Installation
 
(Left) The tops of
one of the 4 feed through provisions for the 2
solar panels. The discolored area is where the
old swamp cooler used to sit. (Right) Inside of the
bulkhead feedthroughs from Blue Sea Marine.
 
(Left) Looking aft
of the center vent at the solar panel connectors
and wiring.
(Right) Same area looking curbside at the solar wiring
(#8) as it goes down the curbside to the control
panel area. (the connectors got wrapped later with
electrical tape just in case the foil bubble wrap
ever dropped).
 
The Heliotrope
solar controller is in the middle. The red/black 8
AWG wiring from the panels connect to it via the terminal
strip, and the output drops back down to the battery compartment. It
can be turned off to disconnect the panels, or selected
to Shore Power to allow the batteries to be maintained
at a lower voltage by the 110v battery charger and the
Heliotrope will still indicate system status (array amps,
charging amps & battery voltage) and still be in standby.
 
(Left) The output from the
Heliotrope connects to the main DC bus via 8AWG cable in
the battery and DC electrical center under the bed. (Right)
Since all lighting is LED, the only other power users are
are the two fans, the water pump and the inverter. The
result is an endless power supply with just minimal sun
during the day. With full sun,
the 120W solar panel output can run the microwave without
using any battery power.
 
The 60W panels cost
$267 each from Mr Solar.com. Mounted on the roof
in the centerline they are not visible from the ground
unless you are far away. The adjustable mounts allow quick
access to the underside and for cleaning.
 
The AM
Solar mounts are expensive ($55
a pair), but are worth it, as they are what allows the
panels to be mounted on the arched top Airstream roof,
and the quick release knobs allow you to pivot one
side up for access, cleaning, or if you so desired, able
to tilt towards a low sun angle.
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