Well...Contrary to what I was told by my dealer and by Airstream, there is no solar prewire in my A/S. I finally came to this conclusion after tearing out most everything inside the rig that would lead me to the pre-wire, all to no avail. A comprehensive search done, I finally got in touch with my dealer's tech support at Airstream and we confirmed that it is not there. Many hours wasted, I am putting plan "B" into effect and pulling my oun wires for the solar system.
Now...my next question. Above my refer (inside the coach) is a storage compartment hinged door. There is a flat fascia panel about 6 inches high above this storage area (but under the hinged door) that I would like to mount the solar panel controller into. The A/S ceiling is above the fascia board.
Does anyone with this arrangement know what is behind this fascia panel? It would be a fair amount of work to get this panel off just to look behind it, so I am thinking that if there is nothing behind there, I can just cut out the opening for the charge controller, etc. Make sense? If not ask me anything.
Thanks in advance.
JC
Brian,
Thanks for the tips on the panel wiring through the vent. I'm confident they will come in handy.
The only thing that may be behind there is the flue for the refer itself. I do not know if in the newer units they are a formed flue or just an air space. If it is the flue, you will be cutting into a sealed spcae that contains harmful gases that could leak into the coach . If it just the regulator, I would not put it there, you want to mount it as close to the batteries as possible anyway.
Panels put out 15+ Volts. Once the reulator cuts that down every foot of wire induces additional loss. Mounting the regulator close to the batteries allows for less post regulation loss.
What controls are you looking to mount?
__________________
Brett G
WBCCI #5501 AIR # 49
"Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey." -- Fitzhugh Mullan
Wise men talk because they have someting to say; fools, because they have to say something. -- Plato
In politics, absurdity is not a handicap— Napoleon
Originally posted by JaceBeck Well...Contrary to what I was told by my dealer and by Airstream, there is no solar prewire in my A/S. There is a flat fascia panel about 6 inches high above this storage area (but under the hinged door) that I would like to mount the solar panel controller into. The A/S ceiling is above the fascia board.
Thanks in advance.
JC
Jace,
I'm trying to picture the area above that storage compartment in my 27' Safari. The biggest concern I would have is heat. That compartment above the fridge is pretty warm and I remember A/S folks having some concerns about air intrusion from the refrigerator area getting up above the cabinet since I had issues regarding air conditioner performance.
Bottom line you may have heat in that area that could affect the electronics and if not you need to be careful not to allow the refrigerator heat to get into that area or carbon monxide from the gas burner.
Jack
__________________
Jack Canavera
STL Mo. AIR #56
'04 Classic 30' S.O.
'03 GMC Savana 2500
'08 Vespa GTS 250
Brett & Jack,
You both have valid points that I have been considering regarding the CO and the heat. I was thinking of mounting the Solar Boost 2000E controller in there but the heat may be too much, as it does get warm in there.
I have pulled 8 ga. wire for the run from the controller to the batteries, which is about 15', so I shouldn't have too much resistance loss. I have gold plated automotive connectors for all of the terminal ends.
I do have a surface mount box from RV Poer Products for the controller, but is not a good looking install given its size. I'll keep the creative problem-solving cap on for a while longer.
Jace
Jace -- One more heat-related concern... the face of the SolarBoost2000E is designed to be a heat sink to shed controller generated heat. A cooler location will help it perform this function. Also consider mounting it where it can be easily viewed from the general area. Good luck... I think you'll like it.
Brian
The install is done and so far working great. Many thanks to everyone on this site that offered up ideas and comments. Absolutely could not have been done without everyone's input.
Pulled all new wires, got the controller mounted and the solar panel in place, used the best materials possible including gold-plated connectors and took my time. It silently cranks out power, even in lower light than I would have guessed, and has the dual 6V Trojans charged and ready to go. Backcountry America is now on the agenda.
I mounted the controller on the fascia is behind the door in the compartment above the refer after I found that there was nothing behind it but space. Though it is not completely sealed from the inside of the coach, to prevent any refer venting issues, I drilled two holes for the wires in the fascia and mounted the controller in a surface mount box with about a millimeter of space for the compartment door to close. The holes were then sealed around the wires.
The heat issue is a concern, but the thought is that I will leave the compartment door open if there is any question about the heat, leaving the controller near the A/C flow or the rear Fantastic Fan.
We're weekenders mostly, so I think I'll be fine. If not, I have a 12V low speed, high flow (but silent) fan from an old power amp that I can rig up somehow to increase flow.
This location was about the only realistic option without major work.
Jace
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. If it just the regulator, I would not put it there, you want to mount it as close to the batteries as possible anyway.
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