New 2020 19.8... what does solar ready actually mean?

[Montanaclan]

Hi all,

I'm a happy new NOBO 19.8 owner. Would like to add solar, and I know there's both an MC4 connector on the roof and a panel cut out spot in the bathroom... what I don't know is what else is in there... Do I need to get an add-on charge controller and run lines to the battery, or when i connect panels on the roof will they be tied into the on board charge controller that serves teh battery on shore power? What kind of controller is that? Is it an MPP controller that can handle higher input voltages? Asking cuz I have reasonably cheap access to 38v panels that are only a few years old. Are there recommended system displays to mount in the bathroom where I access the wires? I love the trailer, but have been a bit dismayed at how little documentation was supplied with it.

Many thanks from western Montana.

[dbledan]

Solar ready basically means they ran an undersized wire to the battery. Sometimes the roof, usually the side. Sometimes they reverse the polarity (zamp) and sometimes they follow standards.

I have never seen a trailer come with the charge controller unless it has the panels already installed. It is purely marketing to help the companies sell more equipment but minimize cost.

Plan on rerunning new wiring unless you are only adding smaller panels as it is typically undersized. You will need a charge controller as well at a minimum depending on what you are trying to do.

Congrats on the new trailer and good luck with your solar install.

[Montanaclan]

Thanks. I saw much of that info for the side mount exterior connect, but had hoped against instinct that it was more. It’s clear that they shout 30 amp max on the stickers, so I figured it was just some wiring from the roof and to the batteries.

This model teams with GoPower, not Zamp. So maybe that will avoid the reverse polarity crap gimmick Zamp is known for.

Thanks for the reply.

[babock]

Means they put in wires you can use to pull proper sized wires with!

[Freeheeler]

I am looking into the same thing and in a similar boat so I'm curious to see what you end up doing.

Originally Posted by Montanaclan

This model teams with GoPower, not Zamp.

My camper has a sticker of GoPower 30amp controller below the thermostat. I've looked up the controller (GP-PWM-30) and it seems to be about $125 or a bit more for a bluetooth version. Is this a decent controller? Does it matter much? Any recommendations? Apparently the wiring is right behind the sticker as it says... For 2-3 100W panels is the wire size insufficient as others say? Keep us posted on what you end up doing. Thanks

[Rorschach]

I have a 19.5 with the MC4 connector on the roof, and I traced the wiring when working on a solar system.


The others are correct in that there are just wires from the roof to the battery.


I did a lot of research before buying to figure out the best set up for me. With a roof mounted system, you have the simplicity of having it always there and ready, but you do not get optimal sun all the time. If you park in a shady spot, or if the sun is not directly above your camper, you are not getting full solar. This means that you should install more panels than your energy survey called for.


The other option is to have the solar be portable, but then you have to store the panel somewhere and take it out and set it up. This allows you to 'chase the sun' though and can maximize the energy you get each day.


I found a couple things while reading about solar that I tried to implement. The charge controller should be close to the batteries ideally, and the gauge of the wire used depends on whether you are maxing amps or volts.


So for the NoBos, the suggested charge controller location in the bathroom did not work for me.


I opted to go with a portable system using a Victron charge controller and Victron battery monitor. I made custom length wiring to go from the controller to the panel and battery. I think I gave myself 25' from the panel to the controller so that I could have a bit of leeway with panel placement. I used Powerwerx for the cables.


With the wiring I chose and the controller, I can add more panels to my system if I need later. My current panel is 160w and does just fine for now. I place the charge controller in the front bay and it is within a few feet of the battery.


I tested the system at Assateague in the fall and even in the weak fall morning sun, I was able to charge the battery in an hour. It was fantastic!!

[Rob F]

I have a 2020 R-Pod that came pre-wired for solar. Bought and installed a GoPower 100W rigid solar panel on the roof, a PWM-30 controller in the spot marked for the cut out. Used the factory wiring, had to cut the wires at the controller location and connected them to the controller panel.

No problems. Works as advertised. Great investment for not a lot work.

[Comanchecreek]

On my Crusader it simply meant they installed a Furion female plug and cover to the outside of the trailer. Had a somewhat difficult time finding the male side of the plugs, but found them on Amazon when I finally figured out what I was looking for. At the time, they weren't even available from the dealerships.

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by Montanaclan

Thanks. I saw much of that info for the side mount exterior connect, but had hoped against instinct that it was more. It’s clear that they shout 30 amp max on the stickers, so I figured it was just some wiring from the roof and to the batteries.

This model teams with GoPower, not Zamp. So maybe that will avoid the reverse polarity crap gimmick Zamp is known for.

Thanks for the reply.

Our FR TH boasted solar ready, but we bought a factory package that included a 200 watt solar panel and a 30 amp go power pwm controller. Wiring was a bit light at 10 ga but not bad. I upped it by tying in an additional panel at 180 watts. Evidently go power made their 200 watt panel available exclusively to Forest River. All retail available go power panels were 160 Watt. I found a voltage and amperage compatible 180 watt panel and we were always happy with that much power. In fact, we could probably have used more battery than just the two golf cart batteries because they were always fully charged by about 9:30 or 10 in the morning.

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by Montanaclan

Thanks. I saw much of that info for the side mount exterior connect, but had hoped against instinct that it was more. It’s clear that they shout 30 amp max on the stickers, so I figured it was just some wiring from the roof and to the batteries.

This model teams with GoPower, not Zamp. So maybe that will avoid the reverse polarity crap gimmick Zamp is known for.

Thanks for the reply.

