Klipstr
2018 Wonder FTB
Howdy,
Finally the long awaited original post! Hopefully some of you will find this useful...
Photos for this install are here:
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...?key=NzhtOEZDRnZRNkRCVzJFb0hrVGJjdnlyUnhtY2hn
Our MB had the factory two solar panel install. Like TurboPilot I want to ensure I have enough solar up there to keep my batteries nice and topped off. I have added two panels and will put a third for a total of five. I was unsure whether I needed/wanted five but decided to go ahead and wire for the fifth and order it. Rather than staying with the Go Power panels I opted for these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DXYNGA0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Glued down with this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O9VFLRS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Per Turbo...
A few words about the panels. They are very nicely packaged in two cardboard and one Styrofoam layers. Light weight: can easily carry both in one arm. Sturdy. Apparently well made. I wouldn't be surprised if the same Chinese manufacturer is building the Go Power panels as the cable component on the edge of the panel is identical. One difference is the cells themselves are more of a matte rather than glossy finish. While reading the reviews one person commented that these will be slightly more efficient as they will reflect less and absorb more light. Sounds reasonable to me. Bottom line: I think this is a good panel.
I also purchased this box to be used as a junction box as I replaced the existing Y connector scheme. I originally planned to do as Turbo did and expand the Ys to add the panels but decided I preferred the junction box approach.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E0GLLXA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This is a decent box. Does not have stainless screws so I dobbed some Dicor on them.
If you are adding panels you will want to look at Turbo's thread to see how he replaced the wire from the charge controller to the battery in the battery bay. The wire beyond the fuse and the fuse itself in the factory installation are the wrong size for more than two panels. Here is the post:
http://www.sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44458
I should note that Turbo's post is very good. This post has a bit more detail about the panel and cable installation than his does so is a good adjunct.
The following steps are illustrated by the photos:
1. Remove the galvanized panel covering the roof penetration for the down wire cable to the Go Power charge controller. This involves a bit of grungy work as one is required to remove the Dicor used to seal up this plate. I use a screw driver blade and my hands to pull as much of the Dicor away as required to get a driver on the screws holding the plate down. Stick your screw driver underneath the plate and gently pry it off. They used Dicor to "glue" the plate down. One could then use some paint thinner to clean up the excess. I did not have any so my install is a bit messier than I would like. I also removed the Y connectors joining the original two panels to the down wire. The Y connectors are screwed into the roof as well. I didn't know this on the first one until I pried it and the screw from the roof! Not a problem, that's what Dicor is for!
Once you have exposed the penetration hole you will see it is a 2" hole and you can see how your roof is made. Prepare to be disappointed! One thin piece of fiberglass, perhaps a 1/4" piece of MDF or plywood and then Styrofoam. Typical of fiberglass RV roofs. I did like the fact that LTV used a larger hole for the penetration. This gives you room to move the cables around.
I chose the larger box as I knew it would cover the penetration and the screw holes left over from attaching the galvanized plate.
2. Drill all the holes you will need in the junction box. In my case, I drilled a slot for the down wires and five holes in each side of the box for my MC4 cables from the panels. I did all of this on the ground. I used two Eaton bus bars that I purchased for $4.50 at Lowes for my positive and negative connections. You can get an idea from my photos where to drill these holes. The down wire enters the box at the bottom (toward the roof edge) and the MC4 wires enter the box along the side tops. This worked well for the bus bars I used.
I put a bead of Dicor on the bottom of the box and around the penetration hole and then screwed the box to the roof using four of the screws I removed from the galvanized plate. Don't put so much Dicor that you make a mess around the edges. If you do you will get your MC4 wires in it later and then get it all over yourself and the rig!
3. Mount the panels. I've included a number of photos showing various locations I considered for the panels. I originally thought I would put two toward the rear but changed my mind realizing that I will add a satellite dome at some point and that's where the prewire is for that. The fifth panel will be adjacent to the air conditioner on the driver side.
Clean the roof off using a damp cloth (it had rained before I started my install so this was easy). Unwrap the panel from the plastic wrap and flip it over and apply the SikaFlex. I ran a bead around the edge then crisscrossed the panel and dabbed the remainder of the tube just wherever.
Carefully, without getting Sika every where, including on yourself, flip the panel over and align where you want it. The Sika doesn't set up fast so you have time to scoot the panel. Obviously you want to have it close to begin with or you will have adhesive all over your roof so be careful.
Gently press down all over the panel to get the Sika to spread out along the edge and in the middle. I would think a formica roller (or the cooks rolling pin) would be a handy tool for this. Again, I didn't have one so used the old fashioned method.
Repeat for the other panels.
4. Measure the approximate distance from the panel wires to the junction box so you can make the cables. Make them a little longer that you think you need or you may need a cable stretcher later. In my case it turned out they were all about 40" so I just made six this length. Making the cables gave the Sika some time to setup so I didn't need to be concerned about the panels moving around when I connected them. I marked the positive cables with a piece of red electrical tape. That will be the wires with the female connectors. The male connectors on the panels are marked positive. These will be connected to your marked females.
