Solar port

Almot wrote:
Er... RC... those are "4.6 dollars per watt", not 4.6 cents/watt.

Overpriced, yes. Like all RV industry, big news. I believe 12V panels now go from $0.90/w, or about $1.50/w for a complete DIY portable kit.

With solar suitcase like Renogy (not just a kit) you pay premium for convenience of a suitcase. Many people are lazy, or not handy enough or can't figure out basic DC layout, so they want a turn-key solution.

OP - as long as those thin wires go where you want them, and your "maintainer" is low-amp enough for these wires, you're good to go. Get your multimeter and check everything yourself. You can't trust RV manufactuers and dealers. Quality control of these barns on wheels is not anywhere near standards of car industry.

Oooops........corrected but still made the point. I was only half awake when I had that brainfart;)

All of the ports the RV manufacturers install are geared towards a suitcase style setup, and all the ones I listed are essentially that. I am with you on costs for hard mounted panels. The point was you do not have to pay over $4.00 per watt to use what the RV manufacturer wants you to use, as I guarantee they have some financial gain for installing that specific solar distributors connector, which is nothing more than a half a$$ed attempt at making it proprietary.

I'll continue going through life negative as per Soundguy, especially when I can spend hundreds less to get the exact same results contrary to what the RV Industry leads one to believe.

Er... RC... those are "4.6 dollars per watt", not 4.6 cents/watt.

Overpriced, yes. Like all RV industry, big news. I believe 12V panels now go from $0.90/w, or about $1.50/w for a complete DIY portable kit.

With solar suitcase like Renogy (not just a kit) you pay premium for convenience of a suitcase. Many people are lazy, or not handy enough or can't figure out basic DC layout, so they want a turn-key solution.

OP - as long as those thin wires go where you want them, and your "maintainer" is low-amp enough for these wires, you're good to go. Get your multimeter and check everything yourself. You can't trust RV manufactuers and dealers. Quality control of these barns on wheels is not anywhere near standards of car industry.

SoundGuy wrote:
Coachmen is now installing a Furrion Solar Charging Port on many of their product lines which is wired directly to the battery. It's intended to be used with a small portable solar panel with a charge controller mounted directly to the panel. Rating is limited to ~ 10 amps.

Ralph Cramden wrote:
A gimmick, and a decal that looks good on the lot and can be highlighted in the sales brochure.

SoundGuy wrote:
A typically negative view RC :R - but for those interested in running a simple 100 watt portable panel with an on board charge controller this sidewall mounted connector makes it just that much easier. :) There's nothing "gimmicky" about it, as long as use is restricted to no more than a 10 amp charge then it works fine. Solar aficionados will of course scoff but the reality is many campers don't have much interest in investing a lot in solar but are intrigued by the ability to stuff a bit of power back into their trailer battery on days when the sun is flourishing so for them these on board solar connectors make it easy. :B

Ralph Cramden wrote:
A typically wrong statement SG.

A far more accurate statement than you seem to realize. Must be sad to go through life with such a negative view on virtually everything. :(

.

For what it's worth, our RV has an outside entertainment center which includes a 12 volt receptacle in it's panel. I can just leave the center's access door open a bit and plug a portable panel into it.

Many other RV'ers out there with outside entertainment centers may be able to do the same.

SoundGuy wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:
Coachmen is now installing a Furrion Solar Charging Port on many of their product lines which is wired directly to the battery. It's intended to be used with a small portable solar panel with a charge controller mounted directly to the panel. Rating is limited to ~ 10 amps.

Ralph Cramden wrote:
A gimmick, and a decal that looks good on the lot and can be highlighted in the sales brochure.

