We took off the main negative cable and then the main positive cable. First, we went to the battery compartment and disconnected our camper battery bank. Even before the project camper arrived, we acquired a 150-watt Zamp solar panel system and solar controller. As Gordon drilled, rubber TPO, luan plywood, several inches of closed cell foam insulation, and more luan plywood came up. This is the most common type of mounting bracket that comes in RV solar kits. Safety is your number one priority so remove all batteries cables before you do anything. Solar Power: Solar panels are sold in varying sizes, but a 100 watt panel is a commonly found size – particularly for RVs. The installers know what to do and work without any … Then Sikaflex 715 was applied into the hole at the point where wire emerged. You can also get tilting hardware, make custom brackets, or use brand-specific hardware like Renogy’s brackets. If your RV roof is made of fiberglass, you luckily do not need to drill holes into your roof to mount your solar panels. 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 installed a countless amount of solar panels on motorhomes here in Arizona to include: Glendale, Scottsdale, Peoria, Surprise, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, and surrounding areas. |. 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. Run It All. When we told Tom about our solar panel system, he offered to help. Colorado Standby now offers RV solar panel installation & kits. Tom had us check and re-check these wire connections with a multi-meter to make sure they were done correctly. Then it was time to do something we would otherwise never do; purposefully drill a hole in the camper’s roof. Latest: Hottest Camper on Earth and Readers Choice Nominees. The simplest solar panel mounting hardware is known as a Z-bracket. 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. Above: Removable panel in our wardrobe closet where we ran wires from the junction box. It also applies to the shore power if you have them on at the moment. 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. After asking, “Are we sure about this?” a few dozen times, we drilled the hole. You’ll still want to install the appropriate mounting bracket to your solar panel. When the screws were in, Sikaflex 715 was used to cover the solar panel bracket feet. Above: Drilling the hole in the roof for the 8 gauge wire. RV Master Techs has been doing solar panel installations for almost a decade and is a leader in the RV repair and consignment industry. RV Solar Components. For the installation of the Zamp solar panel system, we visited Tom and Pat Emerick. Above: Crimping the connections – click to enlarge, Above: Shrink wrapping the crimped connections with a heat gun. Gorilla tape was used to hold the panel wiring to the inside upper panel. nuCamp RV has produced a video showcasing the 2021 Cirrus 620. You can also get tilting hardware, make custom brackets, or use brand-specific hardware like Renogy’s brackets. By early to mid-afternoon, the single battery had reached its float charge of 13.1 volts. Our neighbors keep an eye on the homestead, and the HOA keeps the snow, leaves, and lawn in check. Above: Gordon and Tom checking and re-checking the wiring. A system like this will cost around $4,700–$5,700 total. Full-time RV'er Marvin Braun can help you with your RV Solar needs today! How to install a 12v Solar Panel System. Take a look at some of the installations we have done and consider giving us a call if you would like us to set up your RV with solar … Absorption charge mode charged the battery bank to 100%, decreasing the current as the battery reaches 100%. 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. Tom recommended using this area to run the wires from the junction box on the roof to the solar controller below. Copyright © 2007-2020. 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. When a battery is on float charge, it is fully charged and maintaining its full charge from the solar panel. If you want to be able to run absolutely everything using only solar power, you will need a system … After nixing a few locations that conflicted with the above requirements, we found an inset panel area under the wardrobe closet. For a complete step by step guide check out our detailed guide on how to install solar panels on RVs, campervan and motorhomes. Once drilled, the hole would pass the 8-gauge wire from the junction box down through the wardrobe to the solar controller. Built for your RV, camper, trailer or van, Colorado Standby can help with your solar needs. 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. We prepared the solar panel for installation by screwing the solar panel feet brackets to the panel. This allows us to turn off the water, drain the plumbing, adjust the thermostat, lock the doors, pack the camper, and go. 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. Many new RVs on the market even come pre-wired for solar power. A few months later we found a decade old camper in Oregon that fit our requirements for a camper project. With Team Emerick on board, we were ready to go. 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. 