First post here, gearing up for trip in July with a borrowed Expanda late-2017. Don’t have the docs and can’t find an owners manual online (anyone have it scanned could PM?) and the owner not techy.
We shall be free camping for 6 nights in one spot. Using the vehicle during the days so like to leave an Engel in the van in addition to the Dometic which will be running gas. I have a 150w redarc solar blanket so thinking I’ll deploy it to supplement the rooftop 120W.
- the factory DC charger on board, will this unit process 2 solar inputs concurrently (pun ha ha) for a combined 270W if sunny? Running the Engel and topping up the battery for the dark hours.
- I would connect it via the draw bar (I’ve had built an adapter from my tow vehicle’s 7-round plus Anderson to the factory 12 pin; don’t want to enter the Anderson vs 12 pin wars, I need to run the Dometic while driving to the campsite). So power from my blanket to pin-2 and 3 will work because my adapter powers pin 2 (and 9) from the Anderson because my vehicle’s pin-2 is reverse. Hope you’re still with me. Is this the way to do it or in a standard factory build is there some other aux input to the battery charger that’s accessible ?
- the Dometic will continue to run on gas while it also sees a voltage from the draw bar ?
- final question, I should use my solar regulator from the blanket as the draw bar would expect regular voltage ? Not some kind of regulator on regulator problem with this?
I s’pose my alternative to all this kerfufle is to leave the Engel in the vehicle running off the auxiliary battery and deploy the blanket to the roof while we poodle around the local tracks. Might be safer, but where’s the fun in that ?
Thanks to all
We shall be free camping for 6 nights in one spot. Using the vehicle during the days so like to leave an Engel in the van in addition to the Dometic which will be running gas. I have a 150w redarc solar blanket so thinking I’ll deploy it to supplement the rooftop 120W.
- the factory DC charger on board, will this unit process 2 solar inputs concurrently (pun ha ha) for a combined 270W if sunny? Running the Engel and topping up the battery for the dark hours.
- I would connect it via the draw bar (I’ve had built an adapter from my tow vehicle’s 7-round plus Anderson to the factory 12 pin; don’t want to enter the Anderson vs 12 pin wars, I need to run the Dometic while driving to the campsite). So power from my blanket to pin-2 and 3 will work because my adapter powers pin 2 (and 9) from the Anderson because my vehicle’s pin-2 is reverse. Hope you’re still with me. Is this the way to do it or in a standard factory build is there some other aux input to the battery charger that’s accessible ?
- the Dometic will continue to run on gas while it also sees a voltage from the draw bar ?
- final question, I should use my solar regulator from the blanket as the draw bar would expect regular voltage ? Not some kind of regulator on regulator problem with this?
I s’pose my alternative to all this kerfufle is to leave the Engel in the vehicle running off the auxiliary battery and deploy the blanket to the roof while we poodle around the local tracks. Might be safer, but where’s the fun in that ?
Thanks to all