Proprietary Furrion Solar Port on roof

[allenrude]

Paul,

thanks for the pictures. What a mess. I ordered a new gland so as soon as it shows up i will shoot a couple of pictures. Frustrating to rip up a new RV we haven't even slept in yet...

[Country Campers]

Is it possible to cut the cables going from the factory solar panel to the Furrion roof port then crimp on MC4 connectors to each of the cut ends to allow connecting other MC4 type panels? Sure would be easier than removing the factory roof gland.

Brian

[allenrude]

Hi All,

i wanted to close the loop on this topic as the challenges continued thru the weekend.. I removed the Furrion roof entry port and was shocked to see they had cut a 4X 5 inch rectangle in the roof just for a 10GA wire. Why would they do this?? we have a huge hole for one wire that now i have to plug. Just luck that i had a box that never made it on to the roof of my Rockwood that i mounted to close the hole. I have included some pictures. I have not dressed the wires as yet, but you get the idea. While i am at it, I was not impressed at all with the paper thin roof membrane. I did this same project on my other trailer and was impressed with how tough the roof covering was on it. Not so with the GD. Could not be thinner and proved easy to tear even being extraordinarily careful. I do have a general related solar question. I am now running 2 arrays in serial, and bring together in parallel. By my figures i should end up with 40 or so volts and 20 AMPS on paper. I measured the volts with a meter and was around 45 so was where i expected. A little fuzzy on how to measure the amps. As the Furrion charge controller has no management interface, its a black bow. I just want to see if i am getting what i expect now that i have things hooked up??

I have attached some pictures from the weekend.

Thanks
al

[howson]

allenrude
The easiest way to measure amperage (given you can't do it with the controller) is to use a clamp multimeter. It's easy when dealing with DC and separate wires.

Ignore the fact that the amperage measurement is negative--flip the multimeter 180 degrees and it would be the same measurement but it would be positive. (It's the value that matters!)


Howard

[allenrude]

Thanks Howard. Looks like you are reading this on the battery positive terminal. Assume that you are taking this when not on shore power to get the amps actually getting to the battery from the charge controller, or thats at least what it looks like which for me would reflect the state of charge of the batteries and what the CC was pumping in rather than how many amps you are getting from the panels. Or am i getting this completely wrong?

[Country Campers]

Actually amperage readings will be done on the "negative" battery cable. Checking to see how many amps that your solar is outputting can be done the same way, put the clamp meter on the negative wire from the solar panel, before the solar charge controller, and this will tell you the amperage output of the panels. Placing the clamp meter on the negative wire from the solar charge controller, between the charge controller and the battery, will tell you how many amps are going into the battery.

Brian

[howson]

allenrude -- the picture was more about the meter than the location. What I should have stated is you can clamp the meter around a solar power cable (either the negative or positive but not both) to get a good reading. I wouldn't try to measure solar generation at the battery--that would get really confusing trying to account for other loads.

Even better than the clamp meter, buy a Victron SmartSolar MPPT and sell the Furrion or Jaboni or whatever is installed now. With the Victron you can monitor whatever you want via the VictronConnect app on your phone. If you do get a Victron, make sure to get a SmartSolar version, not the BlueSolar!

[allenrude]

Thanks all for the info. The Furrion charge controller is on the replace list. No doubt about it and will be getting the Victron and being done with it. Will put in the pile of the rest of stuff i have torn out to include the dinette and the outside 2 burner cook top. Just trying to decide if i need to spend the extra 100 bucks to get the 100/50 or the 100/30. as a part time camper that may never do any serious boondocking, having trouble to justify the 100/50.

appreciate all the help however.

[Country Campers]

I went through the same process not to long ago, settled on the 100/30 and saved the money. If there is an upgrade someday I will try to sell it.

