Solar considerations for beginners

racheldagovitz · April 2023

Hi all,
I have a new Tab 320CS and I'm new to camping. I plan to do boondocking and would like to get solar set up. Seems pretty overwhelming trying to figure out what I need. Would like to hear about folks' experience with setting up their solar. What is the minimum system set up that I should get? Is there a scalable system so I can upgrade as needed.
Thanks for your info.
Rachel

RTWCTS · April 2023

Years ago, we started with a Renogy 100W briefcase that had a built in controller (PWM style), a 30-foot extension cable (10 Gauge), a connector and an SAE plug in the side of the tub. As we gained experience with solar, I disconnected the controller from the briefcase and installed one (MPPT style) inside the tub of the 320 we had at the time.
We now own 4 briefcases (400Watts total) and with a few connectors can hook them up in a variety of ways to meet the solar conditions. In short, the Renogy briefcases are scalable (We also bought a 400 with rooftop solar).
There are now a variety of brands that are available, some that are cheaper than Renogy. I cannot attest to their scalability. Renogy has worked over the years we've owned them.

pthomas745 · April 2023

I've always had dirt simple, individual components. I've always used Renogy panels. I started with a 12 dollar solar controller, which is battered to death...but still works. (It has been semi retired). I do have better controllers now (2 of them) but my connections and cables are pretty simple.

You can get all wrapped up in the MPPT/PWM/LineLoss/SAE connector abyss. ( I did..and it took a year to get over it....and discovered it hardly mattered. Or, at least not as much as I expected it would.)

So, I vote for individual components. Separate panel. Separate controller. (But, lithium capable, there are many that can handle them). Separate cables. (I have 30 foot cables from my panel to controller.) I never "mounted" my controller to the trailer. I would connect things up, and the controller would sit in the battery box, and I'd take it out when I broke camp. (I have nice "boxes" where they sit now.) I ignored all the SAE connectors on the trailer for a year. I used a simple pair of battery clamps to connect the solar controller to the battery. Still have them. ( I do use the SAE port on the trailer, with no adapters, no unusual cables, nothing. Just properly wired).

So, a Renogy 100 watt panel.

https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Monocrystalline-Solar-Compact-Design/dp/B07GF5JY35/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1TV96PQCBEJEP&keywords=renogy+monocrystalline+solar+panel&qid=1681147931&sprefix=renogy+monocrystalline+solar+panel,aps,165&sr=8-1&th=1

This is my spare controller. Not MPPT, nothing fancy, but charges lithium. MPPT controllers seem wildly overpriced on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09JZL1WNG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

Cables from the solar panel to the solar controller. Note they end with just "bare wire" connectors. Easy to hook up. These cables will make it easy to maneuver the panels into the sun.

https://www.amazon.com/iGreely-MC4-Extension-Cable-Connector/dp/B087PVBJ1T/ref=sr_1_3?crid=36BJZN1L836F&keywords=solar+controller+cable+to+panels&qid=1681148307&sprefix=solar+controller+cable,aps,155&sr=8-3&th=1

Battery clamps from the solar controller to the battery. You want the controller close to the battery, so this is why the controller will be inside the tub. This is a 4 foot long cable. I cut off the "plug" end. Trimmed about 1/4 inch of the wires off, and the "bare wires" can go right into the solar controller "battery" connections. Connect the wires to the controller, open the battery box, clamp to the appropriate battery terminals.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JOY6U7U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Oh...a screwdriver will be necessary for the wires to be secured to the solar controller.

Done. No unusual cables or connectors except that MC4 cable connector on the back of the panel where the cable from the panel to the controller connects. This is as simple as a setup can be. The panel and the cables will be useful no matter how you expand your portable setup.

In your new trailer, you have installed solar. And, a Victron solar controller. The controller has a bluetooth app that will enable you to monitor your battery status. A very important part of your setup.

Find the app here: https://www.victronenergy.com/panel-systems-remote-monitoring/victronconnect

Edit: My setup is still this "simple", but with better pin connectors on the solar controller wiring, the controller in a waterproof box, etc. It took a while for me to work things out. Getting my battery charged was priority 1.

