FYI Solar 101 - A General Guide to Solar in your RV or Motorhome

[Notsotalltexan]

That "pink wire" was disconnected from mine for a while until I asked @Chuggs about it and saw his was connected. Yeah, it's too short for sure!

Hey Neal--

Thank you for the goodies. I using the green coffee cup right now.

I've almost received all of what I ordered from A.M.Solar. Since my Ventana is most likely very similar to your coach, you probably have the basement pullout battery shelf. Relative to this battery compartment, which basement compartment did you mount your board with MPPT and other components? Is it right next to the battery drawer on the same side or across the basement on the opposite side?

 

[Neal]

Glad you got it and you're welcome.

I mounted mine between the chassis rails in the slideout bay. Bad idea as I later got HWH Active Air and that's where that controller should have gone but my stuff was in the way. If I did it over again I'd put it closer to the basement door driver's side just opposite the batteries on the wall. If going LifePO4 then in the battery compartment itself.

 

[Notsotalltexan]

It

You well known in the industry (electronics), that it's best to oversize your electronic components. Just remember that salesmen are salesmen. The engineers that designed the unit stated what were safe limits for reliability.

The controller is not a limiting device, this statement is very important to remember. If the stated wattage in panels is exceeded it will be failure time. (Yes components were oversized), but not for the capacity, but reliability.

It is known that the panels were rated in the lab environment, and will likely never produce the rated output. . There is one Time that they have been known to peak. The cloud effect.

Because I rely on solar, I use smaller repetitive systems, (One down three to go type system). That sets my system with 4 60amp controllers. The manuals I have rate a 60amp controller to handle at 12v system 720 watts of panels. 24v system 1440 watts of panels. This would be battery system voltage, and nothing to do with panel voltage.

For a little more information, mppt controllers are smart boost converters. These converters are most efficient at no more than 2.5 volt difference between high and low sides.

I wish you luck on your installation.

Thank you Kevin.

Glad you got it and you're welcome.

I mounted mine between the chassis rails in the slideout bay. Bad idea as I later got HWH Active Air and that's where that controller should have gone but my stuff was in the way. If I did it over again I'd put it closer to the basement door driver's side just opposite the batteries on the wall. If going LifePO4 then in the battery compartment itself.

Thank you. I will opt for the battery compartment due to ample room. BTW, my eight batteries were all replaced by original owner in 2020. He accidently frozen his 2017 factory flooded batteries. He replaced them with Duracell, 6V. I guess they're in series so 12V system. I'll try to sell them locally since they've still got lots of life left. I might post them here. Maybe someone in Texas might be interested. They'd be great for a golf cart too.

 

[Richpatty]

I did the same as Neal (between chassis rails), but then moved it for ease of access to the battery compartment when I re-did my battery compartment for lithiums.
No sure if putting the controller in the battery area when it is open to the environment would be good for it?

 

[Notsotalltexan]

I did the same as Neal (between chassis rails), but then moved it for ease of access to the battery compartment when I re-did my battery compartment for lithiums.
No sure if putting the controller in the battery area when it is open to the environment would be good for it?

Good Morning Rich--

That's a little concerning to me too. My rig is in a 14 wide x 50 foot storage so I have to pull her out just too open my basement doors all the way. It gets washed and waxed on Thursday so that's when I can make my determination.

 

[Richpatty]

And as you may have seen, this is what my battery compartment looks like now….

 

[Notsotalltexan]

That's a thing of beauty. With an A/C register? And, you insulated the compartment? Wow. I had not seen this. I imagine I can search and find this and more if I look. Are your batteries 100Ah or 200?

 

[Richpatty]

Thanks! Here is the whole thread on my lithium battery install.

Move to Lithium

So as I get ready for my Lithium project, I began to think about the best way to wire them. I will have 8 100ah GC2 sized battleborns. I know many of you use the wiring method on the left (see below). I have seen articles that say the diagram on the right pulls power from the batteries...

rvforums.com

 

[Notsotalltexan]

Ha. Yup. Patty is my wife.

Hey Rich--

My Ventana luckily was prepped for Solar at the factory. I found the spot on the roof, under which Neal mentioned he found the wires. In what basement compartment do those wires originate?

Thank you.

 

[Richpatty]

Hi!
The other end of these wires can be found in the first pass through compartment. Approx where we talked about mounting the controller. It should be coiled up on the ceiling of that compartment.

Rich

 

[Notsotalltexan]

I am just beginning to install my kit received from AMSolar. I probably could have saved some dough if I'd bought everything myself but on the other hand, they will be there with any and all questions as I embark on my install. Yesterday I located the solar prep cover expecting to find an opening but there was just a red mark. So I took my multi-tool and cut an access and bingo, there they were.
Today I pulled six solar panel boxes, one at a time, onto the roof. My two battery cinch down straps came in handy and worked like a charm. Then I set out my six 200W Rich panel boxes where they'll be placed.

AmSolar sent me 90' of the UV resistant #10/2 cable so I was able to be a bit more generous on the lengths. Tomorrow I think I'll get all of my butt connectors done and heat shrinking work finished on the solar panel connectors then secure the combiner box down and finally I will mount the panels and secure the cable to the roof with the accessories they provided. I hope to do all of you mobile solar veterans proud. I did order 6 of the T-Knob sets so that I can tilt my panels if necessary.

I thank all of you for your encouragement and assistance which I know I will be needing more of soon.

Laurent Perron

 

[Richpatty]

Great! I know it was an exciting (if not a bit nerve wracking) project. Keep us posted! And good luck figuring out the layout of where the panels will go. I took a picture of the roof from a drone and then laid out the few different ways to do it. I tended to put my panels on the sides to maximize the room in the middle of the roof so I didn't have to walk near the edges more than I had to.

Before

After

 

[Notsotalltexan]

Great! I know it was an exciting (if not a bit nerve wracking) project. Keep us posted! And good luck figuring out the layout of where the panels will go. I took a picture of the roof from a drone and then laid out the few different ways to do it. I tended to put my panels on the sides to maximize the room in the middle of the roof so I didn't have to walk near the edges more than I had to.

Before
View attachment 18362
After

View attachment 18363

A thing of beauty. Thanks for sharing this Rich. My 3709 has only two A/C units, front and back so I can fit five about five inches apart perpendicular between the two units and number six is going parallel just behind the driver's seat. I will have to watch my spacing on the five to give the combiner box about a foot of space between two of the five. My panels are 200W each. I do have room for two more panels but will wait and see what I can run with this system.

 

[Neal]

Important tip from @Chuggs and as @Richpatty alluded is to make sure with your placement you can still walk on the roof and access each panel.

 

[Notsotalltexan]

Yes thank you Neal. Originally my plan was to configure the six like Rich did which I still could do but allowing the room on both sides of the panels seems good too. I have a healthy respect for staying safely on the roof at all times.