Dual Solar Panels on a 21

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by Art

Ok, newbie here getting a 21' next May, are the solar panels charging while you are driving down the road?

Originally Posted by Losangeles

Yes

As John says, yes. In fact, they charge whenever they're exposed to any light - even when the trailer is stored and the power to the batteries is cut off by the switch.

[OldstersOutside]

Thanks everyone for all of your input and recommendations. There are certainly a number of things to consider and a lot of pro and cons either way. I have to spend some time digesting all of this information. We are not scheduled to get our until July 2017 so we at least have a few months to decide which way to go. This is sure an active forum and a wonderful community. Thanks again!!

[fudge_brownie]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

Vacuum cleaner? Are you using an inverter, or do you have a 12V vacuum?

I got tired of the weak 12 volt rechargeable vacuums and with an inverter it made sense to use something with more power. I have a Shark hand held that works great in the camper or tow vehicle. We spend a lot of time at sandy campsites, add a little rain and Paul does lots of vacuuming.

Related to using the inverter is my surprise at how little overall power running the microwave and vacuum uses. Yes, it takes batteries over 75% full to operate but when completed the total draw is quite low.

[freespirit]

Originally Posted by OldstersOutside

We've decided on most of the items for the build sheet for our 21 but one of the items I'm considering is having two solar panels installed. I've been told it can be done but we won't be able to get the Jack TV antenna. That's okay with us since watching TV is not that important to us.

I've done some searching on the forum to try to determine if any other 21 owners have two panels but haven't been able to find anything. Anyone have any experience with dual panels? I'd like to find out what type/size of controllers are used etc.

Another configuration I've been considering is having one installed on the roof and then going with an additional portable panel. There are both pros and cons with going this route. How would this be wired in? Would the controller have to be upgraded and then the portable panel wired through the controller? My understanding is it's not a good idea to have two separate solar power sources going to the batteries.

We live in the PNW and plan on doing most of our camping in the off season. Between the cloudy days, treed campgrounds and short days we want as much solar as we can pull in.

Thank you.

if you are considering another solar panel in front be sure to inquire if ETI is also reinforcing the fiberglass in the new 2017 where the solar mtg bolts go thru the roof in the front....since a 2nd panel may be a somewhat rare request they may or may not....they apparently put a wood slat fiber-glassed on each side on the inside of the roof in the rear for the solar bolt/washer mtg and to better spread the solar panel's pulling force as a result of wind (which is better than just the thin fiberglass).
just a guess but the front panel may get more of a wind shear on it as the AC in back may help reduce it there, so mtg is important...
on the positive side you may find slight shade on one panel while the other has sun and still provides some charging

[7th Heaven]

So my fixed 90W panel generates quite a bit of heat collecting all those solar rays.

How will the fiberglass shell /finish hold up?

[OldstersOutside]

freespirit - Good point on the reinforcement. I'll be sure to ask. Thanks!!

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by 7th Heaven

So my fixed 90W panel generates quite a bit of heat collecting all those solar rays.

How will the fiberglass shell /finish hold up?

The hard part is getting wax under the panel. I rigged up a pad attached to a long plastic rod so I can clean and wax under there. As long as the finish has a good coat of protection on it, I think you're good to go.

[John David]

Originally Posted by OldstersOutside

freespirit - Good point on the reinforcement. I'll be sure to ask. Thanks!!

On our 19 the second panel is on the front, I asked Crystal if reinforcement was to be provided and was told yes. As well the panel is sloped down to front. I believe with the recent panel loss last year ETI is being very careful with installs. They certainly stepped up to the plate and did good after that incident. I have had only positive experiences with this company.

John

[Iowa Dave]

And when I took the solar retrofit kit to them in May, they said, we've improved that setup and will fix you up with the latest version. Reece was walking around with a piece of weather stripping,'I'm going to tighten up you door seal while you're here. He said. Rita handed him the bill for the frame welding. He handed her the bill for the toilet shut off valve and new supply line. Then he looked at both bills. Let's call it even he said. Worked for us. Man that's some tasty Kool aid.
Dave
Dave

[garysd]

In July we were up in Chilliwack looking at the new 21' model. I asked Krista about installing a second panel on the roof, and she said no. I looked at my notes from the meeting and I didn't write down the reasoning, but Linda thinks that it was a roof vent placement issue or something along those lines. If you give them a call I'm sure they'll give you the information. I'd be interested in knowing.

Gary

[John David]

For me, I could have a second panel because I did not get the TV antenna thingy.

John

[padlin]

When I checked my roof for a 2nd panel the issue is the width of the panels. I only have one place that could handle a 28" wide, which is where the original 160w panel is. I could however fit a 21", 95 or 100 watt, in a couple places. Does ETI give you the option to install either size?

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by OldstersOutside

...
We live in the PNW and plan on doing most of our camping in the off season. Between the cloudy days, treed campgrounds and short days we want as much solar as we can pull in.

Thank you.

Hello Oldsters;
I live in Colorado and also camp off season and have the same issues with short days, low sun angle, poor weather, trees, etc.

My solution was a second 150 watt panel for which I designed a permanent A-frame mount that I could adjust for angle. It connects to the existing solar controller via about 40' of heavy flexible speaker wire (8 or 6 gauge - don't recall) with an Anderson Powerpole plug, through a round porthole that Escape installed near the batteries. With some aiming it produces more than double what the fixed roof panel produces, so it was well worth the investment. It is somewhat bulky and a bit of a pain to toss into the pickup truck.

For batteries I am using a pair of 12v AGM size 31 batteries for around 220 amp-hours. I liked the idea of the "install and forget" maintenance plan as well as the low self discharge of the AGM construction. I have been using one for my boat trolling motor for 4 years and couldn't be happier. Like many others I have a minimal number of power hungry appliances so hardly touch the battery capacity. But someday in the future will be running my electric blanket from an inverter - because I like to be warm and cozy at night!

