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06-04-2013, 01:25 PM
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#1
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Weekend Camper
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 27
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Hello,</span><div style="text-align: left; : rgb251, 251, 253; ">
<div style="text-align: left; : rgb251, 251, 253; ">I am installing a solar charging system in our ST25RB.First I am wondering if anyone would have any recommendations on how to route the cables from the roof to the batteries.I am thinking a good way to go would be to run the cables from the roof by drilling into the fiberglass cap a couple inches before the roof material (pictured by red X in image below) and run the cables along the inside of the fiberglass cap between the insulation and the fiberglass cap down to the batteries. Hopefully the cables can come out the bottom of the fiberglass cap right behind the batteries. This roof is clean, nothing to use to run cables :-)<div style="text-align: left; : rgb251, 251, 253; ">
<div style="text-align: left; : rgb251, 251, 253; ">Any advice on fittings to use to tap into the roof or cap would also be appreciated.<div style="text-align: left; : rgb251, 251, 253; ">
<div style="text-align: left; : rgb251, 251, 253; ">Thanks again<div style="text-align: left; : rgb251, 251, 253; ">
<div style="text-align: left; : rgb251, 251, 253; ">Just for full disclosure I did post this question on another forum here but haven't had much participation so I am posting here specific forum for my ST25RB trailer with hopes of more repsonses. Hope thats OK<div style="text-align: left; : rgb251, 251, 253; ">http://forums.crossroadsrv.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7062<div style="text-align: left; : rgb251, 251, 253; ">
<div style="text-align: left; : rgb251, 251, 253; ">Thanks again<div style="text-align: left; : rgb251, 251, 253; ">
<div style="text-align: left; : rgb251, 251, 253; ">
<div style="text-align: left; : rgb251, 251, 253; ">
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06-04-2013, 01:30 PM
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#2
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Full Time Camper
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Belle River , Ontario
Posts: 1,753
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If you are going thru the cap . Go to a marine store, they have knowledge about fittings to do that on a fiberglass boat .Try some sailing shops also. Or head to a marina and ask someone that installs wiring thru boat decks.
__________________
It was a rainy few days at Algonquin Prov park...tarps kept us dry.
Wayne --Belle River (Windsor), Ontario
2013 Sunset Trail Reserve 25RB..(just sold it)
2015 White Chev Silverado 2500HD 4x4 (6.0 l gasser)
2003 Mountain Star 890SBRX Truck Camper
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06-04-2013, 11:57 PM
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#3
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Weekend Camper
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 27
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I could go through the roof a few inches back as well but didn't know if sealing the roof material would harder and didn't know if there would be a bulkhead between the roof and the cap I would need to go through to get the wires routed inside the fiberglass cap.
Any thoughts on going through the roof or the cap? Basically any route suggestion would be awesome I am open to suggestions. Just trying to find the best way and starting to brainstorm at this point.
Great suggestions on the fiberglass route thanks very much.
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06-05-2013, 12:33 AM
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#4
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Full Time Camper
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 874
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I had a bounder motor home and the solar panel was attached to the top of the AC cover. I think the wires then came in through the AC access somehow. I know it worked - kept the batteries on float charge.
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06-05-2013, 06:21 AM
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#5
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: WI.
Posts: 9,153
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I can't figure out why you are so dead set on drilling holes in the top of your camper. There are/should be numerous places to make entry thru the roof without drilling more holes. One of which I pointed out to you on your other thread.
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06-05-2013, 11:46 AM
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#6
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Weekend Camper
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 27
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I tried to let everyone know that I am hoping everyone will chime in on all ideas on how to run the wires including not drilling holes in the roof. I would actually prefer not drilling holes, however, this roof is clean with little access as you see from the pic above. Hoping i get input kind of like a brain storming session to explore all ideas. Unfortunately I don't have a vent up front.
The refrigerator vent is really the only option I can see for not drilling any holes and it won't really work that I can tell. The refrigerator vent is about 2/3 the way to the back of the RV and only takes me half way down the side of the trailer. From there I would need to somehow from behind the cabinets get it out the bottom of the RV. I would need to remove the bottom plate that covers the insulation on the bottom and remove the bottom insulation to route the wires through the frame to the front. Then of course try to get the insulation and bottom insulation cover back on. I have read horror stories about getting that p;late back on. This would also make the cable lengths longer.
