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06-19-2019, 06:14 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 36
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Solar panel question
Hello! I have a x139 and will be installing a 100w solar panel this Weekend! I was wondering if anyone as installed one and how did you get the wirring in without drilling any hole! Can anyone share some picture of there solar set-up or would give us any usefull tips?
Many thanks
Fred
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06-19-2019, 07:59 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Southern California
Posts: 2,142
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Fred, I have an X139 and use a 120 watt portable panel. There is not a lot of real estate up on that little roof for a permanent panel.
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06-19-2019, 09:19 PM
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#3
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 8
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How are you going to mount the panel to the roof? That will need some holes. No different then what you'd have to do with the wiring. There are special weather right wire entry devices that you can use - make your hole, cover it with the wire portal, install the wire. You can also take the wire in through the upper fridge vent, no additional holes in that case
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06-20-2019, 05:27 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: SoCal
Posts: 324
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred03
Hello! I have a x139 and will be installing a 100w solar panel this Weekend! I was wondering if anyone as installed one and how did you get the wirring in without drilling any hole! Can anyone share some picture of there solar set-up or would give us any usefull tips?
Many thanks
Fred
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Just curious, what type of charge controller did you get for the 100W panel? Is it one of the high efficiency MPPT solar controllers or the lower cost but less efficient ones?
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2016 F281BIKS, Added Renogy DC-DC charger to better charge deep cycle batteries.
2003 F250 7.3L Powerstroke Crewcab longbed 20K lbs GCWR
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06-21-2019, 09:06 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Kalamazoo, MI & Leesburg, FL
Posts: 735
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If you have a refrigerator vent stack, you might consider running the power cable down it instead of drilling a new hole in the roof.
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06-22-2019, 07:59 PM
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#6
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 36
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No fridge vent on the roof. I am figuring a way to run a wire cover that an adhesive strip all the way. I am going to send you some pics after I am done. Thanks
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06-29-2019, 07:56 AM
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#7
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 36
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I just finished wiring and installing the solar panel support. Bought these these (as seen on the picture) so I could just glue them on the top. But after reading some comments., I have decided to finaly bolt them in adding butyl tape and a dicor sealing joint. I was trying to find a way to get the wires inside without doing any other hole and got a placstic trim that runs along the front. Fixe it with some 3m double face super tape and It will certainly stay on and it looks like a clean job. Hope this can be useflul for anyone.
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06-29-2019, 10:32 AM
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#8
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 8
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What panel mounts are those? I guess you just used short screws, ones that would not penetrate through to the interior, right?
I'm thinking of running the wires down into the upper wall fridge vent, connecting to the charge controller in the area of the stereo, then running heavy gauge wires off to the battery. Where are you installing your controller?
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06-29-2019, 01:22 PM
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#9
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 36
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These mount are normaly suppose to be glued on the camper top. But after many readings I considered that it was a lot more secure to screw the panel instead. Not sure enough that it would be a good tjing for the membrane rubber roof. Indont have a top vent on my x139. There was not many option other option... I will send you picture of the inside wirring and control set up soon.
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06-29-2019, 07:43 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Kalamazoo, MI & Leesburg, FL
Posts: 735
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Nice work. I only have a portable 50 watt panel so in the summer I lay it on the roof when the trailer is parked in my drive way to maintain the battery. When dry camping I hook it to a 30 foot cable to place it on the ground in the sun. BTW, these panels can get hot when in sun light so I put 4 rubber feet on mine to keep it from laying directly on the roof. The feet also prevent it from sliding off.
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06-30-2019, 02:11 PM
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#11
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 99
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JimboFunFinder
Just curious, what type of charge controller did you get for the 100W panel? Is it one of the high efficiency MPPT solar controllers or the lower cost but less efficient ones?
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If you're using the trimetric battery monitor then stick with the trimetric charge controller. It's a PWM but works great in conjunction with the monitor. A lot of guys are using the Victron stuff, so the sky's the limit there. If you plan on upgrading the amount of solar then maybe MPPT makes sense. I'm using a MorningStar Prostar 30 for my 300 watts. It works well. I've never had an issue with running of power boondocking. I usually camp 3 weeks at a time. My batteries only charge on solar even at -40. It's been unplugged for years now.
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07-05-2019, 04:30 AM
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#12
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 36
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This is the final result. I get around 5 amps an hours when it in full sun, so iit will certainly help maintaining some extra batterie time.
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07-05-2019, 08:39 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 3,105
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How much did the solar set-up cost?
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07-05-2019, 10:21 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: SoCal
Posts: 324
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Thanks for the update! 5 Amps from a single 100 Watt panel seems good but of course falls short of the manufacturer's claim since it would be equivalent to perhaps 5A times 14V which would be 70 Watts. The manufacturers rate the panel at a light intensity greater than the sun and at an optimal voltage of 16-16.5 Volts.
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2016 F281BIKS, Added Renogy DC-DC charger to better charge deep cycle batteries.
2003 F250 7.3L Powerstroke Crewcab longbed 20K lbs GCWR
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