Solar wiring, chase through to roof?

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   How/where did you roof solar folks get the wiring up to the panels? 

On my motorhome I used the refer vent, but my pod vents through the side.

Looking at following the a/c wiring now, but I think they Staples or secured those wires since I'm not finding any slack in them.

Any help is appreciated.

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Motor7 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 09 Jan 2019 Location: E. TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 196	Topic: Solar wiring, chase through to roof? Posted: 16 Jul 2019 at 11:53am
	How/where did you roof solar folks get the wiring up to the panels? On my motorhome I used the refer vent, but my pod vents through the side. Looking at following the a/c wiring now, but I think they Staples or secured those wires since I'm not finding any slack in them. Any help is appreciated.
	2016 R-Pod 176T

Motor7 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 09 Jan 2019 Location: E. TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 196	Posted: 16 Jul 2019 at 4:48pm
	Looking at the entry wall to the left of door: After crawling around under the pod I found that the entry wall is hollow from floor to ceiling. The tank monitor, hot water heater switch and a light switch are all on it. I can see where the wires go in under the floor by the frame, and by removing the tank monitor I see the A/c unit wires in there too. Drilling a hole through the roof into that chase should let me fish the wire down it.....maybe.
	2016 R-Pod 176T

Motor7 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 09 Jan 2019 Location: E. TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 196	Posted: 16 Jul 2019 at 4:55pm
	Also, I have a Renogy 160 Watt flex solar panel enoute( on sale on the 'zon for $223). And am considering Eternabond to stick it to the roof without drilling any holes.
	2016 R-Pod 176T

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 17 Jul 2019 at 5:08am
	I don't know the 176T layout details but I would suggest placing a dual gland cable roof entry plate above any convenient cabinet and running the solar connections down a back inside corner of the cabinet from there. In the 179 we can run the wires down through the enclosed cabinet where the stereo is so they aren't visible, but for me even if I didn't have that option as long as they're inside the back of a cabinet that would be good enough. Trying to pull them through the small mostly foam filled wall cavity seems like too much effort for too little benefit. Just an opinion.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Motor7 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 09 Jan 2019 Location: E. TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 196	Posted: 17 Jul 2019 at 10:13am
	OG, I looked inside the stereo/tv/speaker cabinet and there is plenty of room in there except that it terminates on the front curved wall. If I exit the roof there, it will be too far forward on the nose and visible. Are your interior walls foam filled? Mine seem to all be hollow. The one in the picture is built as a double wall with a large chase cavity inside. I considered a portable panel and might still add one later. For now I want a permanent roof mount . Many boondocking places Out west have little or no tree cover.
	2016 R-Pod 176T

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 17 Jul 2019 at 10:31am
	In the 179 the stereo is under the flat roof section so I don't have that problem. But there must be a cabinet under the flat roof section somewhere you can use? If the wires are run along an inside back cabinet corner then they're not going to be obtrusive, you can also conceal them with some wire mold or wire loom if it bothers you. The walls are supposed to be filled with rigid foam. Take a look at the construction video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMXneKc_fDo
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Motor7 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 09 Jan 2019 Location: E. TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 196	Posted: 18 Jul 2019 at 5:52am
	Cool video, I had not seen that one. They really don't mention interior walls, and at least in my 176, they are un-insulated. Getting new Endurance tires put on today, solar panel and marine grade tinned copper 10 ga wire arrive tomorrow, so I will update soon on the chase situation. I will use a mirror an light to see down into that wall to make absolutely sure I can go from floor to ceiling without any obstruction. Kinda makes me want one of those HF inspection cameras now......sure would come in handy. I did think about pulling the factory solar wiring out and re-routing it, but decided just to stretch new better quality wire from battery's to panel. The stuff the factory uses is not sheathed or tinned and is pretty stiff stuff. 25' of Anchor marine grade duplex was only $36 shipped. I plan on mounting the surface mount Renogy 20 amp charge controller high up on that entry wall if all goes according to plan.
	2016 R-Pod 176T

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 18 Jul 2019 at 6:50am
	Yeah, the interior walls are uninsulated. I thought you were talking about using an exterior wall. if you can get a fish tape up through an interior wall to the roof then you should be able to pull the solar conductors down no problem. You didn't mention it but if you haven't already planned for it, please do add an appropriately sized fuse at the + battery connection to your solar system. FR's unfused conductors leading to the Zamp outlet on my 179 were a hazard, any + conductors originating at the battery should be fused for safety. For 10awg wire you can use up to 30A.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Motor7 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 09 Jan 2019 Location: E. TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 196	Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 6:58am
	Wire arrived first, so I started measuring and drilling. The wiring for the tv antenna and the black tank vent are in this wall, so I drilled my hole between them. I looked at the location where all the factory wires went in here (far right), but that did not lead inside the wall but into the area under the head. Directly under the center of wall is where I drilled and you can see the heavy wire I used for a fish:
	2016 R-Pod 176T

Motor7 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 09 Jan 2019 Location: E. TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 196	Posted: 20 Jul 2019 at 7:14am
	I dropped the wire down from the roof and the fish up from under the floor. Using that opening for tank monitor on the wall i was abke to grab both and tape the wire to the fish. This allowed me to pull the wire through and forward along the frame to the battery box. Brown Santa then dropped off the 160 watt flexible solar panel. Unfortunately, the only place to mount it is to the front and partially on the radius. It's also going to be subject to some partial shading from the antenna and the a/c, but it can't be helped:
	2016 R-Pod 176T