Solar Pre-wire questions

[Rossue]

Originally Posted by ridinbarney

Understood about needing a controller. So, wiring from controller should go directly to the battery similar to my portable panel and should not go to controller?

If that is the case, I have the feeling that ETI simply ran the wire, leaving it loose on both ends, I just have to find the end near either the battery or under the dinette.

Please explain what is a 12 volt drop?

I'm just diving into all of this. Appreciate the information.

That is probably what is coiled up in the cabinet- a 12V drop which was a popular "off label" option. People would order them at $25/ea. to later install lights inside the cabinets, which ETI was prohibited from doing by code.

The best way to run cables for solar without drilling holes in down the fridge vent. ETI started doing that around 2015/2016 after a Forum member showed how he had done his own.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by padlin

Dicor for horizontal surfaces, Proflex for verticals.

Bob because I still had some and proflex is a mess to ever have to remove , used Dicor on verticals with success . It was a small area around my locking water cover . Pat

[Effie]

Originally Posted by ChuckBC

I am considering your rack mount approach. Can you specify the location of rack feet on roof and even better inches outboard from roof shell riser and aft/forward separation? Probably best to drill pilot from inside cabinet if possible?

The one pic with foam liner peeled back showing plywood, is this inside cabinet and did you manage to secure any bolts in plywood or are they pan washers on roof shell?

Where is your wires entering trailer and route to dinette?

Below are some pictures I took today showing the locations of the rails in relation to the roof bump, but as you noted it’s somewhat easier drilling a couple of holes from the inside, and then all the others from the roof along the same line.

Yes the plywood is inside the cabinet but I didn’t use it to secure the roof rails, I used stainless screws, locknuts and washers against the roof fiberglass next to the plywood. You need to pull the foam liner from the roof about an inch, also when drilling from above make sure you keep the holes inside the span of the top cabinet. Note the picture below from Escape showing the location of the solar panel fasteners. When it comes to aft/forward I started the rail few inches from the curve at the back of the roof and went forward 36.5” (on the driver side it’s a bit shorter because of the Go Power plate)

My trailer solar prep included the roof Go Power solar entry plate for MC4 connectors that Escape is using for some time now, I know a lot of people are successfully using the fridge vent to eliminate more holes in the roof. If you decide to install an entry point this one works well. The wires are routed behind the fridge, the dresser and the shower fiberglass shell, you can see the entry point on the far left corner under the bench.

I hope this helps, Good luck with your install.

[ChuckBC]

Thanks so much for the info and going to the effort to provide pics. This helps big time. Is the foot rail channel a Thule product? How many fasteners per rail?

I am finishing my raised dinette with electrical mod and this is next. However, don't know if outside shower will bump it back a project?

[Effie]

The foot rail is actually a 60" Yakima tracks, they are made with a bit heavier gauge than the Thule ones, but either will do. I used 6 screws for each side.