Our FR TH boasted solar ready, but we bought a factory package that included a 200 watt solar panel and a 30 amp go power pwm controller. Wiring was a bit light at 10 ga but not bad. I upped it by tying in an additional panel at 180 watts. Evidently go power made their 200 watt panel available exclusively to Forest River. All retail available go power panels were 160 Watt. I found a voltage and amperage compatible 180 watt panel and we were always happy with that much power. In fact, we could probably have used more battery than just the two golf cart batteries because they were always fully charged by about 9:30 or 10 in the morning.

I was always happy with the go power charge controller and it is a nice flush wall mount, but I always had the feeling that our windynation "upgraded" 30 amp pwm controller was more efficient. What that go power charge controller offered, according to the literature, that I have not seen in any other charge controller, was the option to charge a second Bank of batteries, not necessarily the same age and type as the primary Bank. According to the literature, when the primary bank is fully charged it would automatically switch over and charge the second Bank. that was appealing, had we decided to stay with the toy hauler because the only place I could add batteries was indoors and those would have to be AGM due to the lack of ventilation. The go power controller said that was no problem. Wet lead acid on battery Bank #1 and a different setting for battery Bank #2.

[johnshoe]

My 2016 Forester 3011DS came with a Zamp plug on the side. I got a deal on a Zamp suitcase double panel from a local dealer 120 Watt and it has a controller. It a trickle charger that helps when boon-docking, but only so much. I still have to run the generator for at least an hour and a half to fully charge the batteries vs over 2.5 hours without the solar. I am going to upgrade next season to 2 Battleborn LiFePro 100ah, units and a new Progressive dynamics converter/Charger made for the Lithium batteries

[babock]

Originally Posted by johnshoe

I got a deal on a Zamp suitcase double panel from a local dealer 120 Watt and it has a controller.

A deal on a Zamp panel? Would have to be around 80% off to make it equivalent to any other manufacturer.

[johnshoe]

I got it for under $200. Someone else ordered it and they couldn't sell it. SO I volunteered

[babock]

Originally Posted by johnshoe

I got it for under $200. Someone else ordered it and they couldn't sell it. SO I volunteered

Not bad!

[Montanaclan]

Thanks all. I've been researching and masticating and cogitating and ruminating. I now have a lean in a direction, barely. But I'm leaning toward relocating my batteries off the tongue and into the rear storage (outside lockable) that is under the bunks and next to the main wiring panel. My thinking flows from moving toward a sizable, permanent roof-mounted panels.

By sizable, I mean at least 400w, maybe 550w. I calculated all my needs, and the two biggies for me are a CPAP with humidifier that guzzles up to 7 amps. That's on the order of 50 AH or more per night. Also, in the cold season (plenty of that here in Montana), the furnace draws quite a bit... specs on our model show 2.7 amps. So at 50% duty cycle and a 12 use period, that's about 16 AH. Even the fridge - on propane - pulls 2 amps, and that will add up. I can get a good deal on 5 year old 275 watt panels ($125). But I need to plan the system for about 100 AH per day in the cold season. If I use two of those panels, they'd peak at about 35 amps under good, cold conditions. But our days are short in the north country winters and western Montana can be cloudy for weeks at a time. And I like to hunt elk in the fall. All this means that if I'm at that size system, then I need a 40 amp MPPT controller, and therefore should upgrade from the 1(I believe...) 10 gauge wire that is the "solar ready" package for a 30 amp max controller.

So I already should run new wire. Plus, everything I read says keep the shortest run of wire as possible from the controller to the batteries. In the "solar ready" configuration, the controller would be at the rear, in the bathroom, with the batteries all the way forward. Probably a bit over a 20' wiring run with some bends. I don't want to waste voltage right off the top, or to spend a ridiculous amount just on large gauge copper wire to minimize voltage loss over a run like that. So, to save voltage and cost and the hassle of a full-trailer-length wire run, it would make a whole lot of sense to put my battery bank in that bay, near the power panel and near the charge controller location.

I have 2 older marine batteries already on hand from a boat project. So I'll use those as a 200 AH bank (with 100 accessible AH, to go only to 50% charge) for as long as they live. And then I'll decide whether to bite the bullet and go to a single lithium battery to safe weight and space in that cargo bay.

Once I thought about moving the batteries back, it struck me as odd that they're ever in that front location in the first place - given the NOBO 19.8 configuration of having both the power panel AND the solar panel connectors AND the "pre-wired for solar" station all at the rear end.

Of course, I may lean toward the simpler arrangement of just buying a packaged 2x200w package and eating the voltage loss and going with a basic 30 amp controller, and keeping my wiring and batteries in place. Depends on how covid homeschooling goes tomorrow. We have 3 kids at home and I'm struggling to get them fully on board with learning this solar planning as a STEM project!

[Rorschach]

I opted not to do the roof mounted solar specifically because the wiring from the battery to the bathroom area was too long for my liking.


In my portable set up, the charge controller is about 5ft from the battery. I just sit the controller in the front storage compartment when it is hooked up.


I am sure you have come across a variety of sites with information on solar, but I found the following 2 sites to be very helpful as I planned things out:



https://www.explorist.life/solarwiringdiagrams/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCQ0R85vKoM

There are a couple helpful solar videos by that channel and some videos on the victron battery monitor and solar charger.


Cheers.

[Comanchecreek]

Quote: But I'm
leaning toward relocating my batteries off the tongue and into the rear
storage (outside lockable) that is under the bunks and next to the main
wiring panel.

You'll have to go to AGM, or Lithium Ion if you use an enclosed compartment. That or you will need some sort of adequate venting system for wet cell.

[Montanaclan]

You’re right. That’s a piece I need to work out if I’m going to use these lead acid I already have on hand. I do plan on eventually going to sealed or lithium, but the safety issue needs to be addressed in the meantime. Thanks for making that point here.

[Montanaclan]

For those interested, I've shared my spreadsheet I made to calculate my power need:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing

[HeloSNA24]

Very helpful. Thank you!