If anyone does this build, please don't use wire nuts. That's asking for trouble. They're meant for solid core ac wire not dc and also you could lose voltage or amperage with such a bad connection. Being in the automotive field our so has seen many melted, fire damage, or shorts from people using wire nuts. Use a crimp style connector or solder them is the best solution. I'm not meaning any disrespect on his install or build by any means. Just some first hand advice to help out and improve this awesome idea. Please no hate.
Yes avoid using wire nuts use a good but connector for the correct size of wire and don't put the fuses outside. The chance of those fuses blowing is very rare and if you got to pull that panel so be it. Otherwise it's a great video thank you
Used renogy panels on my initial solar, no complaints at all. Decided install a second separate system to run my refrigerator. I used HQST. I agree they are the same panel for a better price. Great video
That sounds like a great setup Ted! I would love to have our solar run our refrigerator! That'll probably be on our next camper :) Thanks for watching!
Great clean job the only thing I would do is hook the controller direct to the battery instead of the fuse panel. I have been running solar panels on my rv’s for over 20 years and that has worked best for me. Stay well happy camping
Thank You, this was very clear. I did everything exactly as you said. I used circuit breakers instead of fuses. I own more tools than anyone who doesn't know how to use tools. Important I was planning on using Renogy. I bought everything at a local solar shop.
I think by now you know the closer to the air condioner the shawdow from the air condioner will shut down the solar output. try to mount as far away from anything that can shadow your panels . Very nice video.
True, we never had an issue though. We would generally have our panels facing South, so the AC was never casting a shadow on the panels. Thanks for watching.
Awesome video! I think this will be our next project. We took a camping trip last month and was able to find out our power needs, turns out we are a little power hungry LOL. Currently I have 2 Group 31 102AH Trojan AGM's and they were just enough to last us 3 days having to run the furnace at night as temps at that time dipped into the low 40's at night.
Thanks Matt! I can't imagine camping without solar! Even when we were just rocking the 50 watt panel, our battery was always charged! That's even after a day/night of heavy usage like you're talking about. For the money, this setup is hard to beat and should easily take care of your everyday needs. Especially if you have two 102 AH AGM batteries. Thanks for watching!
Good stuff!would be there any problem with the solar feeding the battery and at the same time being plugged and charged by the vehicle while in motion?
I have those same mounts but it would be a PITA to remove a bad panel. The other option would be to screw some small self-tappers into the little side tabs on the brackets into the frame. That way you could at least pull the panel and replace it without disturbing the roof sealant work.
Did you already have an inverter on your trailer? Di you need an inverter for rhe solar system to work? Im asking because my last trailer had an inverter and everytime i wanted to plug things into the AC oulets i had to turn on the inverter to oull from the batteries. When not plugged into AC power of course.
No, we did not have an inverter built in. Our camper was built in 2010 and they were not installing inverters like they are now. We would plug a small 12 volt inverter into a 12 volt socket we had. Your setup sounds amazing! Lol, much better than our one outlet that could only run 120 watts. Thanks for watching.
I have an 80's RV with 1 starting and 1 house battery under the hood. If I connect the solar controller right to the RV fuse box, would the solar power charge the starting and house batteries?
This may sound like a silly question. If you're on shore power, does your solar still charge the batteries, or do you have some type of transfer switch to shut it off? I'm worried about backfeeding the shore power, but I don't know if that really is an issue or not.
I'm not 100% sure about that. I don't think the charge controller would allow that but I'm not certain. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful, thanks for watching!
Great video! Just install a 100-watt kit this weekend using your method of connecting to the panel. I have a battery cut-off switch, if turnoff the battery will there be issue with the power the panel is still producing? Thanks again
Thanks! No, it shouldn't be a problem at all. We remove our battery from our camper in the winter time, so our solar system is still hooked up producing. Thanks for watching!
thanks. i am just about to install on my trailer in Baja that i want to live in full time. i was thinking about 4 100 watt panels. Big question tho..no inverter? You just went directly to the panel? That would save so much money.
It depends on how you are going to use your system. We have a 12 volt sockets that we can plug an inverter into. So if we need to use AC power, we use that. It will only operate smaller items (phone chargers, TV, portable fridge, etc). If we need to run something larger like a coffee maker, we use our generator. However, we use a coffee dripper while camping, so we don't even use our coffee maker anymore. I hope that helps. Good luck with the install and thanks for watching!
You should be able to use the existing connection in your travel trailer. Look at 11:14 in the video, I discuss how I hook everything up. Good luck and thanks for watching!
Just found your channel, thank you for the videos, am binging them now. We have a 33’ RV with generator, we need it for my wife’s blow dryer and curling iron and curlers… Do you think 200 Watts of solar is enough to recharge: led lights and a movie or card games and a propane fridge each night? Thank you again James
You're welcome James! Glad you found my channel! 200 watts should be enough for that. That sounds very similar to what we operate of our 200 watts. Thanks for the comment and watching!
Lol, you're good! It can definitely be an intimidating project. Just take it step by step like I did in the video. You will really enjoy the solar setup when you are done. Thanks for subbing and watching!
Good question, we run a separate power inverter that has 1 AC outlet. Our solar does not make all of our AC outlets in our camper live. Although you could install a power inverter that could do that. It would just be a little more of a challenging install. As far as what it can run, that is a loaded question because it also depends on your battery. The short answer is low wattage items, less than 200 watts. Charging your phone/devices, running a small portable fridge, playing a TV/DVD player, etc. I did another video that may interest you about our setup: ua-cam.com/video/P6PLWIVxAVQ/v-deo.html Thanks for watching.
Did you or are you going to install an inverter so that you can run everything as if you are on shore power? The first part of the video answered my question as to where the panel cords run. I went to my dealer today and the guy told me that he could install the gopower weekender ISW 190 kit with 1000W inverter for $1k which seemed perfect, so I asked him again and he said $1k. But then went on to tell me it was a 40hr job and summer rates were $150 per hour and $120 in the winter. So it just didn't add up, so I might just do it myself but need to find information on how the inverter hooks in and allows the whole RV to run 120v from the solar.
