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Zamp panels lack of quality and service

FrequenttravlerFrequenttravler Member Posts: 1
edited August 29 in Products and Accessories

I travel in the summer months in remote mountain forest areas in the Northwest. I rely on the solar panels to keep the three lithium batteries in the RV charged.

The first solar panel I bought about 5 years ago was a 100-watt Renogy portable panel.  I heard good things about the Zamp panels. They were made in the US and came with a five-year warranty on the cords and electronics, as well as a 20-year warranty on the panel itself. I bought two 100-watt Obsidian portable panels for $1098.00

The Zamp solar panels were the biggest mistake I made in purchasing solar panels. I’ve had the panels for three years. I have replaced three of the 15-foot charging cables, two of which were done in the last 60 days, due to poor manufacturing quality. I have replaced the solar controller in the previous 60 days. I made multiple calls, sent numerous emails, and sent photos of the panels to request that the cables be replaced. The worst part was that the warranty representative informed me they had manufacturing issues with some of the cables, which were breaking down and failing to transmit energy from the panel to the batteries.

The best part is when I place all three 100-watt panels in the same position in the midday sun. The one Renogy panel will give me around 5.6 to 6.0 amps, and the two Zamp panels combined will provide me with 8.0 to 8.5 amps. I should be getting close to 10.0 amps The Zamp panels are poor at producing energy.

Zamp no longer offers the Obsidian panels on their website, and they have the rest of the portable panels discounted about 50%. What does that say about their portable panels?

Based on my experience with the poor quality of the cables, the pathetic warranty service, and the panel's ability to convert solar power to energy. I will be replacing the Zamp panels next summer

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Comments

  • CherokeeCherokee Member Posts: 333
    Ouch - I've had very good experiences with my 5 year old 95 watt Zamp portable panels.(two 220a/h AGM 6v batteries with a 3-way refrigerator) Unfortunately, the same unit on their site today looks very different. Looks like another company trying to cut costs while living om the reputation of their previous units. ;-(   
    TV:2019 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X With an Old Man Emu lift
    Trailer: 2019 T@B 320 Boondock with a Lock&Roll Coupler & Jack-e-up
    Custom fabricated metal bottom cladding
    California, USA
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  • Grumpy_GGrumpy_G Member Posts: 621
    Zamp "sold out" 4 years ago to Dometic and they've been sort of rudderless ever since. Unrealistic pricing and aging products did not help either. Looks like everything is on sale so I wouldn't be surprised if they close up shop here in Bend soon. 
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  • AnOldURAnOldUR Member Posts: 1,586
    I'm not a fan of Zamp products, but find this post strange. Do you, @Frequenttravler, own a T@B and have something to contribute to the nuCamp community or did you join the fourm for the sole purpose of bashing a product? Some kind of bio would add credibility to this thread.


    Stockton, New Jersey
    2020 nuCamp T@B 320S * Jeep Wrangler
    (47,171 towing miles through the end of 2024)
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  • qhumberdqhumberd Moderator Posts: 607
    AnOldUR said:
    I'm not a fan of Zamp products, but find this post strange. Do you, @Frequenttravler, own a T@B and have something to contribute to the nuCamp community or did you join the fourm for the sole purpose of bashing a product? Some kind of bio would add credibility to this thread.


    Most new members are learning the forum and what the purpose of the community really means, which is to share experiences and assist others.

    First, this discussion has been moved to Products and Accessories, as it is not trailer specific.

    Second, @AnOldUR makes a valid point to those seeking to participate in the community. The more you can share, the more assistance you will likely receive.

    2019  T@B400 Boondock Lite "Todd"

    2016 Toyota Tundra 5.7 Crew Cab
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