The Jaboni Solar Panel (Charge Controller Guide and Review)
Solar energy is improving. As the years go by those scientists using technology to help the world have made solar energy more than a passing fad. They have found new ways to capture the sun’s rays and turn them into extra power for your RV.
The Jaboni Solar solar panels come in an aluminum frame with a weatherproof design. They use advanced solar cells combined with high-transmission glass to make sure your RV gets all the power you need from the sun. You can get up to 1000 volts with these panels.
To learn more about these solar panels just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so that you can see if solar power is for you. Take a few minutes to see how this important information helps you cut your energy bill.
Jaboni Solar 101
Jaboni Solar Ready RVs
We have read that Keystone has an exclusive package for solar power but that may not restrict other companies from using Jaboni solar panels. This exclusive package was developed in 2020 and was available for the Montana RV.
We are not sure of all the individual models that are being equipped with these solar panels but Grand Design, Keystone, Tiffin, and Frest River all seem to be on board with this newer technology.
For my Grand Design two models that were mentioned were the Solitude and the Reflection. To find out all the models that may be able to use this technology you should talk to the local dealers for these different brands.
We are not sure how extensive their application of this solar panel option is or if it is always only available separately as an add-on feature. If this technology gets more popular, it stands to reason that more RV models will be given it and maybe made a standard feature in some cases.
Jaboni 30 Amp Mppt
It is actually called Solar Charge Controller 30A-MPPT-RVC and it comes with an optional Remote Display RD-MPPT-RVC. The one drawback to this system will be those letters RVC.
If those letters are not part of the remote or package then you cannot connect this remote to the Spyder system. There are two models made by this company. One is the RVDC model which seems to be the most recent and best technologically.
Then there is the non-RVC model which is the older version. It is not supposed to be able to connect to your Spyder system. You would have to talk to Jaboni about this issue.
When you go to install this device, just make sure to place it where the signal is not blocked by other obstructions, like storage goods. The fuse or breaker requirements are 30 A at PV input and 40 A at Batt.
Also, when you install this device, make sure there are at least 2 inches of clearance all around it. Do not connect any wires etc., with the power on or you may ruin the device.
Jaboni Solar Charge Controller
It seems that some of these controller models are operated through a Bluetooth connection. This has caused some owners problems because they have been unable to connect to the Bluetooth frequency to operate the controller.
If your RV has to connect to the BT-2 then you may not have a Jaboni controller. It would be a Renology or some other competitor’s controller. If you have a Jaboni controller and it says you need to connect to the BT-2 frequency then you are in a world of trouble.
Those two items are not compatible with each other. This change is probably done at the factory because something was not available at the time of construction.
In the situation we are talking about here, you need to be careful. Sometimes n inferior controller is rebadged as a Jaboni and not a Jaboni product at all. If this is the case, you should be able to buy a proper display to connect to it.
Do not expect to get a lot of help from Grand Design which made this switch without telling anyone.
Download Jaboni Solar App
In 2022 the company announced that they just released an updated app for their solar system. Here is the news release if you did not see it originally:
“Future Sales are excited to announce that our FutureLink app is finally out on both iPhone and Android app stores. At long last! We appreciate everyone's feedback on what needed to be changed from the solar app, and most of all we thank you all for your patience with us while we developed the new app. We are as excited as you to get it into your hands. Any feedback or questions you may have on it, please send me an email. The links for both Android and iOS are below, just download and follow the prompts from the app.”
iOS (Iphones) - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/futurelink/id1616727349
There are the two links and if you have trouble with them contact Jaboni for any customer service you may need. According to one member responding to this announcement, this new app looks and works better. It is also uncluttered and does not seem to crash as often as the other app did.
Jaboni Solar Roof Port And Connector
The location of the port should be as follows-- “ There should be 2 wires in the front storage on the passenger side behind the water panel up on the ceiling porting, maybe behind a plastic cover, these should be the wires from that port.”
Do not use the Furrion port as it does not seem to be an MC4 compatible. But do not get rid of it either. Just place your new Jaboni port closer to where the controller will be so you do not have to run a long cable to conduct the electricity.