We have not installed a permanent inverter. We honestly don't need to because we can operate everything we need (minus the AC/Microwave). Our fridge runs on propane when we boondock. I'm not familiar with the time it takes to set that up, however, I wouldn't think it would take 40 hours. Especially for a tech who does that work for a living. One of the biggest challenges you will likely run into is space and being able to access everything you need to. I wanted to hook up an inverter directly to our charge controller, that way we could have a few 120volt outlets. But, we didn't have enough room. I did that on my in-laws camper and you can see how I did that in this install video: ua-cam.com/video/q_e8dUpIm8M/v-deo.html Well, good luck on the install if you decide to do it yourself! Thanks for watching!
We have a 12 volt socket that we run an inverter on. On did a solar install on my in-laws camera and installed a dedicated inverter. It connected to the "load" section of the charge controller. I'll find that video and send the link in another message. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching!
If your roof support wood and you were using the stud buddy to find screws? We are installing some panels now and our stud finder nor the buddy is picking up anything. Any other ideas on how we can find the joists?
Is your aluminum framed? I couldn't find the studs on my In-laws camper. So, I used shorter, thicker, wood screws to secure their panels. They've been up there for 6 or 7 years, still holding on strong! Hope that helps. Thanks for watching.
I did this install myself in the fall, watching your video a gazillion times without any experience! I used it with 2 HQST 100watt panels. I got 2 more panels so I may add them to have a total of 4-100 watt panels. I think this way (directly to fuse panel) is incredibly different than how people usually use solar panels on rvs. I just don't see it being widely used anywhere else I just don't get why. Do you think if I buy a 200ah agm battery would it handle 4-100watt panels run parallel in this setup? Should I get a cut off switch for the solar panel too?
That is awesome! Glad the video was helpful and you were able to do the install! I agree, I don't know why more people don't hook up solar the way I have. As for the batteries, each panel should be bringing in about 5.5-6amps. The Renogy AGM 200ah battery can handle 60amps coming in, so you could have 10-100 watt panels and it would work. Here's the link to that battery: renogy.sjv.io/KeYPjn You may want to consider a Lithium battery. I wasn't a believer until a company sent me a battery and they are awesome! There's tons of benefits of the lithium. One thing I was amazed at was the weight difference, a 200ah Lithium battery will weigh about 50lbs, the AGM is going to weigh around 130lbs. So installing/removing the battery is so much easier. Lithium is about doubled the price, so that is the biggest downside. Here's a lithium battery I'm going to be reviewing in about a month or so: amzn.to/37Z9qc7 As for the cutoff switch, I plan on installing a battery cut-off switch in the future. I would mainly use this when we cover the camper during the winter months. Hope that helps! Thanks for watching.
So with this set up I won't need to purchase a inverter this will be connected to my existing rv setup. So solar panels , charge controller, 30amp fuse and the wires is all ill need to send power to my rv appliances and my ac outlets in my rv?
With my setup, my panels will just charge the battery through the converter. So you would still need to run a power inverter if you want to run 120 volt devices. Some charge controllers have a "load" hook-up section, so you can run a power inverter directly off the charge controller. I installed a solar system on my In-Law's camper and that is what I did. Here's a link to that video: ua-cam.com/video/q_e8dUpIm8M/v-deo.html I hope that made sense. Thanks for watching!
Hello are you using two batteries on your trailer? Is so isn't it better to run the wires to the batteries positive to one battery and the negative to the other? That is how I did mine on our old trailer getting ready to add solar to the new trailer and I'm trying to educate myself. Thanks for your videos.
Just one battery. You could also hook things up directly to your batteries. Whatever is easier for you. I ran a lot less wires going directly to the converter box. Thanks for watching!
Just what I was looking for but I got lost when you put those red wires for the fuse. I have a popup and wanted to do this, so the camper battery is already hooked to the black box (inverter)? All I have to do is hook the solar wire to the fuse box on the big silver screws . I am a 75 year old woman trying to hook this up, thanks
Thanks for watching my video Sharon. Without looking at it I can't say for sure how you need to hook it up. Just try to follow what I did in the video. Sorry I can't be of more help.
Hey There.Not sure if I missed it or you have already answered someone else but, how did you connect your two solar panels? in Series or Parallel? And why did make your choice? TIA
Excellant work :). but an explanation of ho you tied into the exisiting battery to feed it would be nice as well unless you are back feen thru the exisiting circutry there on the fuse panel
Excellent, thank for sharing. I am getting ready to do this so I am glad that I found your channel. I am trying to get my channel up and running as well.
It should charge your "house" battery. Those are the batteries that the RV run off of. On a travel trailer, they are typically located on the tongue of the trailer.
how did you protect your solar wires from the wire mesh on the roof vent. i know you cut a hole, but traveling and movement will still cause things to rub together... eventually wearing through that wire. grommets, etc? im thinking the best thing to do would be a large washer with a grommet installed and then expoxy the washer to the mesh.
I bent the metal back so it was smooth and I think I put electrical tape around the wires that would be in contact with the wire mesh but I honestly can't remember. Thanks for the comment and watching.
No, we did not hook up an inverter. This setup just keeps our battery charged. We plug a portable inverter up to a 12 volt socket if we want to run smaller AC devices. I hook up an inverter in this solar install video: ua-cam.com/video/q_e8dUpIm8M/v-deo.html Thanks for watching.
Can I hook this solar panel up to any fuse, breaker panel? It appears that I have the exact same one as you, but is there anything I need to look out for?
I did not hook up the solar to a fuse on my 12 volt panel. I wired it directly to the 12 volt positive and negative 11:20 of the video. Where I hooked it up, those will will feed power directly to the battery. At 11:58 you can see I added a fuse to the positive line that runs to the 12 volt panel. Hopefully that makes sense. Good luck with the install and thanks for watching!
@@ColoradoCamperman , I’m going to install a Renner G 100 W panel. I don’t know if I can just run it to a charge controller and then my battery and then allow the battery to run my refrigerator and other DC items or do I need to run it directly to the breaker panel.
@@COMMANDER-ONE All DC items will run off the battery regardless of where you hook up the solar/charge controller. We had a portable panel for years that had a charge controller built in. We used to just hook that directly up to our battery.
