Connecting a 100 watt solar panel to Zamp port

Yeah,good discussion here for sure.....

Installing a 12V outlet socket was one of the first things I did once we got it home.Not sure why Forest River didn't include one as standard equipment .

Very easy utilizing one of the two existing empty fuse blocks,plugging in a 15amp fuse and using 10ga wire and mounting the socket on the shelf above the Breaker/Converter Box.Besides using it to charge phones etc,I have a small 150 watt inverter that I use to run the TV,it works great.I believe the TV pulls less than 50 watts.

I Do plan on installing a aftermarket Volt meter as well to  keep a better eye on things.I was thinking of using the remaining fuse block as a hook up point since the 8ga wire from the battery terminates there resulting in a more accurate reading.

The Innova plug in Meter looks like it would make it much simpler,thoughts....

Originally posted by GingerPod Yeah,good discussion here for sure.....Installing a 12V outlet socket was one of the first things I did once we got it home.Not sure why Forest River didn't include one as standard equipment .Very easy utilizing one of the two existing empty fuse blocks,plugging in a 15amp fuse and using 10ga wire and mounting the socket on the shelf above the Breaker/Converter Box.Besides using it to charge phones etc,I have a small 150 watt inverter that I use to run the TV,it works great.I believe the TV pulls less than 50 watts.I Do plan on installing a aftermarket Volt meter as well to  keep a better eye on things.I was thinking of using the remaining fuse block as a hook up point since the 8ga wire from the battery terminates there resulting in a more accurate reading.The Innova plug in Meter looks like it would make it much simpler,thoughts....

You don't have to unplug the Innova meter at all if you don't want to. Get a Wagan 4-way socket splitter on Amazon for $11.47 so you can leave your meter plugged in, your car charger, 12 volt fan, and whatever else you want to.

http://smile.amazon.com/Wagan-4-Way-Automotive-Socket-Extender/dp/B0009JB7GI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406516010&sr=8-1&keywords=wagan+4

And if you're asking for feedback on the Innova meter, I've gotten great use out of it. It gives you readings to the hundredth of a volt, and I've used one continuously for months.

Originally posted by CharlieM   "You don't have to unplug the Innova meter at all if you don't want to. Get a Wagan 4-way socket splitter on Amazon for $11.47 so you can leave your meter plugged in, your car charger, 12 volt fan, and whatever else you want to. " Not a good idea. Voltage drop in the wire between the splitter and the plug will yield a falsely low reading. The meter needs to be separately wired as close to the battery as possible. A separate connection to the fuse panel is good enough if there are very few other loads operating.

Not to be persnickety, but this works fine. The splitter line is short, so the voltage drop is minimal. A quick check using a voltage drop calculator indicates that with a very low amp draw (1 amp, which is far more than the meter draws), the voltage drop is about .016 over the 34" splitter line. It's far less than even that with a .2 amp draw (probably about what the Innova meter draws) at only .003. Anyone can live with that.

Steven Harris, an energy expert who has helped thousands of lay-people build battery banks, highly recommends this exact setup: www.battery1234.com

Originally posted by WillThrill   Not to be persnickety...................

You are correct if nothing else is plugged into the splitter. It's the higher current drawn from the splitter by other things like charges, fans, computers, etc. that cause voltage drop. These contribute to inaccuracy in the voltage reading. If you're going expend the effort why not do it right?

I copied furpod's idea. Cheap, easy and looks great.