Getting down to the finer details of the solar panel saga, Looks like to get the cables through the roof, I need to take off one of the existing panels and pull the wires through that panels junction box. Simple except that it looks like they have used Sikaflex to fasten the junction box to the roof and to the solar panel, I suspect that the junction box has been filled up as well. Soooo to get the solar panel off, I would have to get a scrapper with a long handle and prize the junction box away from the solar panel for starters, and hope I don't break it.
The second thing is once I have the solar panel off, to gain access to the wiring, grouped together before it is connected to the regulator, I need to pull out the fridge. The wires are all sitting on top of it, and no way in.
Sooo has anyone on here fitted extra panels to their Silverline, or is it just too hard?
Dougwe said
10:05 PM Dec 30, 2016
Have you thought of just connecting the new panel/s to a seperate reg, Ian? I did that with my ground level one.
iana said
11:03 PM Dec 30, 2016
Yes Dougewe, the wife suggested that, it may be the only way to go. Its all too hard. Had a good deal going with a shop for a solar panel and diesel heater too, now back to the starting blocks again. Assuming the ground level panel that you installed is portable, did you wire up the regulator close to the battery, as opposed to the premade panels that come with a regular built on them. From what I have read on here that is the way to go.
Examining the installation of my panels today, I found that the covers of the junction boxes housing the diodes under the panels are fastened closed with----------gaffa tape. The heat makes the tape come off and the covers are now coming open. But they cannot be reached because of all the sealant holding the panels down. These vans really are some kind of joke.
Dougwe said
07:58 AM Dec 31, 2016
It's not actually a portable panel, Ian. I got a 120w fixed roof panel and changed cable to 6B&S and 30cm long with Anderson Plug on end. I then use a 10mt 6B&S cable plugged to that then to van. I prop the panel up and move around to follow sun. I fitted a seperate Regulator next to the batteries.
I decided to have it seperate to the main van system as if anything ever goes astray with roof solar I still have ground panel to get me out of trouble. As I said in another thread of yours that you said someone hijacked I have not had the need to use the ground panel apart from original testing. It lives strapped under the canopy of the rear of the Collie, where Gene lives, out of the way and easy to get out. Mmmmm, I hope Gene and the Panel behave in there.
I hope that all makes sense.
Delta18 said
09:52 AM Dec 31, 2016
iana wrote:
But they cannot be reached because of all the sealant holding the panels down. These vans really are some kind of joke.
Yeah, fancy fitting solar panels that don't come off easily. What were they thinking!
Delta18 said
09:55 AM Dec 31, 2016
When we had 10 panels fitted to our new 21' Club Lounge van we drilled a hole (30 - 40mm from memory) through the roof behind the microwave to run the cables through. The reg was mounted on the same panel the Drifter is on.
iana said
10:43 AM Dec 31, 2016
Hey Dougwe, if that's not portable as opposed to fixed, what is?
Delta18, fancy using Gaffa tape to hold covers on the junction boxes of the solar panels, (hope "Hey Jim" isn't reading this, or he'll be up on a ladder checking.).
10 panels, my heart just skipped a beat - I'm only thinking 1 or 2?
But I can see where you are coming from, removing the microwave will give one access to the rear of the cupboards, and the separate regulator gets over the hidden wiring conduit problem.
I don't like the existing regulator setup anyway, the regulator is getting a bit far away from the batteries. Infact moving the regulator to the position you have used in my case makes a lot of sense, we don't have a club lounge in the van, but two recliners, so the batteries are placed (thrown) under the bed. You should see the electrics under there, even a crow building its nest would blush if it saw this mess. But yeah, more food for thought. Thanks
Ian
Hey Jim said
12:17 PM Dec 31, 2016
Delta18, fancy using Gaffa tape to hold covers on the junction boxes of the solar panels, (hope "Hey Jim" isn't reading this, or he'll be up on a ladder checking.).
He Is, and he has.
