Rooftop solar prep wire routing

Fyrehuntr · 04-08-2019, 05:33 AM

I have been following and reading many posts concerning the wire routing for rooftop solar prep. I have a 2019 Eagle 321rsts with the rooftop solar prep. I cannot find the terminal ends. I looked behind the ceiling fan switch on the hallway wall, under the control panel...nothing found. No 8ga wiring in red / black. I looked behind the panel next to the battery compartment in front storage area. Found some 8 ga red/black wiring in wire looming, but these ran to the power levelers. I emailed Jayco and they sent back this resonse “We do not send electrical prints to customers during warranty period.” Has anbody found the wire routing? Any help is appreciated. Seems crazy to run my own wiring when it is already there. I only want to place one 100 watt panel to get started. Mostly to keep batteries topped off when the unit is in storage. I do have the residential refrigerator. Only have two group 27 12v batteries now. We have never camped without electric hookup. I do have a small 2200 watt generator in case we need to charge batteries and also in case we dont get a site with electric when we travel. Not looking to set up the unit for boondocking.

bwbarnes · 04-08-2019, 06:15 AM

I have a 2018 Eagle 321RSTS and I recently put solar in. Mine had a sticker on the wall outside the bathroom that showed where to install the charge controller because the wires were located in the wall. When I cut the hole in the wall I was surprised to see no wires! I pulled the paneling back a bit to look in to next stud cavity and found the wires. Fortunately, the wires were long enough to route to the charge controller. The battery end of the wires connect to a circuit breaker near the battery cutoff switch. If you open the panel that holds the switch you should see this diagram.

Fyrehuntr · 04-08-2019, 06:17 PM

Thanks BW. I will pull that panel and look for the wires.

Fyrehuntr · 04-08-2019, 06:25 PM

BW, since you have done some work to your Eagle already, do you happen to know the location of the water pump? I think I found it behind the utility wall for water hookup. Cant seem to find a good way to get to it. I would like to add an accumulator tank to stop pulsing pressure. Remove inner wall inside basement?

bwbarnes · 04-09-2019, 05:54 AM

Fyrehuntr, yes the water pump is behind the water utility panel. I haven't tried to access it yet, but the basement inner wall comes apart in sections pretty easily. So gaining access to the pump shouldn't be too bad.

Newt · 04-11-2019, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fyrehuntr

I have been following and reading many posts concerning the wire routing for rooftop solar prep. I have a 2019 Eagle 321rsts with the rooftop solar prep. I cannot find the terminal ends. I looked behind the ceiling fan switch on the hallway wall, under the control panel...nothing found. No 8ga wiring in red / black. I looked behind the panel next to the battery compartment in front storage area. Found some 8 ga red/black wiring in wire looming, but these ran to the power levelers. I emailed Jayco and they sent back this resonse “We do not send electrical prints to customers during warranty period.” Has anbody found the wire routing? Any help is appreciated. Seems crazy to run my own wiring when it is already there. I only want to place one 100 watt panel to get started. Mostly to keep batteries topped off when the unit is in storage. I do have the residential refrigerator. Only have two group 27 12v batteries now. We have never camped without electric hookup. I do have a small 2200 watt generator in case we need to charge batteries and also in case we dont get a site with electric when we travel. Not looking to set up the unit for boondocking.

I found my roof top solar prep wires behind wall next to bathroom sink area by the stairs. Both wires for roof solar and battery pos/neg in same place cut and capped. I verified location with electrician's battery operated 'Tone Generator'. Hooked it up on roof solar connection, set the 'Tone' to pulse and used the tone gen receiver to here the tone through the wall. Solar wires were about 2 feet from Jayco Solar Here sticker - Go Figure! Good Luck

Cricket59 · 05-20-2019, 05:04 PM

I have a 2018 321RSTS as well and I found my roof and side panel solar connector wires were behind the panel that holds the battery disconnect. They are both connected to a constant power buss bar that goes to the battery disconnect switch.

felidoc1 · 07-29-2020, 05:36 PM

Oh, now that's interesting! So its already hooked up to the roof receptacle and all I have to do is plug in the solar panels. And here I've been looking for some connection I need to make. Ya know, I hesitate to ever expect a solution to be simple. So its 8ga wire to the roof...any idea how long the wires are to the roof?
Thanks so much, what a relief....
Stay Safe
John

tstrong12 · 09-28-2020, 06:44 PM

Just wanted to see if you got your panels connected. I'm still chasing wires, found 2 red wires capped off behind the solar sticker, but none going down to the battery compartment.