Connect your MC4 wires to the panels and route and tie down the wires to the junction box. I used wire ties and sticky tape pads for this.
http://www.lowes.com/pd/Utilitech-10-Pack-1-in-Nylon-Cable-Ties/50005766
I don't expect these will hold up well in the long run. I used 1/2" black plastic exterior cable loops screwed into the roof and then Dicor'ed on my previous installs.
5. Before I started this step I disconnected the Go Power charge controller from the battery. In my case I simply pulled the fuse. I did not want to confuse the controller during my connecting phase. Disconnecting from the battery effectively shuts the CC off.
Once you have all the wires running to your junction box you can determine the best entry point for each one. I first connected the two existing panels. You can see the crossed wires around the box connecting those. I did my install in two goes as I had rain when I wanted to glue my panels down so the photos don't quite represent my words...
Strip the wires about the width of the bus bar. Connect your positive panel wires to the bus bar connected to the red/positive down wire. I tighten the down wire in the bar but try to leave the MC4 wires loose until I get them all in there. That can make it a bit easier on you. Once they are all in tighten them up. Neatness counts here and you don't want to have strands of wire outside the bus bar hole. Twist them a bit with your fingers after stripping to help with this. The wire strands will flatten as you tighten. That's normal.
Once you have all the wires connected to the bus bars, put a piece of wire mold around each as I've shown to keep the bus bars from touching one another. You can be creative with what you separate your bars with. I had this on hand and it worked very well and looks neat.
6. Install the cover on the junction box and Dicor your work. I ran a bead around the junction box and over the screws attaching it and then all around the MC4 wires penetrating the box. Dicor is messy. Be careful not to get it on the panels! It will wipe off but not fun. In my case since a night of rain divided my work effort I had to glue the box down first when I would have preferred to use the Dicor just once.
7. Reconnect your charge controller to the battery. It should boot and you should see a bunch more amps!
Turbo has provided a bunch of data about what you can expect from additional panels. I haven't had a bright sunny day since to see how I'm doing so can report nothing!
I am concerned about the cable length between the charge controller and the batteries. I need to carefully watch the maximum voltage delivered to the batteries at the end of the charging cycle to satisfy myself that the Go Power can do the job where it is. I, without nothing but my gut, believe it can't deliver a high enough voltage to fully charge my batteries. But I am going to monitor it carefully and hopefully will prove myself wrong.
If I am right, though, my plan is to install a different charge controller closer to the batteries and jump the Go Power using that wire run to my new CC. This helps as the voltage drop between the charge controller and the battery is more important than the drop between the panels and charge controller. More details if necessary...
Hope this helps you guys and gals!
Finally the long awaited original post! Hopefully some of you will find this useful...
Photos for this install are here:
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...?key=NzhtOEZDRnZRNkRCVzJFb0hrVGJjdnlyUnhtY2hn
Our MB had the factory two solar panel install. Like TurboPilot I want to ensure I have enough solar up there to keep my batteries nice and topped off. I have added two panels and will put a third for a total of five. I was unsure whether I needed/wanted five but decided to go ahead and wire for the fifth and order it. Rather than staying with the Go Power panels I opted for these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DXYNGA0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Glued down with this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O9VFLRS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Per Turbo...
A few words about the panels. They are very nicely packaged in two cardboard and one Styrofoam layers. Light weight: can easily carry both in one arm. Sturdy. Apparently well made. I wouldn't be surprised if the same Chinese manufacturer is building the Go Power panels as the cable component on the edge of the panel is identical. One difference is the cells themselves are more of a matte rather than glossy finish. While reading the reviews one person commented that these will be slightly more efficient as they will reflect less and absorb more light. Sounds reasonable to me. Bottom line: I think this is a good panel.
I also purchased this box to be used as a junction box as I replaced the existing Y connector scheme. I originally planned to do as Turbo did and expand the Ys to add the panels but decided I preferred the junction box approach.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E0GLLXA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This is a decent box. Does not have stainless screws so I dobbed some Dicor on them.
If you are adding panels you will want to look at Turbo's thread to see how he replaced the wire from the charge controller to the battery in the battery bay. The wire beyond the fuse and the fuse itself in the factory installation are the wrong size for more than two panels. Here is the post:
http://www.sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44458
I should note that Turbo's post is very good. This post has a bit more detail about the panel and cable installation than his does so is a good adjunct.
The following steps are illustrated by the photos:
1. Remove the galvanized panel covering the roof penetration for the down wire cable to the Go Power charge controller. This involves a bit of grungy work as one is required to remove the Dicor used to seal up this plate. I use a screw driver blade and my hands to pull as much of the Dicor away as required to get a driver on the screws holding the plate down. Stick your screw driver underneath the plate and gently pry it off. They used Dicor to "glue" the plate down. One could then use some paint thinner to clean up the excess. I did not have any so my install is a bit messier than I would like. I also removed the Y connectors joining the original two panels to the down wire. The Y connectors are screwed into the roof as well. I didn't know this on the first one until I pried it and the screw from the roof! Not a problem, that's what Dicor is for!
