"Plugged the Charger in and it's Working Perfectly" — Backcountry Solar eBike Charging with Robert Hunter
- Fritz
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Real Rider Stories · SOLEV · solarebikecover.com
Some riders go easy on new gear. They test it close to home, on familiar ground, with a plan B in their pocket.
Robert Hunter is not that kind of rider.
Robert lives in Rocky Camp, South Australia. But when he rides, he heads for the Victorian High Country — backpack camping, hunting, multi-day expeditions in mountain terrain that demands backcountry solar eBike charging solutions, not power points. Gear gets tested here in ways a suburban trail never could.
He carries 30 kilograms in his backpack. He runs an Eunorau FAT-HS — a dual-battery, full-suspension fat-tyre eBike built for exactly this kind of terrain — because the terrain demands it. He camps for days at a stretch in mountain areas where the rainfall can be heavy and sudden, where there are no power points, and where a flat battery isn't an inconvenience — it's a problem.
When Robert plugged in the Solar eBike Cover for the first time, before he'd even read the setup notes, it worked. His message was simple:
"It's working perfectly."
That's the kind of feedback you want from a rider like Robert.
Dual Batteries, Big Country
Robert's eBike setup [2] reflects the demands of serious backcountry riding. Two batteries, 32Ah combined — enough for solid range on flat ground, but the Victorian High Country is anything but flat.
"I've got dual batteries with 32Ah total so have good range on flat ground but chew through them when backpack camping in the Victorian high country. Being able to charge them at camp while out hiking will be a huge advantage."
That single observation captures exactly what the Solar eBike Cover is for. Not the daily commute. Not the flat riverside path. The demanding, loaded, multi-day trips where every kilometre of range matters — and where there's no infrastructure to fall back on.
Robert had also just fitted a rear rack and ordered saddle bags at the time of his trial, shifting weight off his back and onto the bike. The Solar eBike Cover was entering his kit at the same time his whole expedition setup was evolving.
The Setup — Backcountry Solar eBike Charging in Practice
The Solar eBike Cover folds to a compact carry case and deploys over the bike's handlebars. Robert, characteristically, figured it out by doing rather than by reading.
"Yes it fits well now that I understand how it swings out."
That's a first-time user discovering the bi-directional fold mechanism through use — which is exactly how it should work. The mechanism is designed to be intuitive. Robert confirmed it was.
His practical mind immediately went to the next question: what happens when you leave it unattended?
"I might look at securing the panel in a couple more spots since I'll be leaving it set up and unattended. Hate for the wind to rip it off the bike and damage it."
This is the feedback of someone who thinks in terms of expedition reliability, not casual use. Wind is a real consideration in the High Country — and the suggestion of additional strapping points went directly into the product development notes.
The Dual Battery Discovery
Robert's setup revealed something important about how the DC prototype interacts with sophisticated battery management systems.
One of his batteries charged without issue. The other didn't respond — 58V showing on the panel side, nothing being accepted by the battery.
"Hi Fritz, the solar charger is working perfectly for me on one battery but for some reason it doesn't seem to recognise my other battery when it is plugged in to charge. I thought maybe the battery was faulty but it seems to charge with the 240V charger. Any thoughts?"
After troubleshooting — including a new cable, which ruled out connection issues — Robert and Fritz traced the problem to the battery's BMS [1]. The main battery had an over-voltage protection that was particularly sensitive. The aux battery had a simpler BMS and charged without issue.
The solution Robert found was methodical and precise:
"I reduced the charger setting to 52V as suggested, plugged the main battery in and it didn't read it. Tried to change the set point up .5V but the charger jumped straight to 60+V and wouldn't let me change it. Moved the panels into complete shade where the panel voltage dropped and was able to reduce the set point. Put it down to 54V and plugged the main battery in and it read for the first time. Moved the panels out into full sun and it is charging currently at 55V and amps are slowly dropping."
His conclusion:
"So I'm thinking the main battery has an over voltage protection on it which is fairly sensitive."
