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01-15-2020, 08:21 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 19
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Solar on the Side wiring - beware
2020 Geo Pro...In considering a portable solar suitcase, I tested the pre-installed Solar on the Side exterior connector/outlet but, expecting 12V, found no voltage. In speaking with Go Power and my local RV dealer, apparently they never connected the wiring to the battery. Yes, it's "pre-wired" for solar, but... If I bring it in, for 1/2 hour labor ($75), they will connect it to the battery.
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01-15-2020, 08:37 PM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 15,243
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This is not unusual. Solar ready is a marketing ploy. It is normally nothing more than a connector and some wire which in many cases is too small for anything more than a battery maintainer.
__________________
2015 Freedom Express 248RBS
TV 2015 Silverado HD2500 Duramax
TST Tire Monitors
Honda 2000I + Companion
2 100W solar panels
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01-15-2020, 08:45 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: McMinnville, Oregon
Posts: 102
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I have a Forester MBS that has a side solar plug also. I purchased a portable solar panel for the RV but when I connected it nothing worked. I discovered that they neglected to hook the solar plug to the battery. So much for quality control. I guess the person responsible for connecting the solar plug was on a coffee break or took the day off when my RV was built. I was going to take it in to get it connected but decided to do the work myself.
__________________
2017 Forester MBS 2401S
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01-16-2020, 01:21 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 1,669
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this wire connection on the inside should also have a solar controller (voltage regulator) installed between the solar panel and the battery
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01-16-2020, 01:50 PM
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#5
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 15,243
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Keithe
I have a Forester MBS that has a side solar plug also. I purchased a portable solar panel for the RV but when I connected it nothing worked. I discovered that they neglected to hook the solar plug to the battery. So much for quality control. I guess the person responsible for connecting the solar plug was on a coffee break or took the day off when my RV was built. I was going to take it in to get it connected but decided to do the work myself.
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I do not believe this is an issue of quality control. What the inside wire is connected to depends on the type of system used. Some of the portable systems have a controller builtin/attached to the panel while others are only a panel and require the addition of a controller. With a simple system, running the wire is the difficult part. By providing a connector and pre-wiring to the battery location it makes the installation simpler. It also allows the manufacturer to claim it is solar ready.
__________________
2015 Freedom Express 248RBS
TV 2015 Silverado HD2500 Duramax
TST Tire Monitors
Honda 2000I + Companion
2 100W solar panels
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01-16-2020, 02:17 PM
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#6
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Trailer Park Supervisor
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Northern NJ
Posts: 8,417
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That is a load of crap, Potterz. The inlet should be wired to your battery so all you have to do is plug a solar suitcase into the inlet. My GeoPro has both the inlet (goes straight to battery, supply your own panel and controller) and a roof top panel with controller inside trailer. I would call Forest River and complain, the dealer should fix that no charge if under warranty.
__________________
2019 Rockwood Geo Pro G19FD w/off road package
2015 Ford F150 XLT Super Cab 4x4 V8
Yes, I drink the water!
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01-16-2020, 05:22 PM
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#7
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 19
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Solved!
Solved! With good help from both FR and Go Power, found a burned out, in-line 20-amp fuse in a little yellow "fuse box" just below my batteries. Now read 12V at the outside wall.
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01-16-2020, 06:04 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: McMinnville, Oregon
Posts: 102
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flybob
I do not believe this is an issue of quality control. What the inside wire is connected to depends on the type of system used. Some of the portable systems have a controller builtin/attached to the panel while others are only a panel and require the addition of a controller. With a simple system, running the wire is the difficult part. By providing a connector and pre-wiring to the battery location it makes the installation simpler. It also allows the manufacturer to claim it is solar ready.
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I have to disagree with you. My RV was listed as solar ready not solar ready but you have to make the final connection. If that was the case, the RV should have come with some type of documentation explaining that. If you did a poll of those who purchased a solar ready RV from Forest River, I’d bet most of them had the solar plug wired all the way to the battery.
__________________
2017 Forester MBS 2401S
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01-16-2020, 07:59 PM
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#9
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Trailer Park Supervisor
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Northern NJ
Posts: 8,417
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Good to hear Potterz! Make sure when you connect, the polarity on that thing matches the controller outputs! Sometimes with a adaptors and such, things get a little screwy.
__________________
2019 Rockwood Geo Pro G19FD w/off road package
2015 Ford F150 XLT Super Cab 4x4 V8
Yes, I drink the water!
