New solar panels on 2017/18 T@B

Trailpixie

I was watching this cool video about the new features on T@B Outback. I was really intrigued to see the option to have solar panels mounted on the roof.  But...looking at this video, it appears that there may be a bunch of wiring junk on the roof.  Does anyone know anything about this? It looks a bit sloppy.

https://youtu.be/Wz9sEZARyK0?t=132 

Michigan_Mike

I've seen the new panels from ground level and since the wiring is centered and located just a bit in front of the roof vent I doubt you'd really ever notice or see the wiring.   

lapowers57

This comment can apply to these panels and the ones on the new 400.  Being a New Englander  and often camping in the shade I have an  issue with panels that are on the roof of the T@B.  I have the ZAMP 160 watt suitcase panels and the 15 foot extension cable.  This past weekend I was camped in partial shade which kept the camper cooler but would have limited charging if my panels were on the roof.  In the morning I was able to place the panels pretty far behind the camper to get full sun and in the evening I was able to move them pretty far in front. So being able to move the panels to an optimal location was very handy.  Not having to carry the suitcase would be great but being able to move the panels to different locations is a big plus.  I'd like to hear how people who have roof mounted their panels are making out with them.  

jkjenn

The is pretty much how I thought I would mount the panels if I ever mounted so that they didn't make the whole T@b look bad.

Trailpixie

I figured that I'd combine a 100watt suitcase with this 150 watt roof-mounted solar panel. This should keep me in good shape for most ci cumstances. Combining those two with a second battery should be very safe. 

In other discussions I have seen mentions that  charging from the TV sometimes can't keep up with the frig running in 12v mode.  Apparently the solar panels on the roof allow you to arrive at the site with all the batteries topped off (except after dark, of course).

MandyLea

Hi! Mandy here... from the video. Sorry I didn't show a better shot of the panels, I know everyone was excited about them! I've been traveling since April with the panels. Here are a few thoughts:

Regarding the wiring/looks:
Its actually the sleekest looking solar panels I've seen on any set up yet. There are wires associated with every solar set up and these are tied down very nicely. The panels are very thin and you barely notice them on top of the camper. I'm happy with the looks.

Regarding the roof mount:
The disadvantage is that if you park in the shade, you cannot move your panels to the sun. The advantage is that you never ever have to unpack, pack or find a storage place for panels. They also charge while driving a long day in the sun. To me, the advantages outweigh the disadvantage and I'm happy having them on the roof.

Regarding what they will charge:
To be honest, solar is a new world to even the nuCamp people and there are so many variables that its not very straight forward. I have done a lot of boondocking since I got the camper in April. It will not run the A/C. It will not run any 110v outlets (it just charges your battery, you are still using your battery). It will not keep up with your fridge running on battery (sorry, keep it on propane!). But, it WILL keep my laptop charged plugged in all day long if I'm in the sun (I use an inverter in the 12V plug), keep phones and other electrical devices charged, run the TV and DVD player all day.

I'm still finding its limits. While it's not perfect, it offers us something to get off grid and overall I love it. Small, easy to manage, and useful.

jkjenn

MandyLea said:

Regarding what they will charge:
To be honest, solar is a new world to even the nuCamp people and there are so many variables that its not very straight forward. I have done a lot of boondocking since I got the camper in April. It will not run the A/C. It will not run any 110v outlets (it just charges your battery, you are still using your battery). It will not keep up with your fridge running on battery (sorry, keep it on propane!). But, it WILL keep my laptop charged plugged in all day long if I'm in the sun (I use an inverter in the 12V plug), keep phones and other electrical devices charged, run the TV and DVD player all day.

I'm still finding its limits. While it's not perfect, it offers us something to get off grid and overall I love it. Small, easy to manage, and useful.

