Thanks for posting. You're right about the RV manufacturers marketing 'wired for solar' and then not providing any info on where the wires are. It's just another example of how most RV makers have horrendous customer service, support and quality
The redeeming quality through this all was that they were very willing to watch this video and then share it with the people actually building these in the factory. Hopefully those Heartland RVs that come out after this video will be more detailed in where the wires are and making sure that the consumer can easily locate them.
@@irenearroyo77 I really think it's just a matter of people getting complacent at their jobs sometimes. The guys doing the factory work could probably care less whether I take it to the dealership or do the solar panels myself. I think they just wrapped them up and stuck them in there and just being off by a foot to a foot and a half made them really hard to find in that mess. I think it may have been intentionally sloppy but not intentional to get me to give the dealer more money. (My two cents).
My mallard was not supposed to come with a solar panel but it did. So i needed this info to find the wires. Ty. Heartland techs know zero as far as i can tell.
I'm hoping after 2020, they at least can mark and position the solar wires where they are supposed to go. I had some communication with one of the upper management and he was going to personally see to showing them my video at the factory and come up with a better plan.
Mark - thanks for your forum post and this video. Both were very constructive. Heartland RVs is looking into this with production right now and plans to take steps to sync up documentation with production so we save others the headache you went through.
Just bought a 2023 Salem Hemisphere 286RL got it home and realized there was no heat duct in the bathroom back & forth with them on the phone they said they discontinued it on that model short story I put one in the bathroom myself (retired HVAC guy) as the square duct ran right under the bath. Then i'm looking at the RV from my porch and notice there is a solar cell on the roof that I didn't order wired up to the connectors on the roof. When I got the RV I tore off all the stickers so had to call RV Nation who contacted the rep. He said the wires (2) are in a loop to the right frt of the baggage area so I looked there. The only wire I found was a Black/White thick wire that is looped in the void and already connected to a battery mini breaker with a green fuse link. Forest River is going to send me a free Go Power control. An electrician from FR called me today and said I need to cut the wire loop (that was just thrown over the top space where the batteries are with a pc of black tape on it but connected at both ends) and connect it to the controller that would make 4 wires 2 from battery and 2 from solar panel . How the heck are the 2 batteries not exploded by now? If they now go directly to the battery. I have not actually gone on the roof yet to see if there is an insulator where they plug in so they don't make a connection . Something just doesn't add up here.
What a pain. Generally it seems solar prep wires are undersized for what I like to install anyway. For the one small panel I’m sure it’s more than adequate.
I'll be adding more panels this year. I just wanted to test those flexible panels first. I think I'm going to go back to solid panels and my goal is at least four, but those wires are capable of 400 watts of panels.
@@AuthenticBiker Yeah I prefer solid panels myself. For me, wire size wise I learned there is a big difference in the safe amp capacity, and the wire size you need if you are looking for 2% loss or less. If you go series, I suspect the stock wiring is 10ga and would be fine. Anyway, nice video and enjoy the RV!
Great video. Have a 2017 Heartland Torque T32 which has the wires on the rooftop already, but no sticker anywhere inside that says to place the solar controller here. Heartland just said its there somewhere! Well its not. Now with your video I at least have a place to start looking. I have a 1200 wat large solar panel I took off my other RV and have mounted it already and connected the wires on the roof to it, but pulling my hair out to find the other end of those wires!!! Thanks for video!
Steve, thank you for checking out the video. If you can reply with a short video from under the area it's supposed to be( from your phone) I'll be happy to look as well.
Thank you for the great video I have Lance 1475 2019 and I'm going through the same thing Solar port on the roof and then on the front panel by the batteries and I have no idea where the wires are coming down from the roof thanks for the confidence I will keep looking
Authentic Biker 4 hours ago It actually worked out perfectly. Because that adhesive tape that is used to seal up RVs, is designed for that kind of adhesion. They use it to repair RV tops all the time. It's been under some pretty solid windy conditions on the road and so far has held up great. Not super happy with the panel watts production compared to the standard hard panels but I think if you do enough of them to overcome it it will be worth it.