Scottenj · 09-28-2020, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by felidoc1

Oh, now that's interesting! So its already hooked up to the roof receptacle and all I have to do is plug in the solar panels. And here I've been looking for some connection I need to make. Ya know, I hesitate to ever expect a solution to be simple. So its 8ga wire to the roof...any idea how long the wires are to the roof?
Thanks so much, what a relief....
Stay Safe
John

You may know this but you can’t just plug in the panels, you need a solar charge controller between the panels and the battery.

The wires should go to solar MC connectors on a bracket on the roof.

kcordell57 · 10-01-2020, 01:39 PM

There should be a black wire there too, but not cut. Find the black wire, cut it, check each end with a voltmeter, pos lead on voltmeter to red wire with + sticker on it. That is the black connected to battery. Now you have both ends, from roof, and to battery. Install controller, install panel and you are good to go. Took me about an hour to do the entire installation.

susanmvega · 07-14-2021, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcordell57

There should be a black wire there too, but not cut. Find the black wire, cut it, check each end with a voltmeter, pos lead on voltmeter to red wire with + sticker on it. That is the black connected to battery. Now you have both ends, from roof, and to battery. Install controller, install panel and you are good to go. Took me about an hour to do the entire installation.

I also have a 317RLOK. I am trying to locate the positive and ground connections from the prewire solar charger install location to the battery. I too, have found the red Solar PV positive (+) and the red battery positive (+) lines, along with the "looped" negative cable coming from the cable entry plate on the roof.
I pulled part of the wall down that covers the holding tank vent and wires trying to follow the wire and it looks like it's going back up through the ceiling towards the front cap.
Can you direct me where around the battery you found the ends?
I've been looking for days now and I'm very frustrated.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Joel Miller · 07-15-2021, 02:52 PM

OK
Look at the front compartment under the over hang, There are about 6 to 8 breakers on the same side as the power switch. There is a leger to the color of the breaker. I am sure you will find a 50Amp breaker that is tagged Solar Panels and it is already tied into the 12 volt system ( Mine was)
Next the control panel:
the wire you see is the coming from the roof... pull it up and you will find the taped ends, the will be wired nutted. Separate the two and make sure you have them connected to the control panel correctly battery to battery . This is a easy test: once you have the wires connected to the control panel test the battery side you should have 12volts
Good luck... I had not problem once I fingered out the wiring in the wall

kirkelli · 07-23-2021, 07:12 AM

I have an 19 321 RSTS and recently installed two 100 watt solar panels. (plan to add two more). Also have a 200 watt suit case panel. I was one of the lucky one's where the solar wires behind the wall panel were not cut and looped through from the roof connection to the panel behind the battery cut off. Since my Renegy Controller is bluetooth, I didn't want to mount it inside. I choose to mount it next to the battery compartment. My Solar wire harness, breakers and Buss system is installed on the compartment ceiling above the battery box and also behind the solar controller. My 2000 watt inverter is installed in the basement next to the battery cut off switch,. I placed my Power Monitor in the main control panel and my remote Inverter switch next to the Propane Gas Alarm. I also placed an Anderson flush mount Connection on the right side of the front compartment door and have a Solar switch panel next to my Solar controller. See Pics. My current project is adding an onboard compressor with tank which i also plan to control my Reese Goosebox air bag.. I'll post on that when done.

Horace · 09-20-2021, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cricket59

I have a 2018 321RSTS as well and I found my roof and side panel solar connector wires were behind the panel that holds the battery disconnect. They are both connected to a constant power buss bar that goes to the battery disconnect switch.