Hi @MandyLea - your limitations are likely more from your battery capacity than solar. You would need a beefy battery bank to think about running an a/c off of solar. It can be done, but the challenge you run into is that the load size can hurt your overall battery life. I might be wrong, but I think this might be an advantage of a lithium conversion. I know that someone on the FB group picked up a Goal Zero Yeti 1000 lithium, only available at Costco, and was able to run the a/c in the T@b (directly from the a/c) for 2.5 hours. It's not amazing, but it something. You might not care about the a/c but using the battery for a/c does get asked from time to time.

RE: the fridge - a point of clarification for newer folks. there is a huge difference in the battery draw between the 3 way and 2 way fridges. The 3 way draws close to 12 ah where the 2 way draws less than 3 ah. This set-up, assuming you are parked in an area with zero shade, could be sufficient for the 2 way.

Last note. The slightest shadow can significantly impact your solar performance. The fan can cast a shadow. The stock fan, open, might cast the lease, but the Maxx Air and adding the Fantastic Fan cover would both increase the profile of the fan and therefore increase the profile of the shadow. I am not saying that it would totally compromise the value of the panels being mounted and some use so little power that the shadow would not make a difference, but it does have somewhat of an impact. 

Some people will, understandably be drawn to the crock pot, or "fix it and forget it" benefit of the mounted solar panels.

Ratkity

To those who don't know much about solar and how they are being added to the campers.....I think it's great that NüCamp is adding panels. It takes some of the solar setup headache away. There's a way to add splitters (no @ericnliz, not spitters!!) to the cables and run a solar suitcase (without controller) to augment your setup if you park in the shade, but have sun around you to utilize. It was just a thought.

(This is still for confused solar folks).... Battery capacity is an issue if you boondock a lot and there's a lot of threads about adding 2x 6V batteries. Them things are pricey, but if you use the television and dvd player periodically during rainy days (or your laptop or portable DVD player with the same abilities), it's great to have a little extra power to be able to do that. Calculating power needs is the key and *how* you camp and how many days at a time.

Do you really need 2x 6V 68-pound batteries inside that bin?  This old lady had a hard time lifting the 48# group 24 into the bin. Can you make do with a group 27? Most importantly, all flooded lead-acid batteries need maintenance. The 6V's are expensive and not maintaining them will kill them quickly, draining your $$. 

See? The variables start adding up!! Start simply. Start with a totally charged battery. Flip the disconnect switch (or pull 30A fuse) and use a charger overnight. Don't forget to flip the switch back on (or put the fuse in) before getting on the road.

1. Take your camper out for lots of fun runs at local or near-local campgrounds and use electric only sites.
2. Learn how to use the dump station (if camper is so equipped). Learn how the AC and Alde works to make hot water and the pump. 
3. Now go to a campground without electricity. You don't want your battery down below 12.1-12.2V (that's 50% discharge). Get a cheap monitor and see how much power is being used if you take advantage of showers and periodic potty runs at the campground facilities.
4. Do the same as above to see how much voltage you use if you don't use the campground facilities.

That's a good start.

dsatwork

We added 200 watts of solar or two panels, which adds more wiring too. My mounting is not as slick as that one, but pretty nice in my estimation. We also have two 100 ah AGM batteries which give us a pretty substantial battery bank, that can be drawn down to 80% and charge up 5 times faster than flooded. On the road when Jen @Sandiegogal was using her 1200 watt hair dryer off of our 1500 watt inverter, we would only draw the battery bank down to 12.5 and that was recovered by noon. We also have the advantage of being able to add portable solar panels should we need them. We have a generic 60 watt panel that is very manageable size wise and stores nicely in the TV should we need it.

http://tab-rv.vanillaforums.com/discussion/5175/permanent-200-watt-flexible-solar-install


http://tab-rv.vanillaforums.com/discussion/5206/1500-watt-puresine-wave-inverter

ericnliz

@MandyLea, Thanks for the write-up on the panels. Like anything else, solar is a tool, and has it's limitations in a variety of ways. I know from using my panels which are mobile, there are still limitations. Adjusting/adapting to these limitations is important for the battery storage capabilities. Please keep us posted/updated on your thoughts on the built-in panels. I have been intrigued since I first saw them incorporated as an option. Thanks.

