One of the best RV videos I have ever seen. Love that trailer pin connector hack. I'll be visiting the website. I had so many questions before I saw this one video. Thanks!
Several thing I like about your video's; very informative, you alway give the details nobody else does. #2 you give links on your website which it great. I purchased the Renogy 100 watt suitcase 2 weeks ago and purchase cables and connectors from you video suggestions. Thank you for passing along the knowledge in one source, you get straight to the point.
Excellent video, I purchased a solar suitcase from Armada two weeks ago and have been using Alligator Clips to make the connection to the battery. The SAE to Furion adapter will make for a cleaner installation. Thanks for putting this series together.
It is just an SAE connector, Zamp just switched wire polarity, same as GoPower...they do not have their own SAE ports. SAE are simple, only two options for polarity. I enjoy your videos, I have learned a lot.
I have long ext cords/adaptors on all my briefcase panels. I have GZ, Jackery, BougeRV and HF briefcase panels. Long ext cords are useful to follow the sun, move panels away from shade into sun. Some wattage reduction but goal is not about 100% efficiency, it is about convenience and usefulness at a boondock campsite. Still like your videos though, I have learned a lot, but still keeping my long ext cords!
I really enjoy your videos and have implemented several of your ideas into my RV and cargo trailer. Thank you for all that you do on this channel and your website.
Great video! This is exactly what I was looking for. Have the same suitcase with a SAE connection on my RV. I'm just wondering if there is a drawback to going adapter to SAE extension cable to RV rather than MC4 extension to adapter to RV? Then I only need 1 extension cable instead of the 2 MC4. Thanks!
At the beginning of the video, you said zamp had reversed polarity, but when showing the adapters, you said it was the generic sae that was reversed. I’m watching specifically to see if I need the reverse piece for a factory wired zamp outlet, so now I’m confused.
Yes it is always better to put the controller as close as possible as you can to the battery. I explain this in video 3 and 4 of the portable solar panel series. ruclips.net/video/A6PxSvuGc5U/видео.html ruclips.net/video/_hDwUKKs7q0/видео.html
Great video. I have a Furion 95W suitcase and my trailer is a Jayco that appears to have the generic solar connector. Is there an adapter that would work my situation?
I have an SAE Connector with a polarity changer/adapter and it does not fit into the SAE/Zampf on my Taxa Cricket. The polarity changer has square edges and the connection on the camper has rounded edges. Just doesn't fit. Do you have any advice that might help me solve this problem? Thank you for this series!
@@MikeFree22 Yeah, I did that but still didn't work. I bought several brands and found the QA is not good on these connectors. Eventually found one that fit.
We just bought the Renogy 200 watt portable solar panel kit. I saw that it says the alligator clips are 14awg. We want to build a connector to connect via the 7 pin plug like you did... GREAT IDEA by the way!!! My question is what size mc4 pigtails should we get? I only see 10awg and 12awg ones on their website. Thanks for your help!
To reduce voltage drop issues in the wiring, use the heaviest duty wiring you can. So 10AWG will be fine. Also, you might want to check your 7pin wiring harness. The better ones have 10AWG for the battery and ground functions. Cheaper ones have 14AWG for these circuits, which again, can cause voltage drop issues. I cover voltage drop issues extensively in one of the videos in the suitcase video series.
Very good job with both your videos and your web site. Thank you, I've learned so much from your expertise. I have a question on solar. I currently have 2 x 100W Renogy panels (in series) (40V, 5A approx.) solar panels on the roof of my 5th wheel, Victron solar controller 100V/15A, all working very well. I have an identical 3rd panel I would like to use on occasion, to catch more sun, I have a home-made stand and it works very well. Can I simply wire it by slicing into the roof wire to add another 20V, before it enters the Victron ? Thanks.
Yes and No. The specification for the Victron controller (100/15) is 100V input max from the solar panels and 15A max output to the battery. With 3 identical panels, you will be at 60V, which is still under the input limit, so no problem there. However, the maximum output from the 3 panels at peak (300W) is going to yield close to 20A output. Yet the output of the charger is a maximum of 15A, so you are potentially wasting 5A at peak sunlight. I have not read the manual for the Victron controller or have I done any over-current testing, so I am not sure if there is an output current limiting mechanism in the unit. If not, potentially it could overheat the unit if you exceeded the output specifications and possibly damage it. Somehow the charge controller has to dissipate that 5A. I would at least check the manual or perhaps verify with tech support if there is such a feature in the controller. Otherwise, I would want to upgrade the charge controller unless for sure you know you will never reach peak panel performance due to the intensity of solar at your location. For example, where I live in the midwest, it is often cloudy and I am north enough that I would never reach the same solar intensity as I would if I lived in Arizona. So for me, I might never see more than 200W output in my area even with 300W worth of panels. You could monitor the charge controller to determine the peak output of the panels in your location. However, from a liability issue I never recommend exceeding the mfg specifications. Victron has 100/20 and 100/30 controllers, and one of those would give you the maximum output for your panels. Anytime you extend the electrical distance of the panels from the controller - which would happen when adding a 3rd panel, you will suffer some voltage loss. But a few volts at 60V is a lot more tolerable than if you were parallel wired. So you should be fine there unless you were to use a lot of extra wire at a small AWG. Finally, you will want some kind of bypass for the connector you use for the 3rd panel when you are not using it. This would be required if you wired the 3rd panel in series (which I would recommend) as it would otherwise result in an open circuit when the 3rd panel is not used.
