Burnt Solar Wires / Wire Nuts - Solar Plus

[CornCrib]

On the underside of the box, I have 2 layers (one close to the hole, one further out) of butyl tape, then AFCAT 945 around the perimeter and at screw penetrations, and where wires penetrate box. I had one 320w panel that came from the factory and added 3 more of the same from Renogy. They are wired 2s2p to a Victron MPPT 150/100. Almost completely done with the entire install. I'll post finished pics in the coming days of the front compartment. Here's the layout of the panels on the roof:

 

[Shelly S]

This is exactly what I did in my 32RLS. I abandoned the OEM roof penetration and switched to the PVC pipe roof access. That way, I know exactly how the wire is routed, and that all connections are sound. There is now just uninterrupted wire (no splices) running from the roof penetration box to the solar controller. It was not hard at all, and I'll sleep easier.
View attachment 1395

Real nice job Paul. I don’t know why anyone would intentionally splice the wire if you did not have to. It is not like this a 200ft run.

 

[DanNJanice]

On the underside of the box, I have 2 layers (one close to the hole, one further out) of butyl tape, then AFCAT 945 around the perimeter and at screw penetrations, and where wires penetrate box. I had one 320w panel that came from the factory and added 3 more of the same from Renogy. They are wired 2s2p to a Victron MPPT 150/100. Almost completely done with the entire install. I'll post finished pics in the coming days of the front compartment. Here's the layout of the panels on the roof:
View attachment 1402

What is this 1.5" PVC wiring chase everyone is talking about, is is already in the trailer or is it something that you added yourself? Based on the picture above, it looks like the pipe would end up coming out in the middle of the bedroom ceiling. It still has to get all the way down to the solar controller in the passthrough. How was that accomplished?

 

[Mike in North Wales]

The chase is a factory installed tube that typically ends in the area behind the Nautilus panel/heater/water heater. This can be model dependent, but thats the general area. On the roof, it will appear as a tank vent, but it is black. The actual vents are white.

 

[Shelly S]

On the underside of the box, I have 2 layers (one close to the hole, one further out) of butyl tape, then AFCAT 945 around the perimeter and at screw penetrations, and where wires penetrate box. I had one 320w panel that came from the factory and added 3 more of the same from Renogy. They are wired 2s2p to a Victron MPPT 150/100. Almost completely done with the entire install. I'll post finished pics in the coming days of the front compartment. Here's the layout of the panels on the roof:
View attachment 1402

Did the mounting hardware come with your new panels or did you order that seperately? Looks nice!

 

[CornCrib]

Did the mounting hardware come with your new panels or did you order that seperately? Looks nice!

I ordered the panels from Renogy, but they do not come with mounting hardware. I ordered the Z brackets that goes with these panels .. also from Renogy.

 

[CornCrib]

The chase is a factory installed tube that typically ends in the area behind the Nautilus panel/heater/water heater. This can be model dependent, but thats the general area. On the roof, it will appear as a tank vent, but it is black. The actual vents are white.

What Mike said.... mine comes down more toward the door side, but right into the basement ceiling. No turns or bends.

 

[DanNJanice]

The chase is a factory installed tube that typically ends in the area behind the Nautilus panel/heater/water heater. This can be model dependent, but thats the general area. On the roof, it will appear as a tank vent, but it is black. The actual vents are white.

OK, thanks for the info. I will have to take a look next time I am up on the roof.

 

[Ben and Kathy]

This is the box / wiring approach I took. Since i had 3 sets of 2 panels in series wired in parallel I fused each array and then added a double breaker to provide a roof top cutoff to isolate the wiring if needed. I also left a pull string in for future use.

 

[Shelly S]

This is the box / wiring approach I took. Since i had 3 sets of 2 panels in series wired in parallel I fused each array and then added a double breaker to provide a roof top cutoff to isolate the wiring if needed. I also left a pull string in for future use.

View attachment 1433

Nice job!

 

[Shelly S]

Nice job!

What is the total wattage of your panels?

 

[Ben and Kathy]

What is the total wattage of your panels?

1050 watts of potental total output. Written up here...

 

[Shelly S]

1050 watts of potental total output. Written up here...

What type of panel are you using on the roof? Metal or plastic?

 

[Shelly S]

I’m thinking of using a metal box on the roof so I don’t have to worry about the sun degrading it. I found this one on Amazon pretty reasonable. Tocretoare Outdoor Electrical Junction Box, 12 x 10 x 6'' NEMA 4X Enclosure Box, Wall Mounted IP66 Waterproof & Dustproof Lockable Metal Junction Box… https://a.co/d/32vnHSo

 

[Shelly S]

What Mike said.... mine comes down more toward the door side, but right into the basement ceiling. No turns or bends.

I have a Valor 41V15 and mine comes down right on top of my water heater. You can see it with a flash light if you look to the rear of the coach. I was told it was behind the nautilus panel. It actually is not close for my short arms.

 

[Shelly S]

I have a Valor 41V15 and mine comes down right on top of my water heater. You can see it with a flash light if you look to the rear of the coach. I was told it was behind the nautilus panel. It actually is not close for my short arms.

I zoomed in for the photo so I could see exactly how it was landing.

 

[Shelly S]

This is exactly what I did in my 32RLS. I abandoned the OEM roof penetration and switched to the PVC pipe roof access. That way, I know exactly how the wire is routed, and that all connections are sound. There is now just uninterrupted wire (no splices) running from the roof penetration box to the solar controller. It was not hard at all, and I'll sleep easier.
View attachment 1395

Paul where did you get your bus bars?

 

[CornCrib]

Amazon. Instead of screwing then in, and having screws protruding the bottom of the box and into the roof, I epoxied them in.

 

[Shelly S]

This is exactly what I did in my 32RLS. I abandoned the OEM roof penetration and switched to the PVC pipe roof access. That way, I know exactly how the wire is routed, and that all connections are sound. There is now just uninterrupted wire (no splices) running from the roof penetration box to the solar controller. It was not hard at all, and I'll sleep easier.
View attachment 1395

So leaving the 1.5” did you just go across your basement and into the front storage area where your controller is?

 

[CornCrib]

So leaving the 1.5” did you just go across your basement and into the front storage area where your controller is?

Ya, basically. I ran the wires to the front wall, then toward the door side wall and penetrated into the front storage compartment at the top corner