Adding a portable panel to roof mounted panel
I have a 160w Go Power panel (specs below) on the roof of my toyhauler fed to a Blue Sky Sun Charger 30 PWM CC. 208ah battery bank (two Interstate GC2 in series). Built in Onan 4000W generator. No ...
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Just get a panel that you can set out and enough wire to reach where the sun is. Your controller needs depends on how yours is hooked up now.
If you can get wires to the array side of the controller from outside the rig, you can just add them to the array terminals now being used by the roof panels.
Or you can run wires from those array terminals as a fixed installation to a place you can get at their panel ends and have Anderson connectors or whatever to bring your portable's wires to.
Or if that is all too difficult, you can get a second controller on eBay for about $20 and rig that up near your batteries and bring your portable's wires to that controller's array side. ( It is fine to have two controllers on the same battery bank adding their amps--but make sure they are about the same voltage set points to get them to add their amps)
I have a panel set outside and the wires that run out to it are ordinary jumper cables clamped clamp to clamp until they reach where the panel is. Or you can get wire. Some people use that wire that is for well pumps that you can get at low cost and in long lengths.
The portable panel can travel on the bed or behind the sofa in the RV, whatever works.
BTW you don't want to point the panel East or West for best results. If you never move it, point it South tilted up. Or point it to the middle of your open sky area if the sky is partially blocked off by trees or other trailers. If open sky all round and you only move it twice then SSE and SSW is the way to go.
Aiming it at the sun early and late might seem better, but the sun is so low then, you don't get much anyway. Mid-day is where the money is.
If you can get wires to the array side of the controller from outside the rig, you can just add them to the array terminals now being used by the roof panels.
Or you can run wires from those array terminals as a fixed installation to a place you can get at their panel ends and have Anderson connectors or whatever to bring your portable's wires to.
Or if that is all too difficult, you can get a second controller on eBay for about $20 and rig that up near your batteries and bring your portable's wires to that controller's array side. ( It is fine to have two controllers on the same battery bank adding their amps--but make sure they are about the same voltage set points to get them to add their amps)
I have a panel set outside and the wires that run out to it are ordinary jumper cables clamped clamp to clamp until they reach where the panel is. Or you can get wire. Some people use that wire that is for well pumps that you can get at low cost and in long lengths.
The portable panel can travel on the bed or behind the sofa in the RV, whatever works.
BTW you don't want to point the panel East or West for best results. If you never move it, point it South tilted up. Or point it to the middle of your open sky area if the sky is partially blocked off by trees or other trailers. If open sky all round and you only move it twice then SSE and SSW is the way to go.
Aiming it at the sun early and late might seem better, but the sun is so low then, you don't get much anyway. Mid-day is where the money is.
