The mounting hardware you’ll use for installing solar panels on your RV too depends on what type of panels you have (tempered glass or flexible), what type of roof you have (typically a rubber/TPO roof or fiberglass), and whether or not you need your panels to tilt. We considered several factors including (a) where we wanted the controller to be located, (b) where it would be easiest to run the required wiring, and (c) avoiding propane lines, heat ducting, and plumbing. Tom is a retired Plant Facility Manager from Allen Organ, and happens to own an Arctic Fox 990. Tom recommended using this area to run the wires from the junction box on the roof to the solar controller below. It is mainly because of its abilit… He and his son, Michael, have also refurbished an older Adventurer truck camper. You can also get tilting hardware, make custom brackets, or use brand-specific hardware like Renogy’s brackets. Above: Michael Emerick applying Sikaflex 715 around the 8 gauge wire, Above: Caulking the junction box tight to the roof. Above: Gordon positioning the junction box after Sikaflex has been applied. Sample RV solar kit cost as of January 2020. If you’re installing flexible solar panels, the same process applies in the section above – simply glue them to the RV roof using the adhesive recommended by the panel manufacturer. 180 Watt Monocrystalline Solar Panel with 12 Amp Charge Controller Colorado Standby now offers RV solar panel installation & kits. If you have a large budget ($3000+), you can most likely skip this step. Given its impressive performance on the Northstar, a Zamp solar panel system was high on the list for our new-to-us camper. nuCamp RV has produced a video showcasing the 2021 Cirrus 620. 190 Watt Solar Panel … Absorption charge mode charged the battery bank to 100%, decreasing the current as the battery reaches 100%. If you’re looking to DIY install your RV solar system, you’ll need to know how to mount solar panels to your RV roof. A third panel is not likely, but could be added on an available space towards the rear of the camper roof. After the experience, we recommend blocking off at least a full day for the task. We normally keep our rig in a storage lot, which costs us about $50 a month, and work on it at friends’ houses, or industry venues. Even on cloudy days, the system reached float charge, but did so later in the day. RV Solar Panel Installation While an RV solar system is simple to maintain once it’s installed, getting it set up isn’t as simple as slapping some panels on top of your RV and calling it a … Y… RV Master Techs has been doing solar panel installations for almost a decade and is a leader in the RV repair and consignment industry. Above: Drilling the hole in the roof for the 8 gauge wire. Giosolar 200 watt kit + 20 amp charge controller + cables . You don’t need holes for flexible solar panels! On the back wall of our wardrobe closet, we discovered a removable panel where the original manufacturer ran wires for the entertainment system. Above: The wiring inside the Zamp junction box. Safety is your number one priority so remove all batteries cables before you do anything. It would be like taping a picture frame to wrapping paper that has been stuck to your wall. Gorilla tape was used to hold the panel wiring to the inside upper panel. When a battery is on float charge, it is fully charged and maintaining its full charge from the solar panel. If you are trying to find an RV Solar Panel Installation Company, you can count on Bob's RV Solar Panels to match you with professionals in your area who can take care of your solar panel … As Gordon drilled, rubber TPO, luan plywood, several inches of closed cell foam insulation, and more luan plywood came up. The shrink wrap was strongly recommended by Tom to protect the crimped connections from the elements. Most single or double panel solar panel systems are installed by professionals who regularly install solar panels in a few hours. Had we not found this removable panel, we would have carefully tacked the wires from the junction box to the side cabinet wall with plastic cable tacks. You can also get tilting hardware, make custom brackets, or use brand-specific hardware like Renogy’s brackets. For example, A True Solar Power Package Can Now Be Included With Your New Keystone RV . We even watched a couple movies at night with the installed television and entertainment system. After that, get on the roof get it exact measurements. Install your Inverter (Optional) If you want to use your AC appliances like your microwave, laptop, … How to install a 12v Solar Panel System. Available Wattage: 90, 140 | Weight: 39.8 lbs | Dimensions: 42 x 24.5 x 4.5 in. Then it was time to do something we would otherwise never do; purposefully drill a hole in the camper’s roof. Above: Pat and Tom Emerick helping Gordon get the solar panel on the roof, Above: Attaching the feet brackets onto the panel. https://www.renogy.com/blog/installing-solar-panels-on-your-van-or-rv