Are you a Class A or 5th Wheel owner struggling to find a solar panel that can efficiently power your RV with obstructions like A/C units, antennas, and vents casting shadows? You’re not alone. As you drive and the sun moves in the sky, these obstructions can drastically reduce the output of traditional solar panels.
The 12V (#4) lead in the 7-pin harness is the 12V power source from the chassis, and when the tow-vehicle engine is idling the alternator drives the voltage higher thus activating the Orion to charge (permitting programming is correct). However, depending on the chassis manufacturer's setup this source comes in one of three common forms...
These clients came to us wanting to have a small amount of solar power installed with the potential to install more at a later date. We installed one SF180 solar panel with a 50A charge controller and wired the rig with 4-gauge cable from the battery bank to the roof. The 50A charge controller is powerful enough for them to install three more SF180 panels. By installing the oversized charge controller now, we eliminated the need for them to install a new charge controller (saving them some money) when they expand in the future. The roof C-Box was also installed with expansion in mind.
This client just text messaged me and said he has been dry camping for the last 18 days without turning on his generator. We installed 640W of solar power along with a 600Ah AGM battery bank. We set up the system with future expansion in mind, which could include another 480W of solar panels on the existing charge controller. We also incorporated a portable solar panel, which uses a separate Bluetooth capable charge controller.
This client scheduled a troubleshoot because his old Heliotrope PV controller wasn't functioning very well. He had suspected it had gotten damaged by moisture. After an inspection, our techs determined it was time for an upgrade. He went with a Victron Blue Solar MPPT 100/30 charge controller and bluetooth monitoring. It was a pretty straightforward swap out.
This mobile power plant has a 1280W solar charger with a 900Ah lithium battery bank and a 3000VA inverter. With this much power you won’t really need to watch gauges or worry about consumption. You may even be able to power your neighbor’s RV.
This rig got a very powerful AGM battery system which included 960W of solar panels with a 600Ah battery bank and a 2000W pure sine inverter.
Not all jobs have solar panels. On this rig we installed a Magnum MSH3012M hybrid inverter with a battery monitor and four 4CT AGM batteries.
