Forum Discussion

maxum1989's avatar
maxum1989
Explorer II
Nov 02, 2015

roof and portable solar wiring question

Ok Solar gurus. Need some help. My plan is to install 200 watts of solar on my camper. I would like to have a 100 watt panel on the roof wired in working all the time. I would also like a separate 100 panel used in a portable manner that could be hooked up quickly when needed. I am going to use two flexible 100watt panels(or four 50's, haven't decided yet), a MPPT controller (best choice?)and possibly a monitor to see what's going on. The vendor I am working with uses MC4 connectors. He had some ideas on how to do this but I thought I would check with you guys to see how you would do it.



My main goal would be to have the roof panel wired in and running full time. Then when needed the other panel could just be hooked in with some type of quick connection to double the battery charging when needed or when the roof panel is fully in shade. Can this be done? The vendor wants to disconnect the roof panel, then re-wire for two panels every time I want the second panel used. I was hoping for a simpler solution.
  • westend's avatar
    westend
    Explorer
    Nov 04, 2015
    Tom_M wrote:
    The wire is #10 tinned fine stranded. I got it at an Ax-Man surplus near where I live. It was priced at 12 cents a foot. I think they thought it was aluminum wire because it was silver colored. That was about 4 years ago. I've been in the store recently and they had nothing like it.

    If I had to buy more wire I'd check eBay for heavy gauge zip-cord at least #10. Zip-cord is also called speaker wire. I helped a fellow camper with a system last winter down in Florida and he found some #10 zip-cord in Miami. It was CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum). It worked okay for his system, but pure copper would have been preferred. Listings on eBay are sometimes quite vague on what type wire is used.
    The Ax Man, of course. That's why it looked different. I visit them continually but stock is only replenished as space allows. If they sold a few esoteric signal analyzers or one of those military contraptions, they'd have room for more wire. ;)

    CCA is not used here. It's like going to a whorehouse for a kiss. :R

    I sometimes shop at ABC Electronics (otherwise known as hole-in-the-wall electronics) in Mpls. They are on 7Th Ave N, almost under I-94 (warehouse district). I've bought everything from teflon jacketed data wire to #2 building wire from them but they are similar to Ax Man, a rotating stock of surplus.

    Your coil of wire and connector looked like the real deal. I may pursue a portable panel in the future so always looking for good bits and pieces. Thanks!
  • Tom_M1's avatar
    Tom_M1
    Explorer
    Nov 03, 2015
    The wire is #10 tinned fine stranded. I got it at an Ax-Man surplus near where I live. It was priced at 12 cents a foot. I think they thought it was aluminum wire because it was silver colored. That was about 4 years ago. I've been in the store recently and they had nothing like it.

    If I had to buy more wire I'd check eBay for heavy gauge zip-cord at least #10. Zip-cord is also called speaker wire. I helped a fellow camper with a system last winter down in Florida and he found some #10 zip-cord in Miami. It was CCA (Copper Clad Aluminum). It worked okay for his system, but pure copper would have been preferred. Listings on eBay are sometimes quite vague on what type wire is used.
  • westend's avatar
    westend
    Explorer
    Nov 03, 2015
    Tom,
    I've advised a few on this Forum to use your mounting scheme. The ease and variability make yours one of the best installations I've seen.

    If you could, what wire did you use for the extension from the RV to the removed panel (red and black striped)? TIA
  • Tom_M1's avatar
    Tom_M1
    Explorer
    Nov 03, 2015
    I have three panels on my coach. Two are portable and one is permanently mounted on the roof. The two portable panels are mounted to the side of my coach
    and can be tilted in place or removed and set in the sun. The panel on the roof is 125 watts and the other two are an 80 watt and 180 watt. The 180 watt
    is flexible which I mounted in a frame. I opted for the flexible because of the light weight which makes it easier to handle.



    Here's a link to a slide show of my install: Solar panel install
  • grizzzman's avatar
    grizzzman
    Explorer
    Nov 03, 2015
    maxum1989 wrote:
    Ok Solar gurus. Need some help. My plan is to install 200 watts of solar on my camper. I would like to have a 100 watt panel on the roof wired in working all the time. I would also like a separate 100 panel used in a portable manner that could be hooked up quickly when needed. I am going to use two flexible 100watt panels(or four 50's, haven't decided yet), a MPPT controller (best choice?)and possibly a monitor to see what's going on. The vendor I am working with uses MC4 connectors. He had some ideas on how to do this but I thought I would check with you guys to see how you would do it.



    My main goal would be to have the roof panel wired in and running full time. Then when needed the other panel could just be hooked in with some type of quick connection to double the battery charging when needed or when the roof panel is fully in shade. Can this be done? The vendor wants to disconnect the roof panel, then re-wire for two panels every time I want the second panel used. I was hoping for a simpler solution.


    I would go with a PWM charge controller. A waste of money with what you wanna do going MPPT.

    If I were going to go portable I would use two extention cords (3 wire)
    one for the pos and one for neg. As an example two 16 guage 25 ft cords
    would have around 1% voltage drop. (Thats good) at 5.5 amps. Cords and Receptacles are cheap at the "box" stores. Cords coil up for storage and they could be used as a regular cord when not needed.
  • RJsfishin's avatar
    RJsfishin
    Explorer
    Nov 03, 2015
    I also carry a portable w/ its own controller mounted on it, so in reality it is a portable battery charger.
    The 6 ft 10 ga cord has a standard 2 pin power plug on it, same as is on most all battery chargers now days. If and when I need the extra solar, I just plug the panel into the 2 pin plug flush mounted on the side of my RV as seen below. The plug is connected to battery + & -

    Here is the link to the 2 pin flush mount
    http://www.solarcapitalist.com/sae2pin-surface-mount-connector-pigtail.aspx
  • AnEv942's avatar
    AnEv942
    Nomad
    Nov 03, 2015
    Unsure of vendors thoughts but what you described is what I did. Fixed panel on roof hardwired to controllers solar input. I ran a short pigtail/quick connect from controller (solar input) to outside cabinet. Portable that's plugged in when needed.
    Need more just plug in the portable. Main panel stays in loop.

    I don't know if plugging in portable when the roof isn't really working is 'how' it should be done or optimum but it certainly works. They aren't trying to feed each other. At least I 'see' more amps going to batteries. But maybe other concerns I'm unaware of?

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