We like to park in the shade. The trouble is that the 160 W flexible solar panel on the roof of our rooftop tent then catches no sun at all, and the battery in the back of the car slowly runs down.
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That’s what we bought the Kings 240W solar blanket for. We lay it out in a sunny spot a few metres away, run a cable back to the car and let it charge our 120 Ah battery while we stay in the shade.
What You’re Getting
A 240 W folding solar blanket from Adventure Kings with eight panels, in a blue carry bag with handles and a zip pocket for the leads. It connects with Anderson plugs.
The good
- 12 to 14 amps into our battery box in full midday sun
- Charges our 120 Ah battery while the car stays in the shade
- Feels like a solid build
- Folds to 46 × 44 × 6 cm in its own carry bag
- Anderson plugs: unfold, plug in and it’s working
- Loops along the sides for hanging it up
The not-so-good
- Picks up dirt on the ground, which can cut the solar input
- Still quite heavy to pack away at 6.6 kg
- Doesn’t fit in our Titan drawers
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Adventure Kings |
| Model | AKSR-BK240W_01 |
| Weight | 6.6 kg |
| Dimensions (open) | 940 × 1650 × 7.5 mm |
| Dimensions (folded) | 460 × 440 × 60 mm |
| Rated power | 240 W (±5%) |
| Voltage at max power | 21.60 V |
| Current at max power | 11.65 A |
| Open circuit voltage | 25.37 V |
| Short circuit current | 12.39 A |
| Fuse rating | 15 A |
| Panels | 8 |
| Plugs | Anderson |
First impressions
The blanket comes folded in a blue carry bag with two handles. It feels like a solid build. On the front is a zip pocket that holds the leads, so everything travels together.
A short lead with an Anderson plug comes out of a small black box, which is simply where the cable connects to the panels. The pocket also has room for the longer Anderson cable we use with it.
Materials & Build Quality
Unfolded, the blanket is eight panels in two rows of four, each one edged in blue fabric and stitched to the next. The fabric hinges between the panels are what let it fold down into the bag.
The stitching along the edges is neat, and there are loops along the sides. They let you hang the blanket up to face the sun, so it doesn’t have to lie flat on the ground.
Size & Weight
Folded, it measures 460 × 440 × 60 mm, which is pretty compact for a 240 W panel. The whole thing is still quite heavy at 6.6 kg when you need to pack it away somewhere in its bag, and it doesn’t fit in our Titan drawers, so it has to travel elsewhere in the back of the car.
Open, it covers 940 × 1650 mm. You need that much clear ground in full sun to get the most out of it.
Performance
This is where the blanket earns its place. It performs really well for us together with a 6 m Anderson extension cable from Kings. The cable runs from the blanket to the Kings BatBlock25 in the back of the car, a battery box with a built-in DC-DC charger and battery monitor, which holds our 120 Ah battery.
That combination means the car, the awning and the rooftop tent can stay in the shade while the blanket lies out in the sun. The panel on the roof only works when the car itself is in the sun. The blanket goes wherever the sun is.
In full sun in the middle of the day, I measure between 12 and 14 amps going into the BatBlock. That’s plenty to keep the battery topped up through a day at camp.
One thing to watch: lying on the ground, the blanket picks up dirt easily, and that can cut the solar input. It’s worth wiping the panels down, or hanging the blanket up by its loops.
Conclusion: Kings 240W Solar Blanket
The Kings 240W solar blanket does what we bought it for: it charges the battery when we’re parked in the shade and the panel on the roof isn’t catching any sun. It feels solidly built, folds into its own bag and plugs in with Anderson plugs. It picks up dirt easily on the ground, it’s still quite heavy to pack away at 6.6 kg and it doesn’t fit in our Titan drawers. For campers, 4WDers and families who run a battery in the car, I recommend it.
If you’re comparing options, see our Kings solar comparison and the San Hima 160W solar blanket review.
A solidly built 240 W solar blanket that folds into its own carry bag and charges our 120 Ah battery while the car stays in the shade.
It picks up dirt easily on the ground and is still quite heavy to pack away at 6.6 kg. It’s worth it if you camp in the shade and run a battery in the car.
- Campers
- 4WD tourers
- Families
Yes. At about $325 for 240 W, with a carry bag and Anderson plugs, it does what we bought it for: charging the battery when the panel on the roof is in the shade.