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01-17-2020, 02:21 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 200
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Not only solar but my MBS came "XM satellite ready" except there's no tuner and I had to pay additional to have that installed. Not happy about all the extra stuff that has to be done to a "ready" RV.
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01-17-2020, 03:36 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,371
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Pre-wired Solar
If it Zoar prewired the polarity may be reversed. I have an adaptor to make mine right. I found the 100 watt panel moved more charge when I hooked the panel directly to the battery w/ clips. I suspect the factory wire must be thinner. I would check polarity w/ a multi-meter before hooking the panel thru the prewired socket.
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01-17-2020, 05:47 PM
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#12
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Trailer Park Supervisor
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Northern NJ
Posts: 8,417
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Only thing that is of concern, is WHY that fuse was blown. Somebody could have screwed up hooking up battery maybe, but usually a blown fuse happens as a result of a short circuit. I would check that wiring from end to end as much as possible, looking for any bare wire, strands poking out from terminals, etc, that may have touched ground (frame).
__________________
2019 Rockwood Geo Pro G19FD w/off road package
2015 Ford F150 XLT Super Cab 4x4 V8
Yes, I drink the water!
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01-17-2020, 06:03 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,371
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Solar
Could it be from connecting to reversed Zoar solar prewire?
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01-17-2020, 07:23 PM
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#14
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Trailer Park Supervisor
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Northern NJ
Posts: 8,417
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If there is reverse polarity protection in the circuit, which a solar controller might have, I believe this would apply, and cause the fuse to blow:
"Essentially a reverse biased diode sourced to ground lies in the same circuit in parallel. When polarity is reversed, the diode conducts and shorts the power supply, thereby blowing the fuse."
If nothing was connected, and the wires touched each other, or the hot wire touched ground, it would blow.
__________________
2019 Rockwood Geo Pro G19FD w/off road package
2015 Ford F150 XLT Super Cab 4x4 V8
Yes, I drink the water!
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01-17-2020, 07:30 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Baraboo, WI
Posts: 605
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I connect my portable solar directly to the battery. I have a 140 watt panel with a controller. I ran 12 gauge wire straight to the battery with an Anderson Powerpole connector and circuit breaker mounted in line. It is easy to set up and I can move the panel to get the best sunlight.
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01-17-2020, 07:48 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 10,833
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NJKris
If there is reverse polarity protection in the circuit, which a solar controller might have, I believe this would apply, and cause the fuse to blow:
"Essentially a reverse biased diode sourced to ground lies in the same circuit in parallel. When polarity is reversed, the diode conducts and shorts the power supply, thereby blowing the fuse."
If nothing was connected, and the wires touched each other, or the hot wire touched ground, it would blow.
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If you were at Sunnyvale or some such park kids could have shorted the connector out with a penknife or pliers or piece of wire.
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01-18-2020, 08:34 AM
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#17
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Trailer Park Supervisor
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Northern NJ
Posts: 8,417
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The kids in Sunnyvale trailer park aren't that smart. Now, bottle kids are a different story. The S apples don't fall far from the S tree!
__________________
2019 Rockwood Geo Pro G19FD w/off road package
2015 Ford F150 XLT Super Cab 4x4 V8
Yes, I drink the water!
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01-18-2020, 09:23 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Augusta
Posts: 202
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I had the same problem on my Palomini.
Kept cursing Forest River for messing up the wiring from the roof but it turns out a blown inline fuse under the chassis by the battery.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Potterz
Solved! With good help from both FR and Go Power, found a burned out, in-line 20-amp fuse in a little yellow "fuse box" just below my batteries. Now read 12V at the outside wall.
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01-18-2020, 11:48 AM
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#19
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 47
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Go luck on complaining they could care less! I gave up on that( and that’s what they want) fixed it myself! Doing without the RV for weeks when u can do it in half a day! Just my results!
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01-18-2020, 01:15 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: California
Posts: 7,616
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NJKris
If there is reverse polarity protection in the circuit, which a solar controller might have, I believe this would apply, and cause the fuse to blow:
"Essentially a reverse biased diode sourced to ground lies in the same circuit in parallel. When polarity is reversed, the diode conducts and shorts the power supply, thereby blowing the fuse."
If nothing was connected, and the wires touched each other, or the hot wire touched ground, it would blow.
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Most good solar controllers have circuitry protecting it without need for diodes and fuses blowing. They check the voltage before allowing any current to pass.
Personally, I would always run my own wire anyway and not use the factory plug. I would put in an Anderson Panelpole plug and use that instead for a portable solar system. Controller would be mounted next to the batteries as close as possible and not on the panel.
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