Hope this helps understanding, I certainly appreciate all ideas so I can figure out the easiest way to do this. and if there is a good way without drilling holes then great but because I dont have vents up front, it seems it would be easier to drill into the cap or roof behind the cap.
Thanks again
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06-05-2013, 12:06 PM
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#7
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: WI.
Posts: 9,153
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fgregory
I tried to let everyone know that I am hoping everyone will chime in on all ideas on how to run the wires including not drilling holes in the roof. I would actually prefer not drilling holes, however, this roof is clean with little access as you see from the pic above. Hoping i get input kind of like a brain storming session to explore all ideas. Unfortunately I don't have a vent up front.
The refrigerator vent is really the only option I can see for not drilling any holes and it won't really work that I can tell. The refrigerator vent is about 2/3 the way to the back of the RV and only takes me half way down the side of the trailer. From there I would need to somehow from behind the cabinets get it out the bottom of the RV. I would need to remove the bottom plate that covers the insulation on the bottom and remove the bottom insulation to route the wires through the frame to the front. Then of course try to get the insulation and bottom insulation cover back on. I have read horror stories about getting that p;late back on. This would also make the cable lengths longer.
Hope this helps understanding, I certainly appreciate all ideas so I can figure out the easiest way to do this. and if there is a good way without drilling holes then great but because I dont have vents up front, it seems it would be easier to drill into the cap or roof behind the cap.
Thanks again
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I can understand your anxiety over what and how to go about the project. I was the same way when I decided to do ours. Actually when I started, I talked with the owner of http://rvsolarelectric.com/
The fridge vent on the top of the trailer is the preferred entry point. From where I was planning to mount the panel, it would nave been to much wire on top of the trailer to suit me. So I opted for the vent pipe. Only had a short roof run and it worked out beautiful for my setup.
If you have a fridge vent on the roof and you figure you could mount your panel close without it being shadowed by something else on the roof that might be something for you to think about. As far as it being a longer run for wire, if you use heavy enough lead that won't be a bother.
Why couldn't you come right straight down from the fridge vent, thru a cupboard and thru the floor and just follow the frame to the front where your batteries are?
What size system are you planning? Where will you mount the regulator/charge controller?
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06-05-2013, 11:44 PM
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#8
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: WI.
Posts: 9,153
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I would also like to add that I owe the success and ease of my installation to the help of a fellow forum member. Ridgeman. Kurt lives in CA. and was very helpful during the process. We exchanged many many emails.
So I would like to extend that same help to you if are interested, or find the need for it. Some times it's helpful to just be able to bounce ideas off somebody else and get a different view point.
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06-06-2013, 10:56 AM
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#9
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Weekend Camper
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 27
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Wow that would be awesome thanks for the consideration and I will take you up on that :-) My plan now is to install in phases.
Phase 1 is installing the controller and wiring to the battery
Phase 2 is install solar cells
Phase 3 wire solar cells to the controller.
I plan on starting phase 1 next weekend and have been reading up in the mean time.
One question, should I install a switch between the controller and solar cells, between controller and batteries, or both
If so any switch recomendations?
Thanks again
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06-06-2013, 12:09 PM
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#10
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: WI.
Posts: 9,153
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Sent you pm
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06-18-2013, 01:11 PM
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#11
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Weekend Camper
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 27
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Hello All
Bobby O on this link http://forums.crossroadsrv.com/forum...316&#61316 said
Here in a link to a you tube video which explains how to install a solar panel. It was produced by Gopower for their product lines. I found it very helpful when I did mine. Good luck !</span><br style="text-align: left; : rgb251, 251, 253; "><br style="text-align: left; : rgb251, 251, 253; ">āŗ 12:26āŗ 12:26</span><br style="text-align: left; : rgb251, 251, 253; "> .com/discover ...</span>
I watched the video and it was awesome. It was just what I needed.
I watched this video and it was the missing link for me. I had wanted to drill into the fiberglass cap because I could not get to the batteries by bringing the wires down the refrigerator vent becaus ethe underside is sealed. What this video showed was that I can come down therefrigerator vent and splice into the existing wires that go to the batteries from the shore power regulator... BRILLIANT!
