Welcome and congratulations on your R-Pod.

Check out my mods (link in signature). I did just as you mentioned and made an awning. I would suggest that rather than a rope, you check out Amazon and order some Keder Welting (I'm not sure of the size). I used a rope and it was a pain in that it took 2 people to feed the fabric with rope into the rail. For my version 2 slide-out cover, I ordered the keder welting and it is a one-person job as the welting is stiff enough to push through the rail rather than needing a second person to pull it through.

On another note, can I get a pdf manuel for my model somewhere?  Or a hard copy?  Thanks

  Good idea on the fuse in the line.  I’m an electrician so would probably have done that anyways, but I’m the first to admit that I don’t know DC or solar systems well.  I haven’t looked at the panel inside the camper yet, but like the idea of installing a coupler outside at the batteries.  Once I weld a new battery mount, to handle two batteries, I will post some pictures of what I did for it and the solar connector.  

Really there is no major difference in most of the requirements for DC and solar and conventional AC circuit design, except for two things. In solar you have to be thinking about current sources coming from both directions. And in solar the current from a shorted solar array is only about 10% greater than its normal operating current on a summer day. So, solar generally can't produce the current needed to clear a breaker or fuse in the event of a fault. Batteries of course can. 

The other thing is like any other 12V circuit, voltage drop is much more likely to drive what size conductors you use than ampacity. So for example your 100 watt module will not put out much more than 6A so a 10A fuse will do, but if you're going to want to place your module out in the sunshine say 50 feet from your trailer you will need probably 10 AWG conductors to keep the voltage drop down to something reasonable. Many people find it easiest to buy a heavy duty extension cord and cut the ends off to do this. 

Not sure what you mean by lifting your jacks but for sure crank them all the way up when you're towing. I've never bottomed out on mine. 

You can use smaller gauge wire if you locate the solar controller next to the batteries. Then the solar panel(s) can be higher voltage, which will result in lower current, which means smaller gauge wire.

Almost all the panels we have been using have an open circuit voltage in the 35-40 volt range, which needs to be stepped down to work with a 12VDC system (if you're only using one). The arrays we use on our remote solar sites are usually connected serially, so we see open circuit voltages in the 300-500 volt range, and run them through an MPPT controller which will step down the operating voltage to whatever you need.

  The jacks just seem kind of low, and one of mine in the rear is different allready, so I imagine the original owner hit something with it.  There are shackle extensions that you can bolt onto where the leaf springs mount to give a couple inches more height.  I will probably add them down the road.  Loosing a jack is one thing, but I’d really hate to loose some plumbing under there.  The jacks are all the way out to the corners though, at least the plumbing is closer to the axle and is more protected.  Probably not much to worry about but caught my attention when I noticed one had been replaced allready.

SO cord is perfect for the application, fine stranding, good stuff. Got any extra laying around? 

The ones you're using with Voc in the 35-40V range are probably going to be 60 cell residential grid tie modules or maybe 72 cell commercial project modules with 250-400W ratings. Those plus an MPPT controller are a great choice if you need that much solar charging. Turns out the length of the 72 cell modules is almost exactly the same as the width of an rPod so my plan is to mount those edge to edge on mine. But I'm trying to run my air conditioner from them, which most folks will think is crazy...

I have a couple modules in the garage that are 150 watts each with OCV of 37 volts. They were meant for off-grid applications of 24 or 48 volts depending.

The newer ones we've been using for several years now are in the 250-350 watt range, and they are quite a lot larger; they would be very impractical for an R-pod solar system. With newer controllers they can be either off-grid or grid-tie. Sure can cook though! 

I don't think the big modules are impractical if you roof mount them and don't try to move them around. Lots of RV'ers do that now.  I'm too lazy to move them around anyway. 

The 72 cell ones are about 77-78 inches long by 39-40 wide. rPods are about 77-78 inches wide. I plan to mount 3 across on standoffs on my 179  above the roof after I yank off that POS roof air and replace it with an efficient and quiet mini split and yank off the TV antenna which I never use. That'll give me about 1050 nominal watts and the air gap will keep the PV array and rPod cooler too. But like I said, most people would think I'm crazy.  

My objective with the ac is to run it overnight during campground quiet hours, not to run it 24/7 from solar. So the main thing is to have a very efficient ac unit and a large battery bank. The solar is there to reduce the cost of generator runtime to recharge during the day. 

The cost will be a few $K, mostly for the Li Ion battery. 

The benefit? DW has told me she won't camp with me on the beach here on the OBX without ac in the summer. Can't say I blame her, and neither of us like the private campgrounds with hookups around here much. So right now we either have to drive all the way to the mountains where it's cool or not camp. 

The problem is noise. During the day we're mostly outside anyway so don't need the ac really. Its those hot humid nights....  

If you're in pretty much any campground rather than pure boondocking you can't run your genny at night. National park and national forest campground quiet hours are 10p to 6a, and if you run your genny at 9p or 7a you don't have happy neighbors. Most state parks have similar rules if not more strict. 

So, my objective is 12 hours of ac, 8p to 8a, with no input from a genny (or course there isn't much of anything from solar during those hours anyway). No way to do that without going to Li Ion batteries, lead acid is way too heavy. 

Easiest way to look at it is delivered amp hours. If maintained properly your lead acid batt is going to deliver about 500 50% cycles, so a 100AH battery can give you 25,000 AH. A Li batt can provide about 2500 80% cycles, so 200,000 AH from a 100AH battery. That's an 8x factor.