Really, no solar?

[bobca1]

Wow!! starting a roof install project next week. Must be nice, I would have to shovel about a foot of snow off my roof before I could even see my roof.

Yep gotta install it now before it gets too hot
Actually I just want to get it installed because I know from experience how well solar works out here. I primitive camp a lot in the local mountains and desert and hardly ever need the generator (only if it gets over about 90 in the daytime and we need AC). If we run the furnace overnight the battery shows 40% in the morning and by noon its back to 100% again!

 

[Jim.Allison]

For those that are designing right now, try to design your system to accommodate a few cigar lighter power ports, I like the type that have a wall plate that you can put on a J-box. If an appliance can run on 12v it is much better to run directly off the batts rather than inverted power.

 

[bobca1]

I purchased this package today, with the remote meter option:
http://www.renogy-store.com/300W-Premium-Kit-p/kit-premium300d.htm
$740 including shipping
(according to FedEx it will be delivered tomorrow, appears it ships from LA - city of industry, i'm just 50 miles north of there)
Thank you TandT for the tip on Renogy!
After doing some more research discovered this is a good price for a 300W package with a MPPT controller. I plan to add a second 12V battery too. The RV dealer quoted me $400 to install it, so I might just have them do it (along with stackable washer/dryer at same time). I would do it myself but the routing of the cable from the roof to the battery compartment is the unknown that concerns me. Will be about a month before I can take it back to them, i might get ambitious and do this install myself before then I'll post pictures.

 

[TandT]

bobca1,
I did my own installation by drilling through the flange at the W/D vent. Then I zip-tied the cables down along the W/D roof vent pipe in the closet to the area near the batteries. I didn't want to sacrifice the vent pipe to use it as a conduit, because I may want to add a W/D at some point. Use Dicor self leveling sealant generously. Save the installation charge to buy other components. Trace

 

[Jim.Allison]

Ditto what T&T said

Exactly, save the install money, your personal install will give personal satisfaction, intimate knowledge of the system , and a better outcome.

I used W/D vent, into the drain and out at the basement, used a $10 fish tape to accomplish. Follow instructions carefully leave plenty of slack. Remember its better to series the panels when possible because high higher voltages travel better, and your charger will convert to 12v and X amps output. Any vent near your system will work but seal it well. If you are any kind of a DIY, it will be well within your capability. A solar charger is nothing more than a battery charger, its not complex. And YouTube is an excellent source of info.

 

[Brazos]

Solar is an option that many of us have come to truly appreciate. There is nothing like the DW being a little skeptical at first. But then when she can go over there and push one button and she has 110 power. That is really satisfying. This is where the problem has come in. We have the new Bighorn and my solar components sit in the bay waiting on me. I guess I am getting really anxious also.

Here is a link to my previous solar I installed. It served us well for 5 years. It is a little outdated compared to todays standards but still a very good system. It will give an idea how I did things. I did add a new 4x plastic battery box and a battery filler system.
Hopefully this link will help those fellow members considering solar DIY.

Solar

I hope the above link to my install will help those fellow members considering a DIY install. The new Bighorn solar is going to be an upgrade from my old system. Since I have a residential Frig I will take that into account. I have 820 watts of panels and will have 6 AGM batteries. Part of the old system will be installed in the new system. A new Midnightsolar Classic 150 solar charge controller and more panels have been added as well and some new items. I am planning on starting on the panels next week. It's sort of hard to start the project without being home with all my tools. On the road you do have to work around power shut downs. My plan is to have my install posted on a new blog in the same fashion as above, but more detailed.

 

[Jim.Allison]

Man I must have copied you, there is little difference between your system and my system.

Solar is an option that many of us have come to truly appreciate. There is nothing like the DW being a little skeptical at first. But then when she can go over there and push one button and she has 110 power. That is really satisfying. This is where the problem has come in. We have the new Bighorn and my solar components sit in the bay waiting on me. I guess I am getting really anxious also.

Here is a link to my previous solar I installed. It served us well for 5 years. It is a little outdated compared to todays standards but still a very good system. It will give an idea how I did things. I did add a new 4x plastic battery box and a battery filler system.
Hopefully this link will help those fellow members considering solar DIY.

