Wire Chase

[bhidalgo]

Having to upgrade the roof-to-controller cabling on our 310RL from factory-installed 10 awg to 6 awg cabling. The extra 320 watt panels (x2) we’re installing combined with the current factory-installed 320 watt panel are too high of amperage for the 10 awg cabling to handle. I checked with Alliance and they alerted me to the need to upgrade cabling.

Does anyone know exactly how the cabling is routed from the roof to the front bay where the controller is? I know it’s routed into the ceiling - but from there is where I’m concerned about what is where. Hoping there is a wire chase installed to help route the cabling. If not, I fear a lot of work.

Any help appreciated. Thanks. Bill

 

[Whitewolf]

Altho I can't say for sure, I believe the chase goes from the roof directly to the basement behind the panels. From there check to see if it runs between the support braces in the basement. I mean, that's the way I would do it if I was laying things out. We have a 340, so the layout should be the same.

 

[bhidalgo]

Thanks! I’ll take a look this weekend. Have a new Victron solar controller / charger to install in place of my current factory-installed Renogy one and will try to trace the wiring at that time as well. Seems like a ton of work and a lot of guessing to get this done. You’d think Alliance would have a standard wiring process documented to help in getting info like this out to customers. I’ll let y’all know what I end up finding

 

[nicklee]

Mark it here.
😁Wait for the follow-up

 

[Whitewolf]

@bhidalgo

I reread your post and realized you weren't asking about the wire chase. Sorry 'bout that.

I was on the roof cleaning it yesterday and I noticed the solar plug is several feet away from the wire chase. Based on its location, I'd now have to say it goes down between one of the bathroom walls into the basement area behind the panels.

Maybe remove the panels and grab a flashlight and look for a 10ga coming thru the floor. Then you'd be able to trace it. I'd start there. Also, if this is the first time in removing the panels, have a shop vac handy. This is a good time to clean up the sawdust.

Again, sorry for my confusion.

 

[bhidalgo]

What a Saturday!
Replaced Renogy controller with a Victron 250|70. Along with adding a Victron shunt. Pics for that coming later.
Also, attached is what I found after removing the cover for solar wiring from factory. Solar wiring is “spliced” black and orange cabling. Disappears into back wall. Have not torn pass thru wall out yet yon see where wire goes. Have 6-awg cable waiting to install. Went up on roof and wire disappears into ceiling aft of camper entry door. Who knows how it all routes!? Gotta wait a bit until heat subsides to start roof work to replace cabling and install new panels. Only have space for 2 more 320 watt panels on roof - which is what I have in my garage at home waiting to be installed.

Attached pics. Three are for what I think is a fuse off positive terminal of battery case. Just cannot figure out how big it is at this point. Need info so I can decide on fuses for panels. I suspect 30 amp fuses for each panel will work - short circuit Imp for each panel is 10.23 amps.

 

[RockDr896]

I threw in an Isolator switch on my solar plus package. It really came in handy when my Renogy inverter bricked and I had to run around and take readings that required disconnecting the solar panels. I know, I sound like a broken record. Isolating the panels is a whole lot easier, when trouble shooting. The National Electric Code requires one on all solar panel setups in residential and commercial buildings. Alliance told me that the RV industry has not adopted this particular requirement, therefore it was my decision whether to install one. I don't get it, but here we are.........

 

[Jim Beletti]

@bhidalgo - I'm not familiar with the wire path for the solar prep. What I did and suggest you consider is using the 1.5" ABS wire chase for your new wire. In my 340RL, the chase terminated in the ceiling of the utility area, above the water pump area.

Solar Panels, Combiner Box and Wire Routing - Jim Beletti

This photo hosted by SmugMug; your photos look better here.

beletti.smugmug.com

 

[bhidalgo]

@bhidalgo - I'm not familiar with the wire path for the solar prep. What I did and suggest you consider is using the 1.5" ABS wire chase for your new wire. In my 340RL, the chase terminated in the ceiling of the utility area, above the water pump area.

Solar Panels, Combiner Box and Wire Routing - Jim Beletti

This photo hosted by SmugMug; your photos look better here.

beletti.smugmug.com

Jim - thanks.
I have to empty my basement and pull the aft walls out to look for and get to the wire chase you described. This gives me a better starting point than randomly trying to find them. Bill

 

[No-Ladder]

I am not entirely sure of the specs for the Renogy panels and controller. But if you series wire the panels vs parallel you will avoid the issue with too high of current.
The big caveat is whether the controller will handle the higher voltage.

 

[bhidalgo]

Thanks, but the controller is no longer an issue … Installed a Victron 250 | 70 smart solar MPPT charge controller two weeks ago.
The biggest issue facing me now besides running new cable is figuring out why our current factory-installed 320-watt Renogy panel is only putting out 124w max. Planning to work on this over the weekend. Hoping for the best.

