I used the fresh water inlet and put a 12V DC receptacle in the lid. Used a marine receptacle with a fairly tight cap on it so you can plug in the "lighter" type plug from the outside. The solar setup doesn't have any high voltage OR amperage, so a generic 12V setup will work. After I used it for a while, I decided to permanently mount the 3 cells on the roof and ran the wiring internally so the solar keeps the 2 aux batteries charged at all times. Works well if you don't mind fishing the wiring thru the interior... Daryl of AA Transaxle 425-788-4070 "On the cutting edge of Old technology" 86 Syncro Westy w/Turbo Zetec in the trunk
-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Troy Sent: Sunday, June 26, 2011 12:52 AM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Solar Panel outdoor electrical connect Hi folks: Just finished putting together my solar panel, and MPPT controller setup. My original plan was just to close the door on the wire, figuring the gasket would form fit around the wire, but with 12gauge heavy duty wire, the door is not going to close. So, now looking at outside plug-ins. All of my utility outlets are in use, so that's not an option. I'm not completely opposed to putting another electrical connector through the side wall of the van, but would prefer something I can mount to the underside of the van with a waterproof cover. Maybe under the sink cabinet? My connectors and controller are currently behind the drivers seat. Most everything I've seen are cigarette lighter adapters, and not sure they can handle the higher voltage of a solar panel. So, I'm sure I'm not the first person to hook up solar to my van. Any suggestions on electrical connectors to get from inside to outside? Troy |
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