It actually worked out perfectly. Because that adhesive tape that is used to seal up RVs is designed for that kind of adhesion. They use it to repair RV tops all the time. It's been under some pretty solid windy conditions on the road and so far has held up great. Not super happy with the panel production compared to the standard hard panels but I think if you do enough of them to overcome it it will be worth it.
I've done that in a previous RV and my cabin and It was nice in that I wasn't misled ). However, if this was set up the way it was intended, I would not have had to run a single wire through the RV. That would have saved time, hole drilling, etc. The time saving thing didn't happen in my case but in the end it was all fine. Thank you for watching.
I did, the two wires on the right go to the battery ( sorry I didn't document that part well.) Here is a view of the connection(colors) from the inside. (left side is battery from in here) --> photos.app.goo.gl/dettzYzFHmi4nwiKA
I'd be happy to try to help you sort it out but I would definitely need to see some photos at least. If not you could make a video put it on TH-cam and then share that. Just let me know when it's up so I can check it out and try to help you
The best configuration is for a manufacturer to uses the Go Power cable entry plate with 25-foot cables that were color-coded with both red and black 10 AWG wire.
Hearthland must use an egg beater to do wire management.
Thanks for posting. You're right about the RV manufacturers marketing 'wired for solar' and then not providing any info on where the wires are. It's just another example of how most RV makers have horrendous customer service, support and quality
The redeeming quality through this all was that they were very willing to watch this video and then share it with the people actually building these in the factory. Hopefully those Heartland RVs that come out after this video will be more detailed in where the wires are and making sure that the consumer can easily locate them.
They just want you to install at the dealer
@@irenearroyo77 I really think it's just a matter of people getting complacent at their jobs sometimes. The guys doing the factory work could probably care less whether I take it to the dealership or do the solar panels myself. I think they just wrapped them up and stuck them in there and just being off by a foot to a foot and a half made them really hard to find in that mess. I think it may have been intentionally sloppy but not intentional to get me to give the dealer more money. (My two cents).
My mallard was not supposed to come with a solar panel but it did. So i needed this info to find the wires. Ty. Heartland techs know zero as far as i can tell.
I'm hoping after 2020, they at least can mark and position the solar wires where they are supposed to go. I had some communication with one of the upper management and he was going to personally see to showing them my video at the factory and come up with a better plan.
Mark - thanks for your forum post and this video. Both were very constructive. Heartland RVs is looking into this with production right now and plans to take steps to sync up documentation with production so we save others the headache you went through.
Thank you for the response from Heartland. That means a lot.
Yeah, Forest River Salem is No better. I have the very same problem. Thanks for your video 😀
Sorry to hear that. If you want to share any details or photos let me know I'll be happy to help look.
Just bought a 2023 Salem Hemisphere 286RL got it home and realized there was no heat duct in the bathroom back & forth with them on the phone they said they discontinued it on that model short story I put one in the bathroom myself (retired HVAC guy) as the square duct ran right under the bath. Then i'm looking at the RV from my porch and notice there is a solar cell on the roof that I didn't order wired up to the connectors on the roof. When I got the RV I tore off all the stickers so had to call RV Nation who contacted the rep. He said the wires (2) are in a loop to the right frt of the baggage area so I looked there.
The only wire I found was a Black/White thick wire that is looped in the void and already connected to a battery mini breaker with a green fuse link. Forest River is going to send me a free Go Power control. An electrician from FR called me today and said I need to cut the wire loop (that was just thrown over the top space where the batteries are with a pc of black tape on it but connected at both ends) and connect it to the controller that would make 4 wires 2 from battery and 2 from solar panel . How the heck are the 2 batteries not exploded by now? If they now go directly to the battery. I have not actually gone on the roof yet to see if there is an insulator where they plug in so they don't make a connection . Something just doesn't add up here.
I agree with you. Those two wires can't connect directly or no more battery.
What a pain. Generally it seems solar prep wires are undersized for what I like to install anyway. For the one small panel I’m sure it’s more than adequate.