This is the most common type of mounting bracket that comes in RV solar kits. They are expert designers with a "get it done right" the first-time attitude. You’ll still want to install the appropriate mounting bracket to your solar panel. Once you know the size of system required for your needs, it takes some planning to correctly mount the panels on the roof of the RV. Once they are screwed in, you’ll want to cover each hole with Dicor or another RV-safe self leveling lap-sealant. When we told Tom about our solar panel system, he offered to help. Copyright © 2007-2020. Tom had us check and re-check these wire connections with a multi-meter to make sure they were done correctly. If you like the WindyNation approach of a complete kit but our top … Again, we only anticipate needing one 150-watt panel given our positive experience with the 150-watt installation on the Northstar, and similar experiences with other solar-equipped truck campers. Next we connected the wire leads from the Zamp solar panel to the corresponding wires from the junction box. Run It All. It was a non-slide hard side floor plan – our personal preference. Since we wanted to leave room for adding more panels in the future, we placed the single panel where it would fit best and work in a two or three panel installation. As he explained, the solar panel system would preserve more of the power it collected from the sun if the wire lengths between the panels, junction box, controller, and batteries were kept to a minimum. Get Rv Solar Panels Installed. Above: 25-feet of 8 gauge wire was included in the kit – click to enlarge, Above: A three-port solar panel junction box was also included in the kit – click to enlarge. The installers know what to do and work without any … First, we went to the battery compartment and disconnected our camper battery bank. This kit includes a 150 watt Class A mono-crystalline solar panel, a 30-amp 5-stage PWM (pulse width modulation) solar charge controller with LCD display, 25-feet of 8 gauge wire, a three-port solar panel junction box, and all required nuts, bolts, washers, fuse holders, fuses, splice connectors, and ring connectors. The sheet of rubber lays over a layer of wood, so the best way to mount solar panels to this type of roof is to screw them in with lag bolts. The bad news is that our HOA doesn’t permit us to keep our truck camper rig in front of our house for more than a few hours. With over 20 years of … With Team Emerick on board, we were ready to go. This is because the top of your roof is simply a sheet that can peel off if the glue becomes detached enough. Founded in 2007, TCM is the RV community's number one source for news, reviews, guides, newbie advice, destination ideas, maintenance recommendations, modifications, and more. Above: The diagram in the Zamp instructions for the install – click to enlarge. That panel is rated at 100 watts at peak efficiency – meaning on a 78 degree cloudless day at solar … You can disable footer widget area in theme options - footer options, How to Mount Solar Panels on Your RV: Step by Step Installation, 2020 DIYRVLiving.com. If what you are in search of is a highly reliable solar 12-volt battery charger, then this 100-watt mono-crystalline solar starter kit from Renogy should be one of your choices. Solar + Battery Powered RV Air Conditioning: Off Grid AC?. Simply apply VHB – Very High Bond – tape, which will be almost impossible to remove when applied correctly. No widgets added. This allows us to turn off the water, drain the plumbing, adjust the thermostat, lock the doors, pack the camper, and go. Simply search “RV solar … WindyNation 400 Watt Solar Kit. For efficiency, we decided to place the single panel and junction box on the driver’s side front. Once the controller detected the battery bank was at 85% charge, the controller changed to absorption charge mode. Between 10:00am and 12:00 noon the battery voltage read 14.6 or 14.7 volts. This is the most common type of mounting bracket that comes in RV solar kits. Then Sikaflex 715 was applied into the hole at the point where wire emerged. You’ll need mounting brackets to attach to the glass solar panels, and then you will screw them directly into your roof, being careful to place them in a way that avoids shadows and doesn’t interfere with the use of your other roof accessories. How much does RV solar installation cost? Solar Power: Solar panels are sold in varying sizes, but a 100 watt panel is a commonly found size – particularly for RVs. The first step toward installing solar power is doing a power-consumption survey of your motorhome; figuring out the cumulative amp-hours (Ah) or watts being used during a typical outing, or over an extended period of time. If the wrapping paper can fly off, the photo will, too. Full-time RV'er Marvin Braun can help you with your RV Solar needs today! Once drilled, the hole would pass the 8-gauge wire from the junction box down through the wardrobe to the solar controller. Fortunately, our