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Old 04-26-2017, 01:11 AM   #1
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Reviews from Zamp Solar Owners

I'd love to hear from people who currently own or have previously owned a Zamp solar kit. I've read a lot of opinions but not many seem to come from people who have actually used the Zamp panels. It's direct experience I'm interested in.

For context: I'm a first time MH owner - recently bought a new 24ft Sunseeker with a Zamp side plug, and I'll be parking my MH under trees most of the Summer while dry camping. I have a 1000w Samlex inverter already installed.
I'm currently looking at the Zamp 160w kit.
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Old 04-26-2017, 09:49 AM   #2
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Although I ignored the Zamp plug on my previous trailer and permanently installed our system I feel I have some advise for you.....
Zamp is only a name brand that happens to be supported by the manufacturer, there is no real difference from a Zamp system to any other manufacturer. Don't let the sticker on your unit be the determining factor in what solar system you purchase... It is simply solar panels with a pwm controller attached to them and a positive and negative wire run running to the "zamp plug".
160w will be a decent portable system to extend your power for short trips but won't be enough eliminate the need to run the charging system on the MH or run a small gen every few days.... Of course a lot will depend on your personal power needs.

Good luck with the system.
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Old 04-26-2017, 10:09 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by mikakuja View Post
Although I ignored the Zamp plug on my previous trailer and permanently installed our system I feel I have some advise for you.....
Zamp is only a name brand that happens to be supported by the manufacturer, there is no real difference from a Zamp system to any other manufacturer. Don't let the sticker on your unit be the determining factor in what solar system you purchase... It is simply solar panels with a pwm controller attached to them and a positive and negative wire run running to the "zamp plug".
160w will be a decent portable system to extend your power for short trips but won't be enough eliminate the need to run the charging system on the MH or run a small gen every few days.... Of course a lot will depend on your personal power needs.

Good luck with the system.
From everything I've read, you can't actually use other panels with the Zamp plug unless you do some re-wiring. I don't want to have to fiddle with anything electrical because I know nothing and I don't want to risk doing something wrong that might cause me issues (or be unsafe), so I'm fine going with Zamp.

I don't mind having to drive the MH a little bit every few days to get a little extra charge on the batteries
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Old 04-26-2017, 10:11 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by alexisc View Post
I'd love to hear from people who currently own or have previously owned a Zamp solar kit. I've read a lot of opinions but not many seem to come from people who have actually used the Zamp panels. It's direct experience I'm interested in.
I also just purchased a TT. 2015 Coachmen Clipper 15FL. It also came with the 'Zamp" side plug. Which is nothing more than a cross-wired connection to your battery terminals...that's it. Nothing magic. You can use other manufacturers solar panels if you purchase the right connectors and adapters...IF....yours is actually connected. Mine had a break under the TT.

Having said that...it's just 'ok'.
I was given an unused 20 watt Zamp panel and purchased the 10amp Zamp weatherproof controller. Zamp does make a combined panel ($$$) that has the controller built in, it folds up, has a nice ballistic case for it...did I mention ($$$)? On a Sunny day, and with periodic adjustments to panel, you can keep the battery charged even with parasitic DC draws (CO monitor, reefer, radio) but it's mostly good for when the trailer is in storage and you have the battery disconnected...it will keep it at max charge.

For the money? (basic kit is $120+) I would just get a small gas generator. While the one I got is NOT small (3450A cont / 4250A spike) it was under $300. Even a small one with an inverter can charge the battery really flipping quick compared to solar. If you just want a trickle charge and you have 110 access just go get a cheap $30 trickle charger. The 20 watt really doesn't do much for running anything or charging a deeply drained batter....better spending your money on some other device.

Cheers
Jay (Noobie) in NC
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Old 04-26-2017, 11:36 AM   #5
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I also just purchased a TT. 2015 Coachmen Clipper 15FL. It also came with the 'Zamp" side plug. Which is nothing more than a cross-wired connection to your battery terminals...that's it. Nothing magic. You can use other manufacturers solar panels if you purchase the right connectors and adapters...IF....yours is actually connected. Mine had a break under the TT.

