T7 Solar panels from solar camper solutions.

[thehoggmeister]

I am considering fitting a solar panel from solar camper solutions to my T7 Ocean. Not sure how much sunlight I will get in sunny Scotland. I see from other posts that members have fitted these. I have watched the available YouTube videos and fitting seems to be at my level of DIY skills.

1. For those that have fitted them, was it a fairly straightforward process and does it involve trim removal? I have seen the pictures of the mppt controller above the water tank on their website. The cable run should be relatively short as the batteries are close to the rear of the vehicle.
2. Are there any issues with the warranty for doing this. As far as I am aware it is equivalent to using a plug in charger for the batteries.

I just want one panel as this will be sufficient for us. You can end up bamboozling yourself if watching YouTube videos on van conversions where they want to go off grid for weeks at a time. I like my comforts so off grid camping will be on the odd occasion but I like to know something is keeping the batteries topped up.

 

[chockswahay]

I only fitted on T6.1 so can’t really help (it was very straightforward though), however if you intend to use sites and leccy most of the time why bother? Unless you configure the wiring to charge engine battery as well you will still need to plug in at home if the van doesn’t move for a few weeks just to stop the engine battery from draining down.

 

[thehoggmeister]

I would like option as the location of a site without electricity may suit where we are visiting. The van is used daily so charging the vehicle battery is not an issue. I am fortunate enough to have a blue camping cable connector at my house so I can keep it topped up if need be.

 

[sticky1]

It’s very straightforward on the T7, if you use the rubber grommet behind the rear door and use a ‘trace’ wire to pull the wire into the rear cupboard and straight down into the battery compartment. There’s good access and multiple locations to install the MPPT controller.

 

[thehoggmeister]

It’s very straightforward on the T7, if you use the rubber grommet behind the rear door and use a ‘trace’ wire to pull the wire into the rear cupboard and straight down into the battery compartment. There’s good access and multiple locations to install the MPPT controller.

Thanks for the information. That's sounds a lot simpler than the video A Bus and Beyond did on You Tube with their California Beach. This involved quite a bit of trim removal.

 

[gorriti]

Hi, has anyone run the cable through the rubber seal behind the rear door mentioned earlier and can confirm if water gets in?
I'm thinking of installing two solar panels on my new California Beach and it seems like a good place to run the cable, but I'm worried water might get in...

 

[dspuk]

Hi, has anyone run the cable through the rubber seal behind the rear door mentioned earlier and can confirm if water gets in?
I'm thinking of installing two solar panels on my new California Beach and it seems like a good place to run the cable, but I'm worried water might get in...

We all have. It does not. 6.1 or 7.

 

[gorriti]

We all have. It does not. 6.1 or 7.

Thanks for the quick reply.
I'm also thinking of adding another 40Ah LiFePO4 battery. Just one 40Ah battery seems too small. I've been looking at the space where the original battery is, and I don't think a 100Ah battery would fit. I've seen a small gap inside the rear plastic trim, and I need to check if a 40Ah battery would fit there.

 

[gorriti]

Hello again, has anyone installed solar panels on a California T7? Could you tell me how you connected them? Did you connect the negative terminal of the solar charge controller to the battery or to a ground on the car?
And above all, I'd like to know if it generates any incorrect readings on the car's ECU.

I spoke with the dealership and they said it couldn't be installed, which seemed strange to me since they sell kits like the ones from Kalifactur.

 

[blind_oracle]

Thanks for the quick reply.
I'm also thinking of adding another 40Ah LiFePO4 battery. Just one 40Ah battery seems too small. I've been looking at the space where the original battery is, and I don't think a 100Ah battery would fit. I've seen a small gap inside the rear plastic trim, and I need to check if a 40Ah battery would fit there.

If you're brave enough you can buy 4 separate LiFePo4 cells (like 100Ah or bigger) plus BMS and put them separately in different places if they don't fit in one piece.

 

[blind_oracle]

Hello again, has anyone installed solar panels on a California T7? Could you tell me how you connected them? Did you connect the negative terminal of the solar charge controller to the battery or to a ground on the car?
And above all, I'd like to know if it generates any incorrect readings on the car's ECU.

I spoke with the dealership and they said it couldn't be installed, which seemed strange to me since they sell kits like the ones from Kalifactur.

1. You shouldn't connect Solar to the chassis, connect it directly to the MPPT controller.

2. I'm planning to put 3x 100w 20v cells on the roof rails using aluminium brackets to fix them. Ordered from Amazon already, let's see.
3. It's better to have more cells in series or higher voltage cells since it will increase the chance of the battery being charged when it's cloudy. If you connect 3x 100w in parallel then the voltage they provide might not be sufficient to charge LiFePO4.

On the other hand if you connect them in series it will provide up to 60-65v max and even under 20-25% power they will still charge the battery.

 

[WelshGas]

Hello again, has anyone installed solar panels on a California T7? Could you tell me how you connected them? Did you connect the negative terminal of the solar charge controller to the battery or to a ground on the car?
And above all, I'd like to know if it generates any incorrect readings on the car's ECU.

I spoke with the dealership and they said it couldn't be installed, which seemed strange to me since they sell kits like the ones from Kalifactur.

Connect +tve from Solar controller to Leisure battery +tve, and the -tve to a Chassis ground. Then the Camper control panel will see the input as it does the input from the built in mains charger or the engine alternator.

 

[gorriti]

1. You shouldn't connect Solar to the chassis, connect it directly to the MPPT controller.

2. I'm planning to put 3x 100w 20v cells on the roof rails using aluminium brackets to fix them. Ordered from Amazon already, let's see.
3. It's better to have more cells in series or higher voltage cells since it will increase the chance of the battery being charged when it's cloudy. If you connect 3x 100w in parallel then the voltage they provide might not be sufficient to charge LiFePO4.

On the other hand if you connect them in series it will provide up to 60-65v max and even under 20-25% power they will still charge the battery.

Sorry, I assumed it was understood that you were talking about the connection after the MPPT solar regulator. I´m going to connect 2 100w cells in series.

 

[gorriti]

Connect +tve from Solar controller to Leisure battery +tve, and the -tve to a Chassis ground. Then the Camper control panel will see the input as it does the input from the built in mains charger or the engine alternator.

thanks

 

[blind_oracle]

Sorry, I assumed it was understood that you were talking about the connection after the MPPT solar regulator. I´m going to connect 2 100w cells in series.

Ah, sorry, probably I misread.

Yeah 2x 20v panels should already be enough I guess in low light conditions.