Brian

[Yoda]

Hi All,

i wanted to close the loop on this topic as the challenges continued thru the weekend.. I removed the Furrion roof entry port and was shocked to see they had cut a 4X 5 inch rectangle in the roof just for a 10GA wire. Why would they do this?? we have a huge hole for one wire that now i have to plug. Just luck that i had a box that never made it on to the roof of my Rockwood that i mounted to close the hole. I have included some pictures. I have not dressed the wires as yet, but you get the idea. While i am at it, I was not impressed at all with the paper thin roof membrane. I did this same project on my other trailer and was impressed with how tough the roof covering was on it. Not so with the GD. Could not be thinner and proved easy to tear even being extraordinarily careful. I do have a general related solar question. I am now running 2 arrays in serial, and bring together in parallel. By my figures i should end up with 40 or so volts and 20 AMPS on paper. I measured the volts with a meter and was around 45 so was where i expected. A little fuzzy on how to measure the amps. As the Furrion charge controller has no management interface, its a black bow. I just want to see if i am getting what i expect now that i have things hooked up??

I have attached some pictures from the weekend.

Thanks
al

Al I know it has been an adventure for you. Do you live where there is snow? I am concerned with the way things are mounted (up high with long rigid extension) a good snow load will break the connections off at the box. It also possible a low danging branch could catch the wires and do the same. I guess what I am saying is keep a close eye on it. If it cracks you will get water in.

Just trying to help

Keith

[allenrude]

All help appreciated. I plan on replacing the 2 to one connectors with flexible connectors as i agree i dont like them sticking out like that. when i planned for this i had no idea i would have to mount a box up like that on the roof to cover the hole so used what i had. Happy to say i live in MD and at least this winter we did not have enough to shovel. But that can always change so will continue to refine.

Brian, thanks for the feedback. i will go with the 30 and if we ever get serious with this will upgrade or add a second one.

Thanks to ALL..

[allenrude]

Hi All,

wanted to follow up as the new Victron 100-30 is installed and operational. I am however not an expert as yet on the software. Love the layout but have a question on what i am seeing. The volts from the solar are what i expected from 2 arrays in parallel each array with 2 170 watt panels in series, 40 to 45 volts. However as related to amps, even in bright sun i never see anything over 1.9 amps. Therefore the solar watts never get over 60 or 70. How can this be right? My assumption was that the solar volts and watts would reflect what actually coming from the arrays regardless of whats actually going to the battery, or will th is only reflect whats going to the battery based on the amount of charge needed in the battery?

thanks
al

[ncitro]

Hi All,

wanted to follow up as the new Victron 100-30 is installed and operational. I am however not an expert as yet on the software. Love the layout but have a question on what i am seeing. The volts from the solar are what i expected from 2 arrays in parallel each array with 2 170 watt panels in series, 40 to 45 volts. However as related to amps, even in bright sun i never see anything over 1.9 amps. Therefore the solar watts never get over 60 or 70. How can this be right? My assumption was that the solar volts and watts would reflect what actually coming from the arrays regardless of whats actually going to the battery, or will th is only reflect whats going to the battery based on the amount of charge needed in the battery?

thanks
al

That's exactly right. The charge controller can't output more than the batteries can take. If you want to see what the panels can do, shut them off for a bit and run down the battery to 70% or so and then turn the panels back on. You should see a much higher output.

[allenrude]

BINGO!! Thanks

[Briton]

I came across the same issue when adding additional panels on the roof of my 2022 imagine.. thought I would offer what I feel is the cheapest and easiest solution that I used! You just need to be familiar with building and crimping your own mc4 connectors/ cables.

CUT the connectors off the Furrion solar panel and replace with mc4 connectors. Unscrew the compression caps on the furrion connectors and take note of which parts belong to each connector (male/female). The small 14 g wire that is used on the furrion panel is only soldered into the metal pin in the furrion connector. Heat it up with a soldering iron and the wire will come right out! You can now solder the same pin onto heavier 10g wire and reassemble the connector. Add an mc4 on the other end of each wire and bingo! You have and mc4 to Furrion Adapter with 10g wire (same gauge that is in the roof port) now you can add additional panels that use the industry standard mc4’s. Hope this helps. Much better than cutting off the roof port.