Pop top solar panel wiring

[loanrangie]

I have mounted 2 x 190w panels to my caravan roof and now the dilemma is how to get the wiring into the battery compartment, ideally a cable gland under each panel into the roof cavity but cant work out how to access this cavity without destroying the roof panels ?
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[DieselLSE]

The cable gland doesn't have to be under the panel. And both sets of cables should be able to go through the one gland. This is what I used on the D4.

[josh.huber]

I have mounted 2 x 190w panels to my caravan roof and now the dilemma is how to get the wiring into the battery compartment, ideally a cable gland under each panel into the roof cavity but cant work out how to access this cavity without destroying the roof panels ?
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Cut out a square, get another square much bigger cut out aswell. Do your work. Sika the new square over the hole with the glands in it?

[loanrangie]

The cable gland doesn't have to be under the panel. And both sets of cables should be able to go through the one gland. This is what I used on the D4.

I know but if i'm going thru the roof i may as well make it as neat and waterproof as possible, this means no cable runs out from under the panel.

[loanrangie]

Cut out a square, get another square much bigger cut out as well. Do your work. Sika the new square over the hole with the glands in it?

Glands will be on the roof and would rather not cut the roof, going internally if possible.

[loanrangie]

Panels mounted and cable routing almost complete, decided that a single hole in the roof was unavoidable so did it as neat as I could.
Used flexible conduit so that when the roof is closed it just sort of bends out of the way, cable then runs thru a split cable cover down to under the seat where the solar reg and batteries are.
The single 150AH will be replaced with 2 x 100AH AGM's which i already have, bluetooth receiver for the reg i will stick to the cupboard wall.
I made a small shelf for the reg to sit on and a small length of cable cover to keep the cables tidy.

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[loanrangie]

Wiring all done and Bluetooth receiver mounted, just need to fill that hole where a stereo was .https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230225/4a9940ae011b00ab3939192e82389ae8.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230225/d77a67de184345c21a0bb12eec400f0f.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230225/c1b26283ee59ed17c0b83b6dc509c426.jpg

[loanrangie]

Found a kings power panel filled the hole in the cupboard nicely, double USB/2. x 12v sockets and a voltage meter.
Wife got a 12v TV with DVD player at Vinnie's and I mounted it with a locking swing out bracket, I made up a 12v power lead that plugs into the power panel.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230427/72048b6859af5ac8588b9cb836843b0e.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230427/e17bd788563c888995e6610d2f5f5cf0.jpg

[loanrangie]

Mounted a 2000w inverter under the seat and ran a fixed extension lead under the floor thru conduit to a cupboard on the kitchen side of the van into a double GPO.
Then using double sided tape stuck a power board to the wall and ran the lead thru an existing hole in the bench and plugged it into the GPO.
Finished the diesel heater ducting running thru 90mm PVC pipe to each end of the van.
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[loanrangie]

On the weekend i fitted a set of uprated gas struts to make lifting the roof easier with the added weight of the solar panels, originals were 350n and new ones are 435n.
Used a ratchet strap to compress the old and new struts while removing and fitting.
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