rfoubi
Observer
So, long ago I mounted 2 x 30W Renogy solar panels on top of my ski box. The ski box moves between our vw van and our subaru. On the VW, the panels were plumbed via a quick connect into a 20A charge control to charge the house battery. Now, as a family of 4 we are more often using the subaru/trailer combo to travel.
The trailer has a 100W Renogy panel on a long cable to allow fixed or movable installation. Its wired through a 20A charge controller to the 2 trailer (house) batteries. The Car 1 normal starting battery, wired via 4 Ga wire and anderson plugs on the bumper to the trailer to provide full alternator juice to the trailer house bank while running. There is a 12V relay in that system to not allow the car/trailer batteries to draw off each other when stopped.
Basically I am trying to add the ski box 60W of power into the mix
Can i mix the 60W of panels on the car with the 100W panel on the trailer and plug both into the same charge controller? I have read not, or something about this being voltage or current limiting based on the smallest panel. Note: I do not have any fancy MPPT controllers, these are simple PWM.
Alternatively, I bought a second charge controller. I know I can use multiple power sources on the same system (shore power, alternator, solar) so i assume i could wire the car panels to one controller and then feed that into the battery bank separate from the 100W panel?
The other option is to put the second controller on the car, use it to charge the start battery on the car, and then assume that if either the tow vehicle or trailer solar panels were in the sun it would probably put the system over the combine voltage of the main relay, and then it would all act as the same system anyway?
Sorry this got long and complicated. Heres a diagram.
And a pic for attention
The trailer has a 100W Renogy panel on a long cable to allow fixed or movable installation. Its wired through a 20A charge controller to the 2 trailer (house) batteries. The Car 1 normal starting battery, wired via 4 Ga wire and anderson plugs on the bumper to the trailer to provide full alternator juice to the trailer house bank while running. There is a 12V relay in that system to not allow the car/trailer batteries to draw off each other when stopped.
Basically I am trying to add the ski box 60W of power into the mix
Can i mix the 60W of panels on the car with the 100W panel on the trailer and plug both into the same charge controller? I have read not, or something about this being voltage or current limiting based on the smallest panel. Note: I do not have any fancy MPPT controllers, these are simple PWM.
Alternatively, I bought a second charge controller. I know I can use multiple power sources on the same system (shore power, alternator, solar) so i assume i could wire the car panels to one controller and then feed that into the battery bank separate from the 100W panel?
The other option is to put the second controller on the car, use it to charge the start battery on the car, and then assume that if either the tow vehicle or trailer solar panels were in the sun it would probably put the system over the combine voltage of the main relay, and then it would all act as the same system anyway?
Sorry this got long and complicated. Heres a diagram.
And a pic for attention