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Hi,
I have a zanzibar 1999 and want to install a solar panel on the roof. How i can reach the house batteries, what is the best way

Thanks for your help.

One way is to run down near the fridge vent, thru the roof, then floor, that way you don't have to deal with the walls. On my coach the fridge is the same side as the battery bay so the run is short.

Thanks for your help

Jean,

What ever route you take, try your best to place the solar charge controller as close to the batteries (but not next to them) as possible. It is very important to keep the wire run between the charge controller and the batteries as short as practically possible, and use heavy gauge wire, especially if you are not able to keep the wire run short.

hi everyone, if you put a volt meter on a large solar panel on a bright sunny day, what should it read? Jim Kin, 97 serengeti, 3126 cat, 6 spd allison.

It depends. Larger panels tend to have higher open circuit voltage. Most panels will have a label on the back with the specs. It will also depend on whether the panel is designed for a 12v system or a 24v system. Big 300 watt 24v residential panels will be somewhere around 32v. Smaller 12v 75 watt panels will be around 17v.

thanks Jeff, I just scraped off a little insulation off the 2 wires on the roof and it was only 1/2 a volt. i will need to wait on the sun now. jim king 97 serengeti, 3126 cqt , 6 spd allison

If you are talking the original wiring and the 21x48" panel, it should pop up to 17+ volts unless it is shadowed by you or dirt at mid morning to late afternoon. The biggest problem is the wiring is really TOO small to do a good daily charging. Mine went through the refer vent, across the ceiling attic, up to the front drivers pillar, down to the front hood by fuse panels and to a 7.5 amp fuse then to the house FB main feed with a 16 gauge wire for the last part under the hood....can you say "Bottleneck". As a solar installer I repurposed that Siemens panel through a NEW (built in 2019 not 1996!) 10amp charge controller with 10gauge wires ALL THE WAY to the engine batteries and the panel does a fine job of keeping them charged when I am stationary and put on 4 new 160watt panels connected by 10 gauge wire to a combiner box using 4 gauge wires to a 45amp controller and 4gauge wires again for the last 4 feet to the bank of house batteries. Wiring is EVERYTHING! Oh ya I also had a small original solar panel on the roof too and it "fell off" the roof into the dumpster and I cut out the 16 gauge and 5 amp fuse on the FB hot chassis. If you are thinking of being "solar powered" do it right, if you are always in a park, get to know your neighbors and enjoy life and leave the solar as is.