Having said that...it's just 'ok'.
I was given an unused 20 watt Zamp panel and purchased the 10amp Zamp weatherproof controller. Zamp does make a combined panel ($$$) that has the controller built in, it folds up, has a nice ballistic case for it...did I mention ($$$)? On a Sunny day, and with periodic adjustments to panel, you can keep the battery charged even with parasitic DC draws (CO monitor, reefer, radio) but it's mostly good for when the trailer is in storage and you have the battery disconnected...it will keep it at max charge.

For the money? (basic kit is $120+) I would just get a small gas generator. While the one I got is NOT small (3450A cont / 4250A spike) it was under $300. Even a small one with an inverter can charge the battery really flipping quick compared to solar. If you just want a trickle charge and you have 110 access just go get a cheap $30 trickle charger. The 20 watt really doesn't do much for running anything or charging a deeply drained batter....better spending your money on some other device.

Cheers
Jay (Noobie) in NC
I already have a 4000 Onan generator installed in my rig but rather not use it unless I have to when I'm in nature. PLus, I have 'no generator' campsites booked in Glacier this Summer. So, solar is not up for debate...I'm just asking for people who use Zamp to provide their experiences

BTW, The only adapter I've seen to allow non-Zamp panels to be plugged into the zamp connector have a max of 80W, so that's not enough. If you know of another with higher capacity, I'd love a link.
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Old 04-26-2017, 12:21 PM   #6
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After I took delivery of my Sunseeker, I tried to find out as much as I could about the Zamp pre-wired system. Some individuals thought they might have a proprietary plug, others not. Some people thought it would only charge the house batteries.

As I was only looking for a battery "maintainer" to keep my batteries up to charge when the coach was stored, I purchased a 10W system from Amazon (not Zamp) which came with a standard solar controller. Setup the system and connected it to the Zamp socket (non-proprietary by the way).

It works just fine for me. The Zamp setup appears to be charging the house and the engine batteries at the same time, since the battery voltage is identical in all three batteries.
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Old 04-26-2017, 12:52 PM   #7
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Zamp is way too expensive and I for sure didn't want to have to cart a suitcase with panels in it around. I installed my own solar panels on the roof for a fraction of the price, super easy to do! As for the zamp plug, it is just 2 wires direct to the battery so I made a 12v plug in for it and now have an outdoor charging station ��
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Old 04-26-2017, 01:04 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by alexisc View Post
From everything I've read, you can't actually use other panels with the Zamp plug unless you do some re-wiring...
My Wildcat came with a FURRION solar plugin and I have a suitcase style Zamp solar kit. I googled for FURRION to Zamp adapter and found one on Amazon for the ridiculously high price of $35.

Ignoring my feeling about price, I ordered it anyway and it works like a champ.

My case was FURRION to Zamp, and I believe this thread is meant to be Zamp to FURRION_or_Other, but perhaps it'll be useful here since FR was and may still be using FURRION stuff.
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Old 04-26-2017, 01:07 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by alexisc View Post
I already have a 4000 Onan generator installed in my rig but rather not use it unless I have to when I'm in nature. PLus, I have 'no generator' campsites booked in Glacier this Summer. So, solar is not up for debate...I'm just asking for people who use Zamp to provide their experiences

BTW, The only adapter I've seen to allow non-Zamp panels to be plugged into the zamp connector have a max of 80W, so that's not enough. If you know of another with higher capacity, I'd love a link.
Ok...there are TWO Zamp systems out there. A roof 3 connection port which is set up for the bigger 200 watt panels. It is wired into a MH's electrical system. This is also from much thicker materials so it can carry multiple panels (up to 3 connections) and can be really used for dry camping and power (up to a certain point!!!)

What I thought we were talking about is the side mounted single plug. It is wired straight to the battery (no internal systems connected. It used really thin wires and is not rated for heavy charging levels from the larger panels.
That's the one our 'less expensive' TT's usually have....

The Plug is wired backward to several other systems. You can watch about 15 YouTube videos that specifically address this.

Some adapters..

