Where to run solar panel wiring

[TBammer]

Has anyone installed solar panels on the roof of their TT? If so, how did you run the wiring? I don't see where I could run this through the walls, so it would have to be an exterior run. If so, any ideas on how to protect the wiring?

[paddywanpeep]

Yep, I call em as I see em

[westend]

paddywanpeep wrote:

A lot of folks choose the fridge vent. There is even a terminal block sold for this purpose so that you can parallel module wires to a larger cable to run to the solar controller.

There are marine bulkhead fittings made for cables for boat use that would let an installer enter through the roof anywhere. These same fittings could be used through a wall.

Some users mount a combiner box on the roof and lead wires down from that box.

FWIW, I have 2 x 4 awg and a pair of THHN 14 AWG pulled through conduit over the edge of the roof and into the wall near my electrical distribution center. The conduit is along the side of a window.

Sorry but to me that conduit over the side is pretty ugly, especially when you can do like the others have said and run down a fridge vent or tank vent.

Like they say, "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder", lol.

The truth is: I don't have a fridge vent. My only tank vent is in the rear of the trailer. My electrical distribution is in the middle of the trailer. If I used that vent, I'd have to pull wire across the ceiling against the direction of the ceiling joists.

I usually build for function instead of form but in this case, it's just the most reasonable way to tackle it. I may, in the future, paint the pipe the same color as the background siding color but I doubt it.
Now that I've received my first criticism, everytime I look at it I'll be thinking of what a genius I was for doing it that way. :B 😉 😛

Edit: OK, I looked at the critic's past posts and now I don't feel like such a genius. He pisses on everyone's grill. Darn it. 🙂

[Chef_Tim]

was also going to do the exterior wire run but decided to go through the fridge vent instead. i also wired my trailer through the panel and didn't run solar cable from the controller to the battery directly, as was going to be too much trouble to get behind walls, etc. made sure i wired an inline 200 amp breaker between panel and controller and a 60 amp fuse between controller and panel/battery charge wire.

[paddywanpeep]

A lot of folks choose the fridge vent. There is even a terminal block sold for this purpose so that you can parallel module wires to a larger cable to run to the solar controller.

There are marine bulkhead fittings made for cables for boat use that would let an installer enter through the roof anywhere. These same fittings could be used through a wall.

Some users mount a combiner box on the roof and lead wires down from that box.

FWIW, I have 2 x 4 awg and a pair of THHN 14 AWG pulled through conduit over the edge of the roof and into the wall near my electrical distribution center. The conduit is along the side of a window.

Sorry but to me that conduit over the side is pretty ugly, especially when you can do like the others have said and run down a fridge vent or tank vent.

[tBlazer]

We have a 2015 Spree 240BHS with the fridge vented out the side... all of our other trailers we ran the solar panel wires through the fridge vent. We found on our trailer that if we gently removed the radio antenna we could run the wire down through the existing hole straight down to the main control panel. It took some work as a team to pull the wire through and we had to add a hole to the side of the existing antenna flange. We added all new dicor over the flange and wire (where it entered the side of the flange), nice and neat. we replaced the antenna and attached 2 160 W panels to the roof... one on each side as the roof is rounded now.

[time2roll]

> Members Solar Installations With Pics

+1 for the fridge vent unless your fridge is in the slide.

[westend]

Don't use any silicone on the exterior. That has been documented many times as a bad material for RV exteriors.

[dewey02]

avoidcrowds wrote:
Or, use a plastic wire channel from Home Depot to mount to the outside of the TT. They clip shut, normally have self-adhesive on them, and can be had in a few shades of white. After I mounted mine with the adhesive, I ran a good bead of silicone along the outside of the channel, to give it more ability to stay on the side of my TT.

No holes in any surface, so no potential leaks. Small enough channel to not look bad.

If you could post some photos and give some links to HD, that would be appreciated. Thanks.

[avoidcrowds]

Or, use a plastic wire channel from Home Depot to mount to the outside of the TT. They clip shut, normally have self-adhesive on them, and can be had in a few shades of white. After I mounted mine with the adhesive, I ran a good bead of silicone along the outside of the channel, to give it more ability to stay on the side of my TT.

No holes in any surface, so no potential leaks. Small enough channel to not look bad.

[westend]

A lot of folks choose the fridge vent. There is even a terminal block sold for this purpose so that you can parallel module wires to a larger cable to run to the solar controller.

There are marine bulkhead fittings made for cables for boat use that would let an installer enter through the roof anywhere. These same fittings could be used through a wall.

Some users mount a combiner box on the roof and lead wires down from that box.

FWIW, I have 2 x 4 awg and a pair of THHN 14 AWG pulled through conduit over the edge of the roof and into the wall near my electrical distribution center. The conduit is along the side of a window.

[budwich]

come down thru the roof / ceiling into a upper cabinent, then feed the rest thru interior routing. Our Terry has this "feature". The hole (sized for 14/2 ac wiring / romex or equivalent... 1/2 in hole maybe) is well caulked with dicor with no issue. The cabling on the roof is held down with standard cable clamps with screws (caulked accordingly).

[the_bear_II]

Use one of the vent pipes for the holding tanks or refrigerator vent to get the wires down to a storage compartment near the battery bank/controller.

See this site for lots of RV solar info:
http://www.jackdanmayer.com/rv_electrical_and_solar.htm

[beemerphile1]

or a tank vent stack. It will require drilling a hole in the stack inside and then sealing around the wire.

[2oldman]

refridge vent. conduit. Exterior runs usually look like hell.