How the hell can you. Without ripping the existing off and starting over. When I asked for the extra panels, They came back and said it was to late to change the order. A Load of BS.
They weren't keen (The dealer). And to turn me off, gave me a extra costing of $2300 -$2500 as an estimate of adding an extra 2 x120 panels.
That didn't include the second Battery.
They build these things from the inside out for the life of the van. With gaining access there after a second thought.
When I see the right set up I will outlay for a proper job. I thought It would be an easy job of just running short cabling and tapping into the existing.
Pulling the van apart turned me off at first.
I will talk to a few Companies with the now how to give me piece of mind down the track.
Jim
Delta18 said
12:25 PM Dec 31, 2016
iana wrote:
Hey Dougwe, if that's not portable as opposed to fixed, what is? Delta18, fancy using Gaffa tape to hold covers on the junction boxes of the solar panels, (hope "Hey Jim" isn't reading this, or he'll be up on a ladder checking.). 10 panels, my heart just skipped a beat - I'm only thinking 1 or 2? But I can see where you are coming from, removing the microwave will give one access to the rear of the cupboards, and the separate regulator gets over the hidden wiring conduit problem. I don't like the existing regulator setup anyway, the regulator is getting a bit far away from the batteries. Infact moving the regulator to the position you have used in my case makes a lot of sense, we don't have a club lounge in the van, but two recliners, so the batteries are placed (thrown) under the bed. You should see the electrics under there, even a crow building its nest would blush if it saw this mess. But yeah, more food for thought. Thanks Ian
This is how the roof looks now. 10 x 100w panels. You can see where the cables go down through the roof.
Under MY bed is a mess, 400ah Lithium Battery, 3000/9000w inverter, 40amp DC/DC charger & ancillary gear to run it.
Ya missed a bit... you could get another couple of panels up there. LOL
Good job nice & neat.
-- Edited by madaboutled on Saturday 31st of December 2016 01:39:15 PM
T1 Terry said
02:54 PM Dec 31, 2016
Delta18 wrote:
iana wrote:
Hey Dougwe, if that's not portable as opposed to fixed, what is? Delta18, fancy using Gaffa tape to hold covers on the junction boxes of the solar panels, (hope "Hey Jim" isn't reading this, or he'll be up on a ladder checking.). 10 panels, my heart just skipped a beat - I'm only thinking 1 or 2? But I can see where you are coming from, removing the microwave will give one access to the rear of the cupboards, and the separate regulator gets over the hidden wiring conduit problem. I don't like the existing regulator setup anyway, the regulator is getting a bit far away from the batteries. Infact moving the regulator to the position you have used in my case makes a lot of sense, we don't have a club lounge in the van, but two recliners, so the batteries are placed (thrown) under the bed. You should see the electrics under there, even a crow building its nest would blush if it saw this mess. But yeah, more food for thought. Thanks Ian
This is how the roof looks now. 10 x 100w panels. You can see where the cables go down through the roof.
Under MY bed is a mess, 400ah Lithium Battery, 3000/9000w inverter, 40amp DC/DC charger & ancillary gear to run it.
Now where have I seen that workshop before? :lol: Still happy with the system and are those replacement panels still doing their thing? The new method of mounting the semi flexibles at least makes taking them off easy.
Forget about trying to get the cable out the factory installs, it is far to small for anything more than 120w @ 12v. anyway, but it is tied into the roof wiring. You will need to run new cabling, best to mount a junction box on the roof and run the solar cabling to there and the 6 B&S from there down. In Ian's install, the controller drives solid state relays mount on the heatsink with the blue fan you can see beside the battery pack. In this case the controller doesn't actually carry any load so the solar cabling goes directly to relays and from there via fuses to the battery so minimum losses due to cabling and/or having the controller too far away from the battery.
T1 Terry
T1 Terry said
02:56 PM Dec 31, 2016
madaboutled wrote:
Ya missed a bit... you could get another couple of panels up there. LOL
Good job nice & neat.
