Hi All,
Just wondering if anyone has managed to successfully wire up a solar panel (folding briefcase type, 80W Photonic Universe Solar PV) via the 13 pin towing electrical connection, and if so, do they have any tips to make it work ?
My panel does not seem to be connecting to the leisure battery and I'm struggling on what to do next, hopefully someone can point me in the right direction, otherwise I think I will have to rewire back to crocodile clips and run the wires through the window - which I want to avoid if possible.
Currently I have wired the 12v positive feed from the Solar PV panel (it has it's own onboard solar regulator) to pin #9 and linked this to pin #10 for the fridge relay, with the 12v negative (Earth) wired to #13 pin and linked to #11 pin. So far nothing happening. Checked battery which is showing 12.9V, wiring all seems correct but still the green LED on the solar controller is Off - meaning no PV voltage, PV disconnected or connection error.
Our van is an Eriba Troll 540GT, 2018 model, with Autonomy Pack battery & charger.
Any suggestions, ideas or advice will be gratefully received .
Thanks,
Steve

Loads of info here:

Using Solar Panel to recharge the leisure battery

1. Without a circuit diagram it is speculation but it may be that your PWM charge regulator on the solar panel cannot sense the battery is on line because the Schaudt 1208 charge booster is blocking any revers feed.
2. Connecting pins 9 & 10 at the 13-pin connector is quite brave, if you then turn the fridge 12V on you might be discharging the battery into the fridge heater unless the Schaudt 1208 is indeed blocking a reverse feed.
3. With a battery charged to 12.9V you are probably OK but with a lower charge state I am not sure how the 4.4A from the solar panel would be handled by the 1208.
Sorry to be so vague,
George

Your 2018 van has the Schaudt CSV409 which includes an integrated booster circuit, and as George points out, this is preventing the solar controller from sensing the leisure battery voltage.

The manual for the CSV409 is here.

You may risk damaging the booster circuit by injecting the solar panel's output at pins 9 & 10.

Perhaps you could mount an external socket wired to the 409's solar input connector.

Many thanks Ray, George and John, your replies very much appreciated. Will take a good read of the manual for the Shaudt CVS409 and see if I can find a way to make the 13 pin connection work correctly. If by some minor miracle I can get it to work then I'll post the method on here, otherwise it will be back to the Crocodile clips :)

I didn't know about the modern Schaudt CVS409, far to posh for my 2007 Triton. It simply works!
However.........Your modern system has to accept a charging current to the battery whilst connected by the 13 pin plug. So, the wires are all there. Just got to trick the Schaudt that the incoming charge is from the towing vehicle not a solar panel.
It's got to be fairly simple surely?

Quote: Ray Lawrence wrote in post #6

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Just got to trick the Schaudt that the incoming charge is from the towing vehicle not a solar panel.

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That's interesting John, thanks.

I'm always on the look out for simple solutions first. Not this time then.

Guess I'm lucky with my relatively simple 2007 Triton

Screenshot 2022-04-21 082624.png - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

The CSV409 has a connector which can be used to input your solar feed (the 3-pin socket marked "3F MNL socket" on the attached circuit diagram)

The manual for the CSV409 is available online here http://web.adria.dk/wp-content/uploads/2...SV409_BA_EN.pdf

I use a floor vent below the wardrobe to bring in the solar feed with some wires terminated in MC4 connectors so I can disconnect the suitcase and pull the wires back into the van when not in use.

You can also wire directly to the battery (I'd use a permanent terminal rather than croc clips), but make sure you add a fuse - even better a resetting fuse so you can disconnect the feed when not in use.

There's some pictures of how I did this at the end of this thread (I had a solar suitcase with no controller because I wanted to use the fancy Victron one which is super efficient, and has nice Bluetooth connectivity to a mobile app, so I can see exactly what's going on)

Using a floor vent to bring a solar cable into the van

I've got the Photonic Universe Panel with the integrated controller. This was my solution:

Solar Power in my Puck.

Solar panel now working nicely but using the simple wired direct to battery method, however did use rings and not croc clips :) Admiring the very nice solution used by IainG on his Puck, will hopefully replicate onto my Troll when I get the time.