Need Solar panel and controller suggestions for truck camper

[Darwin]

Hello, I am looking for some advice on what would be the best solar set up for my camper. I have a 2011 Northstar truck camper with a Novacool DC fridge. The fridge is going in tomorrow and I also am installing a maggie rack roof rack system to mount the panels. My thinking and plans for the future are, 3x100 watt grape solar rigid panels on the roof, and later phase 3 adding maybe 2x100 watt grape solar flexible panels that would be stashed under my bed in the camper and deployed when the sun is out. If I am parked in the shade the moveable 100 watt flexible panels should do the trick.

My question is should I wire all three 100 watt panels in series with an mppt controller taking advantage of the higher voltage? Or should I go with a bogart engineering pmw controller and wire the panels parallel? I already have a trimetric battery monitor. I should also add that the wiring from the fridge vent to the battery box looks like 10 gauge from the factory.

If I go with the panels in series what mppt controller should I be looking at?

I am also open to other suggestions for panels, maybe two 160 watt panels instead?

Thank you.

 

[DiploStrat]

Scholars Debate

I favor more panels in parallel. That way, if one is shaded, as is almost always the case, your loss is minimized.

 

[calicamper]

Always wire them inline together to the same controller. Three 100watt panels is alot of power for most camper setups. 300watts X6hrs of sun a day thats some pretty sizable power. I would suggest starting out with two given I would bet that two 100watt panels would be plenty unless your running three fridges and running an AC unit.

 

[spikemd]

300 watts may be too much for the charge controller. Read the specs carefully. I can remain stationary running an ARB 50qt fridge with about 100watts and 6 to 8 hours of sunlight.

 

[LeishaShannon]

My question is should I wire all three 100 watt panels in series with an mppt controller taking advantage of the higher voltage? Or should I go with a bogart engineering pmw controller and wire the panels parallel? I already have a trimetric battery monitor. I should also add that the wiring from the fridge vent to the battery box looks like 10 gauge from the factory.

If I go with the panels in series what mppt controller should I be looking at?

I am also open to other suggestions for panels, maybe two 160 watt panels instead?

I prefer larger grid-connect panels in parallel as they're more efficient and will perform better over time than nominal 12v "RV" panels. Can you fit two 1.6m x 1m panels?

For the portable panels i'd wire them in series to a MPPT controller like the Victron 75v/15A as this will help reduce cabling losses.

 

[calicamper]

300 watts may be too much for the charge controller. Read the specs carefully. I can remain stationary running an ARB 50qt fridge with about 100watts and 6 to 8 hours of sunlight.

I think most controllers are limited by amps not watts. For instance my little cheap unit I use has a 20amp max in or out limit. 20watts generates about 1.5-1.9amps and that seems to scale out to the larger panels also. 20amps IN via solar generation would be allot of power.

 

[jonyjoe101]

if you have the space just put a large 240 watt panel or larger instead of 3 small panels. It will be an easier installation. With a 240 watt panel you can get an inexpensive ecoworthy 20 amp mppt controller (about 100 dollars) .

Thats the setup I have on my astrovan. 240 watts with the mppt gives me about 12 amps of charge power. i seen it go as high as 15 amps on rare occasions.

If you get the 3 panels wire them in series. With 3 panels its will be a waste not to use mppt. You always want the most amps your panel can produce to charge your battery quickly. With 300 watts you will be getting about 15 amps with mppt, pwm might get you 8 amps. Just make sure which ever mppt controller you get can handle the voltage of 3 panels connected together. The high end mppt can handle up to a 150 volts, some cheap ones only go up to 30 volts, the ecoworthy maxes out at 45 volts.


As an example my 240 watt panel with mppt gets about 12 amps, when I had it connected to pwm controller it got about 6 amps max.

 

[JHa6av8r]

I have 2x 100W connected in parrallel to a 30A PWM controller a regularly see 9.5 to 10 amps at 13.3V. It's plenty to keep the batteries charged. I run a 110L compressor fridge, furnace, Fan-Tastic Fan, LED lights, on demand water pump, and charge phones, iPad, batteries, etc. A 30A controller will easily handle up to 350W in parrallel.

I might add 100W portable also in parrallel just for those times the roof is shaded.

 

[calicamper]

Having a movable panel is not a bad idea. Both mine are little itty bitty things and I just unpack them and lay them out in the sun in an extra camp chair. Having the ability to set a panel in a sunny spot vs the shade is a good option to have.

 

[IdaSHO]

20amps IN via solar generation would be allot of power.

Not really

Im seeing 14+ AMPS from 200 Watts worth of 36V panels.

300 watts would certainly push 20 AMPS.

 

[JHa6av8r]

Not really

Im seeing 14+ AMPS from 200 Watts worth of 36V panels.

300 watts would certainly push 20 AMPS.

X2 200W gets a 30A controller. Look at any bundle from a solar company.