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Old 06-14-2020, 03:52 PM   #1
mikec557
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Solar Ready in Pass-Thru 2020 models

2020 26RBSWE Travel Trailer

So beginning with the 2020 models Keystone began wiring ports on the rooftop for solar panel plug in, calling it solar Ready (aka off the grid ready). They ran wiring from the rooftop port to...? That's my mystery question, to where did they run it. You can see in one of the pics that there is a cover in the pass through that's labeled solar ready. But when I removed mine there is only a loop of Romex. I don't believe the Romex is wired to the rooftop...

Rather, it is a loop you can cut into and install a xantrex Inverter/bypass to power an 1 outlet in the bedroom, 1 in the kitchen, and 1 behind the tv. That pre-wiring too is part of the new 2020 solar Ready wiring. You can see a pic of the xantrex installed on a new 2020 I took at a dealership.

Back to the rooftop wiring mystery. It should be 2 stranded, not solid, copper wires coming down from the rooftop to a solar charge controller (SCC). You can see a zamp SCC in another of the pics I took at the same dealership.

There also needs to be another pair of stranded copper wire from the SCC to the batteries. Though I am unclear on whether or not that is part of the Keystone solar ready setup.

I hate to just cut a hole in the approximate location of the SCC in the picture and finger around inside feeling for wire, but I don't know what else to do.

There's no paperwork with the trailer, and nothing I can find online.

Does anyone have documentation on this new feature "solar ready" (not the trickle charger port outside near the tongue), or any experience installing a solar charge controller in these new 2020 solar ready rigs, or any ideas or suggestions?
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Old 06-24-2020, 05:37 AM   #2
Westcoastcb
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Also trying to learn about how to install a system on my 2020 34TSB with solar prep package
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Old 06-24-2020, 05:52 AM   #3
mikec557
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Originally Posted by Westcoastcb View Post
Also trying to learn about how to install a system on my 2020 34TSB with solar prep package
CB

I should receive my xantrex inverter soonish. When I get it I'll start a separate thread with my install. Doing the romex will be the easy part. Fishing the 2ga wire from my TT pass-through to the outside world will be the tough part. I'll try to cut some inspection and/or useful holes in the front wall of the pass through. At the same time as getting that 12v into the pass-through I'm hoping to find the "lost" 12v loop of wire coming down from the rooftop solar port. I'll do a thread for that too, or maybe that should be part of the inverter thread.... Stay tuned, but I hope you're not in hurry...

Mike
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Old 06-24-2020, 06:15 AM   #4
Westcoastcb
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No rush ! Just got my new trailer - thanks in advance !
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Old 08-16-2020, 09:42 AM   #5
seb
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Looking at the same for my passport 239ml. Would anyone know how you can tell what plugs are prewired for the inverter prep (the 120V romex wire loop) from the pass through? We have nothing on the plugs in the unit label wise (would be nice and aeasy for Kestone to include that...) nothing in the manual or on Keystone's web page. We know it is supposed to be one in bedroom area, one in kitchen and one in living area. This is kind of a nice feature and we were ahppyt to hear it was included. It influenced aour decision to buy the 239ml unit but I would have expected Keystone to market this with some supporting documentation but no....
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Old 08-16-2020, 01:36 PM   #6
mikec557
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Originally Posted by seb View Post
Looking at the same for my passport 239ml. Would anyone know how you can tell what plugs are prewired for the inverter prep (the 120V romex wire loop) from the pass through? We have nothing on the plugs in the unit label wise (would be nice and aeasy for Kestone to include that...) nothing in the manual or on Keystone's web page. We know it is supposed to be one in bedroom area, one in kitchen and one in living area. This is kind of a nice feature and we were ahppyt to hear it was included. It influenced aour decision to buy the 239ml unit but I would have expected Keystone to market this with some supporting documentation but no....

SEB and WeatcoastCB

I have been remiss in posting the results of my efforts. We just stopped in Caldwell ID for the night. Will layover another night in Pocatello tomorrow night, then we'll spend a week in Garden City UT at Blue Lake. We stayed a week there last year, it's a really nice place (Blue Water Resort). I'll do a write up with pictures when we get there.

In the mean time, there were no labels on my outlets either. But I saw labels on some new units before we bought our used 2020, so I had a good idea which they were.

You should check for yourself, but my unit matched up with what I saw on the RV lot. It's the bedside outlet on the driver side (not the passenger side), the left most outlet of the two outlets in our kitchen (making that more driver side than passenger side), and the outlet behind the TV.

Simple test. Plug in your camper. Use an electrical tester to verify you have power in these three outlets. I used a cheap $5, 3-light, yellow electrical tester from harbor freight. Now turn off the breaker in the breaker panel marked INV. My panel is located below the oven. Retest those 3 outlets. If dead, those are the outlets you can later power by the inverter.

I have to say, you're lucky to have the red and black wire loop in the pass through. They neglected to leave me that slack in mine. BTW, that's the loop for the solar charge controller.