 

[No-Ladder]

Several questions just to get a feel for what your system is like, what is your battery charge state? What is your load? What are your Victron charge settings? If you go inside and turn on 12v devices, fans lights etc you should see battery voltage drop a bit and panel wattage go up.
Your only going to get the wattage out of the panel for the load connected or charge needed up to capacity of the panel.
Would be more than happy to help if you want to chat offline.

 

[bhidalgo]

Going to try to work on wiring and battery issues today IF the heat will cooperate. Need to secure the solar connections on the roof that I found loose last Sunday as well. Will also do as No-Ladder suggested and turn on a bunch of stuff to see how panel wattage output varies. Really hoping nothing is wrong with the panel. Our 320 watt panel has a 10-yr warranty per Renogy. But, since rig is out of factory warranty getting the panel replaced is gonna be fun, if needed, since it was factory-installed.

We are camping next weekend so regardless of what I get done today and tomorrow I need to get the coach prepped to camp. Will be turning on our 2K inverter next Wednesday afternoon to cool the refrigerator down so we can stock it Thursday. Hoping we do not get greeted by a low-voltage (below 13v) battery Thursday as has been the case for our last few excursions when we pre-cool the refrigerator. Plenty of sun and clear skies available here in FL these days for our panel to provide for charging our battery.

Wanted to alert everyone - especially Alliance - to the concerns I found with our solar package. It disturbs me the way the cables from our roof were left in our front bay - bound/secured with twist-on caps and electric tape. What would it have cost to put in two small bus bars to secure the wiring instead of how things were left? See area inside of yellow circle on attached photo. I have since done away with the factory-installed cap/tape setup and utilized the resulting two sets of wiring to install a solar cut-off switch.

I have yet to open up anything on the roof to trace the current wiring in preparation for running new 6-awg wiring. Hoping for the best and minimal rework when I do finally start looking into that.

Jim - thanks for the info, but so far no signs of wires from the roof coming out by our Nautilus area as you showed from your rig. I need to empty out our basement so I can open up our walls to try and find them it seems.

Bill...

 

[Diamondt29]

I just finished installing a solar system on our 2021 Paradigm 390MP. The solar prewire will not terminate in the basement under the bathroom. My assumption is it goes down through the exterior wall to the underbelly and into the battery area in the front. That is it you are showing in the pic. It was a nightmare for me locating the prewire as it was connected on the + side to the DC fuse panel and on the - side to the battery. Thus the prewire was connected to the whole DC system. I won't elaborate but that gave me some challenges until I finally isolated the right wire. I am utilizing 2000 watts of solar in 2 arrays of 5 panels in series then to parallel for my 24 volt system and still well within range of current for the prewiring cable. If you want to run 6 AWG you will probably need to start over and find a chase to that basement area.

Mike

 

[bhidalgo]

Thanks. I am NOT looking forward to trying to locate the current wiring to swap out. Really just want to work within the limits of what we already have BUT I need to up our solar capacity.
What AWG wire is your prewire? We have 10 Awg according to what Alliance told me a few weeks back.
What panels are you using? I have the one Renogy at the moment but am not beyond replacing it with multiple copies of another brand if it comes down to it.
Bill

 

[Diamondt29]

My prewire is 8AWG. It appears yours is also 8 by looking at the photo of the orange and black wires taped with the wire nut connections. I used 10 BougeRV 200 watt 12V panels. They were a little more efficient than the Rich Solar most of the RV system installers use. And they were on sale when I was ready to buy. You can order direct from BougeRV and also through Home Depot which would save you 10% if your a veteran.

Mike

 

[Diamondt29]

Looks like they are on sale again at 39% off. That would put the new 10BB 200W panel at $170 per panel. You won't find em any better priced.

 

[bhidalgo]

Thanks. I'm looking at getting at least 8 of them. Have to measure my usable roof space on my 310RL first.
I'm retired Navy but the BougRV prices are better than HD with their 10% discount.

 

[Jim Beletti]

...

Jim - thanks for the info, but so far no signs of wires from the roof coming out by our Nautilus area as you showed from your rig. I need to empty out our basement so I can open up our walls to try and find them it seems.

Bill...

Bill - sorry for the confusion here. The wiring chase is black 1.5' ABS pipe. There is no wiring in it - just an empty conduit. In the ceiling behind the Nautilus panel is where my chase terminates.

The Solar prep wiring terminates where you found the in the gen bay.
I suggest you drop 10 feet of small brass chain or 10' of fiberglass wire fishing rod down the chase from the roof.