Furrion Adapter : https://www.amazon.com/ZAMP-SOLAR-ZS...s=zamp+adapter

Generic "plug and play'' Solar battery maintainer (with controller) adapters:https://www.solardealz.com/Sidewall-...s-bdc-adpt.htm

DC Adapter Connection adapter: https://www.rvupgradestore.com/5-Cig...-p/19-2757.htm
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Old 04-26-2017, 01:16 PM   #10
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I have the Zamp 160watt portable system. I find it more useful than roof-mounted panels for our type of camping - in the Adirondacks of NYS at state campgrounds with at least half-shade sites. We can keep our Class C in the shade and move the panels around to "follow the sun". I added the maximum length of extension cord for more flexibility. 160watts has been fine to keep our 2 12v batteries charged, but the caveat here is they are most effective when the panels are in the sun all day. A few sites we've had didn't have as much sun as others, therefore the batts didn't charge all the way.
That being said, we've not had to use the generator, but our electric usage is fairly small - all lights are LEDs and the rest of the use is the LP fridge and water pump.
Zamp products are more expensive than others I've seen lately, but when we bought ours, they were the only game in town to offer a fold-up, suitcase type portable unit that is extremely well-made.
As to the connector, our rig didn't have a built-in solar connector - I bought one from Zamp and installed it on the outside of the battery box, under the door. It's just 2 wires so if you buy another brand, it should be easy to make changes to the wiring to suit the connector.
BTW, we are in a 21' Freelander Class C.
Hope this helps.
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Old 04-26-2017, 01:33 PM   #11
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and now have an outdoor charging station...
Called local electrician and for $109 he ran a line from my outside breaker panel to the corner of my driveway and installed a weatherproof metal connection box with a 30 amp RV receptacle. (Said he could up it to 50 amp easily if I ever needed to).

So now I can just plug in the TT....

Now...that 200 mile extension cord is a little hard to use but...

Jay
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Old 04-26-2017, 02:02 PM   #12
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Zamp solar

I have the Zamp 160 and love it. My camping is similar to birderlarry. I typically use NYS shaded and more remote sites. When I purchased Zamp in 2016 it may or may not have been the only portable available but the appeal was its portable, well made, read good reviews, Amazon direct in two days free shipping and just too easy to pass up. My unit is 26 BH 2012 without the installed Zamp plug. I bought the plug from Amazon and did a neat install to the side of my dual 6v series battery box set up. I also bought the extension cable and it allows moving panels around as needed. I too have all LED lights, and do have my Honda 2000 generator if needed. Solar is the way to go for boondocking with limited generator usage. Used it plenty in 2016, highly recommend, very happy with construction, ease of set up, portability.. Price ?? Some say it's expensive, I think it's fair given the convenience and quality..
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Old 04-26-2017, 02:20 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by WayneLee View Post
After I took delivery of my Sunseeker, I tried to find out as much as I could about the Zamp pre-wired system. Some individuals thought they might have a proprietary plug, others not. Some people thought it would only charge the house batteries.

As I was only looking for a battery "maintainer" to keep my batteries up to charge when the coach was stored, I purchased a 10W system from Amazon (not Zamp) which came with a standard solar controller. Setup the system and connected it to the Zamp socket (non-proprietary by the way).

It works just fine for me. The Zamp setup appears to be charging the house and the engine batteries at the same time, since the battery voltage is identical in all three batteries.
10W doesn't sound like it would do much of anything.
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Old 04-26-2017, 02:22 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by roaddiva View Post
Zamp is way too expensive and I for sure didn't want to have to cart a suitcase with panels in it around. I installed my own solar panels on the roof for a fraction of the price, super easy to do! As for the zamp plug, it is just 2 wires direct to the battery so I made a 12v plug in for it and now have an outdoor charging station ��
'Super easy' really is very relative. It wouldn't be super easy for me - it would require me finding someone else to do it who knew what they were doing. Also, as mentioned, I'll be in shade most of the time... so roof panels become unusable. Not sure what you mean by the 12V plug for it. What is an outdoor charging station?
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Old 04-26-2017, 02:24 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by hbillsmith View Post
My Wildcat came with a FURRION solar plugin and I have a suitcase style Zamp solar kit. I googled for FURRION to Zamp adapter and found one on Amazon for the ridiculously high price of $35.

Ignoring my feeling about price, I ordered it anyway and it works like a champ.

