Adding more solar panels

[armullis59]

Originally Posted by creativepart

Take a close look at the Zamp 3-Port combiner box on the roof. Some are marked "400w Max." Not that you'll exceed that, but just so you know.

Did you have to add the 3 Port Combiner to your rig? My coach did not come with it, just one 100W panel on the roof and a wire that disappears into the roof. I am guessing I can add the 3 Port Combiner by cutting the wire and then be able to connect up to three 100W panels?

[Elkman]

Mine came with the Zamp 3-port roof cap. If I had only a wire I would have bought an enclosure that provides for using watertight cable pass through using cable glands and that had room for a circuit breaker switch. On my last RV where I did the entire solar installation from scratch I used a "project box"

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

With the solar panels there is no off switch and although one can in theory cover them all with blankets or pieces of cardboard it is better to use a combination breaker and switch to shut off current going to the charge controller inside the RV.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[butch50]

I was shocked as Fedex delivered my new panels yesterday (that's right on Sunday late morning) So I got busy and installed my panels yesterday also. This afternoon I drove the rig out of the carport and turned on the fridge to see if the solar can support it. I was running 11.9 AH and 4A with overcast skies and all the smoke in the sky. I'm going to see how the panels support turning the hot fridge on (that was 80 degrees inside when I started) and see how the solar goes.

[butch50]

I don't have a temperature gauge in the fridge but the freezer is already down to 10 degrees.

[Elkman]

I adjusted the fridge (using a thermometer) so it was holding at 38 degrees and set the freezer for +10 degrees as that is cold enough to preserve food. Colder freezer temps are needed to keep ice cream firm but we do not eat the stuff so no need to use more juice to cool the freezer.

With no opening of the door the solar panels can keep the fridge going for 3-4 days depending on the ambient temperature. That is twice as long as with the factory setup with the lead acid batteries and the two 100W Zamp panels installed by Winnebago.

If you want to minimize power draw it helps to first cool the fridge using AC and to keep large water jugs in the refrigerator so there is less cold air lost when opening the door and less new air coming inside to cool down.

[Lemonade]

The t track, primer, tape and caulk sounds like a wonderful idea! Would the bolt head for the Zamp feet then go into the track? Are these the right ones in the attached screenshot?

Our other panels are attached to metal bars (which are bolted through the roof) with the dual purpose of taking a bit of a swayback out of the roof. That problem is dealt with and I don't want any more holes in the roof. I'm perfectly happy having an extra metal bar!

Thanks for being such an incredible community!

[butch50]

Originally Posted by Lemonade

The t track, primer, tape and caulk sounds like a wonderful idea! Would the bolt head for the Zamp feet then go into the track? Are these the right ones in the attached screenshot?

Our other panels are attached to metal bars (which are bolted through the roof) with the dual purpose of taking a bit of a swayback out of the roof. That problem is dealt with and I don't want any more holes in the roof. I'm perfectly happy having an extra metal bar!

Thanks for being such an incredible community!

Sorry for the late response. The bolts you are showing there are not the ones I used in the track. The ones shown are the ones that mount to the roof if you are going to bolt it down. I used 1/4" Stainless bolts and nuts sourced from Lowes. The whole system worked out great and I think it is there to stay.

I have been running a test for the last 5 days to see how the new setup would support the fridge. I backed the View out from under the carport plugged into shore power and turned the fridge on for a few hours. Then I kicked off the breaker in my shop and started to run the fridge on solar only.

Even when my MH is out of the carport the panels are still not in direct sunlight till a little after sunrise as my shop is to the east of the carport.

I have been running the test for 5 days now and today was cloudy and it rained so not the best solar day. All of the previous days it has been high clouds and smokie skies. I would go out in the morning to get readings off the Zamp controller and then about 3 hours later. In the morning I was reading 13.3v in the controller and the One Place. By 10AM I would be reading 13.7 on the controller and it would show fully charged. Now the only thing running is the fridge (freezer at 0 and the fridge at 37 degrees) with nothing in them just air space. The Amp Start is also keeping the chassis battery at 13.6V.

I think I can easily stay out for a number of days without starting the generator to supply power for the batteries. I know when we are in it there will be more draw but I' pretty sure the solar will charge the batteries back up each day. My wife and I don't use that many lights or other devices.

The fridge works better when there is something it that gets cold and then stays cold when the fridge shuts off it releases some of its cold back to the fridge.

The next mod will be adding a Victron so I can monitor it more closely.