I’m just getting into this but with doing it this way can you be off grid? And does tying into the factory fuse panel/converter mean you don’t need a sine inverter?
200 watts will allow you to run some low wattage appliances. So you can be off-grid, for low wattage items. However, in order to run them, you have to have a 12 volt power inverter. Some charge controllers allow you to hook a power inverter directly up to them. With my setup, my panels will just charge the battery through the converter. So you would still need to run a power inverter if you want to run 120 volt devices. I hope that made sense. Thanks for watching!
When you hook up to shore power, shore power takes over. Depending on your RV and how it is hooked up, the batteries may or may not still be getting charged from solar. The AC power trickle charge on the battery will likely take over. But like I said, it depends on how everything is hooked up.
Great video, sorry this comment is coming so late, I just recently came across your video when I was researching solar systems. My only question is how long of screws did you use to secure the panels to the roof?
Thanks! They were short, but fat wood screws. I want to say 1.25-1.5" at the most. If you don't hit a stud on all 4 screws, you don't want a super long screw going deep into who knows what! Even after using a stud finder, I know I didn't hit a stud on every screw. Good luck with the install and thanks for watching.
Hi Brian, Thank you for making this great video. I have a question that involve running neg and positive wire to the circuit breaker / distribution panel like you did. What if mine doesn't have extra connecter than what should I do? Also Can you explain how did you connect battery wire in the panel or to the charge controller. I would greatly appreciate your help.
You're welcome! I didn't really have a lot of space on the circuit breaker. I was just able to un-screw the terminals enough to squeeze the wire in there. If you are not able to hook things up to the circuit breaker, you could just hook the wires up directly to the battery. That is how I used our portable panel prior to this setup. As for your second question, the battery is already hooked up to the circuit breaker. So, by adding the solar wires to the circuit breaker, you are essentially hooking the wires up to the battery. Hopefully that makes sense. Thanks for watching!
Thanks Kyle! You could do it either way. The benefit of doing it how I did is that the cables running down to the converter box are not exposed. I had considered running the cables down to the battery instead, but I would have drilled holes in the roof and it would have been a bigger pain. On my old truck camper I ran a solar panel directly to my battery. Here's a link to a video I did with my old truck camper solar setup: ua-cam.com/video/6gMlx9TfQIw/v-deo.html Thanks for watching!
@@kylework9908 NP, so we have a gel deep cycle battery. It can be stored all the way down to -4F. Seeing as how it gets that cold maybe one day a year, I will likely just keep everything hooked up. However, if we get our act together and cover our camper, that is a different story. I will remove the battery, put electrical tape around the cables, and then the RV cover will be on top of the solar panels. Even if you left the panels uncovered, you'd probably would be fine. That is what my in-laws have done the last few years and it hasn't been an issue.
So.....you ran the the + - wires from the charge controller directly to the 12v fuse panel instead of running to the battery then back to the fuse panel? Was that the correct way of doing it?
I ran the +- wires from the charge controller to where the battery wires connect at the fuse panel. When you think about it, that is doing basically the exact same thing that you are talking about doing. I just don't have to run wires to the battery because the factory already did that. Hopefully that makes sense. Thanks for watching.
@@ColoradoCamperman I was trying to skip to the wire connections and missed it. Thanks for the response. My HQST 20A controller has battery, solar panel, and line/power connections. I was looking for a video to see what people do with the load connector, but your controller doesn't have one. I moved my battery (LiFePo4) from the tongue to inside. Before my battery lead from the controller connected to the cable from the battery to the power center. With the battery inside and near the charge controller I connected it directly to the battery and the battery directly to the power center. Hopefully I won't have to rewire anything soon. I'm still not using my charge controllers line lead, but I don't think that this will cause any problems.
Are you asking if the outlets in the camper work if you install this setup? No, they do not work by doing this. This only charges the DC side of the camper. You can run an AC inverter off the charge controller and then you could have an AC outlet. Thanks for watching.
I have 2 HQST hsp100D-L panels I am about to put on my RV. Why can't I run them directly to my batteries at the front of the RV? I have a 30amp charge controller and an 800/400watt modified sine wave inverter. Renogy is the identical panels.
@@ColoradoCamperman awesome. I appreciate the quick response. I have commercial install experience, but ac series is different than DC parallel. I think I will come in at the battery bank and attach my inverter to the wall in the kitchen and jump off the DC input at the box. I think shorter wires will be more optimal on the inverter opposed to the panels. I plan to add more panels in the future at my charge controller can handle up to 500watts. I only use 30amp fuse on the panels as the charge controller and inverter have built in protection.
@@ColoradoCamperman just bought 2 more panels and building a rainwater collection system. My great grandparents are from Jerusalem so being a direct descendent of Christ and the abilities that come with it give me much advantage.
I added a 30 amp fuse between the panels and another from the battery bank just to be safe, but still not the inverter since it has a replaceable fuse on the side. Working on the wiring right now.
The panels are hooked up directly to the charge controller as stated in the instructions from the company. The instructions did not say anything about grounding the wires.
@@garyschmidt924 You would need a massive system, at least 1,000 watts of solar and a large battery bank. You would also have to hook things up differently than I did.
Good question, yes, shore power takes over. As long as you have a converter (which most campers do nowadays) it will switch over and trickle charge your battery. Thanks for watching!
Might be a dumb question, but.. how would I know if my 1991 alpine toy hauler has a converter in it so the shore power takes over? And what should I do if I don't??
@@eric5913 If you can run both off of 12 volt and AC power, more then likely you have some type of converter in the camper. It may not be super sophisticated given you have a 1991, but it's probably there. Older converters don't usually charge your batteries when hooked up to AC power like a newer converter would. So you may not be able to hook up the charge controller like I did. You may have to hook-up directly to the battery. As far as what you should do if you don't have a converter box, well, same as above, I would just hook the charge controller straight up to the battery. That is what I did in my old 78' truck camper. Here's a crude video of how I did the install: ua-cam.com/video/6gMlx9TfQIw/v-deo.html Hope that helps! Thanks for watching!
