A Go Power! PowerTrak™ system is a set of RV-C devices — Advanced Lithium batteries, a touchscreen display, an MPPT solar controller and an SSW, ASW or AIC inverter — joined by a specific set of harnesses, terminating resistors and adapters. The parts you need depend on which devices you combine and how many of each you install. The new PowerTrak™ Part Configurator works that out for you: choose your components and it lists every cable with quantities, shows example wiring diagrams, and adds the whole list to your cart in one click. This article explains what it is doing and why, so you can sanity-check the result or build the list by hand.
What PowerTrak™ is
PowerTrak™ is Go Power!'s RV-C network. RV-C is the CAN-bus standard RV manufacturers use so that components from different suppliers can talk to each other. On a PowerTrak™ system the PowerTrak™ display (GP-PT-DIS-3) shows battery state of charge, solar input, inverter status and shore power on one 3.2-inch touchscreen, and lets you change settings — battery type, low-voltage cut-off, inverter on/off — from the galley instead of the power bay. Go Power! has supplied RV manufacturers since 1996, so if your coach is a Jayco, Forest River or Thor, these are the same parts the factory installs.
The five building blocks
| Component | Models | What it does on the network |
|---|---|---|
| Battery bank | GP-ADV-LIFEPO4-100, GP-ADV-LIFEPO4-300, or any other battery | Go Power! Advanced Lithium batteries report state of charge, voltage, current and temperature directly. Other batteries need the Smart Shunt to do the same job. |
| Smart Shunt | GP-SHUNT | Measures current in and out of an AGM, flooded or third-party lithium bank. Not needed with Advanced Lithium batteries. |
| Display | GP-PT-DIS-3 or a third-party multiplex display | The screen. Also provides Bluetooth to the Go Power! Connect app. |
| Solar controller | GP-RVC-30-MPPT, Dometic SC-DB-MPPT-30-12, Dometic SC-DB-MPPT-40-12 | Reports solar watts and charge current; up to eight can stack on one bank. |
| Inverter | SSW, ASW or AIC series | Reports load and lets you switch the inverter from the display. AIC inverter/chargers also report charging. |
Which harnesses each combination needs
These are the rules the configurator applies. "Another device" below means a display, shunt, controller or inverter is on the network alongside the batteries.
Batteries
- Two or more Advanced Lithium batteries: one GP-ADV-BC-400 data cable between each pair for 100Ah batteries, or the longer GP-ADV-BC-600 for 300Ah batteries — so three batteries need two cables. Plus the GP-RVC-BCR end-cap terminator: one if another device is on the network, two if the batteries are networked on their own.
- Advanced Lithium batteries with another device and no shunt: one GP-RVC-BC system harness, which carries battery data to the display and powers the network.
- Any other battery: add the Smart Shunt; no battery data cables are needed.
Smart Shunt
- One GP-RVC-DIODE. The GP-RVC-ADPTR adapter harness and GP-SHUNT-PC power harness ship in the box with the shunt and are listed only so your installer sees them.
Display
- One GP-RVC-EXT-25 25 ft extension harness to reach from the power bay to the living area. Add the 5 ft GP-RVC-EXT-MF5 if the run is a little short.
Terminating the network
- Every RV-C network must be terminated or devices drop off the display. With a display, one GP-RVC-PT-TR terminating resistor harness; with no display, two.
Solar controllers
- One GP-RVC-PT-BC branch connector per controller — it tees the controller into the network.
- Dometic SC-DB-MPPT-30-12 and SC-DB-MPPT-40-12 controllers also need two GP-RVC-PD power disconnect harnesses.
Inverters
- SSW and AIC series inverters need one GP-RVC-PD power disconnect harness (if you also have a Dometic SC-DB controller, its two cover the system).
- Any inverter or controller on the network gets the optional 5 ft extension added to the list so you have slack for mounting.
Worked example
Two 300Ah Advanced Lithium batteries, the PowerTrak™ display, two Dometic 30A dual-bank controllers and an SSW-2000-12 inverter. The configurator lists: one GP-ADV-BC-600 data cable, one GP-RVC-BCR terminator, one GP-RVC-BC system harness, one GP-RVC-PT-TR terminating resistor, one GP-RVC-EXT-25 display harness, two GP-RVC-PT-BC branch connectors, one GP-RVC-EXT-MF5 5 ft extension and two GP-RVC-PD power disconnect harnesses — and shows the two-controller wiring and communications diagrams. One click puts all of it, plus the batteries, display, controllers and inverter, in the cart.
How to use the configurator
- Open the PowerTrak™ Part Configurator.
- Choose your battery and quantity. Choosing an Advanced Lithium battery greys out the shunt, because you don't need one; choosing "Other" and a shunt greys out the Advanced Lithium options.
- Choose display, controller (with quantity) and inverter. Leave anything you don't have at "–".
- Click View results. The "Products chosen" table is what you selected; "Accessories & cabling required" is what they need, with prices and links to each part.
- Click Add items to cart, or Print to hand the list and diagrams to your installer.
The wiring diagrams are examples for one, two and three-or-more controller systems. For a specific installation, contact Go Power! tech support.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the Smart Shunt with Go Power! Advanced Lithium batteries?
No. Advanced Lithium batteries report state of charge over RV-C themselves. The shunt is for AGM, flooded or other-brand lithium banks.
Can I add PowerTrak™ to an existing Go Power! inverter?
Yes, if it is an SSW, ASW or AIC series unit — they are PowerTrak™ compatible out of the box and need a GP-RVC-PD power disconnect harness. The older IC series inverter/chargers have been replaced by the AIC line.
What happens if I skip the terminating resistor?
An unterminated CAN bus is unreliable: devices show intermittently, read wrong, or never appear on the display. One GP-RVC-PT-TR per system (two with no display) fixes it.
How many solar controllers can I put on one PowerTrak™ system?
Up to eight, each on its own branch connector, for arrays to 4,800W.
Does the configurator include the display kit?
It lists the display, 25 ft harness and terminating resistor as separate parts so the quantities are exact for your system. If you are starting from nothing, the PowerTrak™ Display Kit (GP-PT-DIS-KIT) bundles those three.
I'm a dealer or installer — can I use this for quotes?
Yes. Print the result; it carries a configuration reference and date, and every part number matches what you would order from your Go Power! representative.
Browse all PowerTrak™ parts and accessories, or go straight to the configurator.