Drewcarrie

So my 400 came with them mounted, advice from Arizona dealer. Utah dealer wasn't charging extra. The cords don't show and hey they are there and working whenever they get sun. Problem is they showed me the zamp outlet on a 320 thinking that's how they all come. Well the 400 showed up without a plug in port, and I bought an extra panel and zamp cord. Anyone know what the best option is for connecting it now? By the way everyone at the dealer was impressed, they have never seen panels from a factory

dsatwork

@Drewcarrie are you going with another fixed flexible or are you planning to use as portable? Because if it is portable and the zamp cable..... their plugs are easy to find and install on your box.

pthomas745

Or, you could just go from the solar controller to the battery with simple alligator clips.

Michigan_Mike

Drewcarrie said:

So my 400 came with them mounted, advice from Arizona dealer. Utah dealer wasn't charging extra. The cords don't show and hey they are there and working whenever they get sun. Problem is they showed me the zamp outlet on a 320 thinking that's how they all come. Well the 400 showed up without a plug in port, and I bought an extra panel and zamp cord. Anyone know what the best option is for connecting it now? By the way everyone at the dealer was impressed, they have never seen panels from a factory

The best thing you can do is access the battery and hook the Zamp solar port leads to it.  And as I recall the battery is in a tight/hard to access location, so this might require some time and patience.  If it were me and it does seem that the battery in the 400 is mounted near the rear of the trailer, I would keep the Zamp port closest to the side where everything else is located (e.g., the CATV port, electric, sewer, etc.) for ease of use and convenience.   This should be an option (they have stopped installing the Zamp ports) but should also serve notice to others purchasing the trailers to ask before the final build order goes in as solar is attractive to those familiar with it and will use it.  With that said, stay close to the battery with the Zamp plug and you undoubtedly will need to splice on an additional length(s) of wire (of the same size) to make things work.  

Drewcarrie

Factory noticed this insight. Nucamp service guy said to put the outlet just outside of storage hatch by the battery, but like u said I can go on other side by the utility hatch. Then the cord wouldn't be on the camping side. Thirty feet isn't very long in the woods. So far my two roof mounts are powering the battery well. Some people are not getting solar but the trailer was the same price with them. Found a Yamaha 2000is for a great price so I don't know if a third rigid solar panel is overkill or just giving me options. We are most always off grid camping and with so much water capacity, we can be out there for a long time. I like the piece and quiet of solar.

Drewcarrie

Has anyone put a simple amp reader unit inline somewhere so they can see where they're at on power so we don't have to duck our heads under bed, another insight for some reason from factory. Is this part of the theory of having a generator and starting it up and topping it off if battery is low

skwhee

@Drewcarrie
If we recall correctly you have a 400. Is your solar controller under the bed a Grape Solar device like the one the factory installed in our 400? If so, did you get the information on the Solar app for Android or iPhone? That's what the factory intended although perhaps some dealers are not clued into that. It's what we use and find it exceedingly useful.

Drewcarrie

No, NO ONE has told us about the app. I knew more than my dealer... he kept telling me. Nor the few I talked to at factory. Thanks skwhee!

Drewcarrie

Ok skwhee where do I find the app? It's not under grape solar. More info would be great. I can't wait to try it

TabberJohn

Found this on Amazon posted on July 18th under questions for one of their controllers --

Regarding the bluetooth

The manufacturer has an app available via email on request that can run on androids and iphones providing more info plus daily logs and graphs. It seems to be very useful information and well worth the trouble of requesting and installing the software to connect via Bluetooth.  

http://grapesolar.com/contact.php                

skwhee

Drewcarrie 
You can find the app in the iPhone app store by searching for "solar app nansong zhang". Once you have downloaded the app, you'll need the admin password: 135790123

For the Android app, email support@grapesolar.com and request the app for the Grape Solar 40A Controller.