Community Forums

Johnmorgali · 01-26-2025, 10:32 AM

So I have 450 watts of solar I want to put in the RV, is there a preferred method of running the wiring? Is there a location to run the wiring that is preferred? What are people doing to solve this?

SLOweather · 01-26-2025, 03:10 PM

On my Sunstar, I ran them down the refrigerator flue to the basement and then forward to the electrical panels and next to the battery bay. I put the MPPT controller in the basement.

SavnTheWales · 01-28-2025, 01:26 PM

Yep, down the fridge vent.

Consider mounting panels on strut channel. It allows you many good options. You can upgrade panels or add panels later with no more holes in roof. Keeps panels up off the roof so you can clean under them.

Jack_Hall · 01-30-2025, 04:03 PM

There is a YouTube video "The best way to mount Solar Panels" (or some similar title). He advocates using Unistrut. I did that and mounted the unistruts using VHB tape. That was 3 years ago, and the panels are still secure (I check them often). When I ran the wires, I removed the lid from the gray water vent, passed to wires down to the space under the fridge, drilled a hole in the vent pipe, routed the wires to my Charge Controller, then drilled a hole in the floor to send the output wires to the battery compartment. I have ZERO HOLES in the roof! And as I said, 3 years after the fact, the panels are still secure.

bkhitech · 02-04-2025, 07:08 PM

We have a 37U, I drilled a hole down right into the cabinet over the entrance door where the disconnect switches are. Then with some vinyl cable ways from lowes ran it down to the floor level and into the kitchen sink cabinet.I will try and post some photos.

bkhitech · 02-04-2025, 07:15 PM

Photos of Our solar install. Small plastic box on roof over the hole. Some pictures are rotated so it may be a bit confusing. Two 250 watt used panels, maybe 80% output and it keeps Our lithium batteries charged and Our Samsung residential fridge running for weeks.

Johnmorgali · 02-05-2025, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkhitech

Photos of Our solar install. Small plastic box on roof over the hole. Some pictures are rotated so it may be a bit confusing. Two 250 watt used panels, maybe 80% output and it keeps Our lithium batteries charged and Our Samsung residential fridge running for weeks.

What am I looking at in pic 2, with the conduit and wood?

welditup · 02-05-2025, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnmorgali

What am I looking at in pic 2, with the conduit and wood?

Pic 2 looks to be rotated 90* to the left...Looks like the entrance door and the plastic raceway he mentioned to cover the wires from Lowes (Menards in some places).

bkhitech · 02-05-2025, 07:10 PM

Pardon the mess, cleaning out the fridge and We have stuff everywhere. Hopefully You can see the vinyl raceway a little better in this photo running alongside the door down to the floor.
I would have done the fridge routing like others have posted but I sealed up the holes pretty good under that vent on the roof and the vent on the side of the coach so that would have meant pulling the fridge out to run the wires and that is not fun. Doors on the Samsung all have to come off to squeeze the fridge out of its hole.

LETMGROW · 02-06-2025, 09:17 AM

It may or may not work on other coaches but I have a Solar Panel mounted on the cover on my front AC unit. The wire from the panel must go somewhere and connect to a 12 V. battery wire somewhere.'ve never had a need to check out exactly where it goes. The panel has a plug so I can unhook the wiring, remove the cover and clean out the AC fins etc.
The only evidence of solar inside my coach is a small red LED which is in the vent on the ceiling of my coach. The LED glows all the time unless it's unplugged for maintenance. I drop the vent on occasion so I can vacuum out under the AC unit and clean the fins in the vent.

Johnmorgali · 02-07-2025, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LETMGROW

It may or may not work on other coaches but I have a Solar Panel mounted on the cover on my front AC unit. The wire from the panel must go somewhere and connect to a 12 V. battery wire somewhere.'ve never had a need to check out exactly where it goes. The panel has a plug so I can unhook the wiring, remove the cover and clean out the AC fins etc.
The only evidence of solar inside my coach is a small red LED which is in the vent on the ceiling of my coach. The LED glows all the time unless it's unplugged for maintenance. I drop the vent on occasion so I can vacuum out under the AC unit and clean the fins in the vent.

Yes, my coach has this same setup, but the panel is dead. It produces no power and the light on the vent does not illuminate. I have been considering changing that panel out, but it does only seem to maintain the primary start batteries from what I have read. It might be a good place to run some larger wiring for the solar panels power down into the coach, however. I'll have to look into it.

Johnmorgali · 02-07-2025, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkhitech

Pardon the mess, cleaning out the fridge and We have stuff everywhere. Hopefully You can see the vinyl raceway a little better in this photo running alongside the door down to the floor.
I would have done the fridge routing like others have posted but I sealed up the holes pretty good under that vent on the roof and the vent on the side of the coach so that would have meant pulling the fridge out to run the wires and that is not fun. Doors on the Samsung all have to come off to squeeze the fridge out of its hole.

You did a nice job there. I do not think mine will be so easy or tidy to be honest. I'll likely have to just drill some holes and run some wire. I am not afraid of making a hole or two, and I have lived on boats for years so I am well aware of how to make them water tight.

Jack_Hall · 02-08-2025, 12:41 PM

Sorry- I neglected to mention that I THOROUGHLY CAULKED the lower hole in the gray water vent pipe through which the solar panel wires passed so that there were no fumes from the gray water tank getting into the living space. And there have been NO smell problems from the wires. And I have gotten down on my knees a couple of times and sniffed with my nose less than 2 inches away from the wire entry point.

Johnmorgali · 02-08-2025, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bkhitech

Pardon the mess, cleaning out the fridge and We have stuff everywhere. Hopefully You can see the vinyl raceway a little better in this photo running alongside the door down to the floor.
I would have done the fridge routing like others have posted but I sealed up the holes pretty good under that vent on the roof and the vent on the side of the coach so that would have meant pulling the fridge out to run the wires and that is not fun. Doors on the Samsung all have to come off to squeeze the fridge out of its hole.

What is this wire conduit you used? Where specifically can I get some just like it?