Forum Discussion

antiquedriver's avatar
Jun 26, 2015

Need Assistance in Solar Install

We have a 2011 Lance 950 camper with a slide-out in which I am attempting to install PV panels. I had no trouble installing two 75W on our 2001 Lance camper years ago but have been stuck on this one.

I have installed my two 75watt panels and have power from them. I located a cable under the kitchen sink. This wire does not read any power. I would have thought that it would lead to the batteries.

I have my charge controller in line between panels and battery. Charge controller signals that there is an error. I bought another controller: same error.

Maybe I have the wrong cable from under the sink.

Any suggestions would be welcome.
  • Padlin wrote:
    Did you try asking about the location over on the Truck Camper forum? Might have someone with the same unit.

    On my trailer, prewire was just the cables from the roof to where the controller should go, which was next to the batteries.


    That's the answer....... Don't make it complicated.

    Ron W
  • Did you try asking about the location over on the Truck Camper forum? Might have someone with the same unit.

    On my trailer, prewire was just the cables from the roof to where the controller should go, which was next to the batteries.
  • Usually you need to connect the controller to the battery before you connect the panels.

    If the wires you assumed were connected to the battery have no power then you need to discover where they terminate and get them connected.
    In line fuse missing?
  • Prewired for solar may only mean that a wire is pulled from the inside to somewhere topside.
    Best practice would be to use a wire large enough to handle the controller's output run directly to the battery, interrupted only by a fuse.
  • Sure. This Lance is pre-wired for solar. Surely, I would get a reading on my volt-meter coming from the battery. Any idea where the pre-wire is on this 2011 Lance?
  • antiquedriver wrote:
    We have a 2011 Lance 950 camper with a slide-out in which I am attempting to install PV panels. I had no trouble installing two 75W on our 2001 Lance camper years ago but have been stuck on this one.

    I have installed my two 75watt panels and have power from them. I located a cable under the kitchen sink. This wire does not read any power. I would have thought that it would lead to the batteries.

    I have my charge controller in line between panels and battery. Charge controller signals that there is an error. I bought another controller: same error.

    Maybe I have the wrong cable from under the sink.

    Any suggestions would be welcome.


    My guess is that you have the +12 from the solar panels to the controller correctly wired. However the putput wires from the controller to battery are not hooked up right. You should be running a #10 wire from both the +side (with a 20 amp inline fuse) and ground side of the battery directly to the controller. This should solve any 'error' codes on the controller.

    Good luck!

    Fred.
  • Quote:
    Maybe I have the wrong cable from under the sink.
    -----------------------------------------------------
    Yes maybe you do.
    Think maybe you should check it ??
  • antiquedriver wrote:
    We have a 2011 Lance 950 camper with a slide-out in which I am attempting to install PV panels. I had no trouble installing two 75W on our 2001 Lance camper years ago but have been stuck on this one.

    I have installed my two 75watt panels and have power from them. I located a cable under the kitchen sink. This wire does not read any power. I would have thought that it would lead to the batteries.

    I have my charge controller in line between panels and battery. Charge controller signals that there is an error. I bought another controller: same error.

    Maybe I have the wrong cable from under the sink.

    Any suggestions would be welcome.


    Please let us know what controller, perhaps a URL to the manuel.
    my first thought is you are not connected to the batteries.

    The positive connection that you hook to (its best to go right to the batteries) needs to at least show battery voltage. You should not connect to any old wire you find. Just saying :)

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