I bought a lighty used 2018 29.5 5th wheel that has no sticker on the hallway wall? and am wondering if someone can tell me the dimensions to the centre of the sticker from the door gap and the floor please. I'm guessing the previous owner may have removed it? or is it this normal on some rigs that have run continuous wiring to buzz bar off the disconnect switch? i also see black wires connected to the same terminals as the reds there,did they just connect them to secure them as not being connected at the other end?
I do have the wiring diagram on the rear of my battery disconnect switch panel confirming the wires are there on the 20/30amp. I am also not appose to mounting my charge controller in the bsmt as i would using a bluetooth monitor and dont want to cut into the wall unnecessarily. Thanks for any input guys

kirkelli · 09-21-2021, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Horace

I bought a lighty used 2018 29.5 5th wheel that has no sticker on the hallway wall? and am wondering if someone can tell me the dimensions to the centre of the sticker from the door gap and the floor please. I'm guessing the previous owner may have removed it? or is it this normal on some rigs that have run continuous wiring to buzz bar off the disconnect switch? i also see black wires connected to the same terminals as the reds there,did they just connect them to secure them as not being connected at the other end?
I do have the wiring diagram on the rear of my battery disconnect switch panel confirming the wires are there on the 20/30amp. I am also not appose to mounting my charge controller in the bsmt as i would using a bluetooth monitor and dont want to cut into the wall unnecessarily. Thanks for any input guys

If consistent with others, it should be between your control panel and the bathroom door about level with the bottom of the bottom edge of the control panel door. You might want to jump on the roof to see if you have voltage at the roof top plug.. Mine was looped through where the charge controller would bo (behind the sticker). Some people have reported that the charge controller wire was cut behind the sticker... If you are lucky and the wire loops through. you might consider moving the charge controller near your battery bank. They are big bulky and ugly. Most of them have bluetooth, you can monitor data off your phone.. So no need to have the thing hangin on your wall inside... below is a snap shot where i mounted my charg controller

wasitim · 10-05-2021, 09:32 AM

I've been trying to understand where my solar wires are too.
I have a 2017 321rsts.
There is no sticker on the interior walls anywhere.

I do have these items in the water bay: a sticker, a two prong femaie receptacle, and this other switch (no idea what that controls).

I have the roof mounted plug receptacle for the panels. I'm guessing I still have to find those wires you're all talking about as well as install a solar controller of some sort?

wasitim · 10-05-2021, 09:35 AM

And for what it's worth, I removed the panel in the basement where the DC disconnect is.

First shot is the panel in place, second what it looks like from the rear, the third is from the front bay where the wires head towards the disconnect.

kirkelli · 10-05-2021, 03:03 PM

the plug in your water control panel is a hot lead to the battery.. that plug can be used for a Solar Suit Case unit with a charge controller. The wires on your roof, either loop through or is cut behind the 'Wired for Solar' sticker inside next to your control panel. Typical the loop is directly behind the sticker. I have a 19 321 RSTS. Mine was looped through and confirmed by checking for voltage at the roof socket. If you have no voltage then wires behind the sticker are cut. The inside sticker is the location you would install our solar charge controller. Since mine was looped through, i installed my charge controller at the battery which is a better location. If you have voltage at your roof solar socket then you are lucky.. you would be able to mount charge controller at the battery

wasitim · 10-05-2021, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kirkelli

the plug in your water control panel is a hot lead to the battery.. that plug can be used for a Solar Suit Case unit with a charge controller. The wires on your roof, either loop through or is cut behind the 'Wired for Solar' sticker inside next to your control panel. Typical the loop is directly behind the sticker. I have a 19 321 RSTS. Mine was looped through and confirmed by checking for voltage at the roof socket. If you have no voltage then wires behind the sticker are cut. The inside sticker is the location you would install our solar charge controller. Since mine was looped through, i installed my charge controller at the battery which is a better location. If you have voltage at your roof solar socket then you are lucky.. you would be able to mount charge controller at the battery

Thanks for the schooling on how the plug works.

I don't have that "Wired for Solar" sticker anywhere. I'll keep looking.

I'll put a meter on the roof socket in the morning. So if there is voltage there, where's it coming from? The battery?

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