My case was FURRION to Zamp, and I believe this thread is meant to be Zamp to FURRION_or_Other, but perhaps it'll be useful here since FR was and may still be using FURRION stuff.
Actually this thread is meant to be about Zamp, period.
So you use Zamp? Perfect... now tell me more - what size did you get, do you use an extension cable (I think Zamp sells a 15ft extension), how does it perform overall?
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Old 04-26-2017, 02:26 PM   #16
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Ok...there are TWO Zamp systems out there. A roof 3 connection port which is set up for the bigger 200 watt panels. It is wired into a MH's electrical system. This is also from much thicker materials so it can carry multiple panels (up to 3 connections) and can be really used for dry camping and power (up to a certain point!!!)

What I thought we were talking about is the side mounted single plug. It is wired straight to the battery (no internal systems connected. It used really thin wires and is not rated for heavy charging levels from the larger panels.
That's the one our 'less expensive' TT's usually have....

The Plug is wired backward to several other systems. You can watch about 15 YouTube videos that specifically address this.

Some adapters..

Furrion Adapter : https://www.amazon.com/ZAMP-SOLAR-ZS...s=zamp+adapter

Generic "plug and play'' Solar battery maintainer (with controller) adapters:https://www.solardealz.com/Sidewall-...s-bdc-adpt.htm

DC Adapter Connection adapter: https://www.rvupgradestore.com/5-Cig...-p/19-2757.htm
We ARE talking about the side mounted single plug. Don't think I said anything contrary to that. Zamp says I can use up to 200W from that plug though... is there info that states otherwise based on your comment?

Thanks for the links...I'll look at them.
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Old 04-26-2017, 02:30 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by birderlarry View Post
I have the Zamp 160watt portable system. I find it more useful than roof-mounted panels for our type of camping - in the Adirondacks of NYS at state campgrounds with at least half-shade sites. We can keep our Class C in the shade and move the panels around to "follow the sun". I added the maximum length of extension cord for more flexibility. 160watts has been fine to keep our 2 12v batteries charged, but the caveat here is they are most effective when the panels are in the sun all day. A few sites we've had didn't have as much sun as others, therefore the batts didn't charge all the way.
That being said, we've not had to use the generator, but our electric usage is fairly small - all lights are LEDs and the rest of the use is the LP fridge and water pump.
Zamp products are more expensive than others I've seen lately, but when we bought ours, they were the only game in town to offer a fold-up, suitcase type portable unit that is extremely well-made.
As to the connector, our rig didn't have a built-in solar connector - I bought one from Zamp and installed it on the outside of the battery box, under the door. It's just 2 wires so if you buy another brand, it should be easy to make changes to the wiring to suit the connector.
BTW, we are in a 21' Freelander Class C.
Hope this helps.
Ah, finally... someone with information I was asking for THANK YOU for this. Glad to know it works for your needs. I'll be camping in similar shaded sites, so being able to park in the shade and move a panel seems to be the best approach. I'm also looking at the 15ft extension cable... hope that would be enough.

Curious about your water pump - do you leave it turned on while boondocking/dry camping or do you only turn it on right before you need to run water? I'm assuming it might have some electrical draw when the button is turned on (even when the pump isn't actually running)?

