RV LIFE – Our Solar Install

After the slide out repair, we thought we’d never be able to afford getting solar installed. But then our friends Myron and Becky (Canucks On Wheels) came up with a plan to at least get us started with very little cost.  So we put the plan into motion and started purchasing the pieces we would need for this project.

Here’s the list of hardware items:

QTY        Item

 

107         1-1/4″ Alum Ang. ( 4 x 26 3/4) – Panels

64           1-1/2″ Alum Ang ( 8 x 8″) – Panels

36           Pop  Rivets – Panels

76.8        1-1/2″ Alum Flat Bar (4x 19.2″) – Tilt

6              Wing Nuts – Panels

15           12/2 NMD90 – Kitchen Plug

1              6x6x4 Junction Box – Roof JB

1              15 Amp Cord end –

4              Thumb Screws – Tilt Brackets

10           Stainless steel 1/4″ Bolts

16           Locknuts 1/4×20

1              3/4″ Box Adapter – Roof Jbox Sleeve

1              1G Shallow Box – Kitchen Plug

2              #6 Ground Terminal Ends

2              WT Fuse Holders – Under Solar Panel

2              15 Amp Mini Fuses – Under Solar Panel

4              Water Tight Connectors – Roof Jbox

1              Junction Block – Distrubition- Roof JB

1              Glass Fuse Holder w/ Fuse

6              8 Gauge Butt Joint – Roof wire

1              Master Solar Disconnect Switch

1              15A Surge receptacle – Kitchen Plug

21           #8 Red Solar Wire

21           #8 Black Solar Wire

32           #4 Black  Solar Wire (2 Runs Positive and Neg)

4              #2 Cable Ends

2              #6 Green Ground Wire

12           1/0 Battery Cable Wire for Inverter

6              1/0 Battery Cable End ( 4 Pos + 2 Neg)

6              #2 wire from Charge Control to Battery

6              #2 wire from Charge Control to Battery

1              Negative Battery Extention

3              Dicor Tape

1              Eterna Bond Tape

18           Cable Tie

24           #6 x 3/4″ Screws

3              1/4″ Self Tapping Screws

16           # 8 Pan Head Screws

12           Shrink Tube #2

12           Shrink Tube #4

Zip Ties

Well Nuts

Also the panels. 2-175w panels.  So with everything in hand, we met them in the desert outside of Yuma, Arizona and the fun began.

First up was to build our own brackets:

 

Then to the roof and placing them:

We spoke with Alfateers/Leisure Coachworks about the roof composition and where and how to place the panels. (Since they were the folks who built the rig, who better to let us know, huh?)

Drilling the holes was horrifying to say the least!

We ran all the wires and got the panels set up.

Made sure to Dicor everything and every hole. Also put Dicor into the holes before the hardware too!

  

Then off to the basement, where we installed the charge controller and inverter.

Once that was completed we were ready to flip the switch and let the sun do the rest! Here’s the final video on the install.

 Tom and Lori RV LIFE YOU TUBE CHANNEL

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