@@RVProject A huge thanks. Wow, great info. Any ideas how to wire it with a by-pass? Not sure how I can physically do that... My 2 roof panels are in series on the roof, then a pair of wires travel down to my controller close to the batteries. I have a Furrion port in my service bay wire to the same area, I was going to connect that wire to the controller too...
@@miatared For liability issues I am hesitant to give you a step by step instruction. But basically, you would wire the Furrion port in series with the two panels as if it was the third panel. Then you would want to put a SPST 20A switch across the Furrion port. When the 3rd panel is not used, you would close the switch, which shorts out around the port. This would effectively take the Furrion port out of the circuit. But when using the 3rd panel, BEFORE connecting it to the furrion port, you would flip the switch so it is open. That way, it inserts the 3rd panel into the series connection.
Thank you for sharing! I've read that we should keep the charge controller inside, I see many people having then attached to the back of the solar panel. Is this okay to leave it out like that?
As long as it is waterproof, you can leave the charge controller attached to the solar panels. This is the typical configuration of a portable suitcase solar panel. However, the conventional wisdom is the closer the battery is to the charge controller, the better. You can realize a performance gain by relocating the charge controller next to the battery, especially if you locate the solar panel more than 10ft away from the battery. This is because the series voltage drop through the wire in the solar panel-to-charger circuit is less critical than the charger-to-battery circuit.
Great video! I just bought a 200-watt Renogy suitcase. It came with a 15 amp fuse. Is that sufficient for the panel which is going to a standard AGM 12-volt battery? My 2022 Casita has a Zamp input plug so it's backward. I did cut the alligator clips off and soldered an SAE plug, then soldered the fuse inline with the positive wire, then used a reverse polarity plug. Is this correct?
@@genekauffman8286 Unfortunately this is not a Yes or No answer. My Renogy 100Watt suitcase will output a maximum of about 5.5A when the sunlight is at maximum. I would guess then that the Renogy 200Watt panels would be 11A. There should be a sticker on the back of the panel which provides the maximum output current. So a 15A fuse should be sufficient to allow the maximum current from the panel. However, the fuse should also protect the wiring, so you need to make sure the wiring can handle more than 15A. If everything came from Renogy, I would suspect they sized it correctly. But if you modify any of the wiring, it then is on you to make sure the wiring you add is sufficient to pass not only the current, but also sufficient to minimize voltage drop. I did a video in my Suitcase Solar series that discusses voltage drop. www.rv-project.com/projects/suitcase.php Fuses and circuit breakers are often mis-understood. There is a lot more going on than most think. A 15A fuse does not blow at 15A, but it allows 15A to pass. I published a video called "All about Fuses" that you might find interesting: ruclips.net/video/tUomOpNUjHE/видео.html Truth told, fuses and breakers typically pass a lot higher amperage than their rated amperage. This is a function of time x overcurrent. There are graphs and charts published by LittleFuse, Buss, and most competent fuse manufacturers. For example, a fuse might blow within a second if the current is say 10x of the fuse rating, but that same fuse might not blow for 10 minutes if the overcurrent is 2x the rating. What this all means is you must overdesign whe wiring for the fuse you will be using. The wiring in particular should be able to handle much higher currents than what it is fused for. Call it a safety margin if you will.
It depends on the AWG of the wiring harness. This can vary from RV mfgs, depending on the wiring harness they use. I have not seen any wiring harnesses with the battery wire being larger than 14AWG, so I would not go more than 10A. So you are looking at a 100-200Watt solar panel. But also remember the wiring harness can add 10ft or more to the length of the connection to he solar panel, so you don't want to add a lot of wire to that due to the voltage drop issue (see part 3 of the video series).
@@RVProject If the wiring harness on the RV side is upgraded to 4 or 2 AWG. A nice project. There should be no issues? I'm thinking about installing a 40 amp charge controller (future proof?) inside the front pass through storage of a 25 foot travel trailer. At the same time moving the batteries to the same area. I would then (magically) connect panels via standard a 10 foot mc4 cable extension. That's the plan. I read that you lose less power from the panels if you have the charge controller nearer to the batteries. Thanks.
Maybe this is a dumb question, but I need to ask it. I have a travel trailer with the zamp plug factory installed. Can I plug solar panels, without a controller, directly into that plug and directly charge my deep cycle battery? Or, do I need some sort of a controller with the solar panel?
All solar panels need a controller, which is actually a battery charger. The output voltage of the typical solar panel is too high to be directly connected to a battery. The controller can be located at the solar panel, or for small portable ones, even sometimes they are built into the solar panel. Or the controller can be located at the battery. The closer to the battery the controller is located, the better.
The links to the pre-assembled cables are on this page: 192.168.1.95/rvproject/projects/suitcase1.php The link to the bulk cable (you have to attach the ends) are on this page: www.rv-project.com/projects/suitcase2.php
Good good info . Still a little confused on using my Jackery solar suitcase to help charge my rv flooded type batteries. I didn’t use the polarity reverser and melted my Jackery inlet box a bit . Ugh!!. Pulled off my Solar on the side port on my rv and the male of the same connection is red. Reversed the polarity of adapter for Jackery and my voltage on my batteries started to drop ... Help please!!!
