Hook up a portable solar panel to AI to charge house

[CharlieOscar]

I bought a 100W portable solar panel to charge the house battery while boondocking/tailgating. I'm doing this now instead of just going straight to a solar upgrade both for time, convenience and since I'm new to this and really don't know how much I will be off of hook ups. Has anyone done this or are using it and if so have you wired in a convenient permanant connector to the battery bank or are you using aligator clamps. My model has the batteries under the rear seat so the terminals aren't convenient and I'm thinking a permanant wired I plug will be best. Possibly mounted outside of the van near the cable outlet or more lazily inside the coach and I can just run it out the back doors when parked.

Any thoughts? I have included the panel I bought.

Renogy 100 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Foldable Portable Solar Suitcase with Voyager Waterproof Charge Controller https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079JVBVL3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_uAthCbG1HF4AM

[Fair_Enough]

Many ways to skin this cat. What about a cigarette lighter type plug. Many small air compressors use the same plug, and that would be convenient for that too. Be sure polarity is observed, maintain wire gauge all the way and fuse it (+) near the battery at 20A.

https://www.wholesalemarine.com/mari...eceptacle.html

Clint

[Alex AVI]

CHARLIEOSCAR - I have not done any solar upgrades yet, so have not done any research and no answer for your question, only some thoughts - Since the AI has it's own solar system (with its own charge controller), does the Renogy portable solar have it's own charge controller also (I assume it does)? Does the presence of 2 different charge controllers need to be considered in how you wire the portable together with the existing system. Or maybe it doesn't matter, since the 2 separate charge controllers isolate each bank of panels? Just thinking out loud in case there's a more efficient wiring method?

[Rig Rat]

CharlieOscar,

I added portable solar and we share the same the same model and year AI.
It's worked well. I also added 2 - 6V batteries to increase my total AHR to 224!

Below is the link to the thread;

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f240...-177751-4.html

I have pictures of my instillation at post #44.

The entire thread is a good read. It may answer some of your additional questions/concerns!

My portable solar unit is currently wired through the vent opening and into the battery box. It's not pretty but it's functional. Next month when we get back in Az, I will take the vent out and add a permanently wired port, probably like this one;

https://www.amazon.com/ZAMP-SOLAR-ZS...rds=zamp+solar



Mark

[Sebtown]

I have a single 12v battery mounted under the floor behind the driver side rear tire. I built a wire harness with ring terminals on one end and an Anderson power pole connection, identical to what came on my Renology solar suitcase, on the other end. We have boondocked for 5 days with this arrangement and it worked well. Earlier this year I installed a 100 watt panel to the roof. As I previously installed a Trimetric to monitor my battery I chose to go with their SC 2030 charge controller. I read that competing charge controllers won't work on a single battery so I removed the charge controller from my suitcase and rewired the connection so that both panels share the same controller when in use. A few weeks ago in Death Valley I had them both in use. We went 8 days and probably could have stayed out longer. My roof mounted panel is stationary and at this time of year was generating less than half of what the solar suitcase produced.

[Pahaska]

I installed a 12v trolling motor receptical inside the rear doors and adjacent to my Blue Sky solar controller. It uses the same heavy wiring as the solar controller.

I use this receptical for my heavy-duty portable air compressor that pulls too much current for cigarette-lighter type outlets. This receptical would be perfect for plugging in a 100w portable solar panel with its own controller.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by Wolfwhistle

Many ways to skin this cat. What about a cigarette lighter type plug. Many small air compressors use the same plug, and that would be convenient for that too. Be sure polarity is observed, maintain wire gauge all the way and fuse it (+) near the battery at 20A.



https://www.wholesalemarine.com/mari...eceptacle.html



Clint

CHARLIEOSCAR - The Interstate already has an outside 12VDC cigarette lighter type receptical on the passenger side right behind the rear wheels. Since you are only using a single 100 watt panel this would easily handle the current (less than 8A) and would be protected by the fuse panel. Just add a properly polarized 12VDC plug to wire from your portable solar panel.

I looked for a adapter cable that would go directly from solar MC4 to cigarette lighter plug, but could not find one. You could easily make your own if you are into wiring. Otherwise these two adapters from PowerWerx go from MC4 to Anderson Powerpole and then to cigarette lighter plug.

https://powerwerx.com/solar-mc4-ande...-adapter-cable

https://powerwerx.com/cigarette-ligh...e-adapter-18in

I'd guess they don't make a direct adapter as there would be live power on end of the cigarette lighter plug once it was connected to the solar panels in daylight. The cigarette lighter plug has exposed terminals, unlike the MC4 and Powerpole connectors. The cigarette lighter connects are not the best but it would be a quick fix with no need to rewire to the batteries.

Hope this helps,
- - Mike

[GammaDog]

I have a trailer, not an AI, so I can't comment on the placement of the connector, but I've done what your looking at using Anderson Power 50 watt quick disconnect connectors. I added one to the side of the battery box which is wired in to the battery bank (don't forget to add a fuse!). Into that I plug a 200 watt Renogy suitcase when needed or a third interstate battery. Pics in my gallery.

[GammaDog]

Originally Posted by GammaDog

I have a trailer, not an AI, so I can't comment on the placement of the connector, but I've done what your looking at using Anderson Power 50 watt quick disconnect connectors. I added one to the side of the battery box which is wired in to the battery bank (don't forget to add a fuse!). Into that I plug a 200 watt Renogy suitcase when needed or a third interstate battery. Pics in my gallery.

My bad above... those are 50 AMP connectors... my brain was only drawing 50 watts at the time I wrote that!

Here's a link to WalMart's 50 Amp Anderson coupler product listing:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Anderson-...ctor/116295812

[CharlieOscar]

Got the panel today. Very nice build quality. The case which is shown in the picture is also very nice quality. The included cable is pretty short so may have to do something about that. Will update when I figure out what I do for the connections.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by CharlieOscar

Got the panel today. Very nice build quality. The case which is shown in the picture is also very nice quality. The included cable is pretty short so may have to do something about that. Will update when I figure out what I do for the connections.

CHARLIEOSCAR - Nice. That case looks nicer than my travel duffel bag I take in the AI

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by CharlieOscar

Got the panel today. Very nice build quality. The case which is shown in the picture is also very nice quality. The included cable is pretty short so may have to do something about that. Will update when I figure out what I do for the connections.

CO - nice looking panels. Check the PowerWerx links I posted above. Those cables are available in different lengths that might work for your setup.