Solar Panel Upgrades & Controller Impact

[Devin Ginther]

Hi Folks,

I'm wanting to remove the original panels on our 1999 Marquis and replace them with two residential panels that I have waiting.  I actually removed a very, very nice Vitron systems from my 5th wheel prior to purchasing the Marquis.   I'm hoping to "tap" into the existing solar controller, inverter and charging system.   

Does anyone know the charge limitations of our solar controller?   My Vitron was sized to 100A.  I'm running two ~400W panels which produce up to about 65A.   I'm also hoping to upgrade the Chassis battery bay and double the size of my battery bank to ~1400 Ah of capacity as we are boondockers in national forests.   

Has anyone done this within the confines of our existing systems without too much trouble?   I'd love to retrofit the Victron system as it is quite amazing and very intelligent, but that would be an insane amount of work within the confines of this coach and might possibly be problematic across different electrical monitoring / diagnostic systems within this coach.   

This Marquis' OEM setup is actually pretty darn close to what my Vitron system did and it is 25 years older!   Before we got it, I assumed a full week of installing the Vitron.   But now focused on just updating the charge capacity for larger battery demands.   

[Steve Huber]

Devin,
The 99 Marquis brochure indicates your coach came with 2 75W  panels. Not sure about the controller but Coach Assist has the owners and troubleshooting manuals for the Helitrope 45D system. They are in the Battery Charging section.
Steve

[Fred Brooks]

  Devin,
  The 2 panels are 75 watt each. The Heliotrope PWM controller is nowhere to be found on my coach. Yours is in the holding tank compartment behind the carpeted access panel on the passenger side, Ditch the 25 year old system. Your 2 400 watt panels and Victron MPPT controller will get you off grid. What is the voltage of the 400 watt panels?
FYI I did answer your message. Blessings & Joy, Fred

[Devin Ginther]

Yep, I have that same Vitron solar controller. 

Where you able to configure the Vitron solar controller within the Alladin CMS?  I really want to keep that setup at least until it fails entirely. 

[Joel Ashley]

My question too, Devin. 

A couple of years ago I was considering a Victron 100/30 to replace my Heliotrope that was acting up after I upgraded to AGM Coach batteries.  As I recall, the Victron didn’t have the ports necessary for feeding the Aladdin, and I like easily seeing that solar condition on the Aladdin screen next to the other power ones.  Like you, that was one reason I didn’t change controllers, that and the fact that the Heliotrope unexplainably stopped being a problem.  If I bump up from one 100W to two 200W panels, I would then likely upgrade the controller. 

As an aside, contrary to some belief, our HPV-30D controller is an MPPT model (Maximum Power Point Tracking).

Joel

[Fred Brooks]

  Greetings Devin,
I do not have an Alladin system. I am using Victron equipment exclusively. I am also using 3 SOK 206 amp Lithium batteries in place of the 6 lead acid batteries. I have 920 watts of solar powering up everything. I am also using my original Prosine 2500 watt inverter because it still works fine and also has a real sine wave output which is what current technology requires in todays world. The only modifications I did was turn off the charge mode of the Inverter/converter and add a Victron IP-22 30 amp lithium battery charger if I am plugged into shore power and my coach is in the shade. I also disconnected my alternator output going to my battery Isolator. The reason is the Lithium batteries do not have the built in resistance that the alternator needs to calculate charge rate. This makes the alternator run at too high a charge rate and hurts the alternator. Note: the alternator still charges my chassis batteries thru the battery isolator. I have used this system now for 2 summers of dispersed camping and boon docking. My thanks to Gene Obie for his guidance and inspiration. Fred