Dealer installing 160w solar. How difficult to.....

Sarge

Well-known member
Dealer is installing a 160w solar panel and two 6v AGM batteries in 2017 362RW.

Will be boondocking and have generator backup.

No residential fridge - Have the 18cuft 12V/propane fridge.

How difficult would it be to install additional solar panels later if needed...?

Thanx, Sarge
 

Silverado23

Iowa Chapter Leaders
Adding panels will depend on how the system was designed and if there is additional capacity in the charge controller.

The simplest would be if the design allows for additional panels to be added without having to add or replace other components.

I upsized my charge controller when I designed my system, then ended up ordering the maximum panels for my roof which ended up being 9 thin-film panels (85w each).
I currently do not have a built-in inverter so I cannot easily run 120V items but I can run everything else off propane or the batteries. I even turned of the converter that charges the battery from shore power.
 

Sarge

Well-known member
H
Adding panels will depend on how the system was designed and if there is additional capacity in the charge controller.

The simplest would be if the design allows for additional panels to be added without having to add or replace other components.

I upsized my charge controller when I designed my system, then ended up ordering the maximum panels for my roof which ended up being 9 thin-film panels (85w each).
I currently do not have a built-in inverter so I cannot easily run 120V items but I can run everything else off propane or the batteries. I even turned of the converter that charges the battery from shore power.

Awesome input. Just sent a message to the Dealer to verify I can add panels without needing to upgrade equipment.

Next beers are on me...
 

Dennyha

Well-known member
If the solar panels feed into a combiner box, then adding panels is easy. You can add panels up to the capacity of your charge controller to handle them. If the wires from the panels directly feed down to the charge controller, it is a bit more difficult. You could add a combiner box where the wire feeds through the roof, but nobody wants to start messing with a newly installed system.
 

Sarge

Well-known member
If the solar panels feed into a combiner box, then adding panels is easy. You can add panels up to the capacity of your charge controller to handle them. If the wires from the panels directly feed down to the charge controller, it is a bit more difficult. You could add a combiner box where the wire feeds through the roof, but nobody wants to start messing with a newly installed system.

Apparently I can add one more panel with the setup being installed (320W combined)

Anything more I have to install the combined box you mentioned.

Thanx for the advice everyone....

Sarge
 
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