I was at a Mercedes/Sprinter dealership on Monday, and didn't see anything about solar chargers, in either their display area or their brochures. Of course, at that point I hadn't specifically asked…
Yesterday I ordered a solar charger that will plug into dashboard power outlet. It supposedly puts out 8˝ watts on a bright, sunny day, and clips to a visor panel. 8˝ watts should be plenty to offset the draw caused by the alarm sytem. Most of the offerings I found in my Internet search were in the 1~2 watt range, which I know wouldn't have been enough to keep up with the alarm system's current draw.
It has a built-in blocking diode to prevent current from flowing in reverse in the event I forget to unplug it when starting the engine. However, it doesn't have a charge controller— most dashboard-style solar panels don't— so I probably should not use it if the alarm system isn't turned on. Which won't be a problem. I always leave the alarm on unless I'm actually using the vehicle.
I thought about hooking the alarm to the house batteries, but then I'd never be able to disconnect the house batteries while the unit's in storage. That just trades one problem for another.
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I thought getting old would take longer!
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