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05-06-2020, 03:40 PM
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#141
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Ventura County, California
Trailer: 2013 19 Escape
Posts: 7,204
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Ours are wired in parallel too . Lensun panels . Pat
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05-06-2020, 04:00 PM
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#142
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Naples, New York
Trailer: 2020 Esacpe 19'(Hillbilly Heaven) ETI best named trailer of the year
Posts: 1,204
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It you set up parallel would be the way to go. as others have mentioned with 3 panels it would not take much to get shading on one panel.
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05-06-2020, 07:30 PM
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#143
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: PNW, British Columbia
Trailer: 2013 - 19
Posts: 87
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Thanks all. I will definitely wire them in Parallel. Next question. Fuse each panel separately with 5A inline MC4 fuse? Or - at 15A just before controller?
Specs
80W
Max power current 4.44A
Short circuit current 4.89A
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05-06-2020, 07:44 PM
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#144
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Baytown, Texas
Trailer: 2017 21' Escape - upgraded version
Posts: 2,697
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pembyescape
Thanks all. I will definitely wire them in Parallel. Next question. Fuse each panel separately with 5A inline MC4 fuse? Or - at 15A just before controller?
Specs
80W
Max power current 4.44A
Short circuit current 4.89A
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Cable entry plate:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
All the panels just get connected using MC4 connectors on the roof before they hit the cable entry plate. These work well for this:
https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Solar-...8812111&sr=8-3
A solar breaker before the controller works well.
https://www.amazon.com/MidNite-Solar...8812565&sr=8-1
You need a breaker before and after the solar controller. This box allows mounting the breakers in an enclosure and makes for a neat installation.
https://www.amazon.com/MIDNITE-SOLAR...8812810&sr=8-2
__________________
Normal people believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Engineers believe in fixing it so that it never breaks.
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05-06-2020, 07:51 PM
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#145
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Naples, New York
Trailer: 2020 Esacpe 19'(Hillbilly Heaven) ETI best named trailer of the year
Posts: 1,204
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pembyescape
Thanks all. I will definitely wire them in Parallel. Next question. Fuse each panel separately with 5A inline MC4 fuse? Or - at 15A just before controller?
Specs
80W
Max power current 4.44A
Short circuit current 4.89A
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you really don't need a fuse,as long as the wire can handle the amps, there is now way the panels can produce more than there short circuit current . so all your protecting is the wire . some people like a shut off. If you want you could use a 15amp circuit breaker that would act as a shut off. not sure how many amps the controller is . when escape install they bring wires into fridge vent,no holes taht way. but if you get solar ready they do put a mc-4 fitting in. so you need to firgure what would work best for you
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05-06-2020, 08:06 PM
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#146
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Naples, New York
Trailer: 2020 Esacpe 19'(Hillbilly Heaven) ETI best named trailer of the year
Posts: 1,204
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picture
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05-24-2020, 09:17 PM
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#147
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Canmore, Alberta
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19
Posts: 15
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Eternabond
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Bennett
This was my trailer roof this morning.
This was my trailer roof this afternoon.
All the exterior work is done. The four 60W semi-flexible panels are installed. I wired them in two parallel sets of two panels wired in series, so the system voltage to the solar controller will be 36V. I held them down with Eternabond tape around the entire perimeter. I taped cable tie holders down with the tape too. They entered into the trailer via a Go Power Cable Entry Plate supplied by Escape.
This is one of the panels in my garage. I pre-cut all the pieces of tape ahead of time.
Tomorrow I will install the solar controller and tie everything in, including a tap for my 80W portable panel. I will do a follow up post later tomorrow.
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Hi Jim, There seem to be a variety of eternabond products on the market that resemble tape. Can you please send a link or more specific description of which you used? Thanks!
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05-24-2020, 09:30 PM
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#148
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,550
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Davin
Hi Jim, There seem to be a variety of eternabond products on the market that resemble tape. Can you please send a link or more specific description of which you used? Thanks!
