2019.5 Seneca roof construction

[LaMigra]

I am installing solar on my roof and the dealer asked what was under the fiberglass. I said I didn't know, but I would find out. Can anyone tell me how the roof was constructed? Specifically, what is under the fiberglass, and thickness? I presume there is at least 1/2 inch plywood and crossbeams. Is my assumption close, and does anyone know the distance between crossbeams? Are the crossbeams aluminum? Any information would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

[Rustynuts]

When I was installing my solar, I emailed Jayco asking for roof structure and layout drawings for our 2018.5 RB, which should be the same as yours. They sent me several drawings and there isn’t really anything to hit up there when mounting panels. According the the drawings they sent, which are dated 2013, it just says for roof materials, FIBERGLASS, PW #8156 COIL PEB and LAUAN,3.4 X 93 5/8 X 48 over the foam panels and aluminum structure. The Fiberglass panel isn’t much over 1/16” thick and 3.4 Lauan (yes it’s plywood) is only .1388” thick, so basically you have 3/16” material bonded to solid foam. I chose to use large footprint mounting brackets and added a 3rd hole for 3 screws each, then piloted the roof with a 3/16” bit and set them in Dicor and secured with #14x3/4” stainless hex head screws, covered with Dicor. The key thing is to run the screws in by hand until they are snug and stop and not using power tools that usually either end up pulling the threads a little or strip the hole. The panels are rock solid and I have drove in some pretty strong winds in NV and everything is still solid. I went back and forth between screws and wellnuts but decided if done right, the screws are plenty good IMO. Here are all the roof drawings, the first drawing sows there are only 7 aluminum rafters in the whole roof.

[LaMigra]

Thank you for the information, I truly appreciate it.

[Deputydawg]

Thanks for the files on this post Brian. I was just getting ready to ask your advice on where or where not to drill.

Did the combiner box location and down wiring have any bearing on where you placed your panels?



What kind of Mojo are you using to get this kind of positive response from Jayco? I need to get me some.

[repeach]

I got the same docs from Jayco too. The one I used is the attached drawing to get close then I used a stud finder.
When I attached my solar panels, I put the leading edge on the stud, the trailing edge is just into the roof. I secured everything with screws and enternabond tape. Then sealed with LAP Caulk.

[Deputydawg]

Thanks for the diagram. I appreciate it.


How/where did you choose to install the combiner box for the wiring down to the batteries?

[Rustynuts]

Originally Posted by Deputydawg

Thanks for the diagram. I appreciate it.


How/where did you choose to install the combiner box for the wiring down to the batteries?

On the newer models it already comes with a prewire roof Jack with MC4 connectors on the roof with 8ga wires running down to the compartment next to the batteries.

[Deputydawg]

I forgot, you already told me that.

[Semix-Hex]

Here is a poor pic of the roof, where you can see the thickness of the sheathing. I just spent a good deal of today trying to fish my solar wires for the second set of panels towards the refrigerator to no avail.

[Rustynuts]

You can get a real good look at the roof construction bu pulling the AC inside cover.

[Deputydawg]

Thanks for the photos.

I looked up Rustynuts photos of under bed wiring rat's nest. Gruesome.

I am pulling out spice cabinets, TV & fireplace panels to find a straight shot down through any available spot. Maybe I'll look in the back also.

[Semix-Hex]

I'm going to go next to the vent that is between the refer and half bath. Not my ideal spot but I couldn't go sideways towards the refrigerator with my wires. This vent is visible from the furnace area under the refer. Then I'll drill a hole through the floor and hook up my second controller.

The rats nest under the bed is getting better.

[Deputydawg]

Hey,


What do y'all think about the theory of going behind the TV/fireplace cabinet?


It has a bunch of wire looms going through the floor and some wires coming through the wall behind the upper storage cabinet. This is assuming I can fish anything down from the roof through the same hole location. (sorry about the incorrect photo orientation)

[Rustynuts]

Originally Posted by Deputydawg

Hey,


What do y'all think about the theory of going behind the TV/fireplace cabinet?


