A122 Solar Panel - Wiring and Mounting Ideas for the Controller

[yayus]

Hi Folks. Hope everyone is enjoying a great 2014 camping season!

We just purchased a solar setup for our A122 from SunpowerLink, sunpowerlink on eBay and thought we'd check in with the group for ideas about wiring.

Specifically, we'd like to install the controller in our electrical compartment, then route the connections through the front wall, if possible. We want to avoid drilling holes in our A122, and there may be a path under the front face plate. Has anyone run internal-external wiring in this section of the AFrame? If too much of a pain, I may devise a way to mount a little plastic utility box on the battery rails, as the solar controller is tiny (but not waterproof.)

Thanks again for any thoughts!

[yayus]

No worries if there's not huge interest in this topic ... I'll likely make a storage container for the solar controller by cutting down a battery box and attaching it to the battery rails.

Thanks much to all the forum contributors for this great resource!

[mickrock]

My A122 had a solar panel mounted on the front of it when I bought it.

I have to admit that I was skeptical about it, at first, but it seems to be keeping the battery in good shape. The solar panel wire is routed down to the tongue and then to the battery where the control box resides, inside the battery box, and on top of the battery.

My 12v use is mainly for the tongue jack, so I am not draining the battery much.

When the controller led light says "charging" the overall voltage is just over 14, which is good.

I like it.

Good luck with yours.

[D-mo]

to the original poster .. how many watts is your panel?

d-mo

[yayus]

Greetings. My panel is 60W. We may add a matching panel later on, but most of our camping is sunny weather and we try to be cognizant of our battery (Type 27) usage. We also carry a spare battery. Thanks.

[bouldercamper]

I have 2 60w panels that I purchased fron sunpowerlink. I have been using them for about 3 seasons and I have been really happy with them. I mounted my charge controller to the wood box that houses the power cord. I ran wires to he battery through the existing conduits. I routed the wires out to the panels out through the port that houses the Main power plug in. I have enjoyed the flexibility of being able to move my panels throughout the day.

[yayus]

Originally Posted by bouldercamper

I have 2 60w panels that I purchased fron sunpowerlink. I have been using them for about 3 seasons and I have been really happy with them. I mounted my charge controller to the wood box that houses the power cord. I ran wires to he battery through the existing conduits. I routed the wires out to the panels out through the port that houses the Main power plug in. I have enjoyed the flexibility of being able to move my panels throughout the day.

Thanks bouldercamper. I actually got the idea to buy the hardware from sunpowerlink based on your earlier posts. Jim Yu is great to work with. As noted above, another 60W panel may be in our future.

If you would, please elaborate on "I ran wires to the battery through the existing conduits." -> Was this through a hole or port somewhere in the electrical area?

Also, "I routed the wires out to the panels out through the port that houses the Main power plug in." -> Did you remove the AC plug connector to do this, or just loosen it?

Thanks again for the recommendation, too!

[dts3204]

Roger that on Jim Yu. Walked me through my connection. Highly recommended.

[thehamguy1]

The older Aframes don't have the same type power connector yours does. The '11s and '12s just have a port in the side of the camper that the power cord pushes through and tucks back in through when done camping. That port--a hole with a flip cover identical to the one over the external gas connector--is where I ran my solar panel feeds in from. I think bouldercamper did the same.


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[yayus]

Thank for the good info, folks. We'll either create an external enclosure for the controller, or make use of the wiring port in the trailer floor beneath the electrical area. Cheers to all.

[yayus]

Just a quick follow up on this thread. A few weeks ago, we tried out our 60W solar panel on a camping trip to The Sierras. The morning sun charged our Type 27 battery to 13+ volts every day, and the battery never dipped below 12V. Worked like a charm with our normal LED lights, fan, shower and water usage. Very pleased! I could see how a 100+ Watt setup would be a good match for Fall and cloudy-day camping.

For housing the solar controller, I cut down a battery box to 4" wide and mounted it on the battery rails. It fits great, and is the perfect size for the controller and cable storage. Let me know if anyone is interested in pics.

Thanks again for the feedback, everyone!