Solar power

Ok, a bit of explanation first. Your 18V solar module is fine as is for 12V battery charging. The 18V drops to around 15V on a hot day and 12V batteries need about 14V to charge, leaving about 1V to take care of wiring losses in the cable you will be running between the solar module and the battery. The solar charge controller will prevent any overcharging that might occur when your solar module is producing more power than you're using.


So you're good to go on the solar module.

Not sure what inverter you're referring to, an inverter takes 12Vdc and changes it to 120Vac. So it wouldn't have anything to do with charging your battery. In 2015 inverters weren't an available option in rpods so you would have had to install one yourself.

Perhaps you mean the rpods built in battery charge converter, which takes 120Vac from shore power and converts it to 14Vdc for charging? That won't effect your solar charging system, which will be completely separate.

On to how to do the install. I'm assuming you want to keep the solar module portable rather than do a permanent roof mount. That's what most folks do at least to get started with solar, and you can move the module around to keep it in the sun if you're camped in a shady spot.

If that's your plan then I suggest skipping using the solar charge port on the rpod, all it is is a couple of wires going to the battery, so it just adds more cable losses while not really giving you any more placement flexibility. You can just connect your solar systen via a fuse and cable to the battery directly. You will need a 25-50 foot cable, an inline or bolt on fuse, and the appropriate connector(s).

An easy way to get a good flexible cable is to buy a heavy duty 12 gauge 25 or 50 ft extension cord and cut the ends off.

To help with the connectors and placement it would help to know the makes and models of solar module and charge controller you have.

My 2016 180 does not have a charge controller built in. You should use one between your panel and battery. Your charge controller will manage the voltage/current applied to the battery for you.

Be careful of the polarity when using the solar connection on the outside of your 'Pod. Mine is opposite of what I thought it would be.

+1 to Colt on being sure you have your polarity right before connecting your charge controller to the battery and solar module. Otherwise you might find out where they hid the smoke on the controller circuit board.

It should be obvious from the terminal markings on the controller, solar module, and battery, but if not use a multimeter to determine proper connection first.

A multimeter is a great addition to your rpod tool kit in any case if you don't already have one. Try to get one that can measure dc (not just ac) currents (called a Hall effect clamp on meter), that will allow you see how much current your solar module is producing and what your loads are using. Very handy for future troubleshooting.