RV Charge Controllers
A charge controller sits between the solar panel and the battery and decides how much current actually reaches the bank. Panel voltage swings with sun and temperature, and left unregulated on anything past a trickle panel, that swing overcharges a lead-acid battery or pushes a lithium pack past what its BMS should see. The unit stocked here is the Samlex SCC-30AB, rated for 30 amps on both 12- and 24-volt systems, with an LCD that reads out charge current and battery voltage.
6 products
Xantrex 30A MPPT Solar Charge Controller
Samlex SCC-30AB Solar Charge Controller | 12/24V, 30A, LCD Display
Go Power! 30A PWM Digital Solar Controller with Bluetooth & USB (UL)
Xantrex 30A PWM Solar Charge Controller
Samlex MSK-20A Solar Charge Controller, 12/24V 20A
Samlex PWM Solar Charge Controller, 12/24V
2 options
Matching a controller to your panels and battery
A controller has to fit three numbers: your system voltage, the total current your panels push, and the charge profile your battery chemistry wants. Undersize the amp rating and you clip panel output on a sunny day; pick the wrong chemistry profile and you steadily under- or overcharge the bank. The Samlex SCC-30AB handles 12- and 24-volt systems at up to 30 amps, which covers most single- and dual-panel RV arrays.
- Amp rating. Total your panels' rated output current and leave headroom above it. At 12 volts, 30 amps corresponds to roughly 400 watts of panel, enough for a typical rooftop pair with room to add one later.
- PWM versus MPPT. PWM is cheaper and works well when panel voltage sits near battery voltage. MPPT recovers more from higher-voltage arrays and long cable runs by converting the surplus voltage into charge current, at a higher price.
- Chemistry profile. Flooded, AGM, gel, and lithium each want a different charge curve. Confirm the controller lets you select yours; the wrong profile quietly shortens battery life.
- Readout. The Samlex's LCD shows charge current and battery voltage, so a dead panel or a blown fuse shows up as a number rather than a mystery.
Size the controller against the array feeding it in Solar Panels & Kits, and run it with correct-gauge leads and MC4 ends from Solar Mounts & Accessories. Pairing it to a fresh bank? Confirm the chemistry against what's in Batteries & Charging.