This charge controller claims 80% efficiency. The HQST MPPT controller I had considered was 99.5% efficiency. I chose not to upgrade to the MPPT for several reasons. 1) We had the 100 watt Renogy panel with a PVM controller. Based on our energy consumption for the last 2 years, that panel took care of us and kept our battery charged with no issues. 2) In the next 2-3 years (hopefully sooner) we plan on upgrading our camper. We are trying to only do the necessary repairs/upgrades to our camper that we have to. If we were keeping the camper longer, I definitely would have done the MPPT controller and Bluetooth monitor like you mentioned. Thanks for watching!
Yes, they are run in parallel. I'm guessing you're asking because the panels are bringing in over 12 volts? The panels are rated to bring in 18 volts but the charge controller ensures the battery doesn't get over charged. If they were run in series I'd be bringing in 30+volts. Thanks for watching!
I used the exact wires that came from the manufacturer. The panels are supposed to bring in 4.93 amps max. On a sunny day, we are very close to bringing that in per panel. What size are you suggesting?
We chose to use our 12volt socket with an inverter because we did not have room to setup a permanent inverter. If you're looking to setup an inverter, check out this video I did on my In-law's solar setup: ua-cam.com/video/q_e8dUpIm8M/v-deo.html
We have a 12 volt socket that we plug an inverter into. We run minor electronics off of that. It works well and is a simple setup so we have stuck to that. I would have liked to have a hard wired inverter to our system but we lack space around where our charge controller is. I ran an inverter off my in laws setup when I installed solar for them, it's pretty handy! Thanks for watching!
Where we hook-up our battery to our camper, positive is black and negative is white. A lot of 12 volt cables are like that apparently, I thought it was weird too. Thanks for watching!
@@myhousehaswheels I'm a painting contractor for going on 17 years, I've used Dynaflex before. It's a good product, I would only hesitate to use it on and RV because it is not meant to go on a house that travels down the road. It is meant for a bricks and sticks house. One thing you should look at on the product spec sheet is the "Flex Rate". I use Sherwin Williams Shermax and Sashco Big Stretch because their flex rate is 75-90% (I would imagine Dynaflex is similar). I've been using dicor on our campers for years and I've personally never had issues with it before. I've used Shermax and Big Stretch on campers and they have both only lasted a year or two before they start cracking (Big Stretch has done better). That's been my experience so I am going to stick to what has been working with me. If you've had good luck with Dynaflex, I'd say keep using it! To each his own! Thanks for watching.
*The solar **Generater.Systems** E300 is a great product . It does everything well. Great job, Jackery.*
It depends, how much room do you have?
I watched numerous videos, but you were the first one I found which showed how to hook it up to the RV. Thanks...
You're welcome! I'm glad the video could be helpful. Thank you for watching!
If anyone does this build, please don't use wire nuts. That's asking for trouble. They're meant for solid core ac wire not dc and also you could lose voltage or amperage with such a bad connection. Being in the automotive field our so has seen many melted, fire damage, or shorts from people using wire nuts. Use a crimp style connector or solder them is the best solution. I'm not meaning any disrespect on his install or build by any means. Just some first hand advice to help out and improve this awesome idea. Please no hate.
Thanks for the tips and watching.
Constructive criticism is always welcome
I’ve had good luck with Wagu lever-nuts!
I agree. Wire nuts are like a spare tire to me. Only use them in emergencies and replace with the correct connection when you can
Yes avoid using wire nuts use a good but connector for the correct size of wire and don't put the fuses outside. The chance of those fuses blowing is very rare and if you got to pull that panel so be it. Otherwise it's a great video thank you
Used renogy panels on my initial solar, no complaints at all. Decided install a second separate system to run my refrigerator. I used HQST. I agree they are the same panel for a better price. Great video
That sounds like a great setup Ted! I would love to have our solar run our refrigerator! That'll probably be on our next camper :) Thanks for watching!
Great clean job the only thing I would do is hook the controller direct to the battery instead of the fuse panel. I have been running solar panels on my rv’s for over 20 years and that has worked best for me. Stay well happy camping
Thanks for the comment and watching!
Most useful vid on UA-cam for installing through the fridge vent thx CCM
You're welcome, glad it could be helpful! Thanks for the comment and watching!
Job well done!!!! Nothing beats the feeling of doing something yourself saving a ton of money and not screwing anything up! ;-) Great job!
I agree! Thanks for the comment and watching!
Hey - Nice video !
I like the idea of connecting the solar system by the fuse box - smart !
I will do the same.
Tanks for the comment and watching! Good luck on the install!
I like how you hook it directly to the panel.
Yeah, it works out great! Thanks for watching.
Thank You, this was very clear. I did everything exactly as you said. I used circuit breakers instead of fuses. I own more tools than anyone who doesn't know how to use tools. Important I was planning on using Renogy. I bought everything at a local solar shop.
You're welcome Barry! I am glad the video was helpful. Lol, at least you have all the tools you will ever need! Thanks for watching!
Excellent the best common sense setup I have seen great information thank you
Thanks for the comment and watching! Good luck with the install.
Definitely loved the video and feel easier after viewing yours.
Awesome! Thanks for the comment and watching.
I think by now you know the closer to the air condioner the shawdow from the air condioner will shut down the solar output. try to mount as far away from anything that can shadow your panels . Very nice video.
True, we never had an issue though. We would generally have our panels facing South, so the AC was never casting a shadow on the panels. Thanks for watching.
Awesome video! I think this will be our next project. We took a camping trip last month and was able to find out our power needs, turns out we are a little power hungry LOL. Currently I have 2 Group 31 102AH Trojan AGM's and they were just enough to last us 3 days having to run the furnace at night as temps at that time dipped into the low 40's at night.
Thanks Matt! I can't imagine camping without solar! Even when we were just rocking the 50 watt panel, our battery was always charged! That's even after a day/night of heavy usage like you're talking about. For the money, this setup is hard to beat and should easily take care of your everyday needs. Especially if you have two 102 AH AGM batteries. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the tips, Mate. I was able to use this guide to install. Worked like a charm.
You're welcome! Glad the video was helpful and you were able to do the install. Thanks for watching!
