Jolly Roger Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 Hello all...I'm thinking I would like to install a couple of solar panels on my new to me 2008 Monaco/Holiday Rambler 40SKQ to keep the batteries up. I understand its pre-wired for it, and I think I found the wires in the lower battery cabinet. Does anyone know where to find the wires of the roof, and what is the best way to mount the panels to the roof?Thank you in advance for your time and sharing your knowledge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan K Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 (edited) Consider the gauge of those wires before tearing stuff up to find the other end, they may not even be useable for what you want. Ours came with one panel on the roof and it went through the roof fridge vent cover. Unless yours is in a slide... I'll be pulling new cables soon, they're just not enough for what we got now. Edited July 17, 2020 by Ivan K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_john1 Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 Check in the roof fridge vent cover, they should be 10 to 8 gauge wire. The wire on my 97 Monaco went directly to my rear panel. I wouldn't pull new wire. The wires go to the main panel. then to the cut off switches, then to the battery , using the main cables. I had no direct wires from my panels. I mounted my panels with "L" brackets using tape, screws and sealant. I can tilt them. I hope this helps. It ain't rocket science. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiat124man Posted July 17, 2020 Share Posted July 17, 2020 Check the AM solar website, lots of good info and how to videos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Nodine Posted July 18, 2020 Share Posted July 18, 2020 (edited) 15 hours ago, Jolly Roger said: Hello all...I'm thinking I would like to install a couple of solar panels on my new to me 2008 Monaco/Holiday Rambler 40SKQ to keep the batteries up. I understand its pre-wired for it, and I think I found the wires in the lower battery cabinet. Does anyone know where to find the wires of the roof, and what is the best way to mount the panels to the roof?Thank you in advance for your time and sharing your knowledge! If your coach is anything like our 2006 Diplomat there once was a label on the roof near the rear AC on the roadside of the coach. Our label has long been gone but I have been told that if you remove the light fixture over the bed you might be able to find the wires. I have a cable toner that is amazing at finding where the other end of a wire is. If you set it on a constant tone and hook up the sounder at one end of the wire you can find the other end 40 feet away. As others have mentioned, the wire size on the factory installed solar option is too small for any reasonable solar setup. That solar option was basically a float charger to keep parasitic loads from depleting the batteries while the coach was in storage. If you only install two 100 watt panels and connect them in series so the voltage is doubled and install a MPPT type solar controller you might be able to get by the small wires. Edited July 18, 2020 by Bob Nodine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis H Posted July 19, 2020 Share Posted July 19, 2020 My coach's solar wires travel down thru the fridge cover on the roof, thru the fridge box and into the basement. Pretty easy to find them. Pull the fridge cover and see if they are stubbed out there. If not, you'll have to get a tracer like Bob's and use that...BOL....Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tim503 Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 That's funny my solar panel connected to a charge controller in the bedroom cabinet facing into the hallway. Then ran back into the ceiling down to the back battery control box. I don't use any of it anymore but the wires are still in and they are #8 which for such a short run would be adequate up to 15 amps at 12 volts I would think. My panel was mounted next to the fridge vent and came down it. Large solar panels have 10 awg and I run that 20' to the controller. It is 8 amps @ 90 volts. 3 panels in series and 3 of those parallel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicknjaws Posted July 22, 2020 Share Posted July 22, 2020 I have a 2008 Monaco Knight 40 skq and I mounted 6 -100 watt panels near the rear and joined them all into a 4x4 junction box on the very rear of the roof with # 6 wire. Then I drilled a hole in the rear cap and fed two #4 wires from the junction box through the hole down past the radiator coolant tank and then I drilled 2 holes in the end of the last storage bay on the passenger side which is behind the battery bay. There I mounted a 60 amp mppt controller and then drilled 2 holes into the battery compartment and attached two #2 wires to the battery terminals. All upper holes were sealed with lap sealant. The reason for drilling into the rear cap was if I did develop a leak it will not enter the ceiling area. This supplies power to my residential refrigerator while it sits in the storage area. All solar panels were mounted with L brackets and sealed with lap sealant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwarsh Posted July 23, 2020 Share Posted July 23, 2020 Nicknjaws, I'm very interested in your solar installation. Do you have any pictures of your install that you're willing to share? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicknjaws Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 12 hours ago, Gwarsh said: Nicknjaws, I'm very interested in your solar installation. Do you have any pictures of your install that you're willing to share? 12 hours ago, Gwarsh said: Nicknjaws, I'm very interested in your solar installation. Do you have any pictures of your install that you're willing to share? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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