Mike
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Old 08-16-2020, 02:01 PM   #7
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Great info, thank you. Our inverter will come in in September so I have time, looking forward to the updates . Someone should really get in touch with Keystone as this is a great rough and it could be a deciding factor for some when it comes to the unit they purchase. As it stands the whole idea is not supported unfortunately and dealers do not understand normal features let alone solar .
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Old 08-16-2020, 02:28 PM   #8
mikec557
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Originally Posted by seb View Post
Great info, thank you. Our inverter will come in in September so I have time, looking forward to the updates . Someone should really get in touch with Keystone as this is a great rough and it could be a deciding factor for some when it comes to the unit they purchase. As it stands the whole idea is not supported unfortunately and dealers do not understand normal features let alone solar .
I agree. Neither of the two salesman I spoke with had any knowledge about it. One told me you shouldn't put more than two 120 watt panels on the roof. After we bought ours I went up on the roof... the Zamp roof gland is marked "500 watts max". So much for his knowledge. I installed two 160 watt panels.

What inverter did you buy?
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Old 08-16-2020, 02:34 PM   #9
mikec557
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Here are pics of our plug locations...

First, is driver side bed
Second, the outlet on the left of the two kitchen outlets
Third, behind the tv, maybe you can see the blue ray player deep in the hole.
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Old 08-16-2020, 04:07 PM   #10
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We bought a GoWISE Power 1000W Pure Sine Wave Inverter. It has no pass through option for 120V (not auto switching). I will need connect an AC selector switch to isolate it completely from the converter shore 120V when in use I understand the rough in nomex 120V line is actually hot from the converter passing through the pass through (the loop) and keeps going to feed each plug(?). Thanks for the pictures. We have a 239ml but the same extra wall plug in the bed area on just one side. The other is the TV plug so the only unknown is the kitchen but we ave only two plugs so either one will do. The limiting issue is that the inverter is only rated at 500W per each plug as it does not have a AC terminal connect junction so I might have to trade it for another one anyway like the Renogy 1000W pure sine inverter which has high power AC output terminal. Kind of goofed up on that.....
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Old 08-16-2020, 04:51 PM   #11
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... I understand the rough in romex 120V line is actually hot from the converter passing through the pass through (the loop) and keeps going to feed each plug(?)...
Hot from the 15a breaker in the breaker panel, but you've got the idea. After I cut the loop (with the power off) I turned the power back on, then tested both ends to see which one was hot, and thus coming from the breaker panel. I marked it with blue painters tape.

I bought the xantrex freedom 1000 pure sine wave with pass through from donrowe.com. It works well, and the vendor is great to work with, but I absolutely hate the connectors on it. They are a spring loaded PIA that leaves no room to install the romex, the very thing that's supposed to connect there. I think I saw another inverter the same size and true sine wave with pass through on Amazon that used ordinary male AC plugs. I wonder if I should have bought that.

I don't know anything about your present inverter, but maybe you could "move" the male terminated end of the romex from the outlets to either the circuit breaker source or your inverter source. You could put an ordinary female outlet in the pass through on the romex from the breaker, and install your inverter nearby with ordinary female outlet. Then just pick your power source. The outlets in the camper would essentially be just like an extension cord.
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Old 08-16-2020, 05:50 PM   #12
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As far as I know the Gowise PS1002 having two female AC plugs splits the 1000W inverter capacity into two giving 500W for each plug. They can not be combined. However, I will test the inverter under load to see when it actually trips. Anything well engineered is oversized with a safety margin and I did run into some discussions where each AC side actually delivered the total power rating regardless. The system will run off two 88Amp LIFEPO4 batteries and drawing 1000W out will be a strain on them anyway.... I will field test the system and life will determine if I can live with the 500W per side .

Beeing in Canada we mostly deal with amazon.ca and the selection is limited, plus with the Canadian peso there is a premium on the xantrex .
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Old 08-16-2020, 07:47 PM   #13
mikec557
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plus with the Canadian peso there is a premium on the xantrex .
THAT made me laugh out loud! Thanks.

Let us know what you figure out. I would be surprised if the power was divided by two. I think the cheaper manufacturing approach would be to just invert the power and deliver it to one duplex outlet... like hooking up the romex to an ordinary duplex outlet.
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Old 08-16-2020, 07:54 PM   #14
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Web I'd recommend reading the paperwork for that inverter. A 1,000 watt inverter should deliver a maximum of 1,000 watts irregards of the loads on the individual outlets. Just like in your home, a 15 Amp circuit is 15 amps available at each outlet on the breaker and not 15 amps divided equally by the number of outlets.
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Old 08-17-2020, 07:31 AM   #15
1953TBM
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Inverter 1000

Quote:
Originally Posted by mikec557 View Post
Hot from the 15a breaker in the breaker panel, but you've got the idea. After I cut the loop (with the power off) I turned the power back on, then tested both ends to see which one was hot, and thus coming from the breaker panel. I marked it with blue painters tape.