Also, I didn't realize the fridge uses electric when it's running on propane? That's good to know.
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Old 04-26-2017, 02:32 PM   #18
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I absolutely love my 200W Zamp portable system. I actually got mine on sale at Solardealz, and since they were out of 160 W systems, they gave me a 200 W system for the same price. It was a great deal. I also purchased the heavy gauge extender, used when I need to move the panel further than the standard length that comes with the kit.
As others have said, you could certainly build your own cheaper, but I was interested in having a turnkey system, along with an exceptionally sturdy case, and It was worth a couple of hundred dollars more to me for the convenience, quality, and expertise provided. Be aware that it is fairly heavy, at least the 200 W system, though it is very sturdy.
We do a lot of dry camping, and often times park in the shade. The ability to move my solar panels around was of upmost importance. The quality of materials and construction is exceptional, My first trailer did not have the Zamp port, I simply connected directly to the batteries and the panels always kept my batteries well charged, even on cloudy days. Our recent upgrade to a 2015 included the port, and it has been very useful on our first two outings this year. Of course, the controller provided does a great job at measuring my battery as well as keeping up with my amp hours produced, current wattage, etc.
I now have a 3400 W inverter generator that I can also use when needed, but I can tell you that using the solar panels is much more convenient, and obviously the luxury of silence. You can put your solar panels up, move them a couple of times during the day, and continuously and efficiently feed your batteries, whereas using the generator does not provide the same type of continuous direct feed, as your converter is much less efficient charging batteries then a direct source is, not to mention the use of some type of fuel and noise.
Bottom line, I highly recommend solar, and also highly recommend Zamp. Solardealz was also excellent to work with, they provided the information to properly size my unit based on my usage, answered all my questions on multiple calls, long before they even knew I would purchase a unit.
Not sure if the tax credit is still available, but a couple of years ago there was a 35% tax credit for everything you spent on solar. Your trailer qualifies as a second home according to the IRS, as long as it has a bed kitchen and bathroom
Set it up at your campground, and watch how many people come up and want to talk about it. It attracts more people than a "free beer" sign.
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Old 04-26-2017, 02:35 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by Poper View Post
I have the Zamp 160 and love it. My camping is similar to birderlarry. I typically use NYS shaded and more remote sites. When I purchased Zamp in 2016 it may or may not have been the only portable available but the appeal was its portable, well made, read good reviews, Amazon direct in two days free shipping and just too easy to pass up. My unit is 26 BH 2012 without the installed Zamp plug. I bought the plug from Amazon and did a neat install to the side of my dual 6v series battery box set up. I also bought the extension cable and it allows moving panels around as needed. I too have all LED lights, and do have my Honda 2000 generator if needed. Solar is the way to go for boondocking with limited generator usage. Used it plenty in 2016, highly recommend, very happy with construction, ease of set up, portability.. Price ?? Some say it's expensive, I think it's fair given the convenience and quality..
Ah, this is wonderful to hear. Thanks for sharing.
Other than the lights, what else are you running while dry camping? I generally don't turn lights on much because I work on my laptop which provides sufficient light in a 24ft MH (I'm sure my lights are all LED but I should check that). So other than charging my devices, the power used for the water pump, and whatever the fridge uses while on propane, there shouldn't be much more.
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Old 04-26-2017, 02:39 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by ablindmule View Post
I absolutely love my 200W Zamp portable system. I actually got mine on sale at Solardealz, and since they were out of 160 W systems, they gave me a 200 W system for the same price. It was a great deal.
As others have said, you could certainly build your own cheaper, but I was interested in having a turnkey system, along with an exceptionally sturdy case, and It was worth a couple of hundred dollars more to me for the convenience, quality, and expertise provided.
We do a lot of dry camping, and often times park in the shade. The ability to move my solar panels around was of upmost importance. The quality of materials and construction is exceptional, My first trailer did not have the Zamp port, I simply connected directly to the batteries and the panels always kept my batteries well charged, even on cloudy days. Our recent upgrade to a 2015 included the port, and it has been very useful on our first two outings this year.
I now have a 3400 W inverter generator that I can also use when needed, but I can tell you that using the solar panels is much more convenient, and obviously the luxury of silence. You can put your solar panels up, move them a couple of times during the day, and continuously and efficiently feed your batteries, whereas using the generator does not provide the same type of continuous direct feed, as your converter is much less efficient charging batteries then a direct source is, not to mention the use of some type of fuel and noise.
Bottom line, I highly recommend solar, and also highly recommend Zamp. Solardealz was also excellent to work with, they provided the information to properly size my unit based on my usage, answered all my questions on multiple calls, long before they even knew I would purchase a unit.
Woot, thanks for this testimonial... now I'm starting to feel a bit more excited about this whole thing. I absolutely want this to be easy for me. Sure, it sounds nice to have some panels on the roof as well, but I'm not going to do that and finding someone else to do it on relatively short notice has been very tedious. I'm thinking Zamp is the perfect solution and honestly, from a price standpoint, is much cheaper than it would be for me to take my rig 120 mile round trip to my dealer and pay for them to install something.

I was looking at Solardealz last night and their prices looked pretty decent, so will definitely spend more time looking tonight.

What size extension did you get and was it the Zamp cable? I saw their 15ft cable but didn't see anything longer than that.
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