You should find the Jaboni MC4 connectors underneath a plastic cover near the front of your RV. Then you may find the wire to the connectors wrapped up and placed underneath the trailer and in the right-hand corner. It should be labeled Solar Inv.
The location of this wire is a bit awkward but convenient if you need to drill to make a direct connection. We won’t make any guarantees this location is standard on all RV or trailer models.
Jaboni Solar Aisplay
This remote display usually has its information displayed in 2 lines of 16 characters. It is a push button operation and it comes with 4 buttons on the front.
The display is nothing special and is rather plain and simple looking. There is a power and menu button followed by the scroll up and down buttons. It hooks up to the Jaboni system through a single cable.
One person back in 2021 removed his Jaboni system and was selling the whole thing for $250 but you can get a solo display for just over $100 at some retail outlets that sell online.
The communication protocol should read RVC on it. This tells you that it is compatible with the Spyder display system and can be connected to it. For more details on that connection process, you should contact Jaboni directly.
This product should be easy to find and on sale at most locations that sell solar equipment.
Finding a Jaboni Solar Controller Manual
This is not going to be that difficult as this product seems to be relatively new. Forest River placed one online at this link. It is easy to read and it is a very short manual not longer than about 15 pages approx.
We would suggest contacting Jaboni directly but for some reason when we try connecting to their website, it does not come through. We tried two different avenues to make the connection.
The company is supposed to be headquartered in Elkhart Indiana but much of the information about its components seems based in China. If you need a manual we would suggest contacting one of the RV brands that use this system in their RV models.
They should have a components manual for this system. You can try calling the company at 574- 262- 3688 and see if you get a response. Those customers who tried said they received great customer service from the company.
Troubleshooting a Jaboni Solar
There are 5 error codes listed in the manual. That list is found on page 11 and there are no numbers or letter combinations. The error codes should be listed all in words. For example:
- Error message- High battery voltage
- Possible cause- The battery bank is receiving charge from another controller; the Battery cable was loose or was disconnected while charging
- Action to take- Check if another controller is charging/equalizing the bank. Turn off the unit and check the connections
All the error and other messages are very easy to understand. They should lead you to the correct source and proper fix. Some instructions on that manual page are:
“When an error code occurs, the unit will interrupt charging and remain idle. After removing the cause, press the ON/OFF button to reset the fault and press it again to reinitiate the unit.”
AND
“If the condition disappears but the fault code remains, the device may have problems and should be sent to a repair center.”
You get a one-year limited warranty on this product and its details are listed on the next page after the troubleshooting section.
Jaboni Solar Reviews
One owner decided to take the Jaboni system out even before he used his RV for the first time. He had a bigger system already and did not need it. He did not say if the system was good or bad but that it was too small for his solar power needs.
Other owners have stated that they are happy with the system and like the power they get from it. More owners were happy with it but did not like the fact that they could not hook up to their Spyder system.
This seems to be a fairly new product so there is not a lot of buzz about it so far. Some RV brands have been adding the system to their upscale models so the system must be fairly good to have that kind of business.
We have not come across anyone yet that says the system is junk and to stay away from it. They all seem to be okay with it even though there are minor technical problems to iron out.
Jaboni Solar Customer Service
We can only go by what has been reported. This company’s website was not available when we did our research so we are limited in what we can say. There are owners who have said they contacted Jaboni directly and received great customer service.
We posted the phone number that we found for the company above so that may be your best option to get any action. These reports were as recent as June of last year.
To connect your Jaboni system to the Spyder one in your RV, you may have to contact Spyder directly and get the help you need. Their phone number is 866-919-9092.
There is not much information available about the Jaboni company and they may not sell directly to the public. That is a topic for another day as so far they seem to stand behind their products and work with their customers.
Some Additional Words
Solar power is a great electrical alternative when the systems work right. You have an unlimited amount of power available when it is sunny out and the extra power can prevent risky situations from arising.
So far it seems that only a few RV brands are using the Jaboni system and from what we can tell, it is a good one to have in your RV. This system provides lots of power and has great controllers and wiring so once you are set up you should not have to worry about your electrical usage.
