Help with Solar install for 2016 Rage'n?

Hey guys, I was never able to figure this out. Ragen has now been purchased by Genesis so they don't really exist in the same way. I will try calling Genesis to see if they can help but I doubt they will be any more helpful than Ragen was...

Anyways, the neighbors tree fell on our trailer so I paid the repair company extra to install the mounts for 4 solar panels while they rhino sprayed the new roof. I bought 4 panels and still have the inverter I bought like 5 years ago. I am motivated to install but still can't figure out where the pre-wired solar plug runs to. I went through all the harness, looked under the trailer, under the fridge, near the furance and refrigerator etc. I can't find any 8awg wire like the solar port has on the roof.

I can buy one of those probe and tone kits but will it work through the plywood on the roof? If so what exactly will it tell me? Where to cut a hole in the roof to find the factory wires?

Another thought is to just ditch the solar port on the roof and run some 8awg down though the rerigerator vent then across to where the electric panel and all the other wiring is and install the inverter there (there is already 4awg run to the power inverter I can probably tap into for a retrun feed). Is it ok to somehow run a wire under the refrigerator vent?

Get a tone and probe. You can use it to find out exactly where the wires run.

Tone and Probe

Really easy to use. You clip the tone generator on the wire ends and use the probe to follow the wires.

How to use.

I'd look closer at the controller specs to see if it will equalise, unless you will always be using agm's. You dont need mppt for 200 watts. Use Pwm like Bogart or morningstar and put the price difference in another panel. You arent going to get 30% more from an mppt.
10% in ideal conditions and often doubtful if you will be in those conditions.

I'd also wire large if you have any intention of going to more panels down the road. I did my Bogart system with 4 g from the roof down frig vent to controller and 4 g to the battery 3 feet away. Its terminals are for 6 g but you can squeeze 4 in them. It gets the voltage drop as low as possible and let's you go to 560 watts later. I went with 520 and it works really well. More is better. If you can stretch the money pain do it now.

When you start going over 600 watts and lots of wire then many will suggest mppt. I understand that having all the panels identical is important depending on how mppt is wired. Down the road if you want to add slightly different rating panels, pwm may be more forgiving. Others may be able to better clarify some of this as they have been doing it longer.

Here is a picture of my panels and mounts.

Golden_HVAC wrote:
Hi,

This is my front pair of panels. 120 watt mounted on a curved roof, 102" wide.



This is the mount it is held on with three rivets into the frame, and then the bottom half is 6" long aluminum, with nutsert in the upper piece, bolt you can not see from the outside edge pointing inward.









This picture shows the bigfoot panel mount sold by RvSolarElectric for $35 a set back in 1994. I wonder what they cost today?


This picture shows the panels tilted while I was working on the roof.

One solar 'ready' fifth wheel that I worked on was a Holiday Rambler that was also 'solar ready' with wires going to the battery area. The top end, I was told by the owner to measure 10" towards the front of the bathroom skylight and 18" from the sidewall on the drivers side, then the wires are 'right there'.

So I cut a hole into the roof about 1" diameter (not my RV? So why not?) I then took a coat hanger and fished around for the wires. Sure enough, they where laying on top of the insulation near where I cut the hole. I could imagine some installers not taking so much care, and cutting a 4" square opening or something. But how to cover it? My plan was a 2"X4" raintight electrical box with solid cover and of course gasket. I put LOTS of rubber roof sealant under the box, all around it, and then mounted one of the solar panels over it, so the box was about center under the panel, where rain would not fall on it.

To bad your manufacture is not calling you back. What time of day are you calling them? Perhaps you will need to call earlier in the day, try 9 am.

For mounts, I use 6" long 2" angle aluminum from Home Depot.

On my 1997 RV, I ran my wires down the refrigerator vent, using a coat hanger to help pull the wires in. I had a closet next to the refrigerator, and put the first PWM meter in the wall, next to the closet door. When I opened the closet, it backlit my meter! I had plenty of room to install the wiring and run it towards the battery.

For my improved 50 amp controller, it had a remote to cover the hole of the first controller, and the larger controller was located in the basement storage near the battery.

Hopefully the 3 wires going to the battery also stop someplace, say near the electric panel, and then go all the way to the battery.

I bet if you went to another dealership, and looked at the same model RV, they would be able to tell you the location of the wiring 'before you buy' and get the answers in minutes. .. In reality, the dealership that you bought your RV from should know the location of the wiring, and they are being a pain in the backside if they are not giving it to you.. .

Fred.

smkettner wrote:
What are you installing? OEM wire is probably inadequate anyway.

The 200 watt system I linked above, but also considering this one with the remote flush mount controller:
http://www.windynation.com/MPPT-Polycrystalline-Solar-Kits/Windy-Nation-Inc/200-Watt-12-Volt-24-Volt-Solar-Panel-MPPT-Solar-Charge-Controller-Complete-Kit-for-RVs-Boats-and-Off/-/340?p=YzE9NDc=

Or maybe something else in the 200 watt range, but I think the 8ga would be sufficient.

What are you installing? OEM wire is probably inadequate anyway.

Trackrig wrote:
Since it's a 2016, I'll assume the mfg is still in business - have you called them?

Bill

I don't want to pay them to do it, which is what they are going to tell me to do. I don't want to deal with them anymore unless I have to.

My Dad has called them several times (Ok, more than several) and they never call back or help us out. For warranty they want 2 months just to look at a simple problem (panel you hook the rear bed ladder to fell off on the way home), some water leaks, and a few other minor issues.

We ended up fixing everything ourselves so that we won't be without the trailer for the entire camping season with our brand new trailer!

2oldman wrote:

glamisduner wrote:
That location does not make sense to me though, because you wouldn't want the controller exposed to the elements...

Where else could you put it?

In the Pantry's extra space next to the main panel (It's where they ran all the wires to the main panel), and where I installed the ATS and inverter after removing the screwed in place cover. Or maybe under the refrigerator since there is open space there as well. Would it really be wise to put the controller out in the weather under the bottom of the trailer? Seems silly to me!

Would this kit be worth the extra cost?
http://www.windynation.com/MPPT-Polycrystalline-Solar-Kits/Windy-Nation-Inc/200-Watt-12-Volt-24-Volt-Solar-Panel-MPPT-Solar-Charge-Controller-Complete-Kit-for-RVs-Boats-and-Off/-/340?p=YzE9NDc=