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12-31-2016, 12:11 AM
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#1
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crazycoyote
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Arizona-winter+ Idaho- summer
Posts: 6
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RP-180 Solar info
In Sept. 2016 I bought an RP 180. Did some Major Reworking of things. 2-propane tanks, 2 batterys,2000 watt inverter,built in safe in bathroom,permanent table, not removable,2-solar panels on my truck roof, with cables to the trailer. ( My tow truck is a 2013 Ford 4 door pickup F150 Ecoboost 6 cylinder) no problem in towing. I'm retired for 22 years, and been camping for over 50 years. Live in Idaho for the summer, here in Arizona RV Resort for the winter. Going to Alaska for the summer, that is why I bought the Rpod, and I love it. I don't live in it though, I'm in a Park model in a RV Resort. Lot's of experience in RV'n. But I have a question on this RP 180. It says, Solar Ready.Plug in says, set for 20 Amps, I tracked the wireing from the hookup to the batterys, I cannot find a Regulator in the system. Does anyone have any info on this solar hookup system on the 180? Thanks. crazycoyote.
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12-31-2016, 04:42 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Sarasota
Posts: 590
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I follow most of the solar threads and from what I have read there is no controller. The Solar ready lines are just wiring to the batteries. You are clearly handy and capable , just order a controller online and wire it in.
I used to own an Rpod , how did you fit a safe in the bathroom?
__________________
2015 Solera 24r
2017 Jeep Wrangler
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12-31-2016, 10:22 AM
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#3
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crazycoyote
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Arizona-winter+ Idaho- summer
Posts: 6
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It is a small safe (6"x8"- 14" deep. I cut into the pannel above the door where I keep the towels, and built a frame to fit it in. It small, but my wife keeps her jewelry, some money, my pistol, etc in it when I travel.I also have a 10' Portabote mounted on the side, from the door to the front of the trailer, fits perfect. Thanks for the info, I thought I had to do the same thing, I don't want to burn up my batterys. Thanks.
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12-31-2016, 10:27 AM
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#4
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 15,301
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Solar ready usually means some wiring to the battery and that is it. When you are choosing a controller, calculate what size you need , then order the next higher current model. This way you have room to grow without purchasing a new controller.
__________________
2015 Freedom Express 248RBS
TV 2015 Silverado HD2500 Duramax
TST Tire Monitors
Honda 2000I + Companion
2 100W solar panels
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01-25-2017, 08:25 PM
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#5
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 0
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Quote:
Originally Posted by crazycoyote
In Sept. 2016 I bought an RP 180. Did some Major Reworking of things. 2-propane tanks, 2 batterys,2000 watt inverter,built in safe in bathroom,permanent table, not removable,2-solar panels on my truck roof, with cables to the trailer. ( My tow truck is a 2013 Ford 4 door pickup F150 Ecoboost 6 cylinder) no problem in towing. I'm retired for 22 years, and been camping for over 50 years. Live in Idaho for the summer, here in Arizona RV Resort for the winter. Going to Alaska for the summer, that is why I bought the Rpod, and I love it. I don't live in it though, I'm in a Park model in a RV Resort. Lot's of experience in RV'n. But I have a question on this RP 180. It says, Solar Ready.Plug in says, set for 20 Amps, I tracked the wireing from the hookup to the batterys, I cannot find a Regulator in the system. Does anyone have any info on this solar hookup system on the 180? Thanks. crazycoyote.
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How difficult is it to setup for 2 propane tanks? Have 2 on the A-liner we are trading for an RPod 180
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01-29-2017, 10:06 AM
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#6
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crazycoyote
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Arizona-winter+ Idaho- summer
Posts: 6
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Fairly easy. Buy the 2 tank stand, bolt it to the frame, buy an auto regulator, 2 tank short pigtails, hook to regulator, bring up the trailer propane line and hook it up to the bottom of the regulator, and, Presto, you have a 2 tank system, with the weight of 1 more tank on the hitch.
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02-04-2017, 09:01 PM
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#7
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 7
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My R-180 has stickers on it that it is pre-wired for a Zamp solar panel. which comes with a controller on the back of the panel. My 160w Zamp solar panel which would work fine for a 12 volt battery, barely trickle charges my dual 6v batteries.
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02-04-2017, 10:29 PM
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#8
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crazycoyote
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Arizona-winter+ Idaho- summer
Posts: 6
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The RP 180 Rpod has the connection in the rear of the trailer, then the light wireing goes about 20-22 Ft. to the battery in the front of the trailer (12 volt), cheap setup, especially for 6 volt batterys. I built a box over my batterys, and connect my solar panels directly to my batterys at the box, with a 10 guage fitting, for a boat electric motor setup, secured from Amazon. This plugin works great. You lose all your volts from the back of the trailer. It may work with the cheap battery that comes with the trailer, but not when you want the power from real solar, and batterys. Try your solar up front at the batterys. See if it does better. If not, think about a better controler. Good Luck.
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02-06-2017, 04:50 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 621
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Quote:
Originally Posted by crazycoyote
The RP 180 Rpod has the connection in the rear of the trailer, then the light wireing goes about 20-22 Ft. to the battery in the front of the trailer (12 volt), cheap setup, especially for 6 volt batterys. I built a box over my batterys, and connect my solar panels directly to my batterys at the box, with a 10 guage fitting, for a boat electric motor setup, secured from Amazon. This plugin works great. You lose all your volts from the back of the trailer. It may work with the cheap battery that comes with the trailer, but not when you want the power from real solar, and batterys. Try your solar up front at the batterys. See if it does better. If not, think about a better controler. Good Luck.
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Yup. 20 feet, 20 Amperes would drop about 2 Vdc presuming AWG 14 wire.
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02-08-2017, 08:44 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Central, Fl.
Posts: 1,330
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Boris
My R-180 has stickers on it that it is pre-wired for a Zamp solar panel. which comes with a controller on the back of the panel. My 160w Zamp solar panel which would work fine for a 12 volt battery, barely trickle charges my dual 6v batteries.
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Any info on why that is ?
__________________
2018 Forester 3011DS (Purchased 04/26/17)
2010 Flagstaff 26 RLSS (Sold 05/16)
2012 Ford F-150 Ecoboost, Screw, H/D, 3.73
1930 lbs CCC
2014 Jeep Rubicon JK
Going where the weather suits my clothes.
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06-15-2017, 09:36 PM
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#11
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 36
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Solar panel
Interesting comment regarding Zamp panel. I have two 6 volt Interstate deep cycle golf cart batteries and 160 watt suitcase solar. I plug into the Zamp solar plug on my 2017.5 179 and it charges my batteries surprisingly fast. I couldn't be happier.
My $.02
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09-04-2017, 11:40 AM
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#12
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Newbie
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Vermont
Posts: 12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnbryanpeters
Yup. 20 feet, 20 Amperes would drop about 2 Vdc presuming AWG 14 wire.
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For us newbies to power setups, is that a lot or a little?
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09-04-2017, 03:06 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 3,464
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VermontScouter
For us newbies to power setups, is that a lot or a little?
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That’s a lot.
__________________
2017 Dynamax Isata 4
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09-07-2017, 12:45 PM
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#14
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Newbie
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Vermont
Posts: 12
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I may be stating the obvious, but I'm not very electrically-savvy...
But it sounds like folks are saying any solar hookup should go directly to the battery, not via the handy-dandy Zapf connector that comes on the RPOD, right?
Is there any chance that using the Zapf connector runs it through some sort of controller, to reduce the chance of battery overload?
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