Good stuff!would be there any problem with the solar feeding the battery and at the same time being plugged and charged by the vehicle while in motion?
There shouldn't be. We never had any issues. Thanks for watching.
I have those same mounts but it would be a PITA to remove a bad panel. The other option would be to screw some small self-tappers into the little side tabs on the brackets into the frame. That way you could at least pull the panel and replace it without disturbing the roof sealant work.
Good call, I thought about that as I was installing the mounts. That is a good idea. Thanks for the tip and watching!
If you put a lock washer with a lock nut (5:55), there is no need for Loctite.
You have 119 comments not really sure if I picked up on everyone of them but was wondering what size fuses you put in line thanks for letting me know
No worries, 30amp fuses. Thanks for watching
Did you already have an inverter on your trailer? Di you need an inverter for rhe solar system to work? Im asking because my last trailer had an inverter and everytime i wanted to plug things into the AC oulets i had to turn on the inverter to oull from the batteries. When not plugged into AC power of course.
No, we did not have an inverter built in. Our camper was built in 2010 and they were not installing inverters like they are now. We would plug a small 12 volt inverter into a 12 volt socket we had. Your setup sounds amazing! Lol, much better than our one outlet that could only run 120 watts. Thanks for watching.
Thanks!
Very nice video explaining!!!!
You're welcome, glad the video could be helpful. Thanks for the comment and watching!
I have an 80's RV with 1 starting and 1 house battery under the hood. If I connect the solar controller right to the RV fuse box, would the solar power charge the starting and house batteries?
I am not sure about a motorhome and how all that is hooked up. Sorry
I'd protect the solar panel wires coming in through the mesh on the roof so vibration doesn't eventually cut into them and short you out.
Good call. Thanks for the tip and watching!
@@ColoradoCamperman no thank you for the videos. 😃 I'm a visual learner for sure.
@@vaughn6371 You're welcome!
@@vaughn6371 *no, thank you* sounds bad without the comma lol
@@sv8313 oops..you're right 👍
This may sound like a silly question. If you're on shore power, does your solar still charge the batteries, or do you have some type of transfer switch to shut it off? I'm worried about backfeeding the shore power, but I don't know if that really is an issue or not.
I'm not 100% sure about that. I don't think the charge controller would allow that but I'm not certain. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful, thanks for watching!
Great video! Just install a 100-watt kit this weekend using your method of connecting to the panel. I have a battery cut-off switch, if turnoff the battery will there be issue with the power the panel is still producing? Thanks again
Thanks! No, it shouldn't be a problem at all. We remove our battery from our camper in the winter time, so our solar system is still hooked up producing. Thanks for watching!
Great video. What is the difference on going directly to the batteries with the solar compared to going to the panel ?
Going to the batteries would be the preferred method.
thanks. i am just about to install on my trailer in Baja that i want to live in full time. i was thinking about 4 100 watt panels. Big question tho..no inverter? You just went directly to the panel? That would save so much money.
It depends on how you are going to use your system. We have a 12 volt sockets that we can plug an inverter into. So if we need to use AC power, we use that. It will only operate smaller items (phone chargers, TV, portable fridge, etc). If we need to run something larger like a coffee maker, we use our generator. However, we use a coffee dripper while camping, so we don't even use our coffee maker anymore. I hope that helps. Good luck with the install and thanks for watching!
Do I need to make another connection to the battery or use the one that is already in my travel trailer?
You should be able to use the existing connection in your travel trailer. Look at 11:14 in the video, I discuss how I hook everything up. Good luck and thanks for watching!
Just found your channel, thank you for the videos, am binging them now.
We have a 33’ RV with generator, we need it for my wife’s blow dryer and curling iron and curlers…
Do you think 200 Watts of solar is enough to recharge: led lights and a movie or card games and a propane fridge each night?
Thank you again
James
You're welcome James! Glad you found my channel! 200 watts should be enough for that. That sounds very similar to what we operate of our 200 watts. Thanks for the comment and watching!
😭😭😭 I just bought a solar kit, I don't understand any of this... send help! Lol thanks for the video I'm a new subscriber
Lol, you're good! It can definitely be an intimidating project. Just take it step by step like I did in the video. You will really enjoy the solar setup when you are done. Thanks for subbing and watching!
Does this method charge the battery?
Yes, it does. After we installed this solar system, we never had to worry about our battery going dead while we were camping.
Would eternabond tape be better than dicor or use both together?!
First dicor then eternabond!
You could use either, or both, your choice.
Why didn’t you install adjustable brackets so you can adjust for best direction sunlight??
I didn't want to have to adjust them. It was enough power for us that it wasn't necessary.
With this set up what would it power? Is it enough to power AC like outlets? Trying to understand how all this works 😅
Good question, we run a separate power inverter that has 1 AC outlet. Our solar does not make all of our AC outlets in our camper live. Although you could install a power inverter that could do that. It would just be a little more of a challenging install.
As far as what it can run, that is a loaded question because it also depends on your battery. The short answer is low wattage items, less than 200 watts. Charging your phone/devices, running a small portable fridge, playing a TV/DVD player, etc. I did another video that may interest you about our setup: ua-cam.com/video/P6PLWIVxAVQ/v-deo.html
Thanks for watching.
Did you or are you going to install an inverter so that you can run everything as if you are on shore power? The first part of the video answered my question as to where the panel cords run. I went to my dealer today and the guy told me that he could install the gopower weekender ISW 190 kit with 1000W inverter for $1k which seemed perfect, so I asked him again and he said $1k. But then went on to tell me it was a 40hr job and summer rates were $150 per hour and $120 in the winter. So it just didn't add up, so I might just do it myself but need to find information on how the inverter hooks in and allows the whole RV to run 120v from the solar.
We have not installed a permanent inverter. We honestly don't need to because we can operate everything we need (minus the AC/Microwave). Our fridge runs on propane when we boondock. I'm not familiar with the time it takes to set that up, however, I wouldn't think it would take 40 hours. Especially for a tech who does that work for a living.
