Giosolar 200 watt kit + 20 amp charge controller + cables . The MSRP for the Zamp Deluxe 150 Watt RV Solar Kit is $899. Fortunately, our eleven-foot floor plan offered plenty of roof real estate options to place a panel of this size. Above: The connectors and resettable circuit breaker was included in the kit. Y… It would be like taping a picture frame to wrapping paper that has been stuck to your wall. RV Solar Panel Installation While an RV solar system is simple to maintain once it’s installed, getting it set up isn’t as simple as slapping some panels on top of your RV and calling it a … This DIY Camper Solar System Guide is a multi step, complete educational series that by the end, you will know what all of the parts of a solar system do, how they work together, what you'll need for YOUR specific system… Many new RVs on the market even come pre-wired for solar power. This includes all installation components. This method works whether you have tilting or non tilting mounting hardware. Above: The wiring inside the Zamp junction box. If you have a large budget ($3000+), you can most likely skip this step. Then the hole would be filled with Sikaflex 715, the same roof sealant used on the rest of the camper roof, and covered with the junction box, itself sealed with Sikaflex 715. Since this was our first time installing a solar panel system, and we regularly stop for photography and note taking, we gave ourselves a full day. That’s the good news. One thing you want to avoid when mounting solar panels to a rubber roof is you do not want to use VHB tape as recommended by some RVers. Securing the solar panel to the roof was next. The first step toward installing solar power is doing a power-consumption survey of your motorhome; figuring out the cumulative amp-hours (Ah) or watts being used during a typical outing, or over an extended period of time. The camper needed routine maintenance, and lacked amenities and features we could add, study, and document for the magazine. Once everything is set, your panels will be unmovable – and the great news is you’ll have no additional holes in your roof to monitor for leaks. The installers know what to do and work without any … Pretty simple so far, as we have basically just brought the power produced by the rooftop-mounted solar panels inside the RV. This is the most common type of mounting bracket that comes in RV solar kits. This kit includes a 150 watt Class A mono-crystalline solar panel, a 30-amp 5-stage PWM (pulse width modulation) solar charge controller with LCD display, 25-feet of 8 gauge wire, a three-port solar panel junction box, and all required nuts, bolts, washers, fuse holders, fuses, splice connectors, and ring connectors. At the time, we were camping in a Northstar 8.5 Arrow U with a 150 watt Zamp solar panel and controller, one Group 27 battery, and all LED interior and exterior lighting. Colorado Standby now offers RV solar panel installation & kits. Solar power is also completely silent unlike a generator, and maintaining your RV solar panels is easy once everything is set up. Simply apply VHB – Very High Bond – tape, which will be almost impossible to remove when applied correctly. Given its impressive performance on the Northstar, a Zamp solar panel system was high on the list for our new-to-us camper. During this period of time, the solar charge controller was in bulk charge mode sending the highest voltage the installed solar panel and charge controller were rated for. The shrink wrap was strongly recommended by Tom to protect the crimped connections from the elements. The experts here at AM Solar can help you install solar panels on any RV, Trailer or other rig you bring us. With the panel now on the roof, we connected the 8-gauge wires to the Zamp junction box including the corresponding positive and negative wire connections. We even watched a couple movies at night with the installed television and entertainment system. Sample RV solar kit cost as of January 2020. You don’t need holes for flexible solar panels! All rights reserved. Then Sikaflex 715 was applied into the hole at the point where wire emerged. Again, we only anticipate needing one 150-watt panel given our positive experience with the 150-watt installation on the Northstar, and similar experiences with other solar-equipped truck campers. With a never-ending goal of living as simply as possible, we live in a HOA townhouse community. With Team Emerick on board, we were ready to go. It was a non-slide hard side floor plan – our personal preference. Even on cloudy days, the system reached float charge, but did so later in the day. Every few hours, Angela noted the battery voltage readings on the built-in LCD screen. Sun city Solar is the most professional solar company in Southern California. An additional panel could later be placed on the passenger’s side front leaving just enough space between the panels to walk and inspect roof seals. Above: Crimping the connections – click to enlarge, Above: Shrink wrapping the crimped connections with a heat gun. If the wrapping paper can fly off, the photo will, too. Install your Inverter (Optional) If you want to use your AC appliances like your microwave, laptop, … By early to mid-afternoon, the single battery had reached its float charge of 13.1 volts. Safety is your number one priority so remove all batteries cables before you do anything. Above: 25-feet of 8 gauge wire was included in the kit – click to enlarge, Above: A three-port solar panel junction box was also included in the kit – click to enlarge. The most common RV roof type is rubber, made out of a material known as EPDM or TPO. The … No widgets added. Run It All. Everything in life has compromises. When the screws were in, Sikaflex 715 was used to cover the solar panel bracket feet. If you like the WindyNation approach of a complete kit but our top … Simply search “RV solar mounting hardware” to explore your options. After that, get on the roof get it exact measurements. First, we went to the battery compartment and disconnected our camper battery bank. He and his son, Michael, have also refurbished an older Adventurer truck camper. You can also get tilting hardware, make custom brackets, or use brand-specific hardware like Renogy’s brackets. Latest: Hottest Camper on Earth and Readers Choice Nominees. On the back wall of our wardrobe closet, we discovered a removable panel where the original manufacturer ran wires for the entertainment system. You’ll need mounting brackets to attach to the glass solar panels, and then you will screw them directly into your roof, being careful to place them in a way that avoids shadows and doesn’t interfere with the use of your other roof accessories. Once they are screwed in, you’ll want to cover each hole with Dicor or another RV-safe self leveling lap-sealant. To connect the wires, we used the crimp connectors included in the Zamp kit and shrink wrapped the crimped connections with a heat gun. Once the controller detected the battery bank was at 85% charge, the controller changed to absorption charge mode. Getting to the point of having freedom from the need to be connected to shorepower, or from cranking up a generator for hours at a time when boondocking, requires taking a close look at one’s energy needs. Tom and Pat’s sons, Donny and Michael, also volunteered to help with the installation. I usually see this product being incorporated in a good Renogy flexible solar panel review considering its effectiveness and high satisfaction rating.This is an excellent choice, especially if you aim to choose the right RV solar panels. 2020 Truck Camper Readers’ Choice Nominees. Among the best solar panel kits for RVs… Then the panel was carefully flipped over and placed into its previously determined position on the forward driver’s side. 180 Watt Monocrystalline Solar Panel with 12 Amp Charge Controller Precision RV - Marvin Braun (206) 276-2462 Other than loading up and filling with water, we are not permitted to work on our rig, or park it overnight. To properly challenge the solar and battery system, we operated the camper as normal, charging the laptops daily, using the propane furnace in the morning, and running interior lights and fans as needed. We took off the main negative cable and then the main positive cable. Most single or double panel solar panel systems are installed by professionals who regularly install solar panels in a few hours. This would be a relatively convenient location for daily observation, was directly underneath the planned junction box installation point, and was suitably distant from anything that would interfere with it. Tom was pleased that the wire run distances between the solar panel, junction box, and solar controller would be kept as short as possible. Copyright © 2007-2020. A third panel is not likely, but could be added on an available space towards the rear of the camper roof. Between the Arctic Fox and the Adventurer, Tom is always working or modifying something. nuCamp RV has produced a video showcasing the 2021 Cirrus 620. As he explained, the solar panel system would preserve more of the power it collected from the sun if the wire lengths between the panels, junction box, controller, and batteries were kept to a minimum. 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