You must install a charge controller between your batteries and solar suitcase. Since the Jackery solar panel is intended to be connected to a Jackery power unit, and the power unit has a charge controller built into it, I doubt the Jackery solar panel has a charge controller. If you connect a solar panel directly to a battery without a charge controller to manage the charging parameters, you could fry your battery.
So I’m confused on the solar stuff be trying to figure this out on how to hook up my solar panels to my camper I have a 2022 advenger camper it has solar hook up the furion hook up and I was told it can handle only 18volt but I have a 200 watt solar panels,and I just bought a solar power converter.
Most 100 to 200 watt solar panels used for RVs have a 18VDC open circuit voltage per panel. I have not seen any specification at all for the maximum voltage rating for the connector.
Hi. I have a Renogy 100W suitcase and have been charging the batteries via the alligator clips that come with it. I recently installed a metal battery box for both batteries and want to put a SAE adapter on the side of the box so that I don't have to open the box each time to charge. If I do that how do I hook up the cables on the inside to the battery if I'm not using alligator clips?
I don't recommend it. It would be far better to connect the panels together directly before going into the charge controller. That would be the correct way/best practice. Depending on the charge controller capacity, the panels would work best in series (using an MPPT controller with a minimum voltage input of twice your panel's output voltage) or in parallel (with a PWM or MPPT controller capable of 15A output). Of the two configurations, series connecting the panels would result in less voltage drop in the panel circuit, which means you get more charge performance. However, to connect the panels in series, you also need the proper bypass diodes in the panels. Some panel mfgs already have bypass diodes built in. Some panels also require blocking diodes when used in parallel, both of these situations are dependent on the panel manufacturer, so there is no one correct answer. I would contact your panel mfg to determine if you need to add external bypass or blocking diodes.
Hey me again, they sure don't make this easy. I finally took the Renogy 100 watt suitcase to the RV. I purchased the 10 foot 10 Awg extension cables with MC4 connectors on each end. I also purchased the MC4 adapter to Furrion Port. Before I plugged anything in from the solar panels, I plugged the MC4 adapter into the Furrion Port and tested the polarity with a multimeter. Sure enough, the Furrion Port is wired backwards. The backside of the Furrion Port is behind a wall. Can I remove the pre-attached MC4 cables from the built-in charge controller, remove the MC4 connectors from the 10 foot cables, strip back the 10 foot wires and plug the black wire into the positive and red into negative on the charge controller and be set? Then I wonder where Grand Design/Furrion has the 10 amp fuse behind the wall, on the black or red wire? Thoughts? Thanks!
I would try to find out which wires went to the battery from the Furrion inlet and make sure those are correct rather than re-wiring the MC4 connectors. You never know what the RV mfgs are going to do, but in my RV, it arrived with the Furrion inlet disconnected. So it is possible a dealer might have connected the Furrion inlet to the battery backwards. Also on my RV, the fuse was located about 4 inches from the back of the Furrion inlet. If the backside of your Furrion inlet is covered up, you may actually have to remove the Furrion port mounting screws and pull the port out to access the fuse. Shame on GD if that is what they did.
Again, current, voltage, and wattage are all inter-related. DC Ohm's Law for power (Watts) states: Volts = Watts / Amps Amps = Watts / Volts Watts = Volts x Amps Consider a 100W panel. It will output around 18V and peak current of 5.5A. (100W / 18V = 5.5A). Laying out 8 panels in a portable configuration would not be very practical, I don't think, but here goes anyway. If you series connected 8 panels (144VDC @ 5.5A), you would need an MPPT controller that can handle 150VDC, which does exist. Generally, MPPT controllers are required for voltages higher than a single panel can produce (18V). And in series, the total current will still only be 5.5A so you could use the Furrion connector. Or if you connected them in parallel (18VDC @ 44A), you could use a PWM or MPPT controller, but the peak current would be 44A. Series would be the way to go here. An MPPT controller is more efficient, so less % of what you pay for will be consumed in waste, and more % will go to the battery. And if you went parallel, you will also have a lot of waste and expense in the wiring between the solar panels and battery. Just off the top of my head, if you have a 50ft power run, you could lose about 25% of the energy produced in a 800W system if you use a PWM controller and parallel connections. For that reason, if you go more than a 100W setup, I always recommend a MPPT controller and series connection. Since the panels will only produce 5.5A, you won't have any issues with the furrion connector in this configuration, and the MPPT controller will be more efficient. As well, you would not need to spend extra money for heavy gauge cable. But if you want a high current connector, look at the Anderson Powerpole (15/30/45Amp) or Anderson Battery (50/120/175/250Amp) connectors. I really do go into quite a lot of detail in my suitcase solar series. Here are two videos and the webpage where I cover Anderson connectors. Suitcase Solar Webpage: www.rv-project.com/projects/suitcase.php Video 9: ruclips.net/video/cbKWRvz0SOU/видео.html Video 9 Update: ruclips.net/video/0hYQzNuXikc/видео.html
Suitcase panels such as those made by Renogy typically are 50W or 100W panels. The suitcases typically use two panels, so a total of 100W or 200W. How much power you need depends on many factors, such as how much of a load you have on your system, where you are on the planet, which affects the amount of daily sunlight you get, etc. But the rule of thumb I use is 100W per battery should keep a RV charged up for daily use - provided heavy loads are not discharging the battery, such as an inverter supplying AC power. If you are only using DC lighting, water pump, and powering the fridge and water heater using propane (only DC is required for the circuit board), then a 100W solar system should be good enough. Of course, if you find the 100W solar panel is not enough, one you can always add another 100W panel. To determine whether or not to use 6V or 12V batteries, many factors apply as well such as weight, available space, and need. Two 200AH 6V batteries would supply the same amount of energy as two 100AH 12V batteries. For the 6V batteries, they must be wired in series, while the 12V batteries would be wired in parallel. However, the typical 6V battery will be a golf cart battery, while the 12V battery might be an ordinary Deep Cycle battery (although you can buy 12V Golf Cart batteries as well). Typically, Golf Cart batteries will withstand more charge-discharge cycles than a standard Deep Cycle battery.