One of the biggest challenges you will likely run into is space and being able to access everything you need to. I wanted to hook up an inverter directly to our charge controller, that way we could have a few 120volt outlets. But, we didn't have enough room. I did that on my in-laws camper and you can see how I did that in this install video: ua-cam.com/video/q_e8dUpIm8M/v-deo.html
Well, good luck on the install if you decide to do it yourself! Thanks for watching!
For cost reasons... is it possible to add another 200 watt kit months later?
Definitely! Although, you should only need to buy the panels with mounting hardware and a Y connector. You shouldn't need to get another kit.
Great video, thank you!
You're welcome! Thanks for the comment and watching!;
Hey, I noticed you didn’t use a power inverter, are you only running power to your dc or does it swap to ac when you connect it to your fuse panel?
We have a 12 volt socket that we run an inverter on. On did a solar install on my in-laws camera and installed a dedicated inverter. It connected to the "load" section of the charge controller. I'll find that video and send the link in another message. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching!
ua-cam.com/video/q_e8dUpIm8M/v-deo.html Here's the link the solar system I installed on my in-laws camper.
If your roof support wood and you were using the stud buddy to find screws? We are installing some panels now and our stud finder nor the buddy is picking up anything. Any other ideas on how we can find the joists?
Is your aluminum framed? I couldn't find the studs on my In-laws camper. So, I used shorter, thicker, wood screws to secure their panels. They've been up there for 6 or 7 years, still holding on strong! Hope that helps. Thanks for watching.
I did this install myself in the fall, watching your video a gazillion times without any experience! I used it with 2 HQST 100watt panels. I got 2 more panels so I may add them to have a total of 4-100 watt panels.
I think this way (directly to fuse panel) is incredibly different than how people usually use solar panels on rvs. I just don't see it being widely used anywhere else I just don't get why.
Do you think if I buy a 200ah agm battery would it handle 4-100watt panels run parallel in this setup?
Should I get a cut off switch for the solar panel too?
That is awesome! Glad the video was helpful and you were able to do the install! I agree, I don't know why more people don't hook up solar the way I have.
As for the batteries, each panel should be bringing in about 5.5-6amps. The Renogy AGM 200ah battery can handle 60amps coming in, so you could have 10-100 watt panels and it would work. Here's the link to that battery: renogy.sjv.io/KeYPjn
You may want to consider a Lithium battery. I wasn't a believer until a company sent me a battery and they are awesome! There's tons of benefits of the lithium. One thing I was amazed at was the weight difference, a 200ah Lithium battery will weigh about 50lbs, the AGM is going to weigh around 130lbs. So installing/removing the battery is so much easier. Lithium is about doubled the price, so that is the biggest downside. Here's a lithium battery I'm going to be reviewing in about a month or so: amzn.to/37Z9qc7
As for the cutoff switch, I plan on installing a battery cut-off switch in the future. I would mainly use this when we cover the camper during the winter months. Hope that helps! Thanks for watching.
killer job
Thanks for the comment and watching!
So with this set up I won't need to purchase a inverter this will be connected to my existing rv setup. So solar panels , charge controller, 30amp fuse and the wires is all ill need to send power to my rv appliances and my ac outlets in my rv?
With my setup, my panels will just charge the battery through the converter. So you would still need to run a power inverter if you want to run 120 volt devices. Some charge controllers have a "load" hook-up section, so you can run a power inverter directly off the charge controller. I installed a solar system on my In-Law's camper and that is what I did. Here's a link to that video: ua-cam.com/video/q_e8dUpIm8M/v-deo.html
I hope that made sense. Thanks for watching!
Hello are you using two batteries on your trailer? Is so isn't it better to run the wires to the batteries positive to one battery and the negative to the other? That is how I did mine on our old trailer getting ready to add solar to the new trailer and I'm trying to educate myself. Thanks for your videos.
Just one battery. You could also hook things up directly to your batteries. Whatever is easier for you. I ran a lot less wires going directly to the converter box. Thanks for watching!
Just what I was looking for but I got lost when you put those red wires for the fuse. I have a popup and wanted to do this, so the camper battery is already hooked to the black box (inverter)? All I have to do is hook the solar wire to the fuse box on the big silver screws .
I am a 75 year old woman trying to hook this up, thanks
Thanks for watching my video Sharon. Without looking at it I can't say for sure how you need to hook it up. Just try to follow what I did in the video. Sorry I can't be of more help.
Hey There.Not sure if I missed it or you have already answered someone else but, how did you connect your two solar panels? in Series or Parallel? And why did make your choice? TIA
Parallel because that is what the charge controller would handle. Some charge controllers can't handle running panels in series.
Thank you. Excellent explanation.
You're welcome, thanks for watching!
Excellant work :).
but an explanation of ho you tied into the exisiting battery to feed it would be nice as well unless you are back feen thru the exisiting circutry there on the fuse panel
I back fed the wires to the panel. I tapped into the spot where the wires come from the battery. Hopefully that makes sense. Thanks for watching!
Excellent, thank for sharing. I am getting ready to do this so I am glad that I found your channel. I am trying to get my channel up and running as well.
You're welcome, thank you for watching! Good luck getting the channel up and going!
@@ColoradoCamperman thank you
What battery does this panel charge? Do you have to buy batteries separately? Or is it part of the panel already?
It should charge your "house" battery. Those are the batteries that the RV run off of. On a travel trailer, they are typically located on the tongue of the trailer.
how did you protect your solar wires from the wire mesh on the roof vent. i know you cut a hole, but traveling and movement will still cause things to rub together... eventually wearing through that wire. grommets, etc? im thinking the best thing to do would be a large washer with a grommet installed and then expoxy the washer to the mesh.
I bent the metal back so it was smooth and I think I put electrical tape around the wires that would be in contact with the wire mesh but I honestly can't remember. Thanks for the comment and watching.
Did you use an inverter? I did not see you hooking it up. Im confused...
No, we did not hook up an inverter. This setup just keeps our battery charged. We plug a portable inverter up to a 12 volt socket if we want to run smaller AC devices. I hook up an inverter in this solar install video: ua-cam.com/video/q_e8dUpIm8M/v-deo.html Thanks for watching.
