Solar Panel Expansion
Okay folks since I traded in my 2011 Lance 1181 Truck Camper with it’s self installed 385 watts of solar and a Heliotrope MPPT controller, for a 2018 Eagle Cap 1165 Truck Camper. It came with a GoP...
Forum Discussion
Eagle Cap runs a 10ga wire from the roof. If you plan on running 4 panels, you have 3 options:
If you get an MPPT Controller:
* Run them either all in series for a 80v circuit, the amperage down the wire will be no different than a single panel.
* Run them in two 2 pairs of 40v. The amperage down the wire will then be double, but still well within the limits of a 10ga wire.
* With an MPPT in either configuration, you could get a max of 33 amps charge @12v w/400 watts of panel.
PWM:
* All 4 in parallel. 4x the amperage, and the highest amount of loss due to cabling. The 10ga wire will handle it due to the average Impp is 5.5a, so ~22a.
* Major downside - the most charge you will get is 22a with the PWM. There is no voltage-to-amperage conversion with PWM, just the amps the panels put out directly.
I don't recommend a PWM for that many watts. You'll get a substantial amount of additional charge amps going with an MPPT.
Worth noting, I bought eight of these for my TC, and they're still on sale---
Grape Solar 100w Panel for $97 w-free shpg
On edit--
One other thought - sell that panel and controller you currently have and get 4 matching panels from Home Repot.
If you get an MPPT Controller:
* Run them either all in series for a 80v circuit, the amperage down the wire will be no different than a single panel.
* Run them in two 2 pairs of 40v. The amperage down the wire will then be double, but still well within the limits of a 10ga wire.
* With an MPPT in either configuration, you could get a max of 33 amps charge @12v w/400 watts of panel.
PWM:
* All 4 in parallel. 4x the amperage, and the highest amount of loss due to cabling. The 10ga wire will handle it due to the average Impp is 5.5a, so ~22a.
* Major downside - the most charge you will get is 22a with the PWM. There is no voltage-to-amperage conversion with PWM, just the amps the panels put out directly.
I don't recommend a PWM for that many watts. You'll get a substantial amount of additional charge amps going with an MPPT.
Worth noting, I bought eight of these for my TC, and they're still on sale---
Grape Solar 100w Panel for $97 w-free shpg
On edit--
One other thought - sell that panel and controller you currently have and get 4 matching panels from Home Repot.