My rv came with a 50 watt 10 amp solar system. I have a 250 watt 10 amp solar panel sitting around. Can i just unplug the 50 watt and plug in the 250 watt?
It depends on the charge controller. It must be able to handle the higher output current of the new panel. Often the smaller panels are self-contained, with the charge controller built in. You would not be able to easily modify such a unit.
I have a cargo trailer, a titan solar generator, suitcase solar panels, and solar panel wires. Is there a plug that I can install on the trailer that will make quick connects on the outside and the inside of the cargo trailer?? (My goal is a weatherproof plug for the inside and outside… To allow pass through of current from the solar panels to the generator.)
You can purchase the Furrion connector as shown in this video, or a SAE style (mfg by Zamp and others). My website for the video series has all of the links: www.rv-project.com/projects/suitcase.php
Would these solar suitcases work on a 2 lithium po battery setup? Iam totally new to the rv world. Bought a trailer that has the solar on the side port . Only has a single deep cycle battery which I want to swap out with 2 lithium batteries. Would one of these plug n play style solar suitcases and the built in charge controller on them work on a 2 bank battery setup? Thanks
Lithium batteries take special care when charging and discharging. They can explode if abused. Lithium batteries typically require special chargers, however some lithium battery manufacturers have built these chargers into their batteries, and with the application of a standard charger (one suitable for lead-acid charging), can convert the charge profile to what is required. Other batteries require a lithium-specific charger, and many solar charge controllers do have a lithium setting. I cannot directly answer your question as this is an equipment specific case-by-case basis, complicated by paralleling the batteries.
A 100Watt or 200Watt portable suitcase style panel will keep your battery charged when it provides power for the overhead lighting, water pump, and circuit boards for the water heater, furnace, and refrigerator (when they run on propane). It will not run the A/C, or any 120VAC appliances, such as microwave, coffee maker, TV, etc. 100Watts is simply not powerful enough. Some RVs do have solar systems that can run everything, but they cost in excess of $10k, and they need a lot of roof area for the panels. So they are not practical unless your RV has enough space for all of the panels.
A 100Watt solar panel will output a maximum of around 5.6A, so you would be OK. The 20A rating of the charge controller is the maximum output it could supply, provided a sufficiently powerful solar panel were used. But using 100W of solar panel, you won't reach the 20A limit of the charge controller. You would have to have about 400W of solar panel output to get the controller to output 20A.
Not sure what you mean by an aux plug; a cigarette-style automotive connector? Any connection to the battery should work providing it is directly connected (nothing between the outlet and battery but wire), and the wire is short enough, and the wires are large enough so you do not have voltage drop issues. In my 3rd video, I will show alternative connection strategies.
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One of the best RV videos I have ever seen. Love that trailer pin connector hack. I'll be visiting the website. I had so many questions before I saw this one video. Thanks!
Glad to have helped
This is the most valuable RUclips channel I view. All the rest are mostly a waist of time. Thank you for your knowledge
I appreciate that!
Several thing I like about your video's; very informative, you alway give the details nobody else does. #2 you give links on your website which it great. I purchased the Renogy 100 watt suitcase 2 weeks ago and purchase cables and connectors from you video suggestions. Thank you for passing along the knowledge in one source, you get straight to the point.
Glad it helped.
Excellent video, I purchased a solar suitcase from Armada two weeks ago and have been using Alligator Clips to make the connection to the battery. The SAE to Furion adapter will make for a cleaner installation. Thanks for putting this series together.
Glad it helped
Thank you Ray, once again a very well done, easy to understand helpful video. Love the 7 pin hack!
Glad it was helpful!
Twenty seconds in and I feel good about this. Finally
Thanks for watching
It is just an SAE connector, Zamp just switched wire polarity, same as GoPower...they do not have their own SAE ports. SAE are simple, only two options for polarity. I enjoy your videos, I have learned a lot.
Excellent video. I love it when I can take away a few nuggets of information.
Glad you enjoyed it!
You really make the complicated, simple. Thank you so much for sharing this. ❤️👍👏 Donovan & Jodi
Glad it was helpful!
I have long ext cords/adaptors on all my briefcase panels. I have GZ, Jackery, BougeRV and HF briefcase panels. Long ext cords are useful to follow the sun, move panels away from shade into sun. Some wattage reduction but goal is not about 100% efficiency, it is about convenience and usefulness at a boondock campsite. Still like your videos though, I have learned a lot, but still keeping my long ext cords!
