions, my ZR2 shows 11.8V the first 10 sec after I start it with a fresh battery.

As a result, our batteries are only at 60% charge at best if you drive it daily, if you park it for 2-3 weeks it won’t start in the summer. Also, the battery goes bad in 2-3 years, $300-$400 each for the trucks.

But Now LENSUN Hood Solar Panel Solves These Problems Perfectly.

LEARN ABOUT LENSUN HOOD SOLAR PANEL

As a professional manufacturer in the solar energy industry, LensunSolar has been customizing high-quality solar panels for customers. They are used in campers, trucks, boats…etc. More and more customers request us to customize hood solar panels for their vehicles.

Lensun hood solar panel mounts to the hood/bonnet of your vehicles. Without the need to start your engine, the hood solar panel provides power to keep 12v accessories like fridges, lighting, phones, cameras, radios, etc everything else charged. 

This hood solar panel adheres directly to the vehicle’s hood, requiring no roof rack or mounting hardware. The complete plug-and-play system can be installed easily.  Unlike a portable solar panel, there’s no need to set it up or stow it inside of a vehicle, which can eat up precious cargo space.

The hood/bonnet solar panel system is perfect for the overlander, camper, or traveler. Do not worry about a dead battery while camping/off the grid. 

The Lensun hood solar panel is equipped with a complete combination which includes solar panels, suitable controllers and correct size vehicle vinyl decal. There need not to look for accessories from various places of you that will greatly save your time and efficiency in buying products.

Lensun Solar has customized hood solar panels for many vehicles brands, for example, Toyota, Ford, 
Jeep, Chevy, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz…etc, just check Lensun hood solar panel to find your vehicle model. 

LENSUN HOOD SOLAR PANEL FEATURE

1. Keep your vehicle battery topped up at all times. Your battery will charge every time your vehicle is parked in the sun. Perfect for the overlander or camper who wants to power devices without worrying about draining their battery.
2. Prolongs your battery life. The solar panel will give you longer overall battery life by tending it constantly during periods of sun exposure. 
3. Emergency engine starting device.  If you ever manage to completely drain your battery. The solar panel will start the vehicle up again in as little as 30 minutes depending on sun exposure.  Very efficient and a great backup if you want to be off the grid.
4. Decreased hood glare. Due to its light-absorbing properties, the solar panel creates a surface with very low reflectivity across the hood of the vehicle, the decreases glare while driving. That means constant charging regardless of sun angle.
5. The optional Plug-and-play MPPT solar charge controller, has been pre-wired with fuses, terminals, and connectors. The Solar charge controller is based on a common negative design and advanced MPPT control algorithm, with intelligent protection against reverse polarity, overcharging, short-circuit, and reverse current.
Click this link to check the solar controller details https://www.lensunsolar.com/Products/Solar-controller?product_id=493  The cooperated controller is compatible with a Lead-acid battery, if you need to recharge for a Lithium battery, there need to purchase another controller by this link https://www.lensunsolar.com/Products/Solar-controller
6. The optional but highly recommended custom-cut vinyl base sheet protects the underlying vehicle paint from damage.

TOP MATERIAL USED ON LENSUN HOOD SOLAR PANEL

1. Solar cell: Grade A PERC Monocrystalline solar cells with much higher efficiency and more durability than other mono solar cells.
2. Premium EFTE Film: This film features superior light transmittance and weatherproof performance, and is also heat, corrosion, and UV resistant. ETFE also has self-cleaning abilities, ensuring the best performance day after day.
3. Backboard: Durable fiberglass substrate backboard, better heat dissipation than PET backboard which ensures a long lifetime. ETFE film and fiberglass backboard can withstand extreme environmental conditions, maintenance-free for years.
4. Ultrathin & Lightweight: At only 3mm thick, the solar panel is powerful, waterproof, lightweight(60% less than the conventional solar panels), durable, and highly resistant to the harsh operating conditions of a marine environment.

LEUSUN HOOD SOLAR PANEL INSTALLATION CASES FROM OUR CUSTOMERS

1. LEUSUN 100W hood solar panel for Toyota 4Runner 4th & 5th   (2003-2021) to charge vehicle’s main battery or backup battery.

Steve’s review: “Purchased and installed the Lensun Solar 100W hood panel for my 2018 4Runner SR5P (non hood scoop). The product seems to be well designed and manufactured. The Performance has also been very good. I have pulled just over 300Wh in one day and registered as high as 68W.

The added benefits of the panel is reduced glare off of the hood and it looks pretty awesome too IMHO. I installed it over my clear wrap and used 3M HD double sided tape then I sealed the edges with a quality marine grade silicone. Please note the trim edging in the pics were added by me as it’s not included with the actual panel. I personally went a different direction with the MPPT controller but I’m sure theirs works equally as well.”

2.LENSUN 85W hood solar panel for Toyota Tacoma 3rd Gen (2016-present)

Ryan’s review: “One of the easiest installs to do for the Tacoma. The cut out contours to the hood perfectly. Easy to install plug-and-play wiring. One of the best additions I’ve made to my truck to keep me worry free of a dead battery while camping/off the grid.”

3.LENSUN 3Pcs 60W HOOD SOLAR PANEL for Toyota 4Runner 4th & 5th (2003-2021) with scoop

Michalik’s review: “Thank you for checking out this company and product!
I am under the same name on T4R.org (there is an install thread there) I am the owner of the featured Cement Pro, I also provided the measurements for these panels and am the first to install and run them on a hood with scoop.
About the company: extremely easy to work with, prompt and excellent communication.
About the product. Good quality and performance. I mainly use the panels directly plugged into a power station (Jackery) to power up fridge and charge devices when stationary at camp sites. Otherwise the panels are plugged into the controller which is wired into the battery to maintain it (you can also plug devices into the controller to charge).
Wiring is straight forward and all necessary hardware is provided and should not take more then 4hrs total for the install.
This is a great way to add some flexibility to your off the grid power needs while looking good!.”