-- Edited by madaboutled on Saturday 31st of December 2016 01:39:15 PM
Thank you, did look better once I got all my tools back out and screwed everything down, couldn't convince Ian that the tv antenna could go and a few more panels would fit up there then :lol:
T1 Terry
Delta18 said
03:53 PM Dec 31, 2016
T1 Terry wrote:
madaboutled wrote:
Ya missed a bit... you could get another couple of panels up there. LOL
Good job nice & neat.
-- Edited by madaboutled on Saturday 31st of December 2016 01:39:15 PM
Thank you, did look better once I got all my tools back out and screwed everything down, couldn't convince Ian that the tv antenna could go and a few more panels would fit up there then :lol:
T1 Terry
What did Ian have to do with it Cyril?????
iana said
04:38 PM Dec 31, 2016
I think there are two Ian's in this thread, very confusing!
Looking at that "mob" of solar panels, I think they are flexible panels and only weigh 1.5 kg each. Anything like that will only happen for me after I win Tats.
Anyway after taking Dougwe and Delta18's suggestion. I.e forget about using the original regulator (me being ikey), and I can bring the wires down through the divide between the bedroom and ensuite. It all became clearer. So we hi-tailed it to the Jayco toyshop and brought a 150w panel, mounts and regulator, a-a-a-n-d wait for it, wait for it ---- a diesel heater kit. Together with the 12v fan we brought yesterday, I have a little work to do. Think I'll have a little nap first, can't rush these things.
Still in thought over the diesel tank for the heater, might use a squat outboard motor petrol tank mounted in the "A" frame of the van.
Hey Jim didn't mention if his solar panels had the gaffa tape treatment?
PeterInSa said
05:36 PM Dec 31, 2016
Ian, Re ( Simple except that it looks like they have used Sikaflex to fasten the junction box to the roof and to the solar panel, I suspect that the junction box has been filled up as well.)
Have you checked out your J Box. I used the standard external J Box for my solar, Hole in the middle bottom to get the cable thru. 2 screws to position and Sikaflex to the van roof. The removeable top of the J Box has a rubber grommet for weather proofing and 4 screws, yours may be similar. Solar cables enter on the side of the J Box.
Peter
Delta18 said
05:56 PM Dec 31, 2016
PeterInSa wrote:
The removeable top of the J Box has a rubber grommet for weather proofing and 4 screws, yours may be similar. Solar cables enter on the side of the J Box.
Peter
Don't trust the rubber to keep water out. DAMHIK!
iana said
06:30 PM Dec 31, 2016
Re PeterInSa, I at the moment decided to leave all the original alone, by using a separate regulator, the problems I saw have been circumnavigated (now that's the last big word I'm going to use in 2016). To get the Jayco panel off, x2, I will need to use a long handled scraper to prise the J box lid away from the panel, i.e. by cutting the sealant. It will be another job to do as the lids of the connection boxes containing the diodes are coming away and are not water proof. That job can wait until 2017 :)
PeterInSa said
08:32 PM Dec 31, 2016
Neil re ( Don't trust the rubber to keep water out.)
Its a standard external J Box used by Spark'es ( so if must be good Ha ha) sold to me buy a Solar Installer. The lid/base construction is such that water would need to flow up hill to get into the connections inside the box, and not saying that cannot be done due to a vacuum situation.
iana said
09:44 PM Dec 31, 2016
OK fan installed. Now to relax, not doing or going anywhere tonight.
I used to work at a Winery, all the work was done to IP67. The junction boxes one can buy down town anywhere would not be seen in that winery. Pity we have lowered our standards to such a degree.
iana said
12:21 PM Jan 2, 2017
I have brought a set of plastic feet for the solar panel, I was impressed by the way the solar panel is clamped in place, and there is no need to drill and screw the panel frame. I would have liked to just glue the feet onto the roof, no screws, but these feet don't have the area I would like to give sufficient glued surface. OK having been deep in thought over this, and doing a bit of surfing on the net, reading past threads on here, I have decided to visit some fiber-glass workshops and see if I can purchase some flat panel. I will make 4 x 150 x 150 & 2 x 150 x 1000 square plates and fasten these to the feet with glue and flat head screws and or large dia. washers, then just glue the feet and square plates to the roof. Then there is no need to put holes in the van roof.
