A few days back I posted about replacing my damaged 10watt solar panel that is basically useless and does not work anyway. We are in the process of selling the rig and I donโt want to spend a lot of money putting in something I will not be using and which will not improve the sales price. So please donโt suggest I go whole hog and upgrade to 65 thousand watts of solar.
I am however following many of your suggestions. Solar Blvd was suggested as a dealer to check out, I am going to purchase from them and probably a 60 watt panel. I also found a 10 amp, multi stage charge controller that I think will look good as an add on panel. So that is my proposed system, now for connecting it.
I plan on feeding new wire for the entire way from the roof to the batteries. Currently there are two 16 gauge wires run in a circuitous route from the panel inboard of the fridge vent on the right side of the roof, down into the bowels of the rig over to the All In One Panel and then back to the right side to the batteries via overload protection which is about 35 feet. The only reason for running wires to the All in One Panel is to power the indicator light showing the panel is working and the input/output wires drop down to # 24 or 26 AWG where they connect to that circuit. There isnโt any controller, in the panel is a circuit with a few diodes to prevent feedback and a resistor to regulate the voltage to the indicator light. I am abandoning that circuit wires and all. From where the panel is mounted, down to the raceway under the fridge to the main converter is about 16 feet. According to a recommended App that calculates wire sizing for solar systems, I can use #14 AWG cable.
So if I can find the actual location where the existing wiring is connected to the batteries, I will connect the new cable there. If I donโt find it, can I connect the wires from the solar controller to the wires from the converter output to the batteries. According to my E&E professor there is theoretically no difference between either end of a 5 foot wire, so it should be okay, right? Connect to the output of the converter or the battery buss 5 or 6 feet away, either should be good.
I did make one assumption and that is that the solar panel and the controller were both working at 100 percent efficiency of their ratings. Not too likely to happen but a positive fudge factor.
So did I miss anything?
"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to go". R. L. Stevenson
David Bishop
2002 Winnebago Adventurer 32V
2009 GMC Canyon
Roadmaster 5000
BrakeBuddy Classic II