Solar

I hope the above link to my install will help those fellow members considering a DIY install. The new Bighorn solar is going to be an upgrade from my old system. Since I have a residential Frig I will take that into account. I have 820 watts of panels and will have 6 AGM batteries. Part of the old system will be installed in the new system. A new Midnightsolar Classic 150 solar charge controller and more panels have been added as well and some new items. I am planning on starting on the panels next week. It's sort of hard to start the project without being home with all my tools. On the road you do have to work around power shut downs. My plan is to have my install posted on a new blog in the same fashion as above, but more detailed.

 

[Brazos]

Jim, I have followed your postings on the forum for solar installs and appreciate them. You have been an encouragement to me to get started on the Bighorn install and I am sure for others considering installing solar. You have a passion for solar. For the DIY folks the information is out there. Jim has made references to this in the past and he is correct. Joe

 

[bobca1]

Ditto what T&T said

Exactly, save the install money, your personal install will give personal satisfaction, intimate knowledge of the system , and a better outcome.

I used W/D vent, into the drain and out at the basement, used a $10 fish tape to accomplish. Follow instructions carefully leave plenty of slack. Remember its better to series the panels when possible because high higher voltages travel better, and your charger will convert to 12v and X amps output. Any vent near your system will work but seal it well. If you are any kind of a DIY, it will be well within your capability. A solar charger is nothing more than a battery charger, its not complex. And YouTube is an excellent source of info.

I have a fishtape and have pulled numerous cables in my home, but I don't have any experience with RVs. I don't have a dryer vent up front, there is a sewer vent about 10 ft back in bathroom area that I can see from underneath in the space next to water heater and furnace. If there is enough space around the pipe should be ok but I have any experience what is inside the wall. I'll probably give the install a shot. Worst case I drill a hole that doesn't work can take it in the dealer to run the power cable.

 

[Jim.Allison]

I dont know the details of the Cyclone 3110. But I assume that you will want to put some meters or controllers next to your Onan panel or unit control panel. I cut that cabinet material with the provided templates, and a case cutter, by making several passes, then I was able to fish down into the area behind the basement wall on the BC3650, this required the removal of the Onan panel. For the solar panel leads, I used the WD vent into the washer dryer plumbing which descended down into the drain, I don't have a WD so I drilled a hole in the drain where that pipe came into the basement. I sealed it with silicone so that it would remain functional. It was the most forward vent and brought me into the basement very close to the solar charger, and battery bank. The pipe was covered by a piece of trim behind the basement door frame. There are no other wires that need to be fished because you will still be using the main DC feed into your rig which already exist. The inverter/charger or inverter only installation along with the subpanel is a separate installation and will require some separate fishing for that.

But I would not have any heartburn coming down any vent pipe that could get me there. If it makes you comfortable, create a path through a vent, that exits the pipe as soon as it penetrates the roof. But to me a vent is a vent and a pair of solar panel leads are not going to restrict it. If you series the panels for higher voltage you can use smaller wire ( You will see some videos where people use giant batt cables,that is not necessary) I used what the solar panel instructions specified for the voltage I was using which was 48 volts nominally . If none of this is possible then you can drill a hole in your roof and install a junction box. I do not favor creating a penetration in my roof. I would search for any solution I could find before doing this.

As for dealers, Read up on dealer solar install, it is the consensus of RV solar enthusiast, that dealers do not have a good reputation for installing solar. The do not have the knowledge, nor the pride in workmanship. You might get lucky and find a guy that is a dedicated solar install person, then you might have someone who is qualified. Any old high school stereo installer will not do for this job.

Go at this with confidence, you can do it. And remember if the manufacturer went there with wire you can fish there too. It takes planning and all your steps need to be verified for definite success, ex. you have to KNOW that you are going to be successful before you cut a hole in mommas cabinets.

 

[bobca1]

I dont know the details of the Cyclone 3110. But I assume that you will want to put some meters or controllers next to your Onan panel or unit control panel. I cut that cabinet material with the provided templates, and a case cutter, by making several passes, then I was able to fish down into the area behind the basement wall on the BC3650, this required the removal of the Onan panel. For the solar panel leads, I used the WD vent into the washer dryer plumbing which descended down into the drain, I don't have a WD so I drilled a hole in the drain where that pipe came into the basement. I sealed it with silicone so that it would remain functional. It was the most forward vent and brought me into the basement very close to the solar charger, and battery bank. The pipe was covered by a piece of trim behind the basement door frame. There are no other wires that need to be fished because you will still be using the main DC feed into your rig which already exist. The inverter/charger or inverter only installation along with the subpanel is a separate installation and will require some separate fishing for that.

