Finally ordered a solar panel. We decided to go with the Renogy 100w suitcase. Price was right. This will get us started for right now. We currently have two - 12v batteries at almost 100ah each. I think one might be 95ah and the other 100ah. Next on the list will be to get a pure sine wave inverter. Will start researching that and installing it.

Brian,We have the Renogy 100W suitcase also and on our 1st. two week trip in Arizona we found it to work fantastic on keeping our two 12v batteries charged. Did not need to use the Honda 2000i generator during the two week adventure. Knowing this I would have purchased it sooner. I'm sure you will be very satisfied with the unit.

I'm looking at this as well. Since I have no knowledge, do you run it directly to the battery compartment when using it?

BigSkillet wrote:I'm looking at this as well. Since I have no knowledge, do you run it directly to the battery compartment when using it?You can get them with or without a built in charge controller. If you have the controller all you have to do is put the clips on the battery. The leads will be about 15 feet long.I have 2 of them without controllers that feed into a 30 watt pwm. Waiting to take the rig out and give them a try. I riggged up a 50 foot cable out of some wire that I have had for a while. THis lets me park in the shade and put the solar panels in the sun. In direct sunlight I was getting 21.5 volts and 11.3 amps at the end of the cable.

4aSong wrote:Brian,We have the Renogy 100W suitcase also and on our 1st. two week trip in Arizona we found it to work fantastic on keeping our two 12v batteries charged. Did not need to use the Honda 2000i generator during the two week adventure. Knowing this I would have purchased it sooner. I'm sure you will be very satisfied with the unit.Thanks...we will be sure we will like it.WE did get the one with the controller, but noticed they sell them without the controller. Can you hook up one without a controller to the controller on the one with it?

wbwood wrote:4aSong wrote:Brian,We have the Renogy 100W suitcase also and on our 1st. two week trip in Arizona we found it to work fantastic on keeping our two 12v batteries charged. Did not need to use the Honda 2000i generator during the two week adventure. Knowing this I would have purchased it sooner. I'm sure you will be very satisfied with the unit.Thanks...we will be sure we will like it.WE did get the one with the controller, but noticed they sell them without the controller. Can you hook up one without a controller to the controller on the one with it?get on their website during business hours. They have a tech chatline

Solar Finally | Good Sam Community

wbwood
Explorer
May 12, 2015
wbwood wrote:
JiminDenver wrote:
Here is the manual to that inverter.

Suresine 300

Someday I'll get around to upgrading our 150w inverter. It's a good fit but the fan will drive you nuts after a while.

Yeah saw that, but to me it's foreign....lol

Might be able to get my father to help me out with it.

Well that idea is out. He doesn't feel comfortable doing it himself...lol
Darryl_Rita
Explorer
May 13, 2015
frizzen wrote:
BigSkillet wrote:
I'm looking at this as well. Since I have no knowledge, do you run it directly to the battery compartment when using it?

You can get them with or without a built in charge controller. If you have the controller all you have to do is put the clips on the battery. The leads will be about 15 feet long.

I have 2 of them without controllers that feed into a 30 watt pwm. Waiting to take the rig out and give them a try. I riggged up a 50 foot cable out of some wire that I have had for a while. THis lets me park in the shade and put the solar panels in the sun. In direct sunlight I was getting 21.5 volts and 11.3 amps at the end of the cable.

Please do us all a favour, and use the proper cable connectors. There's a reason the NEC has different specs for different voltages.
wbwood
Explorer
May 13, 2015
Talked to Renogy. The charge controller that comes on the suitcase is not proper to handle 200 wats. They said a seperate 20amp charge controller could be used for the 2 suitcases. Just bypass the installed one... that's good to know...
BoonHauler
Explorer
May 15, 2015
Darryl&Rita wrote:

Please do us all a favour, and use the proper cable connectors. There's a reason the NEC has different specs for different voltages.

not to mention the power drop ......
NinerBikes
Explorer
May 15, 2015
This thread should be moved to the Tech section.
frizzen
Explorer
May 16, 2015
BoonHauler wrote:
Darryl&Rita wrote:

Please do us all a favour, and use the proper cable connectors. There's a reason the NEC has different specs for different voltages.

not to mention the power drop ......

First off. The other end is a polarized 12v plug to connect with the charge controller. There is no flow out of the harness. I suppose some fool might try to plug in the panels, but that wouldn't be much of a void in the gene pool.

The harness is triple stranded 12 gauge on each side, equivalent to 7 gauge. Power drop is less than 4% according to the power drop calculator .

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