Solar panel system fires

Again. Welcome to the forum. Have a good time.

There’s no stretch at all, unless you now divert from your own declaration “Your insurance is tightly governed by the contract that you have with your carrier (the policy). They have to abide by this contract and they aren't permitted to make up other requirements outside the four corners of the page.”

Your “reasonable person” definition is not in “the four corners of the page”. There is the clear, specific contract exclusion: “you must, without limitation:
a. exercise due diligence to properly maintain the vehicle;
b. comply with all federal safety standards and provisions; and
c. follow all customary and manufacturer-recommended maintenance guidelines.”

Does your reasonable person also know “ALL federal safety standards and provisions” as the contract requires?

Your claim that RV owners are those “reasonable people were assumed to be fools” is quite a defamation of Good Sam members. As a 30+ year RV owner and Good Sam member, I find this forum to be a wealth of excellent information from reasonable people.

Back to the topic, there is a way to prevent solar panel system fires. You exercise due diligence before altering the life and safety components of your RV. Starting a topic in this forum “solar panel system fires” and learning that there is a national life safety standard that prescribes a method to prevent the specific concern is one form of due diligence. You then follow that consensus, best engineering practice as you properly maintain your vehicle.

No need to bump this topic further.

73/gus

When I worked in claims, "reasonable" people were assumed to be fools. We never interpreted "reasonable" to mean a specific code etc., because most people weren't conversant in anything beyond adding air to their tires and gas to their tank (if that). "Reasonable" meant driving on the right side of the roadway.

I think your interpretation is a stretch. There's no interpretation that would mean that a "reasonable person" would know what "NFPA 1192" is. Ever.

Thanks for the info on the bumping custom.

On the insurance, the Progressive Texas Travel Trailer Policy is pretty clear. Under Exclusions, “17. that occurs because a covered vehicle has not been properly maintained and kept in reasonable condition.”
The “reasonable condition” definition, is: “ Reasonable condition” means fit to withstand the foreseeable and expected conditions of weather, wind, precipitation, and the rigors of normal and foreseeable use, including travel on public roads. For a vehicle to be considered in reasonable condition, you must, without limitation:
a. exercise due diligence to properly maintain the vehicle;
b. comply with all federal safety standards and provisions; and
c. follow all customary and manufacturer-recommended maintenance guidelines.”

If you choose to maintain your RV in such a manner that it is no longer in compliance with NFPA 1192, such as not complying with propane or electrical safety standards, are you exercising due diligence? Note the “You must without limitation”. Example might include,
- using a fuse larger than the manufacturer’s recommendation,
- removing or disabling smoke, CO, and propane detectors,
- modifying your braking system’s electrical connections to effectively disable the break away switch,
- using water plumbing parts on the propane system,
- removing the GFCI protection on certain outlets.

Is this what you are looking for?

73/gus

gklott wrote:
Most RV insurance companies require owners to comply with standards and industry best practice on modifications that may effect safety.

Hello Gklott - Welcome to the forum. I see that this is your first post. I need to point out to you that we discourage adding posts to threads that are more than a few weeks old. We call this "bumping" and it's kind of an unnatural way to resume the conversation after the responses have died down. It's better to start a new thread.

It's not a rule, but kind of a custom. No big deal though. Anyway, welcome to the forum.

As far as your statement about insurance companies requiring compliance, I'll push back on that and say that I've never seen that in a policy before. Your insurance is tightly governed by the contract that you have with your carrier (the policy). They have to abide by this contract and they aren't permitted to make up other requirements outside the four corners of the page. If you have different verbiage in your policy though, by all means share it with us.

Again, welcome aboard. We'll see you around.

Specifically, I see many RVs that add three or more panels.

RVIA and QAI (Canada) specify following the National Electric Code (NEC - NFPA 70) in all RVs. Most RV insurance companies require owners to comply with standards and industry best practice on modifications that may effect safety.

The 2017 National Electric Code (and 2020,2023 editions) have this requirement: "§690.41.(B). Ground-fault protection. PV DC circuits that exceed 30V or 8 amperes shall be provided with dc ground fault detection meeting the requirements of 690.41(B)(1) and (B)(2) to reduce fire hazards.
Solidly grounded PV source circuits with not more than two modules in parallel and not on or in buildings shall be permitted without ground fault protection."

My Escape Trailer Industries optional OEM configuration has two modules in parallel (GoPower BF-190M). The charge controller (GoPower or Victron) provides grounding between the - PV terminal, - battery, and chassis. This meets the RVIA and QAI requirements.

I placed a 30A MaxiFuse and a disconnect switch before the charge controller. I have a 60A MaxiFuse between the + solar charger and the + main bus.

73/gus

NamMedevac 70 wrote:

2oldman wrote:
I've had panel failures from the thin connnecting strips under the glass. They turn brown then burn out. Gets hot up there, which is why I would never put a flexible panel directly on my roof.

That is very useful info for new RVers to know. Thanks

X 2, I’ll now be checking my 8 Rv panels…

3 tons, with few opinions…

2oldman wrote:
I've had panel failures from the thin connnecting strips under the glass. They turn brown then burn out. Gets hot up there, which is why I would never put a flexible panel directly on my roof.

That is very useful info for new RVers to know. Thanks

Folks it's not apples to apples here.

Those commercial installations have panels wired in series so that the output is 1000volts, the 4 panels on your RV 70volts on a bright sunny day?

I've had panel failures from the thin connnecting strips under the glass. They turn brown then burn out. Gets hot up there, which is why I would never put a flexible panel directly on my roof.