Adding Portable Solar to Stock Setup

**Duner733** · 06-06-2023, 06:44 AM

With this projected setup, will the onboard voltmeter and battery level still work properly or would I have to monitor those differently?

**huntindog** · 06-06-2023, 07:16 AM

Originally Posted by Duner733

With this projected setup, will the onboard voltmeter and battery level still work properly or would I have to monitor those differently?

It will work as well as it ever did.... Which is to say. Not very well.
It is just a crude voltmeter. using voltage to determine level of charge just doesn't work very well. To be anywhere near accurate, you would need to disconnect the batteries from all loads and chargers for about 30 min. LA batteries will show a higher surface charge when first disconnected from a charger. They will also sag from loads. They will recover somewhat when the loads are disconnected. If you really want to monitor the batteries get a shunt monitor.

**Duner733** · 06-06-2023, 07:27 AM

I will look into the shunt option. Since we are not bigtime boondockers, I am not sure how specifically accurate I need these monitors to be.
It the times of using battery/solar only, my only concerns are keeping the fridge going over night and maybe a couple lights. Not bigtime draws like TV and such.

**deerislandbrew** · 06-08-2023, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by Duner733

We have the 2023 xls lde with the 165w solar package.
We don't boondock very often so I am pumping the breaks on cost of updating the panels and we have a generator. I don't want to run the generator for 16 hours though.
I am hoping to get a bit more solar without breaking the bank and any rewiring/extra controllers etc.
I am debating on the solar suitcase at 200ws realizing it will probably only work at 165w.
These apparently connect directly to the batteries.
My concern is having 2 different solar platforms could damage the battery or anything else.

Does anyone else have a setup like this?
I would love to hear opinions regarding this setup.

Thank you

Dan

I'm running two separate solar systems. There is no issue. I installed two 190 watt solar panels on the roof of my rig. The power feed runs through a mppt controller and has a nice remote that I installed for monitoring and set up, in the 5th wheel. My other solar input is a furrion reception plug in located in the front of the 5th wheel. It was stock and wired to the stock battery. I made up a cord out of a 12 gauge extention cord. Just cut off the ends and soldered the appropriate connections I needed. I run two 100 watt suitcase solar panels with independent controller, and track the sun by moving those panels during the day. I have three 100 AH BB lithium for the battery bank. No issues using both solar arrays at a time. During sunny days, I have no need to use a generator. You already have the roof setup. Adding the port for suitcase solar is one of the easiest projects imaginable.

**Duner733** · 06-09-2023, 06:06 AM

Sounds like you have a nice setup. I am still hoping to hear back as to if there is an additional port. If not, I will just have to wait until I get it out of storage.