Solar upgrade for 2017 Fleet - is the stock wiring sufficient?

[Dipodomys]

After upgrading to a lithium battery and a new charge controller, I'm finding that my existing solar panel can't quite keep up with my usage. The current panel is a 160W Zamp, which was installed on the Fleet when it was new in 2017. For some reason I never seem to get more than about 55W out of it, according to the Victron charge controller. I have a new 300W panel, which should be more than I really need, but it was free and it'll fit between the roof vents so it seems like a good bet for the set-and-forget setup I'm working on. I think mounting the panel should be pretty straight forward if I just unscrew and re-use the angle aluminum mounts for the old panel. My only question is whether the stock wiring will be sufficient for the current from a 300W panel. I'm not sure what wire gauge the run from the roof to the charge controller is, or how long it is. I know that from the charge controller to the battery is all good.

 

[Vic Harder]

Stock wiring is fine. I have 330w up there, and get 300w on occasion out of it.

55w sucks. Something is amiss.

 

[heinphoto]

I also have a 330W panel with the stock wiring.

 

[Jon R]

Two 200 watt rigid panels in parallel here. Panel output is around 29 volts and 370 watts max in my latitudes, but even at the full 400 watts current would be less than 15 amps. I used the factory solar wiring. I believe it’s 10 awg, in my 2021 Grandby, but even if it’s 12 awg it would be fine for that current.

 

[Dipodomys]

Thanks everybody. Hopefully I can find some time to install the new panel before I'm living out of the rig doing field work next week!

 

[ckent323]

We have A 360 watt LG panel with OEM pre-wire in the ceiling of our 2007 FWC Keystone. I installed a Victron Blue Smart 100/30 controller and Victron BVM-712 battery monitor. I used Renogy solar cables with MC-4 connectors to a Go Power entry gand with pigtail wires included having MC-4 connectors on one end which I installed. Pigtails were wire nutted onto the camper OEM pre-wire pigtails in the ceiling. System has worked fine since 2018.