He was right. This is exactly the kind of BMS behaviour that makes universal DC charging complex — and it's precisely the insight that reinforced [the move from Trial 1 to Trial 2]. AC charging works through the bike's original charger, which already knows the battery's exact voltage tolerance and communication protocol. The over-voltage sensitivity that required careful manual voltage management in DC simply doesn't exist as an issue in AC.
Robert's troubleshooting also revealed something useful about the DC system itself: moving the panels into shade drops the panel voltage enough to allow the set point to be adjusted. A good field technique for anyone working with the Trial 1 DC unit.
What Robert Cares About — Expedition Reliability
Two other observations from Robert speak directly to what matters in genuine expedition use.
On the carry case:
"Personally I like the current 'soft' box that it comes in. Some additional strapping points would be good to make it a more universal fit on different racks. My only concern with the current box would be with the waterproof rating as the mountain areas I go to camp can have some very heavy rainfalls."
Fritz confirmed the unit is waterproof, though the exact rating wasn't specified at the time. For the Victorian High Country — where summer storms can arrive suddenly and dump heavily — Robert's concern is legitimate. Waterproofing is a genuine expedition requirement, not a nice-to-have.
On unattended operation: Robert's point about wind security and additional strapping points is equally grounded in experience. An eBike left at a trailhead while its rider is hiking for six hours is exposed to whatever the weather does. The panel needs to stay put.
What's Coming
At the time of his trial, Robert had a major trip ahead: a week-long riding and camping expedition into the Victorian High Country in August — hunting trip, overnight camps, real terrain, real weather.
This is where the Solar eBike Cover will earn its place properly. Not a day ride. Not a short loop from a campsite with power. A full week in the mountains, loaded bike, multiple nights out, and charging entirely from the sun at camp while he's out on foot.
Robert's dual battery setup means he's already thinking about charging in terms of capacity management — leave the bike at camp with the Solar eBike Cover deployed, and both batteries charge together. The battery's smart BMS balances them automatically [4]. The Solar eBike Cover makes that strategy viable in the bush. Without it, both batteries are dead weight once they're empty.
The full High Country story — distances, charge data, conditions, what worked and what didn't — will be told when Robert comes back from August.
What Robert's Trial Taught Us
Three things from Robert's experience that mattered:
1. BMS sensitivity is real and varies between batteries. Even on the same bike, different batteries can have different tolerance for non-standard charging inputs. This directly informed the case for AC output in Trial 2 — the original charger eliminates this variable entirely.
2. Expedition riders think differently about gear. Wind security, waterproofing, unattended operation, additional strapping points — these are not concerns a commuter would raise. Robert raised all of them in his first week. They belong in the product specification.
3. The dual battery use case is genuinely valuable. Leave the bike at camp with the Solar eBike Cover deployed — both batteries charge together while Robert is out on foot, with the battery's smart BMS balancing them automatically [4]. Come back to a fuller bike than you left. In the backcountry, that's the difference between cutting a trip short and going another day.
The Victorian High Country Awaits
Robert's full expedition story — a week hunting and camping in the High Country in August, real charge data, real conditions, real distances from Rocky Camp SA to the mountains — will be told when he comes back.
In the meantime, if you ride an eBike in demanding Australian terrain and you've ever wished charging wasn't the constraint it is. Read [Ken Lew's eTrike discovery] to see what another Trial 1 rider found.
👉 Apply for Trial 2 at solev.com.au
👉 Full product details at solarebikecover.com
🇦🇺 Australian owned & designed · As seen at Eurobike 2025 · Patent pending
References
[1] Bafang BBS motor BMS over-voltage protection and cell balancing — qiolor.com/blogs/news/fix-common-bafang-bbs-motor-issues
[2] Eunorau FAT-HS — 48V 1000W dual battery all-terrain full suspension fat tyre eBike — au.eunorau-ebike.com/products/fat-hs
[3] Bureau of Meteorology — Victorian annual climate summary — bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/vic/summary.shtml
[4] Bafang BBS motor BMS cell balancing — same source as [1] — qiolor.com/blogs/news/fix-common-bafang-bbs-motor-issues
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