Solar - informal survey of brands and customer satisfaction

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DonC

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I'd like to start a thread on an informal survey of the brand of solar panels people are using. Don't need lots of detail, but I'm curious what everyone is using and what problems if any you are having. This might help us to get an estimated failure rate for our usage of various brands/types, albeit an unscientific sample. Are you happy with the decision or if you had to do it again, would you change? If using flexible, how did you install - adhesive, velcro, tape, directly to roof or on a platform?

I'll start.

Renogy flexible 100w panels
- installed three directly to roof using adhesive in Dec
- all three have gone bad
- received two new panels and one of these may be bad

Renogy seems a great company, customer service very helpful, maybe I've just been unlucky. Looking at options...
 
Renogy 100w on the roof and a 120w solar in a bag. Run both through the 30 amp Renogy controller. Happy with both so far. Only put out the 120w when I am in one place for a few days. If I move every other day the 100w and truck keep me full.
 
We have two 100W Renogy flexible panels adhered to the roof, and the 30A Renogy Controller. The panels are less than 1 year old and have traveled approx 4500 miles. Our camper is mostly off the truck and in the garage with all systems powered Off. All good so far.

What was Renogy's response to DonC's returned panels?
 
I have two panels.A 45w Sunforce and a 60w Renogy,both are monocrystalline.
My last trip was on the Oregon coast where the camper sat for 3 days in shade,producing about 1w.I have a Truckfridge 45 and used battery only for some lights and the coffee grinder,still had a reading of 12v.
The 105w my panels produce seem to supply my needs.
Frank
 
I have the factory installed 100W Zamp and Zamp controller. I added the portable, folding, Zamp 80W (plug in without the controller since the wall plug wire goes directly to the controller). So far everything is working as it should.
 
I have 2 Renogy 100W panels on the roof with a 30amp PWM Renogy controller. The configuration has served me very well and has been on for about a year now with the camper on for all but 3 winter months.

To add another data point I put the same setup on a friend's vintage trailer down in Las Vegas this past spring and it is going strong as well.
 
I started with 2 bendable Renogy 100 W panels glued to the roof and a 30 amp Morningstar controller. I added a rigid 100 W Renogy panel to the roof that I can take down for portable use if desired. I have since replaced both bendable panels (under warranty) though I mounted them on an aluminum structure for easy replacement if required (I also saved the shipping box).

Alan
 
I have a ramsond mono 100w panel on the roof. Morningstar mppt-15L controller, 2x deka 79ah baterries. I also installed an additional solar plug on the side of the camper to plug in a renogy suitcase 100w panel.
The ramsond is a great panel, have had really good luck with it.
 
Cayuse said:
I have 2 Renogy 100W panels on the roof with a 30amp PWM Renogy controller. The configuration has served me very well and has been on for about a year now with the camper on for all but 3 winter months.

To add another data point I put the same setup on a friend's vintage trailer down in Las Vegas this past spring and it is going strong as well.
Click to expand...
That's what I have,. plus a large compression frig/freezer and once I figured out how it all works together, I've had no major problems. My major bitch though is hearing the dang frig turning off and on all the time and yes i know that i can turn in down to stop the noise! I run it on high at first(when charging up) and once at my first stop turn it down to 3-4.5 (as suggested by someone on this site). just have to learn to play with it :cautious: ! As long as it keeps charging during the day things are just fine.Oh ya, try no to park the truck with the sun shinning directly on the frig also helps.

Smoke
 
My solar set up is identical to Orion's, but I have a 100W Renogy Monocrystalline (mono) panel attached to my Yakima bars up top and a 80W mono Zamp portable. Plug installed on drivers side near water heater. Plenty of energy for my needs.
 
billharr said:
Renogy 100w on the roof and a 120w solar in a bag. Run both through the 30 amp Renogy controller. Happy with both so far. Only put out the 120w when I am in one place for a few days. If I move every other day the 100w and truck keep me full.
Click to expand...
I have this same setup. No issues

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Wander The West mobile app
 
Factory Zamp 100W rigid panel and glued down Renogy 50W panel on roof. Portable 100W renogy flexible panel. All feed through Factory installed Zamp 15A solar controller, factory wiring.

No issues so far. Since I have a large battery bank (300 AH) that sits at 12.9V resting when fully charged, I usually see 12.7V in the AM before the solar charger turns on, after running the big Dometic fridge all night.

In hotter weather I use the portable, much of the year I don't find I need to use it as 15OW on the roof covers my charging needs adequately.
 
OSUFlyer said:
Has anyone had good success with AM Solar products? I was looking at their panels as an option as they are located in the PNW.
Click to expand...
I went with AM solar on my previous camper. What I liked was their adhesive mounts that were easy and foolproof on my fiberglass roof. They also get credit for providing a good installation kit and excellent instructions. Everything was provided for a reasonably simple installation.

I was less-thrilled with the cost/benefit of the package. At that time they were promoting 44 cell 12V panels reputed to produce lots of charge in shade, and MPPT controllers. Really sound in theory, not at all cost effective for what I ended up getting in charge versus cost. I did shop them again before I ordered my current camper, and decided that it was easier and more cost effective (for me) to go another route. I did learn a lot from the experience whch helped me make the next decision from a stronger base of knowledge.
 
OSUFlyer said:
Has anyone had good success with AM Solar products? I was looking at their panels as an option as they are located in the PNW.
Click to expand...
I bought two Grape 100 watt panels from them along with a controller and a Trimetic meter. They are not the cheapest guys around but I found their expertise and customer service exemplary. They spent time on the phone with me walking thru the install I wanted to do and made suggestions about ways to make the system as efficient as possible. They gave me what I thought was objective info on using rigid panels versus flexible and, based on what I am reading of late, am glad I went the rigid route.

The old adage "you get what you pay for" certainly applies here.
 
I have two 120-watt polycrystalline Solar Cynergy brand panels mounted on my camper roof, bought from Solar Blvd about 3 years ago.
(as you can see if you look at the link, they're not identical -- they were bought several months apart...but they're both 120-watt Solar Cynergy branded from Solar Blvd.)
So far so good -- no complaints.
:)
 
I have a 100W Renogy rigid panel mounted on the roof and a portable 100W Renogy flexible panel feeding a Morningstar Sunsaver 15 controller. This is the second flexible panel as the first one failed.
 
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