Charging Battery with Solar Panel
I recently purchased a used 2019 Coachmen Freedom Express 192RBS. It came without a general owner's manual. There is an input on the side that I was told would allow a solar panel to charge the batter...
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Did you ask this on another forum? Seems like I read the same thing already...
If your connection is on the side then it seems like is meant for a portable panel system to be connected, one that already has a charge controller.. I bet all the manufacturer did was run battery wires to that side access door. That is not a solar system, it is just a way to connect something to the 12 volt system. Very unlikely your camper has any solar-ready anything in it, no charge controller is there waiting for a solar panel.
If you want to go solar then just do it right and put it on the roof. Your side solar access is useless for this, you will need to go through the roof with a "blister" which you can find easy on eBay or somewhere.
On rubber roofs you will have to screw a mount to hold the panel. on aluminum or fiberglass roof you can use VHB tape to secure the mount to. It will hold.
Add at least 200 watts and up to 400 if you plan to camp off-grid a lot. Do this to begin with as adding more panels later is not the way to go.
IF all you want is to plug in some folding ready-to-go solar system then the side port will work, but the system should already have the charge controller.
If your connection is on the side then it seems like is meant for a portable panel system to be connected, one that already has a charge controller.. I bet all the manufacturer did was run battery wires to that side access door. That is not a solar system, it is just a way to connect something to the 12 volt system. Very unlikely your camper has any solar-ready anything in it, no charge controller is there waiting for a solar panel.
If you want to go solar then just do it right and put it on the roof. Your side solar access is useless for this, you will need to go through the roof with a "blister" which you can find easy on eBay or somewhere.
On rubber roofs you will have to screw a mount to hold the panel. on aluminum or fiberglass roof you can use VHB tape to secure the mount to. It will hold.
Add at least 200 watts and up to 400 if you plan to camp off-grid a lot. Do this to begin with as adding more panels later is not the way to go.
IF all you want is to plug in some folding ready-to-go solar system then the side port will work, but the system should already have the charge controller.
