RV NET solar install?

Almot wrote:
West, I'm not worried about one more hole - otherwise wouldn't have drilled a dozen of them for panel mounts :).

Just don't like aging plastic parts on the roof. My plumbing vent cap had crumbled to pieces after one summer in Mexico. Fridge vent cap is holding so far, probably a better plastic. MC4 connectors under the panel are safe.

Tech's idea on on routing the cables through that Sat plate under the panel is a good one too. If fridge vent is too far, I would run MC4 #8 through that Sat plate to the inside, and then to a J-box in the nearest closet.

Rustoleom makes a UV resistant clear coat for plastic. You could also use an aluminum outdoor combiner box.

On the West coast there is Wholesale Solar in Mt. Shasta, CA

Just got a grid tied system for my stick built house; doing a DIY
install.

This is a roof mount, 30 large panels.


They said they ship all over the world and prices seem good.

West, I'm not worried about one more hole - otherwise wouldn't have drilled a dozen of them for panel mounts :).

Just don't like aging plastic parts on the roof. My plumbing vent cap had crumbled to pieces after one summer in Mexico. Fridge vent cap is holding so far, probably a better plastic. MC4 connectors under the panel are safe.

Tech's idea on on routing the cables through that Sat plate under the panel is a good one too. If fridge vent is too far, I would run MC4 #8 through that Sat plate to the inside, and then to a J-box in the nearest closet.

I really don't see any major drawback from using a roof-mounted combiner box and running everything with as little length as possible. Most guys already have a lot of hole area that's sealed on the roof. Yes, one more hole is a chance of one more leak but aren't we beyond that now? If you want to seal the combiner box and it's through hole to the roof, grab that Dicor or Eternabond and seal it like an aquarium. The efficiency of the shorter length of wire overtakes the risk of a leak, IME.

mchero wrote:
I'm looking at dropping thru left rear thru closet or better yet down thru rear cap, over to electrical bay.

Is the fridge vent too far?

1,000W in parallel is ~33A @30V.

MC4 #8 at 10ft length from the panel MC4 Y-splitter to the J-box in closet would result in less than 0.4% voltage drop. In MPPT this is equals to 0.4% wattage drop. This is at the peak currents. Most of the day the current will be lower, so the V-drop (or W-drop) caused by AWG 8 will be negligible. No J-box on the roof, no big holes.

Then you run a welding cable as beefy as you like, for the rest of the route to controller.

I'm looking at dropping thru left rear thru closet or better yet down thru rear cap, over to electrical bay. That will put the charge controller about 3' from house batteries.

Hey, I have the electrical prints, better safe than sorry. No surprises thank you.

Almot wrote:

The only situation where you could damage the ceiling wires, is drilling a big hole for thick cables of the roof junction box.

As someone who has damaged wires (and other things) by drilling, I now use a hole saw which allows you to go through the roof one layer at a time so you can check what you're drilling into.

Almot wrote:

If you have to do parallel wiring, you should (and could) try and avoid such a box.

Yes, those plastic combiner boxes have a way of breaking down in direct sunlight. So I switched to sat TV roof plates which I could install under a PV panel -- so no direct sunlight:

Almot wrote:

Run a short MC4 gauge 8 through the fridge vent and install the J-box in a closet next to the fridge.

Running my PV panel wires through the fridge vent wasn't a good option for me as it would have almost doubled the length of my wire run and increased voltage drop.

My parallel run was a direct path through the roof to a breaker box > controller > batteries.

I don't see how wiring in the ceiling interferes with installing panel mounts or running a panel cable. The only situation where you could damage the ceiling wires, is drilling a big hole for thick cables of the roof junction box.

If you have to do parallel wiring, you should (and could) try and avoid such a box. Run a short MC4 gauge 8 through the fridge vent and install the J-box in a closet next to the fridge. Very likely, there is a dead space on top of your fridge as well, close to the front where it doesn't get in the way of hot air exhaust.

I have some PDF's of the wiring in my coach, I want to make SURE I'm not going to be "unintentional modifying" of any of my wiring in the ceiling!!

I have noticed a couple posts above asking why Outback charge controller.

The 60amp Morningstar could possibly be maxed out as stated in prior posts.

Get more out of this forum that Solar Panel Forum. That forum is more about personalities than exchanges of information. Started following the threads in Northern Arizona and there are some good discussions there as well. There are things one can do with solar in hot weather but they are limited (just get out of Dodge is perhaps the best answer). Really cannot do much with full shade. We can fully charge in two hours at 1000 to 1300 W charge rate with mid-summer full insolation, so we try to site ourselves where we can fully charge in the morning and be in the shade in the afternoon (it sometimes works).

The main information from Handybob is power frugality. Most folks that RV would be quite happy with the level of solar with which he works. Brian Appleby tied up with us for a few hours two weeks ago near Glacier and we got some good ideas: some beliefs were reinforced, others were brought into question, and there were new ideas floated. Something always happens in discussions with informed and experienced boondockers who use some solar to those that are solar autonomous.

Sometimes we learn quite a bit from folks that do things incorrectly or even dangerously as in, "we shall make sure we don't do that!" We still have a minor quirk to rectify in our system and son says he knows what needs to be done when we visit in October. Had several questions on theory/fabrication on our system but he and family are currently in Mexico for a week to put solar panels on homes in a church related "Habitat for Humanity" type program.
Reed and Elaine