T1 Terry said
12:38 PM Jan 2, 2017
Delta18 wrote:
T1 Terry wrote:
madaboutled wrote:
Ya missed a bit... you could get another couple of panels up there. LOL
Good job nice & neat.
-- Edited by madaboutled on Saturday 31st of December 2016 01:39:15 PM
Thank you, did look better once I got all my tools back out and screwed everything down, couldn't convince Ian that the tv antenna could go and a few more panels would fit up there then :lol:
T1 Terry
What did Ian have to do with it Cyril?????
Sorry Neil, can't even blame an alcohol fog so it while have to be age affected brain cell disconnection, hope bot Lynne and yourself had a great Christmas and New Yrs
T1 Terry & Margaret
Aus-Kiwi said
01:19 PM Jan 8, 2017
YouTube is your friend . Just alter the search a little to get different opinions . Much the same though .
Getting down to the finer details of the solar panel saga, Looks like to get the cables through the roof, I need to take off one of the existing panels and pull the wires through that panels junction box. Simple except that it looks like they have used Sikaflex to fasten the junction box to the roof and to the solar panel, I suspect that the junction box has been filled up as well. Soooo to get the solar panel off, I would have to get a scrapper with a long handle and prize the junction box away from the solar panel for starters, and hope I don't break it.
The second thing is once I have the solar panel off, to gain access to the wiring, grouped together before it is connected to the regulator, I need to pull out the fridge. The wires are all sitting on top of it, and no way in.
Sooo has anyone on here fitted extra panels to their Silverline, or is it just too hard?
Examining the installation of my panels today, I found that the covers of the junction boxes housing the diodes under the panels are fastened closed with----------gaffa tape. The heat makes the tape come off and the covers are now coming open. But they cannot be reached because of all the sealant holding the panels down. These vans really are some kind of joke.
It's not actually a portable panel, Ian. I got a 120w fixed roof panel and changed cable to 6B&S and 30cm long with Anderson Plug on end. I then use a 10mt 6B&S cable plugged to that then to van. I prop the panel up and move around to follow sun. I fitted a seperate Regulator next to the batteries.
I decided to have it seperate to the main van system as if anything ever goes astray with roof solar I still have ground panel to get me out of trouble. As I said in another thread of yours that you said someone hijacked
I have not had the need to use the ground panel apart from original testing. It lives strapped under the canopy of the rear of the Collie, where Gene lives, out of the way and easy to get out. Mmmmm, I hope Gene and the Panel behave in there.
I hope that all makes sense.
Yeah, fancy fitting solar panels that don't come off easily. What were they thinking!
When we had 10 panels fitted to our new 21' Club Lounge van we drilled a hole (30 - 40mm from memory) through the roof behind the microwave to run the cables through. The reg was mounted on the same panel the Drifter is on.
Delta18, fancy using Gaffa tape to hold covers on the junction boxes of the solar panels, (hope "Hey Jim" isn't reading this, or he'll be up on a ladder checking.).
10 panels, my heart just skipped a beat - I'm only thinking 1 or 2?
But I can see where you are coming from, removing the microwave will give one access to the rear of the cupboards, and the separate regulator gets over the hidden wiring conduit problem.
I don't like the existing regulator setup anyway, the regulator is getting a bit far away from the batteries. Infact moving the regulator to the position you have used in my case makes a lot of sense, we don't have a club lounge in the van, but two recliners, so the batteries are placed (thrown) under the bed. You should see the electrics under there, even a crow building its nest would blush if it saw this mess. But yeah, more food for thought. Thanks
Ian
Delta18, fancy using Gaffa tape to hold covers on the junction boxes of the solar panels, (hope "Hey Jim" isn't reading this, or he'll be up on a ladder checking.).
