Power wire feed from roof?
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Topic: Power wire feed from roof?
Posted By: TIDALWAVE
Subject: Power wire feed from roof?
Date Posted: 30 Jan 2011 at 9:42am
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I am thinking about installing one or two 'flexible' solar panels on my Pod's roof. Has any one tried to 'snake' wires down a Pod wall? If I had to...I could feed the power wires directly through the roof down the washroom wall and then to the power center. Does any know if the interior walls are single layer or two layers? ------------- TIDALWAVE |
Replies:
Posted By: Outbound
Date Posted: 30 Jan 2011 at 2:56pm
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The interior walls are hollow... ------------- Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150 |
Posted By: rpodcamper.com
Date Posted: 30 Jan 2011 at 8:57pm
| On my 171 the inside walls are hollow. I have run wires around the bench, sink, stove, and frig. In the spring I plan to try pulling under the floor to the bathroom side a wire. Would love to see what you are thinking about for solar. We have been dry camping ALOT this winter and running battery power but taking the batteries with us during the day to charge them. |
Posted By: TIDALWAVE
Date Posted: 31 Jan 2011 at 7:50am
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When I first started to look at solar panels, most were flat and rigid. They would not install correctly on an R-Pod. A friend suggested I investigate 'thin-film flexible' panels. They can be be bent both longitudinally and transversely. They can run from near the top of the roof down both at the front and back of the Pod, or laid across the roof. 42 watt panels are about 2'x5'. Several brands also feature '3-M weather-proof' adhesive on the back of the panels, so there is no need to bolt the the panels down. The newest types can still provide some power even if there is a branch shadow over the panel. Older panels stop generating if even the smallest shadow crosses any portion of the panel! I thought about using 42 Watt panels because if the panels are bowed to fit the Pod roof some portions of the panels will only receive sun at an angle. I am planning on installing one panel in front and one in the rear as high as I can fit them up to the AC, etc. With a maximum of 4-8 amps 12 VDC, I plan on installing a dual feed charge controller adjacent to the 110VAC-12VDC power panel. ------------- TIDALWAVE |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 31 Jan 2011 at 8:15pm
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Make sure its a MPPT charge controller, and then wire the panels in series to feed it. I highly recommend a visit to this forum for advice on all things solar... http://wind-sun.com/ForumVB/index.php - http://wind-sun.com/ForumVB/index.php ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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