2018 North Point 315RLTS Solar Install

[Fixentwo]

First of all, thanks to many of you who I have learned from reading your posts about solar install in your rigs. This is my second RV that will have solar. My last was a ZAMP 140 Watt 12 V system installed by my dealer who did an excellent job.

My solar plans for my new RV were made as we were ordering it and the size and complexity of it were driven by our choice of a residential style frig. Without that, I think a simple 140 watt 12 volt system would have been all we needed.

Desired System - 400 to 500 watt solar, 400 amp hours battery bank (4-6 volt)

Problem - RV Solar Pre Wire Size

Resolution - Use 24 Volt Panels voltage down from roof to controller and use 40 Amp MPPT Controller and convert back to 12 volts near battery bank.

So now I have the RV, have a 280 Watt 24 volt Panel, 40 AMP MPPT Controller, and more questions.

I took the whole forward panel off in the basement to expose the solar pre-wire and attached a photo with notes.

8 Gauge Pair to Roof Connection is not a question. Plan on putting a 30 amp disconnect on the hot lead and tie the pair to the controller.

8 Gauge Pair provided for Controller to Battery is a big question. Right now I am not planning on using it. First problem is that the wire size is too small to allow me to expand system in the future. Also, it appears that Jayco has returned the ground wire back to the converter ground bus at the converter.
This is where the questions start.

1. For the hot back to the battery, I can simply tie to the controller back to the disconnect bar. This would disconnect the solar from the batteries if I turn the battery bank off from the RV. (Photo of the backside of the disconnect is attached)

2. The ground wire coming back from the controller to the battery is the really confusing part. There is no bar to connect to. I either go to the chassis ground point above and outside the battery box or punch a whole in the battery box and run the ground into and connect directly to the battery bank.

(I am planning on mounting the controller on the passenger side of the basement on the back wall in the indent and using 6 Gauge Copper back to the battery.)

[klassic]

Looks like mine.
I used the pre wire roof connector 8ga from the exact spot in your picture, and connected one 260w 36v panel. (The roof connector is near the back of the trailer)
There was only enough room for 1 panel at the back of the roof.
Then I put another 260w panel at the front of the roof and ran 10ga wire down the stink pipe and came out where the pre wired 8ga was...joined them there in parallel (I can also change to series if I want) and then ran 6 ga to the wall behind the batteries, where I have my Morningstar MPPT controller mounted.
I mounted a 20a dc breaker, to kill the power from the panels, above the propane tanks. Along with a 40a dc breaker beside it, between the output of the controller to the batteries with 6ga.
I was able to get at the chassis ground point right above the battery box.

All I used from Jayco was the prewire roof connector and the wire coming from it. The rest of their prewire set up was useless.

[Fixentwo]

Your posts of your install were a major part of how I figured out to go to a higher voltage controller. Thanks again!

So what did you do to tie in to your batteries. Did you go straight to them from the disconnect?

[klassic]

I have two battery banks controlled by the BlueSea battery switch (far left of the middle pic)
After the 40a breaker/disconnect it goes to a connection stud with all power points, then to the BlueSea switch..then to the batteries.

Here’s a crude wiring diagram.

[Fixentwo]

Finished my solar install. It took a little more time than what I expected. For someone doing it in a shop with all the material and fasteners available probably wouldn't take but a few hours tops. Took me a couple weeks working every now and then.

Pictures ought to help more than words. I spliced 6 Ga wire to the 8 Ga in the basement by the steps and ran on the passenger side ceiling of the basement over the basement TV through the fire wall into the Generator Compartment (no generator there). I mounted the controller high in the generator compartment along with a circuit breaker and a disconnect. From there I ran over the top of the battery compartment, down the side and went into the box with the hot and ground to the batteries and connected straight to them. I ran the temp probe into the battery compartment and left it dangling. Bought a 25 foot straight thru CAT 7 shielded RJ45 shielded ethernet cable for $10 and installed the monitor in the coach. Be careful when drilling or screwing there as the vent pipe is right there next to the wire chase in the wall. I used an extension ladder on the rear and tied the solar panel up and hoisted and shoved it up onto the roof using the ladder and a rope. From there I used a stud finder to locate the trusses and screwed the thing to the roof using standard clips. It plugged right into the connector Jayco pre wired on the roof. It was generating 3.2 amps at 29 volts with thick clouds. Hope to get a lot better when the sun is shining.

Thanks again to Klassic and others for information giving me the ability to figure this out.

[klassic]

Awesome ��
Looks like the perfect space to mount another her panel beside

[Fixentwo]

I didn't plan it that way. I wanted to have enough space to walk around safely so I offset it to one side. I started wondering about putting another panel there as soon as I saw my own photo. Originally was going to put one forward of the bathroom.

I looked on Amazon to check this panel and they aren't selling it anymore. It is a Renogy 32 volt panel. Similar new from Renogy is 300 Watts but they only sell em as a pair. Looks like my best bet now is to add two 100 Watt 16 volt panels up front. I think I can series those two and get close enough to the 32 volts so that they will work in parallel with this one. That would give me 480 watts.

[klassic]

I had to put my second up front. For the same reason...walking around.
And if the back is more shaded then the front, then it’s not a total solar loss.
One mistake I made was the front middle area of the roof is so level that when the rig is level the water fills the solar panel up to the edge trim rings.

[Fixentwo]

I would have never thought about water ponding in the panels.

I'm really starting to have some crazy thoughts about putting a Winegard Traveler on this thing. That front area would be the spot so I might have to stay in the back with the solar.