I'll be adding more panels this year. I just wanted to test those flexible panels first. I think I'm going to go back to solid panels and my goal is at least four, but those wires are capable of 400 watts of panels.
@@AuthenticBiker Yeah I prefer solid panels myself. For me, wire size wise I learned there is a big difference in the safe amp capacity, and the wire size you need if you are looking for 2% loss or less. If you go series, I suspect the stock wiring is 10ga and would be fine. Anyway, nice video and enjoy the RV!
Great video. Have a 2017 Heartland Torque T32 which has the wires on the rooftop already, but no sticker anywhere inside that says to place the solar controller here. Heartland just said its there somewhere! Well its not. Now with your video I at least have a place to start looking. I have a 1200 wat large solar panel I took off my other RV and have mounted it already and connected the wires on the roof to it, but pulling my hair out to find the other end of those wires!!! Thanks for video!
Steve, thank you for checking out the video. If you can reply with a short video from under the area it's supposed to be( from your phone) I'll be happy to look as well.
Thank you for the great video I have Lance 1475 2019 and I'm going through the same thing Solar port on the roof and then on the front panel by the batteries
and I have no idea where the wires are coming down from the roof thanks for the confidence I will keep looking
Dan, feel free to find me on FB or Insta(AuthenticBiker) Maybe I can lend a second pair of eyes, ideas as you look?
I have a 2019 lance 1985 have the same problem it’s prewired but no sticker!
@@captainmidnight7012 If you want to send me some photos of the wired area, I'll be happy to help you look.
Have a '21 Jayco Jayflight 324BDS and I have prep package and plugs on the roof but cannot find the wires inside anywhere
Can you post some photos of the area including the birds nest of wires inside the cabinet (behind the sticker)?
I really really want to know if this worked 5:10. If i can save money and get flex panels that changes everything
Authentic Biker
4 hours ago
It actually worked out perfectly. Because that adhesive tape that is used to seal up RVs, is designed for that kind of adhesion. They use it to repair RV tops all the time. It's been under some pretty solid windy conditions on the road and so far has held up great. Not super happy with the panel watts production compared to the standard hard panels but I think if you do enough of them to overcome it it will be worth it.
Found my wires now lol
Awesome, I hope the video helped a little. Where did you find yours and what rig are you working? (year, model?)
2022 autumn ridge they’re just kinda hidden back there
@@zsyacsure07 Thank you for sharing that. Now people with the same rig(or similar) know to just keep looking but WAYYY back there.
Did the ghost solar connections work OK with the Renogy Solar panel?
Sorry I'm not sure what Ghost Solar uses. I used standard MC4 connectors and then bare wire to the charge controller.
How did leaving the air gap end up working out for you? I'd be concerned with wind getting underneath it when in tow.
It actually worked out perfectly. Because that adhesive tape that is used to seal up RVs is designed for that kind of adhesion. They use it to repair RV tops all the time. It's been under some pretty solid windy conditions on the road and so far has held up great. Not super happy with the panel production compared to the standard hard panels but I think if you do enough of them to overcome it it will be worth it.
We have a fuel 250 toy hauler. It's easier to just install from scratch. Saves you the heart ach.
I've done that in a previous RV and my cabin and It was nice in that I wasn't misled ). However, if this was set up the way it was intended, I would not have had to run a single wire through the RV. That would have saved time, hole drilling, etc. The time saving thing didn't happen in my case but in the end it was all fine. Thank you for watching.
Did you find all 4 wires or just 2? I can only find 2 wires.
I did, the two wires on the right go to the battery ( sorry I didn't document that part well.) Here is a view of the connection(colors) from the inside. (left side is battery from in here) --> photos.app.goo.gl/dettzYzFHmi4nwiKA
I have 6 wires behind the wall 2 red 3 black and 1 white. Which is solar/battery/lights?
I'd be happy to try to help you sort it out but I would definitely need to see some photos at least. If not you could make a video put it on TH-cam and then share that. Just let me know when it's up so I can check it out and try to help you
The best configuration is for a manufacturer to uses the Go Power cable entry plate with 25-foot cables that were color-coded with both red and black 10 AWG wire.