A typically negative view RC :R - but for those interested in running a simple 100 watt portable panel with an on board charge controller this sidewall mounted connector makes it just that much easier. :) There's nothing "gimmicky" about it, as long as use is restricted to no more than a 10 amp charge then it works fine. Solar aficionados will of course scoff but the reality is many campers don't have much interest in investing a lot in solar but are intrigued by the ability to stuff a bit of power back into their trailer battery on days when the sun is flourishing so for them these on board solar connectors make it easy. :B

A typically wrong statement SG.

Thr RV manufacturers typically install one of 3 different solar ports, in an attempt to get you to just run out and buy the supposed proprietary portable solar system, that they have arranged some type of agreement with the solar distributor / manufacturer. In every case the solar equipment is priced way out of line. You can buy panels and controllers that are every bit as good, if not better, at a much lower cost.

Furrion / Lippert - 95watt Portable Solar Charger - $499.00 MSRP / $438.00 @ Walmart.com
$4.60 per watt.

Zamp - 120watt Portable Solar kit - $775.00 @ Zamp, $599.00 @ Dyers RV, $655.00 @ Bestconverter.
$4.90 per watt.


Gopower - 120watt portable kit, $564.00 @ Amazon, $650.00 @ RVUGS.
$4.70 cents per watt.

You can just look at the decal placed by the RV manufacturer or read their info and buy into their PT Barnum marketing if you want, or you can not be a sucker and buy something of better value which will probably require altering or changing the connector.

Renogy - 100watt portable solar kit, $299.00 @ Renogy, $249.00 @ Amazon.
$2.50 per watt.

And thats just one, plenty of other proven options out there. Call it being negative as much as you want, but I will not be a sucker for the RV manufacturers, you can if you wish.

The ones wired to the battery need a CC on the panel (poor choice) not on board.

The goofy 2 pin furrion is not for me, not a solder-er, not easy, not easy to find.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk3BW6i5XjE

Five amps from the solar panel is sufficient for all our needs.

SoundGuy wrote:
Coachmen is now installing a Furrion Solar Charging Port on many of their product lines which is wired directly to the battery. It's intended to be used with a small portable solar panel with a charge controller mounted directly to the panel. Rating is limited to ~ 10 amps.

Ralph Cramden wrote:
A gimmick, and a decal that looks good on the lot and can be highlighted in the sales brochure.

A typically negative view RC :R - but for those interested in running a simple 100 watt portable panel with an on board charge controller this sidewall mounted connector makes it just that much easier. :) There's nothing "gimmicky" about it, as long as use is restricted to no more than a 10 amp charge then it works fine. Solar aficionados will of course scoff but the reality is many campers don't have much interest in investing a lot in solar but are intrigued by the ability to stuff a bit of power back into their trailer battery on days when the sun is flourishing so for them these on board solar connectors make it easy. :B

SoundGuy wrote:

Boon Docker wrote:
No, the solar plug wiring does not go to the battery. It is wired to go to a solar charge controller.

You know this to be fact? :@ Coachmen is now installing a Furrion Solar Charging Port on many of their product lines which is wired directly to the battery. It's intended to be used with a small portable solar panel with a charge controller mounted directly to the panel. Rating is limited to ~ 10 amps. If the OP's Jayco is wired similarly, which I suspect it is, he certainly can use it for charging the battery as long as the charging rate is limited to no more than ~ 10 amps.

A gimmick, and a decal that looks good on the lot and can be highlighted in the sales brochure.

Jayco uses a connector from Gopower, a division of Valterra. Simply a $20 connector that Gopower gives them gratis in the hope that the buyer will run out and buy Gopower's overpriced solar junk. On a Jayco they'll install a pre wire from the roof out to near the battery, and one from the Gopower connector to the battery. Thats all it is, no controller or anything else. My Rockwood came with solar prep from Zamp, which is the same scenario. The Zamp products are overpriced.

Not surprising that Furrion (Lippert partner) had to get their greedy mitts in also. The port is most likely reverse wired (polarity) in a vain attempt to make it proprietary. I found the plug that fits the Zamp port, reversed the conductors, and is where I plug in my battery minder.