How to Install RV Solar Trickle Charger

Installing an RV Solar Trickle Charger

Nothing is more frustrating than arriving at the RV Storage yard on a Friday ready to go camping and finding a dead battery. Luckily, it’s super easy to install an RV Solar Trickle Charger. And fairly inexpensive. Especially considering the cost of a night a campground or worse your spouse giving you the stink eye.

Locating RV Solar Trickle Chargers

I found ours on Amazon. And I’m sure they are available on other big box sites or from RV camping supply shops. My search was pretty easy with a number of options in many price ranges coming up. I found a SunSul 20W 12 V charger that received good reviews in the price range I wanted.

The SunSul has been a fine charger. Keeping our battery’s charged and ready to go. I take the batteries out in the winter and keep charged at home. This charger might work, but I didn’t want to take a chance.

Rare Earth Magnets

These super powerful small magnets can attach to pretty much all metal with amazing strength. We bolted 2 rare earth magnets to the solar panel. This allowed us to mount the panel to the kingpin without concern it would blow off during a storm.

Attached the Cord to the Fifth Wheel Underbelly

Using command strips we are able to tuck the cord away while in use and quickly store it before we travel. We always remove the solar panel before we travel.

Fishing the Cord Through the Battery Vent

Sadly, this big-brain idea only dawned on me this year. Argh. Anyway, I removed the 4 screws of the battery vent and fished the wire through. Then reinstalled the 4 screws and the wire was passed through. Easy!

Connections in the Storage Compartment

Now I needed to connect the passed-through wire to the charging converter. A couple of simple connections and the wires were ready to attach to the battery. I hung the electronic control on the gas line that runs across the top of the storage compartment. The controller weighs ounces so I’m not worried about “extra stress”. Make your own call on this. With the connections made to the controller, I was ready to hook up the battery.

Note I did not have the wires connected to the solar panel when I wired the battery. I don’t know if it matters, but I didn’t want to chance it.

As with all electrical things, read the instructions. If you’re not comfortable with the instructions find someone who is comfortable and ask for help.

Check out our YouTube Video on How to Install RV Solar Trickle Charger.

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