Adding a portable solar panel? How?

[CAVUMark]

We have a 2022 GD imagine 22MLE. It is our first trailer and we have been enjoying it since Oct. 2022. We are not full time but hope to be soon. Early March we spent near Phoenix and experienced our first true boondocking experience. We have two flooded lead acid batteries 100AH which I thought would last us a few days. Well it did ok but I would like to add a portable panel so that I can position it into the sun when the trailer is not oriented for good solar insolation.

I read the instruction for the Furion 30A MPPT charger (300W max), contacted Furion for assistance (they only condone series connection but the manual does include parallel wiring info), and read the panel manual as well. My thought is to purchase a 120W to 150W portable panel and wire a connector and switch of some sort in series with the 165W panel on the roof and deploy the portable panel when required. It is likely that panel will not be identical to the panel on the roof. When I am only using the roof panel I can switch it back in line to the charge controller.

Does anyone have any experience with a like installation of a portable panel and if so any pitfalls I should be aware of? Thanks.

[TucsonJim]

Hi there,

There's another easy option you can consider. That is to connect a portable panel with built in controller directly to your battery. Many portable panels come with a built in controller and clips so you can clamp onto the battery posts. And you can have multiple charging sources on your batteries without detriment. This is quite often the preferred method. The reason is that when you run different size and types of panels into one charge controller, you can be very inefficient. But running two panels with their own controllers works well. Here's a good article on it:

https://cleversolarpower.com/multipl...e-controllers/

For an example, here's a 220 watt portable panel with controller and battery clips for $199.

https://www.amazon.com/DOKIO-Portabl...09&sr=8-5&th=1


Jim

[NoPeeking]

I have a 180w suitcase-style portable set-up that plugs into the trailer pigtail on the tongue. I've also clipped it directly to the battery posts. 3 years on, works like a charm.

http://www.wegosolar.com/products.ph...lar-Panel-Kit-

Mike

[acoleman43]

We have a 2022 GD imagine 22MLE. It is our first trailer and we have been enjoying it since Oct. 2022. We are not full time but hope to be soon. Early March we spent near Phoenix and experienced our first true boondocking experience. We have two flooded lead acid batteries 100AH which I thought would last us a few days. Well it did ok but I would like to add a portable panel so that I can position it into the sun when the trailer is not oriented for good solar insolation.

I read the instruction for the Furion 30A MPPT charger (300W max), contacted Furion for assistance (they only condone series connection but the manual does include parallel wiring info), and read the panel manual as well. My thought is to purchase a 120W to 150W portable panel and wire a connector and switch of some sort in series with the 165W panel on the roof and deploy the portable panel when required. It is likely that panel will not be identical to the panel on the roof. When I am only using the roof panel I can switch it back in line to the charge controller.

Does anyone have any experience with a like installation of a portable panel and if so any pitfalls I should be aware of? Thanks.

I agree with both Jim and Mike. It will be so much easier to get a portable panel with built-in controller. Installation is super easy - no running new wires through RV or cutting holes, and you will not loose any efficiencies with your roof panel. Win-win in my opinion.

[CAVUMark]

Thanks for the input. I tend to over analyze things so my concern is if the charge controllers do not charge and float at the same voltage, plus there are just inaccuracies associated with product tolerances. So, my experience is to use the same charge controller with the same panel yet I do not have an external plug for the controller. Grand Design did not make it easy to add an external panel. I will look at the panels that offer the controller and perhaps give that a try.

Mark