solar panels, portable

toni

We are interested in getting a portable solar panel to plug into our 2017 T@B to help supplement our battery.  We would like a user friendly version.  We are not very technical that way.  We mostly take short 3-4 day trips, but this autumn we are planning on a 10 day trip.  We would like recommendations for wattage and brands.  Thank you in advance.

Sharon_is_SAM

Renogy 100 watt suitcase with built in controller.  

pthomas745

Whether you like it or not...you will have to get a "little" technical, but it isn't hard. Your 2017 has the "SAE" port on the side of your trailer (with a Zamp label on it).  That would be one way to connect a panel.  Or...simple battery clamps will do the job until you want to make any further quantum leaps.  This thread about "add on panels" will give you some basics.  Ask questions......

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/12663/how-to-connect-add-on-solar#latest

CrabTab

Renogy Eclipse 100 watt suitcase with built in controller.  

ScottG

A Zamp suitcase should be plug-and-play with the existing SAE port on the side of your tub. You will pay for that ease of use, however--Zamps are pricy but reportedly top quality.

toni

I am inclined toward the Zamp because the trailer has the SAE (plug).  I also have read a several comments about folks getting the Renogy and having to rewire because the polarity(?) on the trailer was opposite of the Renogy.  I also see that with Zamp there is a 90 watt and a 140 watt (not a 100 watt).  A couple of further questions please:  We have a deep cell battery that is a recent purchase.  1. Will 90 watt do the job on our 2017 T@B LG Q Max? in other words will it keep the battery topped off  2. Will it need to plugged in while at camp all the time (if it is sunny)? Thanks. again.

ScottG

@toni, the answers to both questions depend on a lot of factors, not least of which how much sun exposure you have. A bigger panel affords more wiggle room, but will be larger and heavier to tote around and deploy.

My standard operating procedure is to set up the panel on arrival and leave it out for the duration. That way I can take advantage of any light I can get. Just make if you do this you have a waterproof controller!

pthomas745

You can pay three or four times as much for a Zamp panel compared to the Renogy ( or any of dozens and dozens of different solar manufacturers.) The money you save on the panel can go to the two dollar adapter that "solves" the Zamp port.  It is just an ordinary electrical connector.  I've used it on my 2017 without an adapter for years.  Very easy to work with.  I have a stock battery (Group 24, 80 amp hours) and a 100 watt panel works for me just fine.

Ignore the connector...the questions you should ask: how big is your battery now?  Do you intend to get a bigger one later?  What fridge do you have?  2 way?  3 way?  Anything you really "need" to use in your trailer, such as a CPAP machine or laptops or stuff like that? 

CrabTab

@toni, you can purchase a polarity plug adapter that looks like this


No actual rewiring needed to match up other panels to a Zamp port. For some reason, Zanp chose to wire the pins differently than the standard SAE plug used by Renogy and most other manufacturers. No worries though.

The size panel needed depends on your usage and available sun, like @ScottG mentions.

100W was a good starter for us and we get by with favorable weather. On a sunny day we can replace the electricity in our battery used overnight and meet our needs during the day.

Our panel will put out over 4 Amps per hour with clear skies and about 2 Amps in somewhat cloudy conditions. The key is how far down your battery is discharged overnight. It IS a process to learn how to live off the grid.

Worse case, you can add a second panel in the future. The only real down side to starting with a bigger panel is the bigger size to deal with. One final thought, we went with the Eclipse model by Renogy because it is more compact (smaller and lighter) than other comparable units.

ScottG

Do the Renogy suitcases come with an SAE connector? I can't quite tell from the photos and description online.

It was so long ago that I hacked up my own Renogy suitcase, I can't remember its original configuration. 

CrabTab

@ScottG, My Renogy came with MC4 connectors off of a waterproof PWM controller. I added  a 30FT extension cable (10 Gauge). It has MC4 on one end and SAE on the other. This matched the SAE port I installed on the side of my tub. My 2019 T@B didn't come with any solar connectors.

