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Just installed a 200 watt solar charging system on the RV

eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,188
13,447
directly above the center of the earth
My 200 watt solar panel system is installed and running on my RV to keep my two group 31 AGM deep cycle batteries charged, I had a few minor hiccups and a wtf but its all sorted out. 3 hours start to finish with two guys working on separate projects until we needed four hands Total cost $375.00. First the hiccups:The Previous Owner install had the original charge controller mis wired so it lead to a WTF after we had everything installed and wired up, the new charge controller read "over voltage condition" The volt meter showed 24 volts. I have a 12 volt battery system
Up on the roof we were mystified as the lines were in parallel like they should be. I isolated one panel 24 volts, same with the other. The supplied documentation is sorely lacking
Went online, Aha controller is designed to handle 12 and 24 volt panels and sense system voltage and provide the correct one so I do have 24 volt panels, We figured out the mis wiring due to the previous system and corrected it, the controller is now showing normal condition whew. Last time I will ever trust that the previous owner did the proper wiring.
The old wiring had the controller inside a cabinet in a useless place and the wiring...yuck. The new controller is mounted on the cabinet in the step up leading to the cabover and the wiring is now in a plastic conduit anchored to the side wall out of the way on the inside.
After some discussion and though about how I put the kayaks on the roof we put the panels above the cabover on either side of the sky light screwed and sealed with dicor into the Lance Aluminum frame

Still to be completed is the install of a vent cap as branch protection over the OEM roof plug and covering the exposed wires with dicor (waterpoof adhesive UV resistant) to attach them to the roof and prevent wind flutter and to seal all the electrical connections with a dicor seal







 
Last edited:

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,032
7,552
I feel your pain on the wiring. After my time with the WRX I vowed to only buy unmolested used cars in the future, and I've held to my word.
 

eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,188
13,447
directly above the center of the earth
Yay the last 3 heavy duty wire components arrived from Amazon all the 14-18 ga wiring in the power system is now either 10 or 12 ga with inline fuses protecting components. I also added a 30a switch to isolate the solar panels from the house system should something require fixing in the camper. This eliminates having to climb onto the roof and unplug the actual panels. The onboard 2 12v Group 31 AGM deep cycle batteries also have a isolation switch.
 

eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,188
13,447
directly above the center of the earth
Sitting at a horse show doing my EMT gig with the camper. I have my laptop and wifi running off a 400 watt inverter, ceiling vent fans running, some lights on and the battery indicator on the solar charger shows that my batteries are full charged. Haven had any need to fire up the generator. I like the non generator quiet solution of Solar Power
 

eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,188
13,447
directly above the center of the earth
So I was on Solar and my two group 31 AGMs from Friday morning until Sunday at 5 pm when I fired the truck up to head home. I never ran low on power even using the furnace in the morning, water pump, non led lights, both ceiling vent fans running 24x7 for air circulation and running my laptop off a 400 watt inverter. My Honda 2000 generator never left its storage compartment, I like it. The NPS and their Regs can go bite me.