Website reference is broken. FYI.. Let me know if I can help with it.
Thank you- very helpful.
You're welcome!
Thank you. You'd be surprised how little info there is out there.
Thanks for the feedback.
Was wondering why I didn’t get any voltage from my solar plug and you said they come from the factory that way and I need to connect. Thank you.
I really enjoy your videos and have implemented several of your ideas into my RV and cargo trailer. Thank you for all that you do on this channel and your website.
Glad you like them!
Great video! This is exactly what I was looking for. Have the same suitcase with a SAE connection on my RV. I'm just wondering if there is a drawback to going adapter to SAE extension cable to RV rather than MC4 extension to adapter to RV? Then I only need 1 extension cable instead of the 2 MC4. Thanks!
Fewer connections is always better in my view.
Thank you for doing these
Glad you like them!
Great video! Thanks!
Glad you liked it!
Thank you so much!
At the beginning of the video, you said zamp had reversed polarity, but when showing the adapters, you said it was the generic sae that was reversed. I’m watching specifically to see if I need the reverse piece for a factory wired zamp outlet, so now I’m confused.
Is it better to put the charge controller near the battery vs near the panel for efficiency?
Yes it is always better to put the controller as close as possible as you can to the battery. I explain this in video 3 and 4 of the portable solar panel series.
ruclips.net/video/A6PxSvuGc5U/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/_hDwUKKs7q0/видео.html
Great video. I have a Furion 95W suitcase and my trailer is a Jayco that appears to have the generic solar connector. Is there an adapter that would work my situation?
If you are referring to the SAE style connector, there are adapters available.
I have an SAE Connector with a polarity changer/adapter and it does not fit into the SAE/Zampf on my Taxa Cricket. The polarity changer has square edges and the connection on the camper has rounded edges. Just doesn't fit. Do you have any advice that might help me solve this problem? Thank you for this series!
Shave the edges with a pocket knife.
@@MikeFree22 Yeah, I did that but still didn't work. I bought several brands and found the QA is not good on these connectors. Eventually found one that fit.
@@silekiernanphotography Oh ok…glad you found one. Messing with this stuff there is always something!!
@@MikeFree22 For sure. Thanks for taking the time to respond.
We just bought the Renogy 200 watt portable solar panel kit. I saw that it says the alligator clips are 14awg. We want to build a connector to connect via the 7 pin plug like you did... GREAT IDEA by the way!!! My question is what size mc4 pigtails should we get? I only see 10awg and 12awg ones on their website. Thanks for your help!
To reduce voltage drop issues in the wiring, use the heaviest duty wiring you can. So 10AWG will be fine. Also, you might want to check your 7pin wiring harness. The better ones have 10AWG for the battery and ground functions. Cheaper ones have 14AWG for these circuits, which again, can cause voltage drop issues.
I cover voltage drop issues extensively in one of the videos in the suitcase video series.
Thank you so much! I will look for and watch the video. 😊
Very good job with both your videos and your web site. Thank you, I've learned so much from your expertise. I have a question on solar. I currently have 2 x 100W Renogy panels (in series) (40V, 5A approx.) solar panels on the roof of my 5th wheel, Victron solar controller 100V/15A, all working very well. I have an identical 3rd panel I would like to use on occasion, to catch more sun, I have a home-made stand and it works very well. Can I simply wire it by slicing into the roof wire to add another 20V, before it enters the Victron ? Thanks.
Yes and No.
The specification for the Victron controller (100/15) is 100V input max from the solar panels and 15A max output to the battery.
With 3 identical panels, you will be at 60V, which is still under the input limit, so no problem there.
However, the maximum output from the 3 panels at peak (300W) is going to yield close to 20A output. Yet the output of the charger is a maximum of 15A, so you are potentially wasting 5A at peak sunlight.
I have not read the manual for the Victron controller or have I done any over-current testing, so I am not sure if there is an output current limiting mechanism in the unit.
If not, potentially it could overheat the unit if you exceeded the output specifications and possibly damage it. Somehow the charge controller has to dissipate that 5A.
I would at least check the manual or perhaps verify with tech support if there is such a feature in the controller.
Otherwise, I would want to upgrade the charge controller unless for sure you know you will never reach peak panel performance due to the intensity of solar at your location.
For example, where I live in the midwest, it is often cloudy and I am north enough that I would never reach the same solar intensity as I would if I lived in Arizona.
So for me, I might never see more than 200W output in my area even with 300W worth of panels.
You could monitor the charge controller to determine the peak output of the panels in your location.
However, from a liability issue I never recommend exceeding the mfg specifications.
Victron has 100/20 and 100/30 controllers, and one of those would give you the maximum output for your panels.
Anytime you extend the electrical distance of the panels from the controller - which would happen when adding a 3rd panel, you will suffer some voltage loss. But a few volts at 60V is a lot more tolerable than if you were parallel wired. So you should be fine there unless you were to use a lot of extra wire at a small AWG.
Finally, you will want some kind of bypass for the connector you use for the 3rd panel when you are not using it. This would be required if you wired the 3rd panel in series (which I would recommend) as it would otherwise result in an open circuit when the 3rd panel is not used.