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I am on my phone right now, so getting a link together is not so easy. What I used was 2" wide Eternabond tape. I don't think there aww options to this
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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05-24-2020, 09:33 PM
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#149
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,550
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This is a look at the strips I cut for the installation.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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05-24-2020, 10:16 PM
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#150
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Canmore, Alberta
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19
Posts: 15
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Thanks!
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05-25-2020, 07:37 AM
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#151
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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Davin,
Remember Jim B. Escape is the 5.0 TA and the roof layout maybe different that yours.....
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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05-25-2020, 11:00 AM
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#152
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Ventura County, California
Trailer: 2013 19 Escape
Posts: 7,204
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Davin
Hi Jim, There seem to be a variety of eternabond products on the market that resemble tape. Can you please send a link or more specific description of which you used? Thanks!
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Davin used the same 2 in Eternabond tape as Jim . We have a 19 also and our layout is the same as Jim’s with the 60 watt panels just with 3 Lensun panels . On Jim’s roof he has 4 panels with 2 in front . There is just 1 in front on the 19 . That is the only difference . Pat
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05-07-2021, 09:54 AM
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#153
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Melbourne, Florida
Trailer: 2020 Escape 5.0
Posts: 57
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I have been asked about panel type, placement, and installation. I went with simple. I have an angle bracket attached to the front and back of both panels. On the two panel setup, I have a tie bracket that goes front to back. The panels are connected via an L bracket that is attached to the roof with VHB and bolts. The both passes through the fiberglass and has a plywood backing plate. I have made several trip now with this setup and have had no issues traveling at 70 mph. My Dodge 2500 diesel mileages goes down significantly above 70, so that is my max speed.
__________________
Joel
"You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end, which you can never afford to lose, with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be." - Vice Admiral Stockdale
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05-07-2021, 09:56 AM
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#154
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Melbourne, Florida
Trailer: 2020 Escape 5.0
Posts: 57
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Second set of pics.
__________________
Joel
"You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end, which you can never afford to lose, with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be." - Vice Admiral Stockdale
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05-07-2021, 11:31 AM
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#155
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: East of Austin, Texas
Trailer: 2021 Escape 5.0 / 2022 F150 SuperCab
Posts: 2,910
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Joel, I can't express enough how grateful I am for your panel specs and nearly straight-on photos.
With basic Microsoft Paint and a bit of simple pixel/inch ratio calculation, they're an invaluable tool for schematizing 'what can fit' on a 5.0 roof.
Not exact measurements but darned good for basic 'feasibility' checks.
Thank You!
This a 'width check', I've done the same with the vertical pic for a 'length check' ...
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05-08-2021, 06:50 PM
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#156
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: New Mexico, New Mexico
Trailer: 2017 E19
Posts: 613
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jphil23462
Second set of pics.
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Joel,
Very nice installation. I noted that you opted for slotted steel as opposed to aluminum angle. Was that based on material availability or structural integrity? It appears you used aluminum cast L brackets.
--Steve
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05-09-2021, 01:13 PM
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#157
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: C, North Carolina
Trailer: 2020 21' Escape
Posts: 73
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Davin
Thanks!
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I used Jim’s install for inspiration too and used the 2 inch eternabond with white color. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be.
I posted my (not so great) pics over here:
https://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f...21c-19919.html
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05-31-2021, 08:15 AM
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#158
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,550
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Thought I would do an update on the system I installed. During a thorough trailer roof cleaning in preparation for waxing, I did a full inspection of my now 4 year old solar system.
Pretty much everything looked great, including panels and wiring. Very glad for that. A quick wipe with water was all these components got.
I did find a could things that needed addressing. A few of the corners of the Eternabond tape white surface had lifted, but just a wee tiny amount easily trimmed with a sharp knife. The Eterbabond tape overall was still in excellent condition and doing it's job well.
The biggest thing I had to make a change on were all the white cable ties I used, which had become brittle under the sun. There were a couple black T&B straps that were still going strong so today after waxing I will just be installing new black ties.
Very glad that the working components still looked in top form. Performance has not lessened at all so I had assumed all was good, and I do have a look once in a while, but this was my first look real close at everything.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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