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New Palomino hard side 'solar ready'??

Z1500
Explorer
Explorer
This is my first new RV in 15yrs and my first 'solar ready' unit. I have it on order and I should see it in a couple weeks. Trying to see what 'solar ready' means for a Palomino truck camper. I find lots of youtube videos on other brand 'solar ready' TT's. Those are usually prewired from a passthrough on the roof to a marked wall mount location for a controller. Then prewired from there to the battery.

Now here is the odd thing. I've looked at thousands of interior pics of the Palomino and I don't see any wall mount location for a solar controller. How is this supposed to go in a Palomino TC?
11 REPLIES 11

towpro
Explorer
Explorer
AISURFFISH wrote:
Call palomino, they are still a small enough company the they will actually answer the phone and talk you through it.

We are taking delivery of our new AF and I have had questions much like yours.. a simple call and I hot right through to their engineers. I even told them that TC builders need to run a larger circuit up to the bed area for the growing number of Cpap users.. so if you see that idea coming into production you can thank me.


I know with the AF its a PITA to run any new wire up through that wall. BUT if your not using the generator and your pre wired, there is several wires in that setup you can "borrow" that come from below the sink to above the divider in that side wall
2022 Ford F150
Sold: 2016 Arctic Fox 990, 2018 Ram 3500, 2011 Open Range
Sold Forest River Forester 2401R Mercedes Benz. when campsites went from $90 to $190 per night.

GolfnCamp
Explorer
Explorer
For the type of camping I do ( 3-4 days ),the 2 batteries, 160 watt solar panel and 2000 watt generator is all I need. Thanks for the gesture.
2017 Palomino HS2902 TC w/elite pkg
2019 Ram 3500 Dually Bighorn

pianotuna
Nomad III
Nomad III
GolfnCamp wrote:
My batteries are under the step leading up to the bed. The camper had only one group 24, but I had the dealer add 2 group 27s. These were the largest they could fit.


If that meets your needs, GREAT. If it doesn't, the SiO2 come in a group 27 jar, and would approximately double the existing capacity.
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.

GolfnCamp
Explorer
Explorer
My batteries are under the step leading up to the bed. The camper had only one group 24, but I had the dealer add 2 group 27s. These were the largest they could fit.
2017 Palomino HS2902 TC w/elite pkg
2019 Ram 3500 Dually Bighorn

zb39
Explorer
Explorer
Where are the batteries in a 2902? I am thinking of one and I'm looking at a bunch of videos. I'm guessing under the sink, but not sure. Is there room to add more? How many does it come with?
2017 Host mammoth, sold
49 states, 41 National Parks, 7 Provinces
2019 2 door Rubicon 6 spd.
2019 Berkshire XLT 45B
2022 Host Cascade
2021 Ram 5500 Air ride

GolfnCamp
Explorer
Explorer
I own a 2017 Palomino HS2902 and when my solar panel was installed they went down through the fridge vent to the batteries. Solar ready means for portable panels only. On my unit anyway.
2017 Palomino HS2902 TC w/elite pkg
2019 Ram 3500 Dually Bighorn

AISURFFISH
Explorer
Explorer
Call palomino, they are still a small enough company the they will actually answer the phone and talk you through it.

We are taking delivery of our new AF and I have had questions much like yours.. a simple call and I hot right through to their engineers. I even told them that TC builders need to run a larger circuit up to the bed area for the growing number of Cpap users.. so if you see that idea coming into production you can thank me.
2017 F350 6.2L Crew Cab

Arctic Fox 990 2021 TORK-LIFT FAST GUNS AND SUPER HITCH
COOLER RACK OFF THE FRONT ALWAYS FULL OF FISHING RODS TICA TO BE EXACT

towpro
Explorer
Explorer
Slymer, on my AF 990 the wire came from roof, went to that controller location in wall where it has some slack (but was not cut) than continued down to under sink areas. I used Bogart Engineering system including their solar controller. I put the solar controller under the sink.

you can test that the wire is not cut by first checking continuity on roof looking for an "open", than find where the wire bundle ends under stink, twist ends together and check continuity of wires on roof again to see if its now shows a short.
2022 Ford F150
Sold: 2016 Arctic Fox 990, 2018 Ram 3500, 2011 Open Range
Sold Forest River Forester 2401R Mercedes Benz. when campsites went from $90 to $190 per night.

KD4UPL
Explorer
Explorer
I had a Fleetwood TC that had a connection on the roof for a solar panel. I could not ever figure out where the other end of the wires were. I pulled lights and speakers down, took paneling off, etc trying to follow the wires around but I could never find where they went.
I ended up just cutting them where they were accessible and running my own wires to where I wanted my charge controller mounted.
Unfortunately "solar ready" is more marketing than reality. I think retailers have figured out that a lot of people will buy just about anything if they put "solar" on it some where.

pianotuna
Nomad III
Nomad III
Solar ready is just a wire from the roof to the battery compartment. Often the wire is in the fridge chimney.
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.

Slymer
Explorer
Explorer
Our Arctic Fox is also solar ready pre-wired. For us that means there are the wires run through into the battery compartment, and also up to the roof to connect to the panels, which we have not done. The controller that we would have to buy would be installed on the wall near the kitchen sink, near the radio & water heater controls. It simply consists of a label on the wall. "put controller here", or something like that. It just shows where you have to CUT into the wall to mount the controller. I assume all the wires are in the wall behind it that I would need, after I get my drywall knife out. Good luck.