@@RVProject A huge thanks. Wow, great info. Any ideas how to wire it with a by-pass? Not sure how I can physically do that... My 2 roof panels are in series on the roof, then a pair of wires travel down to my controller close to the batteries. I have a Furrion port in my service bay wire to the same area, I was going to connect that wire to the controller too...
@@miatared For liability issues I am hesitant to give you a step by step instruction. But basically, you would wire the Furrion port in series with the two panels as if it was the third panel.
Then you would want to put a SPST 20A switch across the Furrion port. When the 3rd panel is not used, you would close the switch, which shorts out around the port. This would effectively take the Furrion port out of the circuit.
But when using the 3rd panel, BEFORE connecting it to the furrion port, you would flip the switch so it is open. That way, it inserts the 3rd panel into the series connection.
@@RVProject Thank you, very much appreciated. I'm in Canada by the way.
Renogy 100Watt Solar Suitcase, does it have a solar controller ?
Thank you for sharing! I've read that we should keep the charge controller inside, I see many people having then attached to the back of the solar panel. Is this okay to leave it out like that?
As long as it is waterproof, you can leave the charge controller attached to the solar panels. This is the typical configuration of a portable suitcase solar panel.
However, the conventional wisdom is the closer the battery is to the charge controller, the better.
You can realize a performance gain by relocating the charge controller next to the battery, especially if you locate the solar panel more than 10ft away from the battery.
This is because the series voltage drop through the wire in the solar panel-to-charger circuit is less critical than the charger-to-battery circuit.
Great video! I just bought a 200-watt Renogy suitcase. It came with a 15 amp fuse. Is that sufficient for the panel which is going to a standard AGM 12-volt battery? My 2022 Casita has a Zamp input plug so it's backward. I did cut the alligator clips off and soldered an SAE plug, then soldered the fuse inline with the positive wire, then used a reverse polarity plug. Is this correct?
I would double check everything with a multimeter.
@@RVProject what about the fuse?
@@genekauffman8286 Unfortunately this is not a Yes or No answer.
My Renogy 100Watt suitcase will output a maximum of about 5.5A when the sunlight is at maximum. I would guess then that the Renogy 200Watt panels would be 11A.
There should be a sticker on the back of the panel which provides the maximum output current.
So a 15A fuse should be sufficient to allow the maximum current from the panel. However, the fuse should also protect the wiring, so you need to make sure the wiring can handle more than 15A.
If everything came from Renogy, I would suspect they sized it correctly. But if you modify any of the wiring, it then is on you to make sure the wiring you add is sufficient to pass not only the current, but also sufficient to minimize voltage drop. I did a video in my Suitcase Solar series that discusses voltage drop. www.rv-project.com/projects/suitcase.php
Fuses and circuit breakers are often mis-understood. There is a lot more going on than most think. A 15A fuse does not blow at 15A, but it allows 15A to pass.
I published a video called "All about Fuses" that you might find interesting: ruclips.net/video/tUomOpNUjHE/видео.html
Truth told, fuses and breakers typically pass a lot higher amperage than their rated amperage. This is a function of time x overcurrent. There are graphs and charts published by LittleFuse, Buss, and most competent fuse manufacturers.
For example, a fuse might blow within a second if the current is say 10x of the fuse rating, but that same fuse might not blow for 10 minutes if the overcurrent is 2x the rating. What this all means is you must overdesign whe wiring for the fuse you will be using.
The wiring in particular should be able to handle much higher currents than what it is fused for. Call it a safety margin if you will.
👍👌❤️🇨🇦, gr8 tips
Quick Question: How many amps can the the 7 way plug accept ... comfortably? More than 10 amps? 20 or 30 amps? Should I read a manual?
It depends on the AWG of the wiring harness. This can vary from RV mfgs, depending on the wiring harness they use.
I have not seen any wiring harnesses with the battery wire being larger than 14AWG, so I would not go more than 10A.
So you are looking at a 100-200Watt solar panel.
But also remember the wiring harness can add 10ft or more to the length of the connection to he solar panel, so you don't want to add a lot of wire to that due to the voltage drop issue (see part 3 of the video series).
@@RVProject If the wiring harness on the RV side is upgraded to 4 or 2 AWG. A nice project. There should be no issues? I'm thinking about installing a 40 amp charge controller (future proof?) inside the front pass through storage of a 25 foot travel trailer. At the same time moving the batteries to the same area. I would then (magically) connect panels via standard a 10 foot mc4 cable extension. That's the plan. I read that you lose less power from the panels if you have the charge controller nearer to the batteries. Thanks.
@@mynormallife479 In Video 3 parts 1 and 2, I explain and demonstrate that the closer the charge controller is to the batteries, the better.
Maybe this is a dumb question, but I need to ask it. I have a travel trailer with the zamp plug factory installed. Can I plug solar panels, without a controller, directly into that plug and directly charge my deep cycle battery? Or, do I need some sort of a controller with the solar panel?
All solar panels need a controller, which is actually a battery charger. The output voltage of the typical solar panel is too high to be directly connected to a battery.
The controller can be located at the solar panel, or for small portable ones, even sometimes they are built into the solar panel.
Or the controller can be located at the battery.
The closer to the battery the controller is located, the better.
Thank you !
