Solar install on a Lance 1181

OK, so, there should be TWO wires, blue and white, bundled together, somewhere, correct?

The manual that came with the unit says they are looped in the cabinet next to the galley and terminate behind the battery compartment. Nothing I could find in any of the cabinets and the single blue wire I did find is in the basement as noted earlier.

Guess I have to do some more looking and remove the batteries to gain access to the rear of that compartment.

The white wire from the roof should NOT be connected to the ground buss. It should connect to the controller negative input. The instructions for the controller will tell you this.

Most controllers do not want the solar negative / minus wires connected to anything except the controller. That is where the measurement for solar current is taken.

Nothing like that in there, just one of them ribbed black plastic conduits w/a couple romex wire inside, that and the water lines to the sink is all.

Nothing under the bathroom sink either.

Is the white wire from the rooftop already secured to the chassis ground buss?

check the back right under the sink

that is where i found mine plus the PO's controller

Just for the fun of it, I searched for the blue wire from the solar panel plug on the roof. I think I found it inside the basement, just to the left of the long slide out tray, bundled up and crammed in behind the main sewer pvc, does this sound about right??

Only other wiring I could find was the rats nest under the sleeper step-up

on the mounts. The Aluminum frame of the lance is right along the side edge. I mounted the z mounts to the panels and set them into place on the roof and marked the holes with a sharpie. I then pre drilled with just enough depth to pierce the aluminun for the 3/4 self tapping machine screws to get a bite. On the mounts away from the edge I used 3/4 wood screws. Dicor was applied to the underside of the z plate and then the panel was screwed down. Nothing has moved and i have been through some major cross winds while driving at highway speeds. Don't over think everything and talk yourself out of doing the project. I had never done anything like this and start to finish it only took about 3 hours with a buddy helping .

Any of the solar companies that sell to RVers will spec out a complete system for you. I would have them spec you a 150 watt system and see what it costs. Installation is more time consuming than difficult. Plus, everyone here will chime in to help you along the way.
(I used one 185 watt portable panel to keep my batteries charged on a 28 ft fifth wheel with a wife and two kids. Our batteries were charged every day).
I too, believe that you will find solar will let you do so much more.
Good luck
Bill

Thanks Jefe, I have no idea what if any kind of equipment to even be looking at/for. So, I'll have to rely on others and hope they can direct me in the right direction for source and installation directions.

I have a few questions for anyone doing this on a 1181 or the like...
For instance, the front slope on both sides of the roof, like Buzzcuts', looks to be the best location, on either side of the skyvent. Also the pre-wire is located in the same area, I think. But how do you know where to drill mounting screw holes to be sure you will actually hit something (framing members) strong enough to secure the panels to?

And is the prewire big enough gage to handle the current once. If not, can one use that wiring to pull a larger gage wire through to wherever it needs to be routed to, stff like that, you know?
I'm probably going to have to rely on others experiences here.

Dave S.

As usual, Jefe_4X4 makes sensible sense. One you can always trust to tell you the truth and channel you to someone when he does not. The audit is the best way to go and there are some places that can show you how this is done. But here is what you can do, do it in phases. Start out with a reasonable rate of watts and battery. Typical in our TC world is 100 to 150 watts. Just like Goldilocks, too much, too little, just right. No one can tell YOU what you need from their own experience. If they do, run away. But what you should do is start your system with the chance you can expand. Don't use just enough wire, charge controler or battery bank. Plan for that just extra more. Charge controllers is usually where most make their first error in getting just enough and then through use find that they need to replace it. Also, if you are going to start with one panel, buy two. Often it is cheaper to buy two and park one in the garage while you test what you have will meet your needs. Also be aware once you get into the solar conveyor you will find new possiblities opening up for you in staying "Gone" longer and going into more new areas you might otherwise have avoided.

Also, we all have skill sets different from another. Don't hesitate to allow someone else do the work for you. In this way you won't have the mental block of doing something you are not comfortable with, damage the expensive equipment while learning, or as my dad would say: "spend your free time doing something you enjoy doing and paying someone else to do what they do best." Often times you will get out and start using the item faster by doing this way. There are many here that will encourage you to do it, to the point of being annoying, but if you know someone to help, while supplying pizza and beer, do it that way too. But the whole solar thing can be and is intimidating.

By all means, have fun and for me, solar was a life changing experience and might very well be, for you too.

b

Dave,
I'm in a similar boat on this RV conveyor belt of life but a few rollers ahead of you. I thought I knew what I wanted but after reading one Solar thread on here, with a plethora of wizards, I was then sure I knew nothing. We are finishing up the install of the two Renogy panels that Buzz wrote about. I'll post up the results soon. The Solar panel product industry is changing so quickly, it is VERY important to have a mentor who is up-to-date on what's out there. It's really pretty simple. Problem was, I had no idea how many watts I needed for my particular set up. My guru was Jim (BigfootFord) who guided me through the Solar Swamp of choices. So many choices because everyone's conditions and requirements are different. Also, companies come and go like the wind. (Solindra?)
However, the idea is to get as many Solar panels as you think you will need (and will physically fit without too many shadows) and then some.
With a Lance 1181, you should have a lot more space on the roof than I do allowing you to install wider panels. Jim's idea was to make cardboard templates of the panel footprint and place it around to find the absolute best placement and to see what size would be best.
jefe