But I would not have any heartburn coming down any vent pipe that could get me there. If it makes you comfortable, create a path through a vent, that exits the pipe as soon as it penetrates the roof. But to me a vent is a vent and a pair of solar panel leads are not going to restrict it. If you series the panels for higher voltage you can use smaller wire ( You will see some videos where people use giant batt cables,that is not necessary) I used what the solar panel instructions specified for the voltage I was using which was 48 volts nominally . If none of this is possible then you can drill a hole in your roof and install a junction box. I do not favor creating a penetration in my roof. I would search for any solution I could find before doing this.

As for dealers, Read up on dealer solar install, it is the consensus of RV solar enthusiast, that dealers do not have a good reputation for installing solar. The do not have the knowledge, nor the pride in workmanship. You might get lucky and find a guy that is a dedicated solar install person, then you might have someone who is qualified. Any old high school stereo installer will not do for this job.

Go at this with confidence, you can do it. And remember if the manufacturer went there with wire you can fish there too. It takes planning and all your steps need to be verified for definite success, ex. you have to KNOW that you are going to be successful before you cut a hole in mommas cabinets.

That's a good suggestion to just run the power down through the sewer vent itself. I will be wiring the panels in series did not receive the install kit yet, but specs indicate the leads are 10AWG, so like you note this is small enough not to interfere at all with function of a vent pipe. And yes I do plan to put a meter somewhere inside, ideally in the panel with the switches and onan meter, but any interior wall would be fine too. In looking at the panel does not seem like I can easily pull the front off so I would need to cut in place and fish the wire through. If I can remove the ONAN meter temporarily then get a fish tape into the basement that's all I would need to then cut a hole in place and mount it. Going to look at options more closely this weekend. Thank you for the advice!

 

[Brazos]

I take a little different approach. I like using a combiner box on the roof and placing it under a panel if possible. This allows me to keep the roof #10 panel wiring to a minimal. Some models have the vents in the wrong place to be convenient. By placing a small hole large enough for the cables to drop to the basement or blackhole area and the hole is under the combiner box and sealed with Dicor there is not much of a chance for a leak. I would have no issue installing a combiner box anyplace on the roof not under a panel if needed, with a good Dicor sealant job. If you have a satellite dish on the roof you already have a hole similar.
In the case of my install that is about to happen, under the combiner box is a natural space or chase all the way down to the main panel on the floor. Then it is a matter of routing the cables to the front compartment. If a combiner box is not used a similar method could be used to route cables.
With planning before drilling about any wiring routing needed can happen with an excellent job. A successful install with a well working system is the goal.
It never hurts to do a voltage drop calculation for the cables leading to the charge controller to achieve the best wiring technique. Here is a link to a Voltage Drop Calculator
Different wiring techniques can produce dramatic differences in Voltage drops.
If the vent method is used, a tee can be inserted in the vent with a cap added to the end. In this cap a hole can be drilled to accept a nylon strain relief to hold the cables. With a little silicone but probably not needed, you are set to go. This method also allows for removal of the cap and strain relief if you want to remove the cables and return to a factory like vent system. A visit to the hardware store Lowes or others a grey plastic outdoor waterproof box can be found to make a combiner box. This one will need to be cut down to fit under a panel. The combiner box from AM Solar will fit under a panel.
A through the roof plate used to install coax for satellite tv works well also for small wire drops through the roof. They can be sealed with Dicor with no leaks.
When we start tinkering around on the roof routing things down or drilling holes which becomes necessary in most of our solar installs, a good sealant job with Dicor will do the trick and outlast the roof. Dicor rubber roof sealant is what the dealers commonly use to seal or reseal areas.

 

[Jim.Allison]

Brazos, there is nothing wrong with doing it the way you describe. But for some, poking a hole in the roof is like shooting your car's windshield. Perhaps its a phobia on our part.

 

[bobca1]

Sun came out nice weather today, so did the install! Posted details in solar forum:
https://heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/50763-Solar-install-on-2015-Cyclone-3110