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. Above: The Northstar 8.5 Arrow U in the Outer Banks during the solar test – click to enlarge. Get Rv Solar Panels Installed. We prepared the solar panel for installation by screwing the solar panel feet brackets to the panel. Best Flexible Panel Solar RV Kit. It measured 26.5” wide by 58.25” long. Solar + Battery Powered RV Air Conditioning: Off Grid AC?. The shrink wrap was strongly recommended by Tom to protect the crimped connections from the elements. Precision RV - Marvin Braun (206) 276-2462 Among the best solar panel kits for RVs… 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. Once the screws were in, Sikaflex was applied to the base of the junction box, and smoothed out for consistent coverage by hand. We even watched a couple movies at night with the installed television and entertainment system. Once they are screwed in, you’ll want to cover each hole with Dicor or another RV-safe self leveling lap-sealant. To connect the wires, we used the crimp connectors included in the Zamp kit and shrink wrapped the crimped connections with a heat gun. If the wrapping paper can fly off, the photo will, too. That’s the good news. https://www.renogy.com/blog/installing-solar-panels-on-your-van-or-rv Fortunately, our eleven-foot floor plan offered plenty of roof real estate options to place a panel of this size. Above: Pat and Tom Emerick helping Gordon get the solar panel on the roof, Above: Attaching the feet brackets onto the panel. Install your Inverter (Optional) If you want to use your AC appliances like your microwave, laptop, … During this period of time, the solar charge controller was in bulk charge mode sending the highest voltage the installed solar panel and charge controller were rated for. We’ve written it to suit any size of system… Giosolar 200 watt kit + 20 amp charge controller + cables . Last Spring we attempted an impromptu experiment to see how long we could camp without 110 volt shore power. 2020 Truck Camper Readers’ Choice Nominees. Simply search “RV solar mounting hardware” to explore your options. This includes all installation components. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The … I usually see this product being incorporated in a good Renogy flexible solar panel review considering its effectiveness and high satisfaction rating.This is an excellent choice, especially if you aim to choose the right RV solar panels. He and his son, Michael, have also refurbished an older Adventurer truck camper. Tom was pleased that the wire run distances between the solar panel, junction box, and solar controller would be kept as short as possible. It is mainly because of its abilit… With the panel now on the roof, we connected the 8-gauge wires to the Zamp … The simplest solar panel mounting hardware is known as a Z-bracket. 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. 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. 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. For example, A True Solar Power Package Can Now Be Included With Your New Keystone RV . This method works whether you have tilting or non tilting mounting hardware. A third panel is not likely, but could be added on an available space towards the rear of the camper roof. Simply use the adhesive recommended by the solar panel manufacturer to glue the panel to the roof. Above: The solar panel bracket feet being secured onto the roof. 180 Watt Monocrystalline Solar Panel with 12 Amp Charge Controller Above: The connectors and resettable circuit breaker was included in the kit. 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 the panel now on the roof, we connected the 8-gauge wires to the Zamp junction box including the corresponding positive and negative wire connections. Farewell furnace! No widgets added. Above: Gordon positioning the junction box after Sikaflex has been applied. 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. After that, get on the roof get it exact measurements. On the back wall of our wardrobe closet, we discovered a removable panel where the original manufacturer ran wires for the entertainment system. This DIY Camper Solar System Guide is a multi step, complete educational series that by the end, you will know what all of the parts of a solar system do, how they work together, what you'll need for YOUR specific system… We offer complete RV solar panel system installations for travel trailers, off the grid campers, fifth wheels, toy haulers, and RV … 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. The camper needed routine maintenance, and lacked amenities and features we could add, study, and document for the magazine. WindyNation 400 Watt Solar Kit. Other than loading up and filling with water, we are not permitted to work on our rig, or park it overnight. 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. 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. 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. 190 Watt Solar Panel … How much does RV solar installation cost? Sample RV solar kit cost as of January 2020. We installed a Zamp Deluxe 150 Watt RV Solar Kit (ZS-150-30A-DX). With the hole drilled, the 8-gauge wire was fed into the camper and underlying wardrobe through the hole. Then Gordon and Angela kill two batteries, and learn an expensive lesson; Installing A Solar Controller. 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. 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. With over 20 years of … The most common RV roof type is rubber, made out of a material known as EPDM or TPO. RV SOLAR INSTALLERS. Tom and Pat’s sons, Donny and Michael, also volunteered to help with the installation. During our experiment, Angela monitored the Zamp ZS-30A solar charge controller. 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. Given its impressive performance on the Northstar, a Zamp solar panel system was high on the list for our new-to-us camper. 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