Community Forums

M109guy · 05-24-2022, 11:14 AM

1. Where is the morning star solar controller located? (there is a meter above the entry door)

2. Anyone know the wire gauge used on the 200 watt option? (and it’s path)

3. Easiest path to get new wire to the basement if needed?
(thru a vent or 1/2 bath cabinet or?)

I know these questions have likely been answered but couldn’t find all the answers. Even when using advanced I get tons of unrelated hits so I need to perfect my searches. Sorry for asking what I know is posted already.

Thanks!

Bobby Dowdle · 05-24-2022, 11:41 AM

Should be on the wall in 4th bay passenger side. Not sure the wire size but it’s big enough for extra panels if needed.
The route would be through the mid bath into the basement.

M109guy · 05-24-2022, 12:17 PM

Found it. I was expecting a larger device. It looks like #6 wire but the wiring was covered up. On the roof it looks like the wiring is routed out of each solar panel separately and each goes into a different roof vent.
1. Are these then combined somewhere and connected to the #6 wire that goes to the solar charger?
2. In the 2nd bath there are 2 cabinets. Are you talking about routing the wire behind the firefly panel on the outside wall or the cabinet above the sink?

Thank you!

Denie · 05-25-2022, 06:12 AM

PV wire is #10. PV wire has a thick insulation on it that is also UV rated. I've never seen larger than #10 and have ran strings of 19, 410W modules using it. Voltage is that of the total of all modules in the string, Amps is that of a single module in the string connected in series. Your limit to how many/much solar you can put on the roof is space and the controller module rating.

M109guy · 05-26-2022, 12:25 PM

Right, what comes out of the panels is #10 but they are not combined on the roof. Each 100 watt panel has #10 wiring goes down a different vent on the roof, but the wire that goes into the charge controller is #6. The 2 #10 wires must get combined somewhere. Anyone know where that might be?
Thanks

philnail · 05-27-2022, 09:24 PM

When I installed solar on the roof I removed the 2 panels Entegra had and gave them away. I drilled a hole in the roof and routed the wires thru the back of the mid bath cabinet to the basement. Very easy to do. Trick is remove the blank panel in the bathroom cabinet then reach all the way to the roof on the inside and feel where the wires are. Once you know that the rest is easy

M109guy · 05-28-2022, 01:43 AM

Philnail, I’m pretty sure I know what you are talking about.
The blank is at the top of the medicine cabinet in the half bath. I had removed the panel to explore as I was trying to find a route for running an antenna wires to the roof for a Pepwave cell and WiFi Router. I was going to put it in the av cabinet but since it’s in a slide that wouldn’t work.
When you say feel for other wires it’s so you don’t hit them when you drill?
I assume that area behind the medicine cabinet goes all the way to the basement?
Appreciate the help!

philnail · 05-29-2022, 07:04 AM

Our coach is a 2013 Anthem RBQ model that we have had since new.

When you pull the false panel in the bathroom that is where I had to stick my hand up inside to the roof. That part was very nerve racking but once I was able to locate the area where there were no wires the rest was simple. In our coach we had anoint a 6 to 10” area with no wires. I drilled from the roof down and was very careful just in case I was off a bit 🤣🤣. I would suggest drilling a much bigger hole than you need because down the road you might decide to stuff more stuff in there. I actually now have 3 different holes up there one for the solar wires, one for a network camber and one for the Starlink cable. They make a cover you can screw down and seal which is perfect.

On our coach the TV and fireplace was directly on the front side of the bathroom so I had to remove the fireplace to pull the wire down to the basement. I had to fish it in the wall behind the TV down to behind the fireplace then into the basement. It was pretty easy task.

Open the bay door on the drivers side of the coach which is under the middle bath and look really on the basement ceiling and you should find about a 2” hole with wires coming out. It might be a bit hard to find.

If you have any questions PM me with your number and I will be happy to assist. Currently we are in Southern Utah for the summer

M109guy · 05-30-2022, 12:13 AM

Does anyone know where the large wires go? They connect to the smaller wires from the 2 100 watt solar panels at some point. Just trying to find that junction point.

voltdoc · 05-30-2022, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M109guy

Philnail, I’m pretty sure I know what you are talking about.
The blank is at the top of the medicine cabinet in the half bath. I had removed the panel to explore as I was trying to find a route for running an antenna wires to the roof for a Pepwave cell and WiFi Router. I was going to put it in the av cabinet but since it’s in a slide that wouldn’t work.
When you say feel for other wires it’s so you don’t hit them when you drill?
I assume that area behind the medicine cabinet goes all the way to the basement?
Appreciate the help!

X2 what Phil said, that interior wall on the forward side of the mid half bath is basically empty so easy to feed wires. And you can also reach the roof area from the access panel at the top.

In my case I ran 4 CAT5 and 3 RV-C cables from the basement up that wall and then over to the firefly cabinet on the outside wall.

I used a string with a large nut tied to it as a weight and just let gravity take it down thru the wall. Under the half bath sink I removed the floor of the cabinet which exposes the aquahot heat exchanger, the nut was just sitting on top of it and I didn't even need to drill any holes. From there you can easily go straight into the basement, just thru the thin material covering the cargo bay ceiling or even thru the foam surrounding one of the other pipes or wires. In my case the floor of the sink cabinet is just above the aquahot bay. I suggest running a small diameter bit up from the cargo bay side before final drilling.

Photo under mid bath cabinet:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/bahDeRdQJaKmqybRA

Photo where wires exit at top of wall. Note in my case there wasn't much behind the access panel so I removed it and added another shelf:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/8PBYwucaspUts4TF8

Bobby Dowdle · 05-30-2022, 12:12 PM

The junction is at the roof. That’s why they use the large cables. It’s under the cover on the roof.

M109guy · 05-30-2022, 05:22 PM

Bobby, that’s the problem, there isn’t a junction box on the roof. There are 2 100 watt panels. they each have #10 wires coming out of them. One pair of #10 goes down a vent and the other pair goes down a different vent. So I’m looking to where they are combined to the #6 wire.

M109guy · 05-30-2022, 06:02 PM

Voltdoc, thanks for the pics. On the other side is a spice cabinet. When I measured it is behind where you drilled. Maybe I can go to the right of the electrical fuse box in the other cabinet. My concern is drilling blind.

757driver · 05-31-2022, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M109guy

Bobby, that’s the problem, there isn’t a junction box on the roof. There are 2 100 watt panels. they each have #10 wires coming out of them. One pair of #10 goes down a vent and the other pair goes down a different vent. So I’m looking to where they are combined to the #6 wire.

The splice will be buried in the roof trusses somewhere. When I wired in my solar I totally ignored what the factory did and ran my own #4 wires to where I wanted them.