Portable Solar Panel Kit to Deploy With 2018 Jayco Alante Motorhome

Question:

I have a 2018 Jayco Alante that claims it is prewired for solar. I removed the cover that had solar connection on it and there were two wires a red and white. No connectors. I would like to get a suitcase system, but I do not know what gets wired into the two wires. I am a new RV owner, so I need all the help I can get and what product would work best for me. Thank you

asked by: Dan D

Expert Reply:

Congrats on the new RV and welcome. We have a wide selection of solar panel options available, and growing each month with new options. I've attached a link below for some help articles related to solar power to help you make an informed decision along with the suggestions I will make here. You will need to discover what your usage or expected daily usage of power is and how you want to restore that each day and to what level. The amp-hours you use each day vs. the energy you expect your solar panels to restore to your battery bank.

That you have selected to start with a portable system is a very good choice. The benefit of this is that it can be expanded and if you eventually choose to permanently install panels on the roof of your 2018 Jayco Alante Motorhome a portable unit can still be deployed to supplement the permanent system, each system will easily work together. I like the Go Power Portable Solar Panel with Digital Solar Controller, # 34282730 if you are wanting a smaller size that is efficient and still rather compact. This a the 130 watt version and the smallest size I recommend for your RV. This will provide charge to your 12V system at a max input current of 10 amps. This folds up to be placed in a heavy-duty nylon carrying case for easy storage and transport. This is a 130-Watt monocrystalline solar panel, I prefer the monocrystalline panels over the poly for efficiency. Weight is approximately 30 lbs. and is ready for use with a prewired RV as it comes with the needed solar controller.

The 200 watt version of this, # 34282610 has closed dimensions of 39" long, 26-3/8" wide x 2-5/8" deep for storage and weighs about 50 lbs. If this is not too large for what you are looking for then I suggest this be your first choice for portable solar panel package. The solar controller that comes with this package has a max input current of 30 amps so if you choose to add an additional panel section you would not need to change out/buy an additional charge controller. The panel itself can put out up to 11.43 amps

expert reply by: Michael R