Solar panels

[SEHilton79]

Has anyone bought and used the plug and play solar panels the Roos are equipped for ? Useful, not useful? Powerful, not so much?

We are picking up our 21dk Saturday and are going back and forth about getting them. The place we usually camp with friends on long holiday weekends will not have hook ups for us now... Previously in the old pop up we just ran extension cords with didn't always have the best results we can go off the grid if need be but if the solar panels are excellent the price doesn't seem too bad...

Appreciate your thoughts and willingness to share!


2016 Roo 21DK

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[Justice12t]

So...kind of a subjective question with lots of opinions and factors. So here it goes from my side...
Solar is/can be great however several things to consider. Size/type of panels...type of charge controller...batteries being charged...size of cables/wires...amount of discharge/use that needs to be replaced...so on...
Still with me? IMO solar is great when you have it setup correctly...I even have a buddy that built his own solar boat...We are adding solar to our Crusader also...lots of great ideas/advice here just sit back and try to take it all in...Oh and congratulations and have fun!

[Justice12t]

Now reading my post...I think I wasn't very clear...some setups are simple so are not. Sounds like yours could be pretty easy because you are talking about light dry camping...so a panel or two with a simple charge controller should suit you well and make life a little easier off the grid. That's better...☺

[MiCamper6]

New Roos are set up frim the manufacturer for the Zamp system. Plug 'n' Play. I am totally unfamiliar with solar set-ups, but was told all that is needed is to buy a Zamp solar panel set-up and plug it in.

[SEHilton79]

Right- sorry- I should have been a little more clear- it's early and haven't had a coffee yet

We are curious about the plug and play solar panels the Roo is already equipped for.


2016 Roo 21DK

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[Justice12t]

Lol...no worries hadn't had mine either...Well now that I cannot help with but I have read about others talking about it. You can search it or just wait and the experienced will reply shortly...😁

[Flybob]

Search online for solar and RVs. Lots of good data. You should determine what your needs are ( what will be running and for how long WHrs) then you can choose a system that will meet your needs. You may need additional batteries if your demands are high. If this is occasional use only, or you normally park in shaded spots, you may want panels that are not attached to RV. When choosing your controller, I recommend always picking the next larger size than what you determined you need. That way you have room to grow when you demands increase. Do your homework and you will not be disappointed.

[Robs1968]

Congratulations on the new 21DK we just picked ours up yesterday. They told us the panels are just good for trickle charging the battery and wouldn't get you enough power to run much more than some lights. If you wanted to run more while boondocking to just get a generator


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[Wheels Down]

A quick look at the Zamp website and a few things come to mind. First, bring your checkbook, they are pretty proud of those panels. And it appears they want you to use the product as a portable device. They come with carrying bags for storage. So I guess you set up and place the panel in a location that gets a lot of sunlight. Mount on top of the propane tanks? Maybe.
Second problem, the little legs the panel might grow while you are sightseeing.
Would be nice if pre-packaged systems were available.Something designed for a specific RV platform. Maybe that critter is already in the zoo. Not sure.

[SEHilton79]

Originally Posted by Robs1968

Congratulations on the new 21DK we just picked ours up yesterday. They told us the panels are just good for trickle charging the battery and wouldn't get you enough power to run much more than some lights. If you wanted to run more while boondocking to just get a generator


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Thanks Robs1968- congrats to you as well! And thanks for the input from your dealer - we planned on talking to ours when we pick up but wanted a little more education and some feedback before doing so. Appreciate it!


2016 Roo 21DK

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[SEHilton79]

Originally Posted by Wheels Down

A quick look at the Zamp website and a few things come to mind. First, bring your checkbook, they are pretty proud of those panels. And it appears they want you to use the product as a portable device. They come with carrying bags for storage. So I guess you set up and place the panel in a location that gets a lot of sunlight. Mount on top of the propane tanks? Maybe.

Second problem, the little legs the panel might grow while you are sightseeing.

Would be nice if pre-packaged systems were available.Something designed for a specific RV platform. Maybe that critter is already in the zoo. Not sure.

I wondering about them sprouting longer legs as well


2016 Roo 21DK

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[SEHilton79]

Originally Posted by Justice12t

Lol...no worries hadn't had mine either...Well now that I cannot help with but I have read about others talking about it. You can search it or just wait and the experienced will reply shortly...😁

Thanks still trying to figure out the forum and searching things- must not be using the right terms- I get tons of results that don't necessarily match what I really want! Lol


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[KMP44]

Originally Posted by sehiton79

Has anyone bought and used the plug and play solar panels the Roos are equipped for ? Useful, not useful? Powerful, not so much?