I am thinking of using this method but installing a switch so that I do not loose shore power charging ability.
Thanks again
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06-30-2013, 06:30 AM
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#12
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Weekend Camper
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 27
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Hello everyone. I thought you all may want to see how this project is going in case you were interested in doing the same thing someday. Even if you don't want to do this, the pictures at least show you were some of the internal organs are in your trailer
http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/fgregory1/story/74751
As always any suggestions or comments welcome, after all I am not done yet.
Happy trails
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06-30-2013, 06:35 AM
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#13
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Weekend Camper
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 27
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07-07-2013, 01:27 AM
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#14
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: WI.
Posts: 9,153
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You have a neat looking installation. The solar panels are an interesting item in themselves. I don't believe I have seen any quite like those. What brand are they? How have you got them fasten to the roof? How many watts does your setup produce?
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07-07-2013, 09:28 AM
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#15
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Full Time Camper
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Florida
Posts: 650
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Farmer
You have a neat looking installation. The solar panels are an interesting item in themselves. I don't believe I have seen any quite like those. What brand are they? How have you got them fasten to the roof? How many watts does your setup produce?
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Yeah, what he said!
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Bert, Cathy, Kylie & Kaitlin
2014 SunsetTrail Reserve 32BH
2009 Silverado 3500HD LTZ 4X4 6.6L Duramax
YouTube LetsRV Instagram LetsRV_
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07-07-2013, 11:06 AM
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#16
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Weekend Camper
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 27
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Hello,
Well the whole project so far including a schematic can be seen at the following link.
http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/fgregory1/story/74751</span>
</span>
Solar cells are awesome. I have two Unisolar PVL-68's in series connected to a</span>Unisolar PVL-136 in parallel. Al together should be about 8amps. I am attaching a picture of the schematic with details of the solar arrays to provide more detail. The arrays are flexible and have an adhesive backing so they are basically glued to the roof of the RV. I got the idea from another RV'er who used the same solar arrays and has a great video on his web site ofapplyingthem to the roof (</span> http://www.rvwithtito.com).Unfortunatelythe manufacturer (Unisolar) is out of business but you can still find the solar arrays.</span>
</span>
Here is the schematic of the setup so far.</span>
</span>
How does it look technically? Any suggestions appreciated.</span>
</span>
</span>
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07-08-2013, 07:57 AM
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#17
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: WI.
Posts: 9,153
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Looks like you have plenty of solar power for the battery bank they're charging. I sure hope they have a "very" good adhesive holding them onto the roof. Other wise they will be strung all over the highway. That is one reason I have my solar array anchored to the roof trusses, plus it keeps them up so air can circulate around and help dissipate any heat buildup.
Looks good, looks neat. Wishing you the best of luck.
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07-08-2013, 12:45 PM
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#18
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Weekend Camper
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 27
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I hope the adhesive holds as well. I didn't think of the heat build up but they are made for being adheared to roofs and normally mounted to metal roofs on houses. Tito hasn't had any failure yet but we will see over time.
Any thoughts on disconnect switches or having both the shore poser and solar charge sliced together to charge the battery?
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07-08-2013, 02:39 PM
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#19
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Full Time Camper
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,012
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According to my calculations the voltage on the series 68's would be 66v. They need to be in parallel not series for the rest of your schematic to make sense.
On second thought and rereading, something doesn't make sense.
V @ Pmax is 33v for all the cells. The 136 is 42v open, the 68's 21v open but all show the same V@pmax?????
What am I missing???
I looked up the specs for the 68 and the V @ Pmax is 16.5 not 33 so it all falls in place now and your hookup is correct.Edited by: avvidclif
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Clif and Millie
Ozzie (half a dog tall & 2 dogs long)
Mabank, TX
2009 Ford Lariat F350 SRW CC Diesel
2013 Cruiser CF305SK Patriot Edition
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07-16-2013, 12:02 PM
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#20
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Weekend Camper
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 27
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Thanks so much for checking it. You have a great eye for the details and must be an electrical engineer :-). It must have a cut and paste error on my part when I made up the schematic. I will correct it and repost.
UPDATE: Just finished hooking it up and it seems to be working GREAT!. We will use the trailer this weekend for four days for the first time with this system up and running. Ill let everyone know how its working.
Thanks again everyone for the support and suggestions.
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