This panel has been on top of our rooftop tent, a Kings Grand Tourer Lite, for over a year, and it has been great. In that time we’ve had zero issues with it.
Featured inKings Solar Comparison: Which One Belongs in Your Kit?
It’s the main source of power for our setup. It charges the 120 Ah battery in the back of the car while we drive and while we’re parked in the sun, and that battery runs everything else.
What You’re Getting
A 160 W semi-flexible solar panel from Adventure Kings with a PET coating, an eyelet in each corner and a short lead with a Kings Anderson plug. A regulator is not included.
The good
- Keeps our 120 Ah battery fully charged at all times
- Runs our Kings 40L fridge continuously
- Over a year on the roof with zero issues
- Only 3.9 kg and 3 mm thin
- Kings Anderson plug: plug in and it works
- A great deal at $120
The not-so-good
- 160 W can be on the low side for DC-DC chargers and heavier power use
- Not enough on its own for families or bigger groups
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Adventure Kings |
| Model | AKSR-FL160W_03 |
| Weight | 3.9 kg |
| Dimensions | 1200 × 780 × 3 mm |
| Rated power | 160 W (±5%) |
| Voltage at max power | 19.50 V |
| Current at max power | 8.21 A |
| Open circuit voltage | 23.40 V |
| Short circuit current | 8.98 A |
| Fuse rating | 15 A |
| Coating | PET |
| Plug | Kings Anderson plug |
| Regulator | MPPT or PWMSold separately |
| Warranty | 1 year |
First impressions
Out of the box, the panel is one thin, light sheet: 1200 × 780 mm, only 3 mm thick and 3.9 kg. That’s what makes it suitable for the top of a rooftop tent, where a glass panel in a frame would add a lot of weight and height.
Materials & Build Quality
There’s a metal eyelet in each corner if you want to tie or screw the panel down. The junction box sits on top of the panel, with a short lead that ends in a Kings Anderson plug.
After more than a year on the roof, in sun, rain and at highway speed, ours has had zero issues.
How we mounted it
We didn’t use the eyelets. We stuck the panel onto the top of our rooftop tent with corflute and heavy 3M double-sided tape, and it hasn’t moved since.
A 6 m Kings Anderson extension cable runs from the front of the rooftop tent, underneath it, back to the rear door of the car. There the cable comes inside and plugs into our Kings BatBlock25 battery box.
The full steps, with photos, are in our guide: how to mount a flexible solar panel on a rooftop tent.
Performance
It keeps our battery fully charged at all times, no matter how many lights or phones we charge overnight. Our Kings 40L fridge also runs continuously on this setup, set somewhere between -5 and 5 degrees depending on what food we carry.
The one limit is the size. 160 W can be on the low side if you need to feed DC-DC chargers or have the heavier power use of a family or a bigger group.
When we camp in the shade, the panel on the roof gets no sun. That’s when we lay out the Kings 240W solar blanket in a sunny spot.
Conclusion: Kings 160W Semi-Flexible Solar Panel
This panel has been great. It has been on our car for over a year with zero issues, it keeps the battery full and the fridge running, and I paid $120 for it, which I think is a great deal. The only downside is that 160 W can be on the low side for heavier power use. For campers and 4WDers with a rooftop tent, or even on a boat, I recommend it.
For other options from the same brand, see our Kings solar comparison.
A 3.9 kg semi-flexible panel that has sat on our rooftop tent for over a year with zero issues, keeping the battery full and the fridge running.
160 W can be on the low side for heavier power use. It suits campers and 4WDers with a rooftop tent.
- 4WD tourers
- Rooftop tents
Yes. I paid $120, and it has kept our battery charged and our fridge running for over a year. I think that’s a great deal.