It has a bunch of wire looms going through the floor and some wires coming through the wall behind the upper storage cabinet. This is assuming I can fish anything down from the roof through the same hole location. (sorry about the incorrect photo orientation)
Attachment 79928

Attachment 79929

There is no reason you couldn’t, but I highly doubt you will get any wiring fished through the roof structure and down I the wall. The roof is set on after all the exterior and interior wall are in. Those 4 wire coming out the wall go to the Awning motor and lights. Your best bet is going to be to drill a hole in the roof and add a combiner box or MC4 roof Jack.

[Rustynuts]

Originally Posted by Deputydawg

Hey

I just looked and see you have a 17 HJ, I looked at the floorplan and of it was me, I would probably drill through the roof in the pantry cabinet, and down through the floor and then forward to the battery bay. This would put you combiner box centered on the roof and close to the batteries for a short wire run. If using a combiner box, I would run several sets of cables down and run 2 controllers to split the array or for future use.

[Deputydawg]

Thanks for the benefit of your experience.
OK,
I think I understand...that hole in the wall for the awning wiring will not give me access to the roof above the headliner & I should look for a location away from the wall/roof junction.

I considered the spice cabinet/pantry also with the wiring coming through the lav cabinet but I have not explored the underside of that location. Is the flooring substrate just plywood?
I will open up more bins and crawl around under the coach tomorrow.

Also, please explain the logic for 2 charge controllers. Is this to overcome shading issues? I have 4 170w panels and would rather do it correctly the first time and not have to re-visit the project later.

[Rustynuts]

Originally Posted by Deputydawg

Thanks for the benefit of your experience.
OK,
I think I understand...that hole in the wall for the awning wiring will not give me access to the roof above the headliner & I should look for a location away from the wall/roof junction.

I considered the spice cabinet/pantry also with the wiring coming through the lav cabinet but I have not explored the underside of that location. Is the flooring substrate just plywood?
I will open up more bins and crawl around under the coach tomorrow.

Also, please explain the logic for 2 charge controllers. Is this to overcome shading issues? I have 4 170w panels and would rather do it correctly the first time and not have to re-visit the project later.

Correct, there is no path from the roof to side wall. All the wiring for the roof exits out the front and back. You want to have the shortest cable run for maximum efficiency. The floor is constructed with the aluminum frame, foam panels fill the voids and wafer board on the top surface, attached is a pic of my RB floor layout and the list shows the materials. Multiple chargers can be used for multiple reasons, some run them because of shading, some run 2 in case of a failure, you still have a backup, depending on brand, 2 lower amperage controllers can be cheaper than one larger amp controller and it also gives you an options to run arrays of different sized panels. Say you start with the four 170w panels and you want more later and with the space you have, two 230w panels will fit, they need to be on a separate controller. If you are taking the time to run 2 wires, you might as well run 4 in case you want to expand in the future…..I am planning to expand mine and will ditch the factory solar prep wiring and run new because the way the factory wiring is run, it totals about 50-60’ run of wire and that’s way to long.

[Semix-Hex]

I have a couple of pics showing that I went down next to the half bath (37K) and the refrigerator to where the furnace is. It wasn't too bad, it's just not where I wanted to go. I had to drill a large hole (1/2") next to the vent to get the lines through. I'll be caulking the heck out of the vent cover when I'm done.

I'm posting about the other solar stuff in the inverter upgrade thread Brian started here.

[Deputydawg]

Thanks for the photos.

I’m goin’ with Rustynuts recommendation of the pantry cabinet.

I took the pantry door/shelf out and removed the lav mirror so I have access to the roof and floor. The floor hole is going to be above the shore power cord reel so I have to map out carefully where to drill.

I’ll send pics tomorrow.

[Deputydawg]

Thanks for the diagram