Its not clearly stated what type of controller that is being used for charging batteries from the solar panels. The PWM controller will decrease the power going to the battery(ies) by reducing the voltage from the solar panels (~20V) to the same as the battery (12V) therefore the 190 watts from the solar panel will only feed 114 watts to the batteries. The MPPT controllers transforms the extra volts into additional amperage to realize the full190 Watts.
Is the controller an MPPT or the cheaper PWM? Is this an option? GoPower offer both types.
Dear cb9956
Thank you for reaching out to Escape Trailer! We currently use a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). Switching to another connector, perhaps the Victron, is under consideration. We do not have any progress report or timeline on that yet.
If you have further questions on this, please feel free to reach out to your configuration specialists https://escapetrailer.com/contact-us/. Thank you, Samuel
In speaking with Go Power and looking at the ETI wiring diagrams for solar and DC, I understand the outside Zamp connector for portable ("expansion") panels is wired to the controller inside the trailer. If the voltage of the "expansion" panel is less than that of the "permanent" panel or panels, the voltage to the controller will then drop to the lower voltage, that of the expansion panel, unless the expansion panel has its own controller. In the latter case, the wiring from the Zamp would go to the battery rather than connecting with the inside controller. It is very difficult to match the voltage of the panels on the roof when looking for expansion panels. Connectors also can be an issue. The Go Power portable Duralite panel without controller uses Powerpole connectors while their 30-foot-long expansion cable uses large Anderson SB50 connectors at each end. An adapter is then required for both ends of the cable.