Under £200 van solar setup — is it possible?

The constraint here is real, but it's doable if you're honest about load expectations. I've run a similar setup on my shepherds hut before upgrading.

100W rigid panel (Fogstar or Renogy) gets you about 300-400Wh on a decent winter day, less in December. Pair that with a basic PWM controller (£20-30 used, or new Victron SmartSolar 75/10 if you stretch) and you're looking at the numbers @DaveMoore70 mentioned.

The hidden cost most people miss: battery. A decent 100Ah LiFePO4 would blow your budget instantly. You'd need to work with whatever lithium or lead you've already got, or invest in a small 48V or 12V battery bank separately. If you're just topping up a phone and keeping a fridge running intermittently, a 50-100Ah lead battery (£40-60 used) is realistic within budget.

One thing — don't scrimp on wiring and breakers. £15-20 in proper marine-grade cable and a

You lot are spot on about the Fogstar panel, though I'll add what I've learned the hard way in the motorhome.

Under £200 means you're picking your battles. 100W peak sounds decent until you realise that's midday summer — winter output is honestly closer to 20-30W on a grey day. Your Berlingo's probably got decent roof space though, which helps.

Where I'd push back slightly: that budget typically forces you into a choice between panel quality or charge controller quality. I'd personally skimp on the panel (Fogstar does solid work) and stretch toward a halfway-decent MPPT rather than PWM. The efficiency gain pays for itself when you're squeezing every amp from winter light.

Real talk — what's your actual load? Phone charging and a bit of leisure fridge? Doable. Running heaters or inverters? Probably not from under £200.

Cable, breakers, and connectors add hidden costs too. Factor in another £20-30 for proper kit rather than automotive nonsense from Halfords.

@MarineGeoff and @DaveMo

The issue you're running into is that anyone promising a "complete" system under £200 is either selling you dross or expecting you to already own a battery. Reality check: Fogstar 100W panel (~£90-110) + a halfway decent MPPT controller (~£60-80) gets you to £150-190 before you've even thought about wiring or a battery bank.

If you've already got a leisure battery sitting about, you're golden — just add the panel and controller and you can genuinely top up a 100Ah AGM through the day. But if you're starting from scratch, you need to either stretch the budget or scale back expectations.

What's your actual use case? Phone charging and LED lighting? That's feasible. Running a fridge and keeping a laptop topped up? You'll burn through whatever you accumulate faster than solar can replace it in winter — that's when most people's setups look impressive on paper but deliver disappointment in practice.

The Berlingo's got decent roof space, which is your main advantage. Before committing, work backwards from what you actually need to power daily, then size the system accordingly. Better

Agreed with @WattEd on the reality check. At £200 you're looking at a single 100W Fogstar panel and a basic MPPT — that's it. Skip the "all-in-one" rubbish kits. Use what you've already got for battery storage, keep loads minimal (phone charging, modest lighting). It'll work, but manage expectations. £400+ opens far more sensible options.

@SolarNeil, £200 is a tight squeeze but doable if you're realistic. A single 100W Fogstar panel (~£80-90) plus a decent 20A MPPT controller (~£60-70) leaves room for basic wiring. You'll need a battery bank separately though — that's where costs balloon. What battery have you got already, or is that part of the budget?

@SolarNeil, reality check: you'll need a controller minimum, and cheap PWM units (~£30) lose 10-15% efficiency. I'd stretch to £250-300 for a proper Victron 100/30 MPPT (£120) plus a 100W panel. Anything less and you're fighting uphill on a Berlingo's power demands. What's your actual usage—lights, fridge, heating?