ScottG · April 2023

I've always suggested that solar is a dish best consumed in small bites. Start basic, figure out your needs, and expand from there if necessary.

In 2016 I started with a 100W Renogy suitcase. I modified the connector to plug into the existing Zamp port on the T@B, but this was strictly for convenience--the suitcases come with jumper-cable style clamps that allow direct connection to the battery.

In subsequent years I made the system more versatile by separating the controller from the panel and building new cables to make everything modular. However, it's still the same 100W and 10W PWM controller. It may not be the most powerful or efficient system, but eight years later it still continues to meet my needs. YMMV, but you'll figure that out quickly enough once you dive in.

elbolillo · April 2023

racheldagovitz said:

Hi all,
I have a new Tab 320CS and I'm new to camping. I plan to do boondocking and would like to get solar set up. Seems pretty overwhelming trying to figure out what I need. Would like to hear about folks' experience with setting up their solar. What is the minimum system set up that I should get? Is there a scalable system so I can upgrade as needed.
Thanks for your info.
Rachel

Rachel. A lot will depend on where you plan on doing most of your boondocking. Traveling through the Southwest, where there is generally abundant sunshine, compared to here in the upper Midwest, with lots of trees that shade campsites, can make a big difference in where you might want to invest your money.

Our '23 Tab 400 has a 180w panel on the roof. I added a Victron MPPT 100/30 solar charger and external M4 solar connectors. I currently have a 100w suitcase and 30' and 60' cables. We work remotely on extended trips, so we use the inverter often and need to charge electronics. We have 400ah of LiFePo4 batteries, and with this setup, I can leave the generator at home and not stress over battery levels.

Determine what your use will be in general, and then maybe build a bit of extra into your setup.

tphaggerty · April 2023

I have done both solar and battery upgrades to my 400. My take is to upgrade your batteries to lithium first (more/better capacity and utilization), then add solar if needed. I did it the opposite way and wish I had done batteries first…

The main thing is to be realistic and get some experience camping first. If you only weekend camp or even go 3 or 4 days at most,you may never need solar (but lithium is the key). If you occasionally go out longer, either add more battery capacity and/or buy a suitcase (my first solar was a renogy 100w suitcase, very nice). If you travel long distances and boondock or “Walmart” stop a lot (we have 2 cross country trips and will do a 3rd this fall), then consider adding rooftop solar.

I have 300ah of renogy lithium batteries, 350w rooftop solar (renogy flex panels and mppt controller) and the 100w suitcase. Even with all of that, 10 days of camping in shaded northeast sites can leave us running low. I finally increased out battery capacity when I found myself chasing “sun spots” with our suitcase and realized that wasn’t what I was camping for!!

Slackers · April 2023

@tphaggerty your approach would have worked for us. Like you, we first purchased a solar suitcase. It has only been used to top off the battery at our home. We have since replaced our aging oem battery with lithium. The larger capacity lithium probably would have been good enough for how we currently camp. Alas the solar gives us future options.

morey000 · April 2023

here's what I did. the post is old, so I don't imagine any of the links work- but, it's a pretty simple solution and it works. I just added a lithium battery today and adjusted my Renogy MPPT controller setting accordingly (the charge voltages and such are different). https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/8869/my-solar-install-clean-and-simple#latest

FWIW- I pretty much only boondock, and I've always had enough power. Even with the crappy 75Ahr stock battery (of which you can only use half of that energy, and most are overrated). Then again- i live in AZ where there's a lot of sun- and, I don't watch TV or have any high power needs. Just lights, fan, radio. Now with a 100Ahr Lithium, all of which is usable, should be no issues.