I bought the xantrex freedom 1000 pure sine wave with pass through from donrowe.com. It works well, and the vendor is great to work with, but I absolutely hate the connectors on it. They are a spring loaded PIA that leaves no room to install the romex, the very thing that's supposed to connect there. I think I saw another inverter the same size and true sine wave with pass through on Amazon that used ordinary male AC plugs. I wonder if I should have bought that.

I don't know anything about your present inverter, but maybe you could "move" the male terminated end of the romex from the outlets to either the circuit breaker source or your inverter source. You could put an ordinary female outlet in the pass through on the romex from the breaker, and install your inverter nearby with ordinary female outlet. Then just pick your power source. The outlets in the camper would essentially be just like an extension cord.
My 23MBS came with a starter inverter/solar Package 170w panel on roof and 1000w Zamp inverter. Had to go outside to turn on until I found that a remote on/off could be added and just plugged into inverter. Also It would be helpful to have 110v in the storage compartment. Renogy products can be purchased from Home depot and shipped to store for pickup. I would be happy with a 2000w inverter. Some are equiped with 110v outlets,I wish the bedroom 110v was on driver side of bed and could be used for bedroom tv. I put a small light by the door so I don't leave the inverter on.
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Old 08-17-2020, 08:50 AM   #16
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Also It would be helpful to have 110v in the storage compartment.
I don't know if this would work for you, but in our previous RV (a 5th wheel), I needed an outlet in the pass through on the passenger side. I had previously installed an inverter in the front compartment. The inverter had two built in outlets. I bought an extension cord (14ga), measured from the inverter, thru a half inch hole I drilled in the adjoining wall to the location I wanted an outlet. Having previously cut off the female end of the extension cord, I crimped eyelet connectors on the bare wires and surface mounted an ordinary outlet. I used a gray electrical box without ears. I drilled 3 holes in the back of it and screwed onto the wall where I wanted an outlet.

Maybe you could mod this idea for your situation.

Mike
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Old 08-17-2020, 09:26 AM   #17
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Originally Posted by flybouy View Post
Web I'd recommend reading the paperwork for that inverter. A 1,000 watt inverter should deliver a maximum of 1,000 watts irregards of the loads on the individual outlets. Just like in your home, a 15 Amp circuit is 15 amps available at each outlet on the breaker and not 15 amps divided equally by the number of outlets.
The manual for GoWise is useless but based on separate forum info the load from one ac out is supposed to deliver 1000W when no load is present in the second AC out so I will work OK. Thanks
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Old 08-17-2020, 09:30 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by mikec557 View Post
I don't know if this would work for you, but in our previous RV (a 5th wheel), I needed an outlet in the pass through on the passenger side. I had previously installed an inverter in the front compartment. The inverter had two built in outlets. I bought an extension cord (14ga), measured from the inverter, thru a half inch hole I drilled in the adjoining wall to the location I wanted an outlet. Having previously cut off the female end of the extension cord, I crimped eyelet connectors on the bare wires and surface mounted an ordinary outlet. I used a gray electrical box without ears. I drilled 3 holes in the back of it and screwed onto the wall where I wanted an outlet.

Maybe you could mod this idea for your situation.

Mike
Thanks. I was thinking about something similar. I will use a short 20A capable (oversized) extension cord and connect it to the romex loop in a junction via AC selector switch so I can power the three plugs on with either 15A from the converter when on shore power or inverter when running on batteries.
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Old 08-17-2020, 09:56 AM   #19
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Thanks. I was thinking about something similar. I will use a short 20A capable (oversized) extension cord and connect it to the romex loop in a junction via AC selector switch so I can power the three plugs on with either 15A from the converter when on shore power or inverter when running on batteries.
With all due respect I think you need to slow down, read some more on basic electricity, then think thru what you are doing. The 15 amp shore power supplies those outlets. The converter i89s the device that changes 120 vac to 12v dc to charge the battery and operate 12v dc circuits.

A 1,000 watt inverter will at best produce 8.3 amps, 1,000 watts divided by 120 volts = 8.33 amps.

The circuit will support 15 amps per the circuit breaker and the 14 gauge wire going to the outlets. What type of "AC selector switch" are you talking about?
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Old 08-17-2020, 06:48 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by flybouy View Post
With all due respect I think you need to slow down, read some more on basic electricity, then think thru what you are doing. The 15 amp shore power supplies those outlets. The converter i89s the device that changes 120 vac to 12v dc to charge the battery and operate 12v dc circuits.

A 1,000 watt inverter will at best produce 8.3 amps, 1,000 watts divided by 120 volts = 8.33 amps.

The circuit will support 15 amps per the circuit breaker and the 14 gauge wire going to the outlets. What type of "AC selector switch" are you talking about?
I appreciate the concern. I understand that with 1000W the current will not be 15A given the voltage output. The circuit is rated higher because it needs to acomodate the converter output and match residential parameters of current and volatge (and thus power) but I will not need all that power when running on batteries. I want the three plugs to be isolated from the converter when I use the inverter to supply power. I am looking at a AC selector switch along the lines of :https://dcpoweronboard.com/ac-source-switches/.
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