Trailer multi-power source setup

[kwschnei]

I'm brand new to trailers and solar, and am hoping someone can check my setup so that I'm not about to do something stupid. I've got a Taxa Woolly Bear (2021) that I'm going to expand to a dual battery (parallel) system on. Everything in the trailer is wired for 12V DC - no AC and I'm not anticipating a need to change that. My needs are pretty light and I'm more interested in extending time to depletion on the batteries with solar instead of being able to fully recharge them.

My goal is to have a system that I can charge either with shore power or a solar panel depending on what's available. My current plan is to tie together the input from the 7-wire and an on-board battery charger and plug that into a DC-DC charger that will also accept the input from the solar panels. Then the DC-DC charger is attached to the first battery in the bank. Is this the right way to go about doing this? Is there a better/cheaper way to do this?

Additionally, I'd love recommendations for a power cutoff switch to install between the batteries and the trailer's power panel to completely kill power during storage to avoid parasitic drain from the control panel.

Here's the shopping list I've got (about $450 in parts, excluding a new battery box and second battery):

AC port plug: NOCO - AC Port Plug - GCP1
Battery charger: NOCO - 1-Bank 10A On-Board Battery Charger - GENPRO10X1
DC-DC battery charger: Renogy 40A DC-DC Battery Charger with MPPT
Solar panel: 100W Portable Solar Panel

 

[Jim SoG]

Watching......

 

[Jason Shelby]

I'm brand new to trailers and solar, and am hoping someone can check my setup so that I'm not about to do something stupid. I've got a Taxa Woolly Bear (2021) that I'm going to expand to a dual battery (parallel) system on. Everything in the trailer is wired for 12V DC - no AC and I'm not anticipating a need to change that. My needs are pretty light and I'm more interested in extending time to depletion on the batteries with solar instead of being able to fully recharge them.

My goal is to have a system that I can charge either with shore power or a solar panel depending on what's available. My current plan is to tie together the input from the 7-wire and an on-board battery charger and plug that into a DC-DC charger that will also accept the input from the solar panels. Then the DC-DC charger is attached to the first battery in the bank. Is this the right way to go about doing this? Is there a better/cheaper way to do this?

Additionally, I'd love recommendations for a power cutoff switch to install between the batteries and the trailer's power panel to completely kill power during storage to avoid parasitic drain from the control panel.

Here's the shopping list I've got (about $450 in parts, excluding a new battery box and second battery):

AC port plug: NOCO - AC Port Plug - GCP1
Battery charger: NOCO - 1-Bank 10A On-Board Battery Charger - GENPRO10X1
DC-DC battery charger: Renogy 40A DC-DC Battery Charger with MPPT
Solar panel: 100W Portable Solar Panel



View attachment 284480

I have 4ga wire with an Anderson plug attached to my 2 batteries in the trailer so when I going down the road the truck powers everything, and I have a standard 2amp NOCO battery charger and the refrigerator plug into a NOCO 110volt splitter that is used for shore power and while it’s parked at home. Been wired this way for over 4 years with no problems.

I have added solar yet, but I will hopefully do it someday.

 

[grubworm]

you definitely have the right idea. i buy some of my accessories from etrailer.com and they have a good video explaining install of their Redarc dc-dc charger.
https://www.etrailer.com/tv-install-redarc-in-vehicle-battery-charger-331-bcdc1225d.aspx

are you able to mount panels on the rtt? i have 2 camp trailer that are both very heavy on solar and even our teardrop has 400w of permanent mounted solar and 200ah battery. we base camp most of the time and i'm not hooked up to the vehicle, so i went heavy on solar so it charges during the day when were gone. i have a camper shell on my tundra and instead of using a dc-dc charger for my battery back there, i just mounted a panel on top of the shell and i have constant solar charging independent of the vehicle. not trying to steer you away from what youre doing, but with the 200w flexible panels, you could easily mount 2 and have 400w solar charging which is plenty for that small a trailer. even a single 200w flexible panel charging a 100ah battery would probably be plenty for running lights and pumps, etc.

even with the dc-dc charging, its not a bad idea to have solar backup while traveling since its usually late when setting up camp and portable solar will be useless then.
also, you do save over $100 with the dc-dc charger since you wont need the mppt charge controller for the panel. that helps justify the cost of a good dc-dc charger

 

[kwschnei]

I picked up my brakes controller from eTrailer earlier this week and had a really nice experience with that. I figured that once I knew what I needed and that the system should work, I'd shop around on price for the functionality.

My trailer is a Taxa Woolly Bear that I'm mounting a Thule Approach (soft shelled RTT) on. By the time I mount the RTT, I don't think there's anywhere I can mount them that will work.

 

[Renegade]

AFAIK there is no 1 unit that does it all.

I use a RedArc Trailer S for charging off the 7 pin, it also can charge solar.

For shore power charging I have used NOCO or Xantrex units. NOCO sounds best for your application.

After conversion to 12VDC, this all goes to a Circuit breaker and then Blue Sea panel for distribution.