Michigan_Mike · April 2023

Some very sage advice above and concur with what people are stating above. This is a very popular question on the forum and it is echoed year in and year out on this forum and on Facebook and most trailer forums. Understand one thing, solar can be expensive as are the new lithium batteries. As noted above, evaluate the type and length of camping you plan to do. Are you camping primarily in campgrounds with hookups or is your intent to camp off grid the majority of time. The western states and SW offer an ideal setting for solar and the upper Midwest areas can be covered in a canopy of trees which hinder solar panels. Why buy a solar setup if you are planning to camp in campgrounds as you will basically have an expensive investment and end up taking it for a ride out and back?

I started out with a 75W Zamp suitcase that served my needs as I graduated up the teardrop trailer line (have owned 5 teardrops) and now have a 200 watt Zamp suitcase panel and a 195 watt rooftop unit on our 2019 T@B 400. I take the suitcase along on camping excursions out west here and leave it in our New Mexico garage for the summer and we travel back to
Michigan during the summer months. I like solar here in the southwest as it is an ideal environment for it and allows flexibility and sustainability when we are off grid.

Slackers · April 2023

Good point on solar and its value for Western campgrounds. We were inspired to purchase the suitcase panels following an epic month-long Western states adventure. Upon return to our Midwestern home and different camping style it's not as useful. But, but it gives us options--so not a regrettable purchase.

GregChris · April 2023

Solar is as solar does! Last fall we spent 10 days between Shenandoah NP and Prince William NP. There lots of very expensive solar set ups setting around idle, connected to dead batteries. Mine was 1 of them. Plugged the trailer into the TV to get the water pump to work for showers. At Assateague Island SP, Maryland the 100w panel kept everything going for a week. Just be sure to do power hungry activities durring the day light hours.

morey000 · April 2023

racheldagovitz said:

Hi all,
I have a new Tab 320CS…..What is the minimum system set up that I should get?
Thanks for your info.
Rachel

Do you have a two-way fridge or a 3-way? The 3-ways can run for weeks off of propane. The 2-way fridges will suck a battery dry in less than a day. So- depending on your fridge, that will make a significant difference in what amount of battery storage and solar you will need.

Denny16 · April 2023

morey000 said:

racheldagovitz said:

Hi all,
I have a new Tab 320CS…..What is the minimum system set up that I should get?
Thanks for your info.
Rachel

The 2-way fridges will suck a battery dry in less than a day. So- depending on your fridge, that will make a significant difference in what amount of battery storage and solar you will need.

Not necessarily true of the DC (2-way) fridges used in the TaB. Our AC/DC fridge, will run off batteries (200-amp AGM) for several days, and the facotry solar on the TaB400 will recharge the power used by the fridge during the night by mid-day. Yes, if you are camping in deep shaded woods, or do not have good sun access, your power requirements will vary. The best upgrade, is to replace the factory/dealer battery with a good lithium setup, 100-amps for a 320 and 200 amps for the 400.
cheers

rcarlson1957 · April 2023

Depends on your power requirements and availability of sun where you'll be camping. We basically had 3 needs. 1 - Keep battery charged to run water pump, ALDE, fan, lights and TV. 2 - Keep the 3-way frig working enroute to location (works for long time on propane at the campsite but is a battery hog when set to 12v enroute). 3 - Power an external frig (ICECO GO 20).

1st thing we did was replace a stock lead acid battery with a relatively inexpensive 100ah lithium battery (AmpereTime). A lot more capability than stock battery - it keeps our 3 way frig running on battery enroute to campsite (stock one would be DOA when we got there) as long as we don't drive all day.

For solar, our 320 didn't come with rooftop solar so we went the portable suitcase route. We got two Bluetti 120W panels (very lightweight, thin and space saving). Installed a Victron solar controller in tub and put external connector in it to hook up one panel for maintaining camper battery. Installed a smart shunt for monitoring camper battery/power usage. Got some solar extension cables (nice to park camper in shade and run panel out to sun). Also got a Bluetti AC50S Solar Generator. It's basically a portable solar controller, solar power bank and inverter). We use it to power the external frig in back of truck enroute to campsite. We also hook it up to the other solar panel to power the external frig when at campsite (seems to do so indefinitely).

Works great for our needs.

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