eleven-foot floor plan offered plenty of roof real estate options to place a panel of this size. That said, we do not anticipate needing more than one 150 watt panel. Precision RV is a recognized leader in RV Solar Installations nationally. Tom and Pat’s sons, Donny and Michael, also volunteered to help with the installation. Since this was our first time installing a solar panel system, and we regularly stop for photography and note taking, we gave ourselves a full day. Home » Truck Camper Mods » Camper Projects » Installing a Solar Panel System. The most common RV roof type is rubber, made out of a material known as EPDM or TPO. All Rights Reserved. By disconnecting the battery bank cables in this order, you prevent the possibility of electric shock during the installation. The number of solar panels and watts you will need will depend on your electronics usage in your RV meaning if you have the usual coffee maker, hair blower, a microwave perhaps, and a TV the estimated wattage you will need is between 400 to 600 watts of solar panels. Once the locations for the roof mounted solar panel and junction box were determined, we moved inside the camper to plan where the Zamp solar controller should be mounted. Everything in life has compromises. Best Flexible Panel Solar RV Kit. This includes all installation components. After asking, “Are we sure about this?” a few dozen times, we drilled the hole. This kit includes physically flexible solar panels that can be mounted on the curved roof of any RV. That’s the good news. Above: Gordon and Tom checking and re-checking the wiring. It measured 26.5” wide by 58.25” long. For what we were looking for, it was perfect. Among the best solar panel kits for RVs… We’ve connected the solar panels to the combiner box, ran wire inside the RV to the location we are going to mount the solar charge controller, and installed a solar panel disconnect switch. Then, we measured the dimensions of the Zamp 150-watt solar panel. Other than loading up and filling with water, we are not permitted to work on our rig, or park it overnight. Tom was pleased that the wire run distances between the solar panel, junction box, and solar controller would be kept as short as possible. Our neighbors keep an eye on the homestead, and the HOA keeps the snow, leaves, and lawn in check. Above: The solar panel bracket feet being secured onto the roof. One thing you want to avoid when mounting solar panels to a rubber roof is you do not want to use VHB tape as recommended by some RVers. Above: The wiring inside the Zamp junction box. Above: The Northstar 8.5 Arrow U in the Outer Banks during the solar test – click to enlarge. The simplest solar panel mounting hardware is known as a Z-bracket. At 7:00am every morning, the battery voltage read between 12.0 and 12.2 volts. To properly challenge the solar and battery system, we operated the camper as normal, charging the laptops daily, using the propane furnace in the morning, and running interior lights and fans as needed. These were the lowest readings gathered during our experiment and occurred as we were running the heat to take off the morning chill. We prepared the solar panel for installation by screwing the solar panel feet brackets to the panel. The simplest solar panel mounting hardware is known as a Z-bracket. Then you will map out where the bracket feet will land, clean the roof and foot with alcohol, wait for it to try, and then install the VHB tape per the instructions. This system is nearly identical to the one in the Northstar and, with the three-port solar panel junction box, would allow us to upgrade to two panels (300 watts) or even three panels (450 watts) in the future. A system like this will cost around $4,700–$5,700 total. With the hole drilled, the 8-gauge wire was fed into the camper and underlying wardrobe through the hole. The junction box was then screwed into the roof with stainless steel screws. Simply search “RV solar mounting hardware” to explore your options. Getting to the point of having freedom from the need to be connected to shorepower, or from cranking up a generator for hours at a time when boondocking, requires taking a close look at one’s energy needs. The following are the 2020 TCM Readers’ Choice Nominees for Best Truck Camper, Best... We have discovered the most sweltering truck camper on planet Earth. Many new RVs on the market even come pre-wired for solar power. An additional panel could later be placed on the passenger’s side front leaving just enough space between the panels to walk and inspect roof seals. We’ve written it to suit any size of system… At the time, we were camping in a Northstar 8.5 Arrow U with a 150 watt Zamp solar panel and controller, one Group 27 battery, and all LED interior and exterior lighting. |. Once everything is set, your panels will be unmovable – and the great news is you’ll have no additional holes in your roof to monitor for leaks. 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