Oh, and the briefcase also comes with a cover and an MC4 cable with a pair of alligator clips on one end to attach to battery posts (I've never used that cable though).

ScottG

So, @toni, it sounds like you could go with a less expensive Renogy suitcase if you were so inclined. Assuming you don't want to make your own cables, you would need to add a couple of Renogy's MC4 extension cables, their MC4 to SAE adapter, and (probably) the polarity adapter @CrabTab mentioned above. With those additional items the Renogy should be plug-and-play with your existing Zamp port, and be just as user friendly.

  

MikeDawn265

toni said:

I am inclined toward the Zamp because the trailer has the SAE (plug).  I also have read a several comments about folks getting the Renogy and having to rewire because the polarity(?) on the trailer was opposite of the Renogy.  I also see that with Zamp there is a 90 watt and a 140 watt (not a 100 watt).  A couple of further questions please:  We have a deep cell battery that is a recent purchase.  1. Will 90 watt do the job on our 2017 T@B LG Q Max? in other words will it keep the battery topped off  2. Will it need to plugged in while at camp all the time (if it is sunny)? Thanks. again.

You don't need to rewire for polarity. All you need is a polarity reverse adapter. VERY inexpensive.   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GPGPTFV/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_S7TD24N0ZK7MWV72FCNT?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

pthomas745

@CrabTab are those Renogy controller cables hard wired into the controller?  Can you remove the cable and use something else?

Marceline

toni said:

I am inclined toward the Zamp because the trailer has the SAE (plug).  I also have read a several comments about folks getting the Renogy and having to rewire because the polarity(?) on the trailer was opposite of the Renogy.  I also see that with Zamp there is a 90 watt and a 140 watt (not a 100 watt).  A couple of further questions please:  We have a deep cell battery that is a recent purchase.  1. Will 90 watt do the job on our 2017 T@B LG Q Max? in other words will it keep the battery topped off  2. Will it need to plugged in while at camp all the time (if it is sunny)? Thanks. again.

Just to be clear, this "rewire" job is incredibly easy. Just trace the 2 wires that run from the SAE port mounted to the side of your tub to your battery and swap them on the battery terminals. Then remove the Zamp sticker from the side of your tub. That's it. 

CrabTab

pthomas745 said:

@CrabTab are those Renogy controller cables hard wired into the controller?  Can you remove the cable and use something else?

@pthomas745, You can remove the controller OR purchase the panel w/o a controller and use another controller.

ScottG

Marceline said:
...

Just to be clear, this "rewire" job is incredibly easy. Just trace the 2 wires that run from the SAE port mounted to the side of your tub to your battery and swap them on the battery terminals. Then remove the Zamp sticker from the side of your tub. That's it. 

I agree, with one caveat. On mine the ring terminals were different sizes, matched to the different sized battery posts. Easy enough to put the larger positive ring on the smaller negative post, but going in the other direction would require a different ring terminal. Easy enough to do, if you know how to do such things. (And easy enough to learn if you don't!)

I've no idea if this applies to all T@Bs, or if it was just the way mine got wired up on the original battery.

masnpip

I agree with the above folks who recommend renogy or other brand over zamp. Zamp is several times more expensive, with no discernible quality difference. In fact, I’m pretty sure that all of their “suitcases” come with a pwm charge controller, which is cheap and inefficient. 

 I did exactly what the folks linked above, with the “extension cord” thing and the adapter thing. It really is just a matter of plugging in adapters. 

Zamp ticks me off by ripping people off because we don’t understand that a $2 adapter is all that’s required! It all scared the heck out of me last year when I got my tab, but now I’ve been learning a lot more about solar and 12v systems, and really enjoying it! And it all started when I decided to figure out the zamp/sae connector thing because I refused to pay their excessive prices. I went with an hqst 100w solar suitcase. Btw, it does pay to spend the extra $ on an mppt solar charge controller instead of a pwm. You will get more out of your solar panel if you do. And I think zamp only sells pwm’s