Good way of using the existing heavy duty wiring which will have two benefits.
One, to to reduce the voltage drop from the solar panel to the battery and two, reduce the number of connectors to the battery. I have far too many at the moment.
I currently have a pair of 2.5mm csa wires connected to the battery. Down through the floor and off to an Anderson connector screwed underneath the floor near the A frame. This is where I connect my solar panel at the moment.
The method shown here is more elegant and economical than mine and I have just ordered a flying 13pin socket to carry out the work.
Just need to find my spare Anderson connector to complete the circuit!

I've just checked my various wiring diagrams and there are two ways to charge the battery via the 13 ping plug using pins 9(permanent supply) and 10 (fridge supply).
Through the Schaudt Booster that regulates the charge from the towing vehicle or through the little single pole switch on the BIP unit.

The Schaudt booster has a relay that senses whether the towing vehicle is connected and running. The supply for this relay comes from pin 10. So, to use this route to charge the battery off grid would require the solar panel connected to pin 9 and a 12Vdc supply to pin 10 as well which would also fire up the fridge if the 12Vdc switch on the fridge was left on. It would require remembering to turn that switch off each time on arrival at site. Forget once and you have a very flat battery!

The little single pole switch on the BIP would work but sadly not for me as I have used that input to the BIP for my Ctek charger which is permanently wired in to bypass the BIP charging circuit.

I shall give some thought to the solar panel and the Ctek charger sharing this input, as to whether there are any backfeed ramifications.
Work in progress!!

Well, I've tried out a temporary installation and so far so good. I've now got the two supplies, solar and Ctek, both popped in to the top of the little switch on the BIP.

Thinking about it further, the Ctek will only be livened up when on mains hookup (at home) and the solar panel will only be connected when on sites with no hook up, so there shouldn't be a problem.

Both devices have built in diodes or whatever to prevent discharge of the battery through them so I can't think of any other problems with this setup at the moment.
I'd be pleased to hear any other views though, particularly if I've missed a potential problem.

Something to be aware of.

Solar panels should be connected to batteries via some sort of controller to avoid cooking the batteries

Its ok to connect a solar panel in the short term when a battery is well discharged since the battery will hold the voltage down but when the battery gets close to being fully charged the solar panel voltage will rise and this could be higher than the battery is designed to accept

Quite right Just_Chillin.

I have a 60W folding solar panel with a regulator permanently attached at the rear so I'm OK. Right to point it out for others with perhaps less well equipped panels.

Looking around the wonderweb I find that connecting solar panels via the 13 pin plug is not a new idea at all. It's been around even when we were using 7pin grey connectors. I even uncovered one thread on this forum (can't find it again though!)

For some caravans it's more complicated as they have a habitation relay which would require powering independantly to open up the battery charging circuit.
However, on my 2007 Triton the 12Vdc input to the BIP distribution box and thus the battery is straight through and very simple.

Just waiting for my flying 13 pin socket and Anderson connector to complete the mod now.

If my 530 is wired with a 13-core cable I'm thinking of using the redundant Pin 12 as a feed to an MPPT solar charge controller (eg LRM1218) inside the van which in turn feeds power into the CSV409 battery controller. The correcponding earth (negative) for the solar panels would be pin 13.

The advantage of using this configuration is that is has no impact at all on any existing eletrics including charging circuits, fridge, etc

Since I am awaiting delivery of my 530 I am currently unable to check if its wired with 12 or 13-core cable so will need to wait before deciding what to do

You might be lucky Just_Chillin but I wouldn't mind betting that the 13 pin plug is only wired up with 12 core cable to save money.

Fingers crossed!

This may be the illusive thread

Solar panel feeding leisure battery

Thanks for that, but, if I'm readiing it right, it seems an additional 13 pin socket has been fitted to the van and wired back to the electonics inside?

If thats the case, I dont want to add additonal sockets/wiring into the van but rather I wish to employ existing circuitry.

If the factory supplied multicore cable is 13-core and pin 12 is connected then that is a cabling mod-free opportunity to connect an external solar panel to the electronic crcuitry already installed in the van.

All that would be needed is an MMPT to be fitted with its solar feed coming from pins 12 and 13. Pin 13 is the van earth and has no connection to the fridge earth.

The solar panlels could then connect using the standard fit 13 pin connector using pins 12 (+) and 13 (-).

You may well be right I am afraid

"You may be right I am afraid" meant as response to Ray's comment of likelihood of wiring being only 12-core that is!

Great idea to use the 13-pin plug/socket, however, call me paranoid, but could a panel standing on the ground be easily dis-connected and removed by someone of ill repute?

Just asking ...

Dave