4. LENSUN 105W hood solar panel for Toyota FJ Cruiser

Joshua’s review: “Absolutely must Have if you own an FJ! This thing is awesome and will give your FJ the extra boost it needs for off roaring and camping. When paired with a charging controller you can run your fridge and other accessories while not having to worry about a dead battery. I’ve had mine over a year and have not a single issue. The quality 100%. And shipping was surprisingly fast to Hawaii. Very impressed.”

5. LENSUN 110W hood solar panel for Land Rover Discovery LR3/LR4

Chad Love’s review: “This is a short term review of Lensun’s new hood mounted 110w solar panel for the Land Rover LR3/LR4 2005-2016. The panel shipped very fast, with good packaging and damage free. With the help of a buddy, I first installed a custom vinyl wrap on the hood of my LR3 to act as an under layer to mount the panel so it can be removed in the future if necessary. From a visual perspective, the vinyl wrap also frames the hood while helping the panel to blend in with the vehicle. I used 3M VHB tape to attach the panel to the hood and then black silicone around all the edges to keep water from finding it’s way under the panel.
I love how it looks on the hood of the Rover and contemplating getting another one for my wife’s LR4! It’s super clean, looks like it belongs and gives functionality to an otherwise unusable space. So far functionality is great too as it’s feeding a lot of power to my dual battery system so I can run my fridge, lights and keep my kids digital devices charged up at camp. :)”

6. LENSUN 85W Hood Solar Panel for Toyota RAV4 5^th(2018-present)

Caleb’s review: “Great quality hood mounted panel. Fits perfect in the groove of the hood. Charges my solar generator with no issues. I’d recommend getting some VHB 3M tape to adhere it to the hood. Also I’d recommend an MPPT to boost the performance if you don’t have one.”

7. LENSUN 90W Hood Solar Panel for Subaru Forester (2009-2013) 

Kordell Fink’s review: “This 90w solar panel is absolutely incredible! Once installed, I am able to park my car out in the sun and charge my Goal Zero up just while my car is parked doing nothing! This, paired with charging my goal zero while I drive, is going to keep it topped off at all times while still charging my Dometic fridge! This is an absolute game changer if I want to stay camped in the same spot for a few days, without worrying about how charged my Goal Zero is.

These solar panels stand up to anything once installed. Highway wind, the pouring rain in Oregon, strong heat during heatwaves, and probably anything else that’s thrown at it! So glad I ended up getting one and there’s no way I’ll ever look back!”

8. Lensun 85W Hood Solar Panel for Ford F-150 (2015-Present)

Otto Weinbrecht’ review: ”I purchased and installed the 2018 Ford F-150 hood panel. It did take a little bit to get the installation right as I had not done one before but the finished product was very good. I am very impressed with the finished installation.”

9. Lensun 105W Hood Solar Panel for Jeep Wrangler JK

Kevan King’ review:”I was looking for a good solution to keep my batteries charged and keep my 12v fridge up and running and devices charged without having to start my Jeep every couple of days. The system was an easy install and gives me plenty of reassurance that my Jeep will always start.
I did have a small issue and customer service was quick to respond and help fix the problem.”

10. Lensun 100W Hood Solar Panel for Lexus LX450 LX470 LX570 GX470 & GX460

Steve’s Rivew: The solar panel seems to be well designed and manufactured. The Performance has also been very good. I have pulled just over 300Wh in one day and registered as high as 68W. The added benefits of the panel is reduced glare off of the hood and it looks pretty awesome too IMHO. I installed it over my clear wrap and used 3M HD double sided tape then I sealed the edges with a quality marine grade silicone. Please note the trim edging in the pics were added by me as it’s not included with the actual panel. I personally went a different direction with the MPPT controller but I’m sure theirs works equally as well.

11. Dodge Ram 2500HD 3500HD Power Wagon (2019 to Present) Lensun 100W Hood Solar Panel

Corey Ryan’ review:” I ordered the 100w hood mounted panel for my 2019 Dodge Ram Power Wagon. It took awhile to get it but, once it came in it was packaged very well and was everything as promised. I took the factory hood decal off my truck and had a local vehicle wrap shop apply a 3M wrap under the panel. Then I used 3M Double sided tape to secure the panel. It went on very easily and has been on for about 3 months with no issues. I am getting pretty good power from the panel and average 40-60w. I would highly recommend the hood mounted because it’s so much nicer then having to deploy a panel at camp.”

12. Land Rover Defender (2020-present) Lensun 90W Hood Bonnet Solar Panel

Mark’s review:” I installed the 85 watt system with charge controller on my 2020 Defender 110x. The panel install was easy with two sided automotive trim tape and plugs right into the charge controller. Just a positive & negative connection to your battery jumper posts in the engine bay and your done. The blue tooth app lets you see how the panel and your battery are doing with a few different metrics. It looks great on the hood and works well!”

13.Toyota Tundra 2nd Gen (2007-2013) Lensun 85W 12V Car Hood Solar Panel

David’s review:”I have this solar panel on my 2009 Tundra and I love it! Charges up my main battery and keeps it topped off and honestly looks super cool on my hood.Gonzalez”

Contact information
www.lensunsolar.com
Tel: US +1 720-608-1288
China: +86 15759769602
Whatsapp:  +86 15759769602
Skype: lensunsolar
Email: [email protected], [email protected]