Once you have exposed the penetration hole you will see it is a 2" hole and you can see how your roof is made. Prepare to be disappointed! One thin piece of fiberglass, perhaps a 1/4" piece of MDF or plywood and then Styrofoam. Typical of fiberglass RV roofs. I did like the fact that LTV used a larger hole for the penetration. This gives you room to move the cables around.
I chose the larger box as I knew it would cover the penetration and the screw holes left over from attaching the galvanized plate.
2. Drill all the holes you will need in the junction box. In my case, I drilled a slot for the down wires and five holes in each side of the box for my MC4 cables from the panels. I did all of this on the ground. I used two Eaton bus bars that I purchased for $4.50 at Lowes for my positive and negative connections. You can get an idea from my photos where to drill these holes. The down wire enters the box at the bottom (toward the roof edge) and the MC4 wires enter the box along the side tops. This worked well for the bus bars I used.
I put a bead of Dicor on the bottom of the box and around the penetration hole and then screwed the box to the roof using four of the screws I removed from the galvanized plate. Don't put so much Dicor that you make a mess around the edges. If you do you will get your MC4 wires in it later and then get it all over yourself and the rig!
3. Mount the panels. I've included a number of photos showing various locations I considered for the panels. I originally thought I would put two toward the rear but changed my mind realizing that I will add a satellite dome at some point and that's where the prewire is for that. The fifth panel will be adjacent to the air conditioner on the driver side.
Clean the roof off using a damp cloth (it had rained before I started my install so this was easy). Unwrap the panel from the plastic wrap and flip it over and apply the SikaFlex. I ran a bead around the edge then crisscrossed the panel and dabbed the remainder of the tube just wherever.
Carefully, without getting Sika every where, including on yourself, flip the panel over and align where you want it. The Sika doesn't set up fast so you have time to scoot the panel. Obviously you want to have it close to begin with or you will have adhesive all over your roof so be careful.
Gently press down all over the panel to get the Sika to spread out along the edge and in the middle. I would think a formica roller (or the cooks rolling pin) would be a handy tool for this. Again, I didn't have one so used the old fashioned method.
Repeat for the other panels.
4. Measure the approximate distance from the panel wires to the junction box so you can make the cables. Make them a little longer that you think you need or you may need a cable stretcher later. In my case it turned out they were all about 40" so I just made six this length. Making the cables gave the Sika some time to setup so I didn't need to be concerned about the panels moving around when I connected them. I marked the positive cables with a piece of red electrical tape. That will be the wires with the female connectors. The male connectors on the panels are marked positive. These will be connected to your marked females.
Connect your MC4 wires to the panels and route and tie down the wires to the junction box. I used wire ties and sticky tape pads for this.
http://www.lowes.com/pd/Utilitech-10-Pack-1-in-Nylon-Cable-Ties/50005766
I don't expect these will hold up well in the long run. I used 1/2" black plastic exterior cable loops screwed into the roof and then Dicor'ed on my previous installs.
5. Before I started this step I disconnected the Go Power charge controller from the battery. In my case I simply pulled the fuse. I did not want to confuse the controller during my connecting phase. Disconnecting from the battery effectively shuts the CC off.
Once you have all the wires running to your junction box you can determine the best entry point for each one. I first connected the two existing panels. You can see the crossed wires around the box connecting those. I did my install in two goes as I had rain when I wanted to glue my panels down so the photos don't quite represent my words...
Strip the wires about the width of the bus bar. Connect your positive panel wires to the bus bar connected to the red/positive down wire. I tighten the down wire in the bar but try to leave the MC4 wires loose until I get them all in there. That can make it a bit easier on you. Once they are all in tighten them up. Neatness counts here and you don't want to have strands of wire outside the bus bar hole. Twist them a bit with your fingers after stripping to help with this. The wire strands will flatten as you tighten. That's normal.
Once you have all the wires connected to the bus bars, put a piece of wire mold around each as I've shown to keep the bus bars from touching one another. You can be creative with what you separate your bars with. I had this on hand and it worked very well and looks neat.
6. Install the cover on the junction box and Dicor your work. I ran a bead around the junction box and over the screws attaching it and then all around the MC4 wires penetrating the box. Dicor is messy. Be careful not to get it on the panels! It will wipe off but not fun. In my case since a night of rain divided my work effort I had to glue the box down first when I would have preferred to use the Dicor just once.
7. Reconnect your charge controller to the battery. It should boot and you should see a bunch more amps!
Turbo has provided a bunch of data about what you can expect from additional panels. I haven't had a bright sunny day since to see how I'm doing so can report nothing!
I am concerned about the cable length between the charge controller and the batteries. I need to carefully watch the maximum voltage delivered to the batteries at the end of the charging cycle to satisfy myself that the Go Power can do the job where it is. I, without nothing but my gut, believe it can't deliver a high enough voltage to fully charge my batteries. But I am going to monitor it carefully and hopefully will prove myself wrong.
If I am right, though, my plan is to install a different charge controller closer to the batteries and jump the Go Power using that wire run to my new CC. This helps as the voltage drop between the charge controller and the battery is more important than the drop between the panels and charge controller. More details if necessary...
Hope this helps you guys and gals!
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