I’ve decided to hold off on getting an MPPT solar controller for my truck for now – even when the benefits are obvious like on a partly cloudy day like this morning when I shut off the inverter, changing the resistance and actually boosting the output of the panel.

For the most part I have sufficient power with the two accessory batteries and don’t need the benefit compared to the PWM charger I currently have. The system preformed well enough on my October road trip even if I know on many days I’m not necessarily getting the best possible performance out of the solar panel. I say replace it when the PWM charger dies but the truth is without capacitors or non solid state components that’s unlikely to happen any time soon.

Plus if I were to get the larger Renology Rover MPPT charger I’d have to relocate the inverter and several other components which would require lengthening and cutting several wires to make things fit which is quite a bit of work. I do like all the diagnostic features of that charger though. One of the off gridders I follow online is a big fan of the Victron MPPT controllers which are pretty much the size of the PWM controller currently have.

Honestly the system works fairly good. Why put more money into something that works fine now?