You're welcome!
thanks / can you say where that long cable came from . i'm at the rv project site and not seeing it thanks
The links to the pre-assembled cables are on this page: 192.168.1.95/rvproject/projects/suitcase1.php
The link to the bulk cable (you have to attach the ends) are on this page: www.rv-project.com/projects/suitcase2.php
Good good info . Still a little confused on using my Jackery solar suitcase to help charge my rv flooded type batteries. I didn’t use the polarity reverser and melted my Jackery inlet box a bit . Ugh!!. Pulled off my Solar on the side port on my rv and the male of the same connection is red. Reversed the polarity of adapter for Jackery and my voltage on my batteries started to drop ... Help please!!!
You must install a charge controller between your batteries and solar suitcase.
Since the Jackery solar panel is intended to be connected to a Jackery power unit, and the power unit has a charge controller built into it, I doubt the Jackery solar panel has a charge controller.
If you connect a solar panel directly to a battery without a charge controller to manage the charging parameters, you could fry your battery.
So I’m confused on the solar stuff be trying to figure this out on how to hook up my solar panels to my camper I have a 2022 advenger camper it has solar hook up the furion hook up and I was told it can handle only 18volt but I have a 200 watt solar panels,and I just bought a solar power converter.
Most 100 to 200 watt solar panels used for RVs have a 18VDC open circuit voltage per panel. I have not seen any specification at all for the maximum voltage rating for the connector.
Hi. I have a Renogy 100W suitcase and have been charging the batteries via the alligator clips that come with it. I recently installed a metal battery box for both batteries and want to put a SAE adapter on the side of the box so that I don't have to open the box each time to charge. If I do that how do I hook up the cables on the inside to the battery if I'm not using alligator clips?
You can buy terminal lugs from any auto parts store that will fit a battery.
Can 2 100 Watt suitcase kits be hooked to 1 RV battery using the alligator clips or will damage occur to the diodes or controllers?
I don't recommend it.
It would be far better to connect the panels together directly before going into the charge controller. That would be the correct way/best practice.
Depending on the charge controller capacity, the panels would work best in series (using an MPPT controller with a minimum voltage input of twice your panel's output voltage) or in parallel (with a PWM or MPPT controller capable of 15A output).
Of the two configurations, series connecting the panels would result in less voltage drop in the panel circuit, which means you get more charge performance.
However, to connect the panels in series, you also need the proper bypass diodes in the panels. Some panel mfgs already have bypass diodes built in. Some panels also require blocking diodes when used in parallel, both of these situations are dependent on the panel manufacturer, so there is no one correct answer.
I would contact your panel mfg to determine if you need to add external bypass or blocking diodes.
@@RVProject Thanks so much!
Hey me again, they sure don't make this easy. I finally took the Renogy 100 watt suitcase to the RV. I purchased the 10 foot 10 Awg extension cables with MC4 connectors on each end. I also purchased the MC4 adapter to Furrion Port. Before I plugged anything in from the solar panels, I plugged the MC4 adapter into the Furrion Port and tested the polarity with a multimeter. Sure enough, the Furrion Port is wired backwards. The backside of the Furrion Port is behind a wall.
Can I remove the pre-attached MC4 cables from the built-in charge controller, remove the MC4 connectors from the 10 foot cables, strip back the 10 foot wires and plug the black wire into the positive and red into negative on the charge controller and be set? Then I wonder where Grand Design/Furrion has the 10 amp fuse behind the wall, on the black or red wire? Thoughts? Thanks!
I would try to find out which wires went to the battery from the Furrion inlet and make sure those are correct rather than re-wiring the MC4 connectors.
You never know what the RV mfgs are going to do, but in my RV, it arrived with the Furrion inlet disconnected. So it is possible a dealer might have connected the Furrion inlet to the battery backwards.
Also on my RV, the fuse was located about 4 inches from the back of the Furrion inlet. If the backside of your Furrion inlet is covered up, you may actually have to remove the Furrion port mounting screws and pull the port out to access the fuse. Shame on GD if that is what they did.
I'm assuming there's no need to fuse the 7 pin hack if you're only using a 100 watt suitcase?
If the charge controller is at the solar panel - which it should be if using the 7pin hack, I think I would still fuse it for safety.
Is it possible to make your own solar side port with off the shelf parts and have like 800W?
Again, current, voltage, and wattage are all inter-related.
DC Ohm's Law for power (Watts) states:
Volts = Watts / Amps
Amps = Watts / Volts
Watts = Volts x Amps
Consider a 100W panel. It will output around 18V and peak current of 5.5A. (100W / 18V = 5.5A).
Laying out 8 panels in a portable configuration would not be very practical, I don't think, but here goes anyway.
If you series connected 8 panels (144VDC @ 5.5A), you would need an MPPT controller that can handle 150VDC, which does exist. Generally, MPPT controllers are required for voltages higher than a single panel can produce (18V). And in series, the total current will still only be 5.5A so you could use the Furrion connector.
Or if you connected them in parallel (18VDC @ 44A), you could use a PWM or MPPT controller, but the peak current would be 44A.
Series would be the way to go here. An MPPT controller is more efficient, so less % of what you pay for will be consumed in waste, and more % will go to the battery.
And if you went parallel, you will also have a lot of waste and expense in the wiring between the solar panels and battery.
