[orbit1957]

I'm getting ready to install a solar panel system and need expert GURU advice.  The question is, where is the best place to penetrate the roof to run wires to the batteries? Thanks in advance to all GURU respondents!

[pairodice]

I would think as close to the battery banks as possible but others will chime in. You will find that Newell will not be able to give specific help in showing you where wiring or plumbing was placed due to ‘each coach is different’.
I will be following this thread with interest since adding Solar is something I would like to do (after I get rid of that big satellite dish on the roof)...

[Nebster]

I had Newell pull four 10AWG wires from the roof to my inverter bay in preparation for my solar install. The wires penetrate the coach just outside of the inside wall of the half bath. They drop into the half bath and run through a bit of finished conduit around to the corner, where they then drop down all the way to the floor and enter the bay underneath.

My half bath is not a bath anymore, it's an office and pantry, so cosmetically this was an easy way for them to hide the new run. I suspect the "best" place will vary a lot depending on your floorplan (and how much you are willing to tolerate/hide wires).

[pairodice]

Would it be better to move the inverter closer to the battery bay and then run the wires - aren’t the wires from the panels supposed to be as close as possible? I am still learning (slowly) about Solar on the RV.

[folivier]

It depends on the voltage your panels are putting out. Natively most panels are ~ 18Vdc. But you can hook them up in series which increases the voltage and allows a smaller gauge wire from the panels to the controller. The controller should be near the batteries and the wire from the controller which will be at 12Vdc nominal should be sized for that run.
On my Foretravel I have 4 of 100 watt panels, 2 pair hooked in series, then 1 set of 10 gauge wires. That gives me ~40Vdc to the controller which is about 2' to the batteries.
But if panels are wired in series you could have a detrimental affect if one of the set in series is shaded.

[Latitude 28]

We had installed a grid tied with battery back up solar system on our previous home in 2009. Somewhere in the research I came across this guy that has written a no nonsense blog that is real informative about RV solar installs.  https://handybobsolar.wordpress.com/.

[pairodice]

Never mind, I’m reading the blog that Steve posted - it is GREAT...
Not to hijack this thread but what would you guys recommend for a solar solution? Number of panels, type, charge controller brand/type/model, etc.? I just want to be able to have the batteries charging while sitting in a storage location, not for when we are actually using the coach. READ THE BLOG... :-)

[folivier]

First thing in designing any solar system is to know how many amps you use. Then you can determine how many panels. If your batteries are already charged and everything is turned off including fridge then probably a single 100 watt panel would keep both banks charged. You could even use a portable panel sitting on the ground for this.
Is your storage location open to sunlight hitting the panels all day?

[pairodice]

Forest, I did bring my Kill-O-Watt meter with me and can test things along with measuring amps pulled at the batteries (now that I understand how to do that with my multi-meter :-) ). I don’t know where the coach will be parked yet when in storage but could probably figure 50% capacity for the solar panels to be safe (or should it be less if in the shade?)...