I don't have any direct experience with the Zamp setup (our Roo predates the prewired Zamp plug) but I attached a link to a thread from another member who was very happy with the system. It easy - but its on the pricey side. If you really research solar, you'll see the Zamp makes some compromises as far as the charge controller and wire sizes, but based on other's experience, it works. The 200 watt system will still give you good charging ability.

The second link is the place where I bought a kit and made a setup similar to the Zamp. I hard wired the charge controller into the front pass through and connected two 100 watt panels. I also added an inverter with a transfer switch to run all the outlets.

If you camp in full sun, roof mounting is great. We camp mostly in wooded areas, so my original plan was mount one panel and use one as a portable panel. As I played around with it last summer, I ended up keeping both panels portable. When we camp with electric, I just leave them home. The nice thing about portable panels is you can angle them to optimize the output, which makes a significant difference in output.

But before you do any of this - if you plan to dry camp, I would highly recommend a 2nd battery. Since your rig is new and will have a new battery, this is the perfect time to add a second battery. You want the same type & age battery if you connect them together (series for 6V or parallel for 12v). We had the dealer add a second battery for us at delivery. Cost was about $90 and it doubles the power available for dry camping. We were able to get 4 days out of two batteries without solar or a generator.

Enjoy your new Roo!

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...tem-64885.html

https://www.solarblvd.com/index.php?cPath=1_272

[SEHilton79]

Originally Posted by KMP44

I don't have any direct experience with the Zamp setup (our Roo predates the prewired Zamp plug) but I attached a link to a thread from another member who was very happy with the system. It easy - but its on the pricey side. If you really research solar, you'll see the Zamp makes some compromises as far as the charge controller and wire sizes, but based on other's experience, it works. The 200 watt system will still give you good charging ability.

The second link is the place where I bought a kit and made a setup similar to the Zamp. I hard wired the charge controller into the front pass through and connected two 100 watt panels. I also added an inverter with a transfer switch to run all the outlets.

If you camp in full sun, roof mounting is great. We camp mostly in wooded areas, so my original plan was mount one panel and use one as a portable panel. As I played around with it last summer, I ended up keeping both panels portable. When we camp with electric, I just leave them home. The nice thing about portable panels is you can angle them to optimize the output, which makes a significant difference in output.

But before you do any of this - if you plan to dry camp, I would highly recommend a 2nd battery. Since your rig is new and will have a new battery, this is the perfect time to add a second battery. You want the same type & age battery if you connect them together (series for 6V or parallel for 12v). We had the dealer add a second battery for us at delivery. Cost was about $90 and it doubles the power available for dry camping. We were able to get 4 days out of two batteries without solar or a generator.

Enjoy your new Roo!

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...tem-64885.html

https://www.solarblvd.com/index.php?cPath=1_272

THANKS!!! great stuff in that other thread and thanks for the insight on the 2nd battery


2016 Roo 21DK

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[ScottBrownstein]

As far as I can see, all it represents is "plug and play." The connector goes to your batteries, nothing more. You connect a panel and a charge controller on the outside and plug it in.

It is a little pricey, but, you will have to get one of us to help you if you want to put something else together. It's not that hard, beyond the questions you need to ask yourself. How much do you want to spend. How much power do you need to replace? Do you want a generator or just the panels? Do you want a portable setup? Where do you camp?

Portable is nice if you like being under the trees, rooftop is nice since it works when your TT is in storage waiting for your next tip, and,of course, it won't "grow legs" and walk away.

Most would advise you to try your TT out before committing to something.

[rockfordroo]

There was a thread running a few days ago on this. As I understood it, they were saying that the Zamp system basically has the controller at the solar panel, hence it is trying to push current to the batteries a relatively long distance and the Zamp wiring installed is fairly small. Since the controller puts out fairly low voltage, the amount of voltage and charging current actually reaching the batteries is low. Therefore, only good for trickle charging the batteries. If you really want to power "stuff," you need to have the charge controller close to the batteries, and you need to beef up the gauge of the wiring.

[ScottBrownstein]

Back in the 1940's radios had a connector on the back that said "ready for TV!" Zamp is a nice marketing campaign that allows manufacturers to say "ready for solar!" It is not, however, a serious solution unless you need a little trickle charge.

[SEHilton79]

Thanks all!


2016 Roo 21DK

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