--
Alan

[stephen99]

Originally Posted by alanmalk

Hello Oldsters;
I live in Colorado and also camp off season and have the same issues with short days, low sun angle, poor weather, trees, etc.

My solution was a second 150 watt panel for which I designed a permanent A-frame mount that I could adjust for angle. It connects to the existing solar controller via about 40' of heavy flexible speaker wire (8 or 6 gauge - don't recall) with an Anderson Powerpole plug, through a round porthole that Escape installed near the batteries. With some aiming it produces more than double what the fixed roof panel produces, so it was well worth the investment. It is somewhat bulky and a bit of a pain to toss into the pickup truck.

For batteries I am using a pair of 12v AGM size 31 batteries for around 220 amp-hours. I liked the idea of the "install and forget" maintenance plan as well as the low self discharge of the AGM construction. I have been using one for my boat trolling motor for 4 years and couldn't be happier. Like many others I have a minimal number of power hungry appliances so hardly touch the battery capacity. But someday in the future will be running my electric blanket from an inverter - because I like to be warm and cozy at night!

--
Alan

Alan, could you provide some more info about how you connect the portable panel to the system? What type of porthole did ETI install? Do you plug the anderson plugs directly into some type of receptacle in that porthole? How are the cables then connected to the solar charger? Thanks. I have been thinking about adding a portable panel myself and have wondered how it can be accomplished.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by stephen99

Do you plug the anderson plugs directly into some type of receptacle in that porthole?

Andersen Powerpoles are common connectors. The cable from the panel and the cable within the trailer would each have a Powerpole connector. The unusual feature of Powerpoles is that they are hermaphroditic, which means that the plug and the receptacle are the same, although the connector on the trailer side could be mounted to a panel rather than just loose on the end of the cable.

[ReagentGrade]

My Bigfoot has an Attwood trolling motor female connector like this (link below). I'll ask ETI to install one on my 5.0 TA. Others on this forum use something similar.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001O...bWL&ref=plSrch

[ReagentGrade]

My link didn't make it. Search Amazon for "Attwood trolling motor female". It costs about $15 each for male & female.

Mine works great!

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by ReagentGrade

My link didn't make it. Search Amazon for "Attwood trolling motor female". It costs about $15 each for male & female.

Link: Search of Amazon.com for "Attwood trolling motor female"

It appears that the company name is Attwood Marine Products, but in Amazon.ca the name is mis-spelled as "Atwood", causing confusion with the actual Atwood company (Atwood mobile).

As is common with other brands of trolling motor connector, Attwood has both 2-wire and 3-wire connectors; the 3-wire type is used to include both 12V and 24V in the same connector, so it wouldn't be needed for a solar power inlet. Although the Attwood trolling motor connector information is a little scattered and inconsistent, it does indicate that the heavy-duty version of the 2-wire connectors has 8-gauge wire while the three-wire (and the medium-duty 2-wire) is 10-gauge, so I think it would pay to select carefully.

I think I would want heavy-duty 2-wire connectors with 8-gauge wire pigtails:

• Trolling Motor Connector Receptacle 2 Wire (Female) [part 14366-6]
  
• Trolling Motor Connector Plug 2 Wire (Male) [part 14365-6]
  

You would presumably be using these connectors in reversed roles compared to the standard use, since the plug (male body, on end of cable) is normally the one which receives power for the motor, and it would be used in the solar installation as the source of power from the panels. With other connectors his can be hazardous due to exposed live contacts, but in this case in the heavy-duty series (only) the male-bodied plug actually has female contacts, with the exposed male contacts in the wall-mounted receptacle, covered by a hinged door.

These connectors are non-locking straight round pins, similar to most styles of towing connector (but not the RV 7-way used by travel trailer such as Escapes).

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by stephen99

What type of porthole did ETI install? Do you plug the anderson plugs directly into some type of receptacle in that porthole? How are the cables then connected to the solar charger? Thanks. I have been thinking about adding a portable panel myself and have wondered how it can be accomplished.

The "porthole" that ETI installed is an ordinary cable inlet that I suspect is the same one they use for the detachable shore power cord. See photo.

The connectors are Anderson Powerpole 50 amp, good for 6, 8 or 10 guage wires. There is one on the cable to the solar panel, and another wired to the charge controller under the seat (with smaller wire because it is only 2 feet in length). The trailer connector can be pulled out of the porthole a few inches so I can plug them together.

I don't have any comment on the sex life of the connectors, only that they are designed so that 2 connectors fit into each other without worry.

A note about Powerpoles: The smaller connectors, 45 amps and smaller, will need a crimper to attach them to a wire. I tried many times to make manual connections with Vice Grips and they almost always fail after I have spent 10 minutes on each, while the crimped connections take 30 seconds and always work. The 50 amp and up connectors will be soldered to the wire which may actually be easier.

--
Alan

[John David]

Alan
I had the porthole added to driver side front of the trailer. Cost this year was $35. It is indeed the same as used for the shore power connection when you get the std shore pwr cord. I figured an access port next to the solar controller and load center was a good idea for future.

We bring an electric trolling motor with us which runs off a 12v agm battery in a battery box. I changed the motor leads from ring terminals to an anderson plug, The std solar controller (go power pwm30) will handle two separate battery banks on its output side. I connect an 8 awg wire to batt bank 2. The other end to an Anderson plug which reachs thru the porthole. The leads from the battery box end in another Anderson plug. When I'm finished fishing, I unplug the batt box from the motor, carry box to trailer, plug into the Anderson plug from the solar controller and recharge the troll motor battery.

All the above just to say that the Anderson plug and front porthole work great!