Adding a new solar controller and battery monitor???

[NEWYORKHILLBILLY]

I have a 19 on order with factory solar . I like to use my solor controller and battery monitor trimetric sc2030 controller and 2030 battery monitor . can i do this latter? not sure how escape does the wiring . I need to get the 2 twisted pair wire and a temp wire from the batteries to the drivers side dinette. I have the 6 volts in storage box and spray foam. How do they run from the storage box to the driver dinette. is it possible to run these after the build. They will run them but i not sure its cost effective be time i ship them the wire and pay installation. I am sure others have changed out the go power controller.

[padlin]

I sent the 2 cables to ETI and asked them to run them for me, for a $ of course. I had to give them a from and to. You'd need to call and ask.


I talked to Ralph at Bogart and used a couple 4 wire phone lines. You need to be have RJ11 connectors on the ends of 1 of them for the controller to monitor connection.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by NEWYORKHILLBILLY

I have a 19 on order with factory solar . I like to use my solor controller and battery monitor trimetric sc2030 controller and 2030 battery monitor . can i do this latter? not sure how escape does the wiring . I need to get the 2 twisted pair wire and a temp wire from the batteries to the drivers side dinette. I have the 6 volts in storage box and spray foam. How do they run from the storage box to the driver dinette. is it possible to run these after the build. They will run them but i not sure its cost effective be time i ship them the wire and pay installation. I am sure others have changed out the go power controller.

The simple answer is it is possibly to run between most locations after delivery, but it may be more work than you want to get into. I'd sent the cables to Escape and let them do it during the build. Some after build cable runs I've made in my 21 have been "interesting".

If you are planning to use the SC2030, request that they not mount the GoPower controller, but leave it in the rear passenger side compartment. Otherwise you will have a hole if the GoPower controller is removed.

If you have an inverter, rather than keeping the GoPower controller just for the inverter remote built into it and having to stand on your head to turn it on & off, order a GoPower remote & send Escape a cable to run between the GoPower inverter and where you want the inverter the remote located.

[Perry Butler]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

If you are planning to use the SC2030, request that they not mount the GoPower controller, but leave it in the rear passenger side compartment. Otherwise you will have a hole if the GoPower controller is removed.

Didn't want to get on my knees to read the simple GoPower screen, so we had Escape zip-tie the GoPower controller underneath the rear seat of the u-shape dinette. I was going to replace it with something else. After 1 1/2 years it still lays on a rarely used box, controlling the 170 watt panel, in the same area and probably won't be replaced.

Since the ETI build, I've added a Victron 712 batter monitor and a 100 watt Renogy portable solar panel running through a Zamp port to a Victron Smartsolar 100/20 controller mounted to the back wall a foot away from the batteries. Don't need to look at the GoPower controller anymore since the 712 tells me what I need to know.

I doubt I'll ever mount that GoPower since it sits so nice on the box in back, but glad we don't have that hole in the dinette.

Zip-tie the GoPower controller where ever you want another controller to be located in the future.

Enjoy,

Perry

[Effie]

I ordered my e19 with solar prep only. Installing your solar controller should be easy as you basically replacing the one Escape installed, or just ask them not to install the go-power and you’ll have the wiring under the driver’s side dinette. I don’t have the front box but I do have the spray foam. The foam does not extend to the front and you can see the battery wiring enters the trailer through holes in shell, you need to drill another hole for the twisted pair from the battery to the monitor.
The pictures show the cables entering the trailer, one is the existing cable from the battery's plus terminal the the WFCO converter, the other is the one I added to route the twisted pair to the battery monitor

[fudge_brownie]

I would recommend looking at the Victron SmartSolar Controller. It is MPPT and blue tooth enabled. There is a free app that allow you to monitor the controller and battery within 30 feet. I have the Trimetric and find it cumbersome and a bit old school. One step above entering values in hexadecimal.

If you are comfortable with a smart phone it is the best choice. You do not need a separate monitor it is all built into the smart feature of the controller. After one season I was very happy with the charging and monitoring.

[NEWYORKHILLBILLY]

Originally Posted by Effie

I ordered my e19 with solar prep only. Installing your solar controller should be easy as you basically replacing the one Escape installed, or just ask them not to install the go-power and you’ll have the wiring under the driver’s side dinette. I don’t have the front box but I do have the spray foam. The foam does not extend to the front and you can see the battery wiring enters the trailer through holes in shell, you need to drill another hole for the twisted pair from the battery to the monitor.
The pictures show the cables entering the trailer, one is the existing cable from the battery's plus terminal the the WFCO converter, the other is the one I added to route the twisted pair to the battery monitor

I couple questions on your install . I see a weather tight box on back of battery box is that where your controller is?
On the solar prep option how did they run wires? how do you find correct location to mount panel?

Thanks

[NEWYORKHILLBILLY]

Originally Posted by fudge_brownie

I would recommend looking at the Victron SmartSolar Controller. It is MPPT and blue tooth enabled. There is a free app that allow you to monitor the controller and battery within 30 feet. I have the Trimetric and find it cumbersome and a bit old school. One step above entering values in hexadecimal.

If you are comfortable with a smart phone it is the best choice. You do not need a separate monitor it is all built into the smart feature of the controller. After one season I was very happy with the charging and monitoring.

thanks The reason i was going to use the Bogart system is i already have it installed in my casita . actually I going to offer the buyer the choice of keeping it or i will remove it. So i guess if sells i take a look at the victron

[Effie]

Originally Posted by NEWYORKHILLBILLY

I couple questions on your install . I see a weather tight box on back of battery box is that where your controller is?
On the solar prep option how did they run wires? how do you find correct location to mount panel?

Thanks

The grey box attached to the battery box is for the Shunt supplied with the Victron 712 monitor, could do without it if I had the Escape front storage box.
The controller is under the dinette seat on the driver side, that's where the rooftop wire prep is routed to (the wiring from the controller to the 12v system is also included in the solar prep).
I talked with Dave at Escape for help on positioning the panels, also looked at a lots of pictures on the forum. The easiest way is to drill one hole (from inside) on each side close to the wood enforcement piece attached to the roof and then line up the other hole(s) from the outside. You can see it in one of the pictures in the link below. I also included the link of my Victron battery monitor install.

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...all-15925.html

https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...tor-15665.html