Just off the top of my head, if you have a 50ft power run, you could lose about 25% of the energy produced in a 800W system if you use a PWM controller and parallel connections.
For that reason, if you go more than a 100W setup, I always recommend a MPPT controller and series connection. Since the panels will only produce 5.5A, you won't have any issues with the furrion connector in this configuration, and the MPPT controller will be more efficient. As well, you would not need to spend extra money for heavy gauge cable.
But if you want a high current connector, look at the Anderson Powerpole (15/30/45Amp) or Anderson Battery (50/120/175/250Amp) connectors.
I really do go into quite a lot of detail in my suitcase solar series. Here are two videos and the webpage where I cover Anderson connectors.
Suitcase Solar Webpage: www.rv-project.com/projects/suitcase.php
Video 9: ruclips.net/video/cbKWRvz0SOU/видео.html
Video 9 Update: ruclips.net/video/0hYQzNuXikc/видео.html
How many panels and how much watts do I need to keep charger two batteries? Also is better to have 2 6v or 1 12v?
Suitcase panels such as those made by Renogy typically are 50W or 100W panels. The suitcases typically use two panels, so a total of 100W or 200W.
How much power you need depends on many factors, such as how much of a load you have on your system, where you are on the planet, which affects the amount of daily sunlight you get, etc.
But the rule of thumb I use is 100W per battery should keep a RV charged up for daily use - provided heavy loads are not discharging the battery, such as an inverter supplying AC power.
If you are only using DC lighting, water pump, and powering the fridge and water heater using propane (only DC is required for the circuit board), then a 100W solar system should be good enough.
Of course, if you find the 100W solar panel is not enough, one you can always add another 100W panel.
To determine whether or not to use 6V or 12V batteries, many factors apply as well such as weight, available space, and need. Two 200AH 6V batteries would supply the same amount of energy as two 100AH 12V batteries.
For the 6V batteries, they must be wired in series, while the 12V batteries would be wired in parallel.
However, the typical 6V battery will be a golf cart battery, while the 12V battery might be an ordinary Deep Cycle battery (although you can buy 12V Golf Cart batteries as well).
Typically, Golf Cart batteries will withstand more charge-discharge cycles than a standard Deep Cycle battery.
My rv came with a 50 watt 10 amp solar system. I have a 250 watt 10 amp solar panel sitting around. Can i just unplug the 50 watt and plug in the 250 watt?
It depends on the charge controller. It must be able to handle the higher output current of the new panel.
Often the smaller panels are self-contained, with the charge controller built in. You would not be able to easily modify such a unit.
I have a cargo trailer, a titan solar generator, suitcase solar panels, and solar panel wires. Is there a plug that I can install on the trailer that will make quick connects on the outside and the inside of the cargo trailer?? (My goal is a weatherproof plug for the inside and outside… To allow pass through of current from the solar panels to the generator.)
You can purchase the Furrion connector as shown in this video, or a SAE style (mfg by Zamp and others). My website for the video series has all of the links: www.rv-project.com/projects/suitcase.php
@@RVProject Thanks!
Would these solar suitcases work on a 2 lithium po battery setup? Iam totally new to the rv world. Bought a trailer that has the solar on the side port . Only has a single deep cycle battery which I want to swap out with 2 lithium batteries. Would one of these plug n play style solar suitcases and the built in charge controller on them work on a 2 bank battery setup? Thanks
Lithium batteries take special care when charging and discharging. They can explode if abused.
Lithium batteries typically require special chargers, however some lithium battery manufacturers have built these chargers into their batteries, and with the application of a standard charger (one suitable for lead-acid charging), can convert the charge profile to what is required.
Other batteries require a lithium-specific charger, and many solar charge controllers do have a lithium setting.
I cannot directly answer your question as this is an equipment specific case-by-case basis, complicated by paralleling the batteries.
Does it run the entire rv?
A 100Watt or 200Watt portable suitcase style panel will keep your battery charged when it provides power for the overhead lighting, water pump, and circuit boards for the water heater, furnace, and refrigerator (when they run on propane).
It will not run the A/C, or any 120VAC appliances, such as microwave, coffee maker, TV, etc. 100Watts is simply not powerful enough.
Some RVs do have solar systems that can run everything, but they cost in excess of $10k, and they need a lot of roof area for the panels.
So they are not practical unless your RV has enough space for all of the panels.
can you connect a 100 watt 20A charge controler to the furrion 10A inlet?
A 100Watt solar panel will output a maximum of around 5.6A, so you would be OK.
The 20A rating of the charge controller is the maximum output it could supply, provided a sufficiently powerful solar panel were used. But using 100W of solar panel, you won't reach the 20A limit of the charge controller.
You would have to have about 400W of solar panel output to get the controller to output 20A.
@@RVProject Thanks for the answer,new sub and new to the RV world
Buy the connector on Amazon also
Thank you for supporting my channel.
Can a 12 volt aux plug work as a connection?
Not sure what you mean by an aux plug; a cigarette-style automotive connector? Any connection to the battery should work providing it is directly connected (nothing between the outlet and battery but wire), and the wire is short enough, and the wires are large enough so you do not have voltage drop issues.
In my 3rd video, I will show alternative connection strategies.
Yo
OK
Thank you!