Shore Power and Solar

**budbon** · 03-27-2021, 03:58 PM

I just got a suitcase 100w solar panel for boondocking. Testing it at home, I had concerns about hooking it up while on shore power. Obviously I don't need it along with the shore power, but if I were to connect both at the same time would harm be done. I will be connecting thru the Furrion port w/adapters.
My solar panel is 100w Renogy. 2019 GD 2250RK trailer.

**MoonShadow_1911** · 03-27-2021, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by budbon

I just got a suitcase 100w solar panel for boondocking. Testing it at home, I had concerns about hooking it up while on shore power. Obviously I don't need it along with the shore power, but if I were to connect both at the same time would harm be done. I will be connecting thru the Furrion port w/adapters.
My solar panel is 100w Renogy. 2019 GD 2250RK trailer.

Technically, it should be fine. On a practical note, since it is a suitcase panel, why would you drag it out and set it up when you are connecting to shore power?

I just added a Furrion solar port to our 320MKS just to keep the batteries topped off when in storage. We are using a 50 watt Goal Zero single panel that we've had forever.

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**orbiker** · 03-27-2021, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by budbon

I just got a suitcase 100w solar panel for boondocking. Testing it at home, I had concerns about hooking it up while on shore power. Obviously I don't need it along with the shore power, but if I were to connect both at the same time would harm be done. I will be connecting thru the Furrion port w/adapters.
My solar panel is 100w Renogy. 2019 GD 2250RK trailer.

You could turn off the converter breaker and let your solar panel charge the battery. It's one way to see how much you panel will do.

Some kind of a battery monitor would be a good idea. KEN

**budbon** · 03-27-2021, 07:21 PM

It's not my intent to use both at the same time. I was just interested if there would be a problems if it were to happen.

**orbiker** · 03-27-2021, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by budbon

It's not my intent to use both at the same time. I was just interested if there would be a problems if it were to happen.

There should be no problem using both, but the charge controller on the solar suitcase will see the battery charging and slow down the charge because the converter is putting power into the battery. The converter might do the same. KEN

**budbon** · 03-28-2021, 10:17 AM

Thanks, that was the info I was looking for. Again, I don't intend to use both together. The question was intended to learn more about how the two might interact.

**SolarPoweredRV** · 03-28-2021, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by budbon

Thanks, that was the info I was looking for. Again, I don't intend to use both together. The question was intended to learn more about how the two might interact.

The Furion Solar connector on the Grand Design RVs is simply a Connector with a Pos and Neg wire connecting directly to the battery. That is also how your Converter connects to your battery. Both the Converter and Solar Charge controller will read the battery voltage and supply 13.2 (plus) volts to the battery to charge the battery. If you have both connected there is no problem because one will sense that the battery voltage is above 13.2 volts and will assume the battery is fully charged and not send any charging current to the battery.

In theory, on a bright Sunny day, if the Solar was turned on before you connected to Shore Power, your Solar would be charging your batteries and the Converter would "take a backseat" (regarding charging) because the Converter would "sense" a full battery because the Solar system was keeping the voltage above 13.2. Once clouds passed overhead, or the Sun starts to set, then the Converter would "Take over" the charging duties and would not relinquish charging duties until you unplug from Shore Power.