He Is, and he has.
How the hell can you. Without ripping the existing off and starting over. When I asked for the extra panels, They came back and said it was to late to change the order. A Load of BS.
They weren't keen (The dealer). And to turn me off, gave me a extra costing of $2300 -$2500 as an estimate of adding an extra 2 x120 panels.
They build these things from the inside out for the life of the van. With gaining access there after a second thought.
When I see the right set up I will outlay for a proper job. I thought It would be an easy job of just running short cabling and tapping into the existing.
Pulling the van apart turned me off at first.
I will talk to a few Companies with the now how to give me piece of mind down the track.
Jim
This is how the roof looks now. 10 x 100w panels. You can see where the cables go down through the roof.
Under MY bed is a mess, 400ah Lithium Battery, 3000/9000w inverter, 40amp DC/DC charger & ancillary gear to run it.
Ya missed a bit... you could get another couple of panels up there. LOL
Good job nice & neat.
-- Edited by madaboutled on Saturday 31st of December 2016 01:39:15 PM
Now where have I seen that workshop before? :lol: Still happy with the system and are those replacement panels still doing their thing? The new method of mounting the semi flexibles at least makes taking them off easy.
Forget about trying to get the cable out the factory installs, it is far to small for anything more than 120w @ 12v. anyway, but it is tied into the roof wiring. You will need to run new cabling, best to mount a junction box on the roof and run the solar cabling to there and the 6 B&S from there down. In Ian's install, the controller drives solid state relays mount on the heatsink with the blue fan you can see beside the battery pack. In this case the controller doesn't actually carry any load so the solar cabling goes directly to relays and from there via fuses to the battery so minimum losses due to cabling and/or having the controller too far away from the battery.
T1 Terry
Thank you, did look better once I got all my tools back out and screwed everything down, couldn't convince Ian that the tv antenna could go and a few more panels would fit up there then :lol:
T1 Terry
What did Ian have to do with it Cyril?????
Looking at that "mob" of solar panels, I think they are flexible panels and only weigh 1.5 kg each. Anything like that will only happen for me after I win Tats.
Anyway after taking Dougwe and Delta18's suggestion. I.e forget about using the original regulator (me being ikey), and I can bring the wires down through the divide between the bedroom and ensuite. It all became clearer. So we hi-tailed it to the Jayco toyshop and brought a 150w panel, mounts and regulator, a-a-a-n-d wait for it, wait for it ---- a diesel heater kit. Together with the 12v fan we brought yesterday, I have a little work to do. Think I'll have a little nap first, can't rush these things.
Still in thought over the diesel tank for the heater, might use a squat outboard motor petrol tank mounted in the "A" frame of the van.
Hey Jim didn't mention if his solar panels had the gaffa tape treatment?
Have you checked out your J Box. I used the standard external J Box for my solar, Hole in the middle bottom to get the cable thru. 2 screws to position and Sikaflex to the van roof. The removeable top of the J Box has a rubber grommet for weather proofing and 4 screws, yours may be similar. Solar cables enter on the side of the J Box.
Peter
Don't trust the rubber to keep water out. DAMHIK!
Its a standard external J Box used by Spark'es ( so if must be good Ha ha) sold to me buy a Solar Installer. The lid/base construction is such that water would need to flow up hill to get into the connections inside the box, and not saying that cannot be done due to a vacuum situation.
I used to work at a Winery, all the work was done to IP67. The junction boxes one can buy down town anywhere would not be seen in that winery. Pity we have lowered our standards to such a degree.
Sorry Neil, can't even blame an alcohol fog so it while have to be age affected brain cell disconnection, hope bot Lynne and yourself had a great Christmas and New Yrs
T1 Terry & Margaret