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Old 09-27-2020, 03:17 PM   #1
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Two Things: Solar Ready? And my Furnace

Hello! I have two questions...
1. With the solar ready on the 2021 rpod 196 - I cut a hole in the wall, where it says that there will be wires for the solar system. Yes, there are many wires and the battery. BUT - they all run through the wall. AND which are for the solar? I have a panel and a monitor, I just don't know how to hook it up.

2. When I run the furnace, does the air conditioning unit/fan need to be on at the same time? I have hot air from the furnace in the kitchen blowing, and cold air above me blowing, can I stop the air condition/fan unit from blowing?

Thank you1 ANY help or advice is priceless!
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Old 09-27-2020, 03:25 PM   #2
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I can't answer for your solar but the thermostat needs to be set for AU or AUTO for the AC fan not to run, when set to high or low you will get both fans running.
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Old 09-27-2020, 03:28 PM   #3
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Smile It worked!!!

Thank you SO much! Yeayyy!!! Just the heat!
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Old 09-27-2020, 09:42 PM   #4
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On the solar ready, it is really easy. I cut a hole where it said to. Plugged then in on the roof and then connected the wires to the back of the solar controller. It took me about 20 minutes to install.
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Old 09-27-2020, 09:49 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by cpttimerstraint View Post
On the solar ready, it is really easy. I cut a hole where it said to. Plugged then in on the roof and then connected the wires to the back of the solar controller. It took me about 20 minutes to install.

But there are so many wires and none are labeled.
Thank you for responding!!
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Old 09-27-2020, 11:57 PM   #6
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But there are so many wires and none are labeled.
Thank you for responding!!
The solar wires from the roof will be 10AWG; those going to the battery will be 8AWG. Those numbers will be printed on the wire itself. It's unlikely any other wires in the area of the controller mounting position will be that large. Also, the solar system wires will be red and black.

Can you post a pic?
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Old 09-28-2020, 10:23 AM   #7
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Here are the wires

So, when I cut the hole behind the sticker were all the wires... down below when I open the vent, I can see them all.

Which are which and if I cut them, what happens to the rest of the wire? Does it just sit there? I am very confused.

Thank you again.
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Old 09-28-2020, 11:07 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by trajoi View Post
So, when I cut the hole behind the sticker were all the wires... down below when I open the vent, I can see them all.

Which are which and if I cut them, what happens to the rest of the wire? Does it just sit there? I am very confused.

Thank you again.
The smaller dual-conductor wires are for lights and other circuits. Leave those alone.

The large single black and red wires are the solar conductors. Whether they're coming from the panels or going to the batteries is determined by the wire gauge. Read the print on the wires to determine that. 10AWG is from the panels; 8AWG is to the batteries. Those look like #8 but I really can't tell from the picture.

You show only two solar conductors. Those should terminate close to the hole. Perhaps they're attached to something to prevent them from slipping away. Find the end and pull it out.

The other solar conductor pair is not shown in your picture. Use a small mirror and a flashlight to look up or down into the wall cavity. They're there, somewhere.

If you did not already buy a Go Power controller, consider the EPEver GoMate. They're essentially the same and the EPEver will be less expensive.

Edit: I didn't understand on initial reading that you couldn't find the solar conductors at the intended location. Cut out the hole to the dotted lines of the template to get better access. They're there, somewhere.

Take care not to cut wires when you're cutting the hole.
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Old 09-28-2020, 11:33 AM   #9
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Wires!

So, I looked again. The wires all go from the ceiling all the way through the floor, and nothing pulled loose. I saw the 10AWG on the purple and black wires.
Not sure what the two small white ones are or the brown or gray.

I have attached more pics.
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Old 09-28-2020, 12:14 PM   #10
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Consider tracing the #10 solar panel wire from the roof down to the controller location. Mine entered the trailer in the space behind the microwave oven. (I have a Mini-Lite. The entry location will differ but you probably can figure out where it goes.) Finding that will help you identify how it gets to the controller.

The red and black wires near the floor must be the #8 wires to the battery. They'll exit down through the floor and route to the front under the trailer. Can you trace those up from the pictured vent to the controller location?

The smaller wires have nothing to do with solar. They're just passing through that space.

Have you opened the controller location as large as the dotted line template indicates?
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Old 09-28-2020, 12:15 PM   #11
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Is the air vent in your pictures in the wall directly below the controller location?
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Old 09-28-2020, 01:24 PM   #12
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I just got off the phone with someone who said to cut the black and purple wires and then connect one positive to the battery and one positive to the solar on the controller and do the same with the negative wires.

Thoughts?

Yes, the vent is under where the sticker is and no I did not cut the entire hole because my solar monitor is smaller than that.
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Old 09-28-2020, 02:38 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by trajoi View Post
I just got off the phone with someone who said to cut the black and purple wires and then connect one positive to the battery and one positive to the solar on the controller and do the same with the negative wires.

Thoughts?

Yes, the vent is under where the sticker is and no I did not cut the entire hole because my solar monitor is smaller than that.
If that information didn't come directly from Forest River, I wouldn't do that. Even if it did, I'm skeptical.
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Old 09-28-2020, 02:52 PM   #14
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Do the Black and purple wires run from the roof to the batteries or just to the converter panel?
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Old 09-28-2020, 03:06 PM   #15
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A pair of wires goes from the MC4 connector plate on the roof to the solar controller. Another pair runs from the controller to the batteries. It's technically possible that it could be a single pair of wires the entire way, with enough slack to cut into it at the controller location. But the wire from the controller to the battery almost certainly must be larger than 10AWG, or risk significant voltage drop between the two.

There should be a pair of wires at the battery already. Look at the size. If they're 10AWG, they may well be the same wires.

From the pictures above, you haven't found any solar conductors at the site of the controller. No matter what you've found elsewhere, you have to find the wires there.
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Old 09-28-2020, 03:09 PM   #16
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In the floorplan below, where is the controller?

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Old 09-28-2020, 04:12 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by chriscowles View Post
In the floorplan below, where is the controller?


I think it is on the back of the shower wall above the switch panel. See Here:
https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=FY1VEgZnWC2
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Old 09-28-2020, 04:40 PM   #18
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I think it is on the back of the shower wall above the switch panel. See Here:
https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=FY1VEgZnWC2
That seems logical. It also suggests to me that, it being that distant from the battery, the wire from the controller to the battery would be #8, not #10, meaning it isn't the #10 wire that was already found.
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Old 09-28-2020, 04:48 PM   #19
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Here it is on the 2021.5 196 at around 7:39 onward:



That's a different spot than on my 2020.5 RP 195 (it's above the tank indicator lights on the left).
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Old 09-28-2020, 04:59 PM   #20
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@trajoi will have to clarify but the video shows a vent on the back of the shower at floor level. I surmise that is the location of the solar controller panel in question, the picture of which also shows the switch panel.

We still haven't seen the #8 or #10 wires for the solar system at the controller location. They're there. They just haven't been exposed. More searching there is called for.
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