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I wasn't planning on buying the controller until I bought a battery, probably at the same time.
I was thinking about this and I realized that unless I added unnecessary height to the roof of the van I wouldn't be able to fit the battery(ies) inside the cap. My roof rack is only 2.25" tall, the solar panels are 1.38" not much room underneath, they would be angled but that only gives a max height of like 5" max. That might be enough for a custom pack of 18650 cells, but definitely not a lead acid or a volt battery (which was a little costly anyway).
I read an article that said that some of the 18650 cells have balancing built in, I think I'll look into that and see where it goes.
For the cap I would guess ~55-60 sq. ft of the poly metal, or wood, would be enough with a decent amount left. the inside of the van is about 50 sq. ft. add like 10 sqft. for the sides. There is a sign store in town, I've never been there but I'll have to check it out one day.
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