I found the BlueSolar MPPT100/15 works fine and is about $120.00 There are cheaper PMW controllers, and also MPPT controllers, but this seems to be robust. Wiring is pretty simple,although I do have continual (50mA)  drains from the CO2 & CO warning units. I suppose adding a switch to those .
JO

> On 5/7/2015 7:31 AM, Don Hanson wrote:
>   A charging system that needs electricity from the battery before it will
> work properly is not "smart" in my world, where I often need to charge a
> battery that is dead.
>  It seems pretty  dumb to hook a so called "smart-charger" onto the battery
> only to find it will not work, with a dead battery.   To me a charger that
> actually can charge a dead battery is desirable...I think they've made
> those..
> 
>    Solar controllers that can destroy themselves if you don't follow a
> certain protocol when connecting them?....Oh...Kay....I'd say the companies
> making  those will go out of business pretty soon, right?  You fellas who
> bought them, you going to buy another?.....
>    Is there a solar charger system that works?   Like: hook up  the neg and
> pos and stick the panel into the sun....get some juice into the battery?
> Probably is.   I think the one we use when we winter-out... (I don't have
> it available here to say the brand) does work that way, but maybe it isn't
> the most efficient, or something....
>    We've never had any love trying to run with only a 12v refrigerator in
> any vehicle.  When underway the 12v works ok... I guess..but to make 12v
> sustainable for use in every situation it must be carefully done with
> expensive and complex circuitry involved..
>    Still, thanks for the warning, the heads-up about the possible Death of
> Controller issue...If you'd just spent a few days driving to some remote
> campsite way out in the boonies, planning on spending your vacation week
> camping and you blew up your solar....you would be unhappy to have to go
> back to civilization and replace it....
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, May 6, 2015 at 8:51 PM, Neil N <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Heh. Well.... yes not my smartest hour.
>> 
>> All this solar, batteries and truckfridge stuff seems kind of crazy to
>> me at times.
>> 
>> On 5/6/15, Alistair Bell <albell@shaw.ca> wrote:
>>> I can see how you'd think it would be safe in dark garage. It's a pretty
>>> innocent mistakes to make, not like the bonehead move I made with my 50W
>>> panel, the one that I used as a portable with great success last summer.
>>> This spring I allowed it to get blown over in the driveway, smashed the
>>> glass.
>>> Good news is I found a 75W Siemens panel to replace it.
>>> 
>>> Alistair
>>> 
>> 
>> --
>> Neil n
>> 
>> Blog: Vanagons, Westfalia, general <http://tubaneil.blogspot.ca>
>> 
>> 1988 Westy Images <https://picasaweb.google.com/musomuso/New1988Westy>
>> 
>> 1981 Westfalia "Jaco" Images, technical <http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/>
>> 
>> Vanagon-Bus VAG Gas Engine Swap Group <http://tinyurl.com/khalbay>
>>