Can I hook this solar panel up to any fuse, breaker panel? It appears that I have the exact same one as you, but is there anything I need to look out for?
I did not hook up the solar to a fuse on my 12 volt panel. I wired it directly to the 12 volt positive and negative 11:20 of the video. Where I hooked it up, those will will feed power directly to the battery. At 11:58 you can see I added a fuse to the positive line that runs to the 12 volt panel. Hopefully that makes sense. Good luck with the install and thanks for watching!
@@ColoradoCamperman , I’m going to install a Renner G 100 W panel. I don’t know if I can just run it to a charge controller and then my battery and then allow the battery to run my refrigerator and other DC items or do I need to run it directly to the breaker panel.
@@COMMANDER-ONE All DC items will run off the battery regardless of where you hook up the solar/charge controller. We had a portable panel for years that had a charge controller built in. We used to just hook that directly up to our battery.
Gave me more ideas. Thanks
You're welcome, thanks for the comment and watching!
I’m just getting into this but with doing it this way can you be off grid? And does tying into the factory fuse panel/converter mean you don’t need a sine inverter?
200 watts will allow you to run some low wattage appliances. So you can be off-grid, for low wattage items. However, in order to run them, you have to have a 12 volt power inverter. Some charge controllers allow you to hook a power inverter directly up to them.
With my setup, my panels will just charge the battery through the converter. So you would still need to run a power inverter if you want to run 120 volt devices. I hope that made sense. Thanks for watching!
Very detailed and informative. Great video.
Thanks for the comment and watching Amber!
Thank u for showing this video
You're welcome! Thanks for the comment and watching!
What happens when you hook up to the site plug?
When you hook up to shore power, shore power takes over. Depending on your RV and how it is hooked up, the batteries may or may not still be getting charged from solar. The AC power trickle charge on the battery will likely take over. But like I said, it depends on how everything is hooked up.
Great video, sorry this comment is coming so late, I just recently came across your video when I was researching solar systems. My only question is how long of screws did you use to secure the panels to the roof?
Thanks! They were short, but fat wood screws. I want to say 1.25-1.5" at the most. If you don't hit a stud on all 4 screws, you don't want a super long screw going deep into who knows what! Even after using a stud finder, I know I didn't hit a stud on every screw. Good luck with the install and thanks for watching.
Hi Brian, Thank you for making this great video. I have a question that involve running neg and positive wire to the circuit breaker / distribution panel like you did. What if mine doesn't have extra connecter than what should I do? Also Can you explain how did you connect battery wire in the panel or to the charge controller. I would greatly appreciate your help.
You're welcome! I didn't really have a lot of space on the circuit breaker. I was just able to un-screw the terminals enough to squeeze the wire in there. If you are not able to hook things up to the circuit breaker, you could just hook the wires up directly to the battery. That is how I used our portable panel prior to this setup.
As for your second question, the battery is already hooked up to the circuit breaker. So, by adding the solar wires to the circuit breaker, you are essentially hooking the wires up to the battery. Hopefully that makes sense. Thanks for watching!
Good job!
Thanks for the comment and watching!
Great video. I’m looking at doing this set up in the spring. Is it better to hook it up like you did vs hook in up to the battery?
Thanks Kyle! You could do it either way. The benefit of doing it how I did is that the cables running down to the converter box are not exposed. I had considered running the cables down to the battery instead, but I would have drilled holes in the roof and it would have been a bigger pain. On my old truck camper I ran a solar panel directly to my battery. Here's a link to a video I did with my old truck camper solar setup: ua-cam.com/video/6gMlx9TfQIw/v-deo.html Thanks for watching!
@@ColoradoCamperman thanks so much. One more question. If I hook it like you did do I need to do anything if I take the battery out for the winter ?
@@kylework9908 NP, so we have a gel deep cycle battery. It can be stored all the way down to -4F. Seeing as how it gets that cold maybe one day a year, I will likely just keep everything hooked up. However, if we get our act together and cover our camper, that is a different story. I will remove the battery, put electrical tape around the cables, and then the RV cover will be on top of the solar panels. Even if you left the panels uncovered, you'd probably would be fine. That is what my in-laws have done the last few years and it hasn't been an issue.
@@ColoradoCamperman thank you so much.
So.....you ran the the + - wires from the charge controller directly to the 12v fuse panel instead of running to the battery then back to the fuse panel? Was that the correct way of doing it?
I ran the +- wires from the charge controller to where the battery wires connect at the fuse panel. When you think about it, that is doing basically the exact same thing that you are talking about doing. I just don't have to run wires to the battery because the factory already did that. Hopefully that makes sense. Thanks for watching.
@@staciahoover6175 You're welcome, thanks for watching!
Is there a video that I'm not seeing regarding how you connected your system?
Which part were you looking for? I started hooking everything up around 11:00 in the video.
@@ColoradoCamperman I was trying to skip to the wire connections and missed it. Thanks for the response.
My HQST 20A controller has battery, solar panel, and line/power connections. I was looking for a video to see what people do with the load connector, but your controller doesn't have one. I moved my battery (LiFePo4) from the tongue to inside. Before my battery lead from the controller connected to the cable from the battery to the power center. With the battery inside and near the charge controller I connected it directly to the battery and the battery directly to the power center. Hopefully I won't have to rewire anything soon. I'm still not using my charge controllers line lead, but I don't think that this will cause any problems.
Can I still plug my camper in to the normal receptacle
Are you asking if the outlets in the camper work if you install this setup? No, they do not work by doing this. This only charges the DC side of the camper. You can run an AC inverter off the charge controller and then you could have an AC outlet. Thanks for watching.
Hooking up directly to your converter/charger, does it interfere with your system?
No, it works perfect! We have not had any issues since I installed it. Thanks for watching!
I have 2 HQST hsp100D-L panels I am about to put on my RV. Why can't I run them directly to my batteries at the front of the RV? I have a 30amp charge controller and an 800/400watt modified sine wave inverter. Renogy is the identical panels.
Yeah you definitely could. I just chose to do it the way I did. Thanks for watching!
@@ColoradoCamperman awesome. I appreciate the quick response. I have commercial install experience, but ac series is different than DC parallel. I think I will come in at the battery bank and attach my inverter to the wall in the kitchen and jump off the DC input at the box. I think shorter wires will be more optimal on the inverter opposed to the panels. I plan to add more panels in the future at my charge controller can handle up to 500watts. I only use 30amp fuse on the panels as the charge controller and inverter have built in protection.
@@Rob-cm9jr Sounds like you have a good plan in place! Good luck with the install.
@@ColoradoCamperman just bought 2 more panels and building a rainwater collection system. My great grandparents are from Jerusalem so being a direct descendent of Christ and the abilities that come with it give me much advantage.
I added a 30 amp fuse between the panels and another from the battery bank just to be safe, but still not the inverter since it has a replaceable fuse on the side. Working on the wiring right now.
Did you ground them?
The panels are hooked up directly to the charge controller as stated in the instructions from the company. The instructions did not say anything about grounding the wires.
Will those panels run all the appliances?
Only 12 volt appliances.
Thanks man! What do you think would be sufficient enough to run the air conditioner or would that even be safe?
@@garyschmidt924 You would need a massive system, at least 1,000 watts of solar and a large battery bank. You would also have to hook things up differently than I did.
Thanks
What happens when you hook up to shore power? Does the shore power override the solar?
Good question, yes, shore power takes over. As long as you have a converter (which most campers do nowadays) it will switch over and trickle charge your battery. Thanks for watching!
Might be a dumb question, but.. how would I know if my 1991 alpine toy hauler has a converter in it so the shore power takes over? And what should I do if I don't??
@@eric5913 If you can run both off of 12 volt and AC power, more then likely you have some type of converter in the camper. It may not be super sophisticated given you have a 1991, but it's probably there. Older converters don't usually charge your batteries when hooked up to AC power like a newer converter would. So you may not be able to hook up the charge controller like I did. You may have to hook-up directly to the battery.
As far as what you should do if you don't have a converter box, well, same as above, I would just hook the charge controller straight up to the battery. That is what I did in my old 78' truck camper. Here's a crude video of how I did the install: ua-cam.com/video/6gMlx9TfQIw/v-deo.html
Hope that helps! Thanks for watching!
@@ColoradoCamperman what battery ? the one that runs my lift jacks ect ?
@@kidguxxi5 Is that your main "house" battery? We only have one main house battery and that is what I hooked up to on the panel. Thanks for watching.
An MPPT controller will increase your power by 30%. I would get one with Bluetooth so you can monitor it with your phone.
This charge controller claims 80% efficiency. The HQST MPPT controller I had considered was 99.5% efficiency. I chose not to upgrade to the MPPT for several reasons. 1) We had the 100 watt Renogy panel with a PVM controller. Based on our energy consumption for the last 2 years, that panel took care of us and kept our battery charged with no issues. 2) In the next 2-3 years (hopefully sooner) we plan on upgrading our camper. We are trying to only do the necessary repairs/upgrades to our camper that we have to. If we were keeping the camper longer, I definitely would have done the MPPT controller and Bluetooth monitor like you mentioned. Thanks for watching!
Howhow much would it cost to install, if you not able to diy.
I have no clue, I did everything on our camper DIY.
Call an RV repair shop near you and find out.
But doesn't the rv need ac power coming in? He only hooked up two wires
The AC coming in is already hooked up.
Are the panels run in parallel?
Yes, they are run in parallel. I'm guessing you're asking because the panels are bringing in over 12 volts? The panels are rated to bring in 18 volts but the charge controller ensures the battery doesn't get over charged. If they were run in series I'd be bringing in 30+volts. Thanks for watching!
Man, great!!!
Thank you for the compliment and watching!
Underwired. Use larger AWG for connecting both panels to charger.
I used the exact wires that came from the manufacturer. The panels are supposed to bring in 4.93 amps max. On a sunny day, we are very close to bringing that in per panel. What size are you suggesting?
Why not tap into the RV fridge 12V power?
Our fridge is only AC or Propane, no 12V option.
Why didn't you use an inverter and what is the difference if you had used an inverter
We chose to use our 12volt socket with an inverter because we did not have room to setup a permanent inverter. If you're looking to setup an inverter, check out this video I did on my In-law's solar setup: ua-cam.com/video/q_e8dUpIm8M/v-deo.html
Where is the invertor or do you not need one?
We have a 12 volt socket that we plug an inverter into. We run minor electronics off of that. It works well and is a simple setup so we have stuck to that. I would have liked to have a hard wired inverter to our system but we lack space around where our charge controller is. I ran an inverter off my in laws setup when I installed solar for them, it's pretty handy! Thanks for watching!
big black wire is POS? that is weird
Where we hook-up our battery to our camper, positive is black and negative is white. A lot of 12 volt cables are like that apparently, I thought it was weird too. Thanks for watching!
@@ColoradoCamperman you mean where you plug into shore power?
@@jimbeaver27 No at the tongue of our camper, where our battery is stored.
@@ColoradoCamperman I think it's the Chinese way :)
👍🏼👍🏼🇨🇦🇨🇦👍🏼👍🏼
Thanks for watching Allan!
Dicor is trash bro. Don’t use that.
Really? What would you recommend to use instead? I've had good luck with Dicor.
@@ColoradoCamperman dap dynaflex
@@myhousehaswheels I'm a painting contractor for going on 17 years, I've used Dynaflex before. It's a good product, I would only hesitate to use it on and RV because it is not meant to go on a house that travels down the road. It is meant for a bricks and sticks house. One thing you should look at on the product spec sheet is the "Flex Rate". I use Sherwin Williams Shermax and Sashco Big Stretch because their flex rate is 75-90% (I would imagine Dynaflex is similar). I've been using dicor on our campers for years and I've personally never had issues with it before. I've used Shermax and Big Stretch on campers and they have both only lasted a year or two before they start cracking (Big Stretch has done better). That's been my experience so I am going to stick to what has been working with me. If you've had good luck with Dynaflex, I'd say keep using it! To each his own! Thanks for watching.
Thank you very much. Some great ideas.
You're welcome, glad it was helpful. Thanks for the comment and watching!