Solar Panel Cable

[handsonfree]

Hi, I have just bought a marco polo from 1997 and want to fit it with two flexible solar panels from 100- 120Watt.
1) I will stick the Solar Panels with a rubber compound on the roof or does somebody have experience / a better idea ??
2) Furthermore I do not know where the Solar Panel Cables going trough the roof. Is there anywhere an opening in the roof where I can go trough the roof ?
( I want not to drill holes in the pop-up or roof from the car for installing the solar panels or cables.

I am gratefull for any ideas or installing tips that somebody have made. Can you please fit photo's from your solar panel construction ?

Thanks

 

[Grand Tourismo]

Hi, I have just bought a marco polo from 1997 and want to fit it with two flexible solar panels from 100- 120Watt.
1) I will stick the Solar Panels with a rubber compound on the roof or does somebody have experience / a better idea ??
2) Furthermore I do not know where the Solar Panel Cables going trough the roof. Is there anywhere an opening in the roof where I can go trough the roof ?
( I want not to drill holes in the pop-up or roof from the car for installing the solar panels or cables.

I am gratefull for any ideas or installing tips that somebody have made. Can you please fit photo's from your solar panel construction ?

Thanks

Hi Handsonfree and welcome
Please post some pictures of your van roof and back door so we can see the job and we will try to help.

 

[Webbah]

I posted this in the other thread but here are some photos of mine. No drilling at all. Base plate mounts to rails and wire goes through where the hinge is in the rear.

 

[Mollie]

Did you do this yourself, and on what year vehicle?
We would like solar panels on our (ordered, but not delivered) marco polo, and not something we would be confident doing ourselves ( Perhaps mercedes could fit for us, on delivery, or is it better to take to a dedicated solar panel fitter?)

Thanks

 

[Webbah]

Did you do this yourself, and on what year vehicle?
We would like solar panels on our (ordered, but not delivered) marco polo, and not something we would be confident doing ourselves ( Perhaps mercedes could fit for us, on delivery, or is it better to take to a dedicated solar panel fitter?)

Thanks

I had this done by a professional. I live in Switzerland though. I had mine done at http://calisolar.ch

I don’t believe Mercedes will help you. There are numerous places in the UK to get this done.

 

[enano]

I had this done by a professional. I live in Switzerland though. I had mine done at http://calisolar.ch

The baseplate under the solar panels probably does double duty as insulation, but doesn't the space below get clogged with leafs, dirt, sand and whatnot?

 

[Webbah]

The baseplate under the solar panels probably does double duty as insulation, but doesn't the space below get clogged with leafs, dirt, sand and whatnot?

No issues at all with any debris. My concern was if there would be any wind noise as there is the small gap front to back but this also hasn't happened. I assume the wind blowing through the bottom clears the debris and also keeps the panels cool. On a perfect day I've been getting ~300 watts which is great.

 

[handsonfree]

I posted this in the other thread but here are some photos of mine. No drilling at all. Base plate mounts to rails and wire goes through where the hinge is in the rear.

View attachment 2036View attachment 2037View attachment 2038

Hi, thank you very much for your pictures. Please can you send also pictures when the hitch is open ???? I am really querious about where you insert the cables to go into the chassis. Is this trough the rubber cable isolation beneath the hinge, or goes these realy trough the hinge.
I am looking forward to your replay ???

 

[handsonfree]

Hi Handsonfree and welcome
Please post some pictures of your van roof and back door so we can see the job and we will try to help.

Dear Grand Tourismo, thank you kind for your willing to help me. I appologise for my delay in answering trough hospitallity.
I will send some pictures in the next coming days to you.

 

[Edward Sandaker Palm]

I have stuck mine to the roof with a good quality double sided adhesive tape. It's not going anywhere, I can highly recommend it. It's been on for two or three years now.
I was warned by friends that I should not do the whole perimeter of the panels, as a few strategically placed smaller pieces of tape will be sufficient. But I couldn't resist, worried that it wouldn't stick. I quickly learned how amazing the 3M VHB tapes are.

 

[MP45]

Hello. I am new here and I want to install a solar panel as well. Where did you take the cable inside the car. Some pictures with the hitch open I would also really appreciate. Greeting from Germany.

 

[Grand Tourismo]

L

Hello. I am new here and I want to install a solar panel as well. Where did you take the cable inside the car. Some pictures with the hitch open I would also really appreciate. Greeting from Germany.

Like above…bring the wire in around the hinge and then into the loom rubber boot…from there to your controller (usually in the top cupboard by the back door)… good luck

 

[MP45]

Ok, thanks. But I am not sure how to get through the rubber without cutting or damaging anything. I am planning to get this one:

AV-Solardach 447 Black Marco Polo 360 Watt Offgridtec inkl. Victron Laderegler

AV-Solardach 360 Watt Marco Polo Black Edition Passend für alle V-Klasse / Vito 447 Marco Polo mit Westfalia Aufstelldach Marco Polo Activity | Marco Polo Horizon | 3x 120 Watt Semi- Flex Solarmodul von Offgridtec ETFE ALU 120W ...

shop.av-engineering.de

 

[enano]

In case it helps someone, my solar panel cable goes like this:




Then it enters the rubber cable hose right next to the left hinge - I had to make a small cut, and then protect it with tape.


It is almost unnoticeable with the door open:


After that, the cable enters the rearmost cupboard, and goes down following the corner -- next to the red line in the pic. The cable is black and hard to see:



From there, the cable goes forward towards the fridge. I have installed the solar charger in the space under the fridge, it fits nicely next to the AC-DC charger.

Best regards,

 

[enano]

Ok, thanks. But I am not sure how to get through the rubber without cutting or damaging anything. I am planning to get this one:

AV-Solardach 447 Black Marco Polo 360 Watt Offgridtec inkl. Victron Laderegler

AV-Solardach 360 Watt Marco Polo Black Edition Passend für alle V-Klasse / Vito 447 Marco Polo mit Westfalia Aufstelldach Marco Polo Activity | Marco Polo Horizon | 3x 120 Watt Semi- Flex Solarmodul von Offgridtec ETFE ALU 120W ...

shop.av-engineering.de

Just my humble experience: I have a single 100W solar panel and it's perfectly adequate with the stock battery and normal consumption. On a sunny summer day it can take the battery from almost empty to completely full by itself.
I would probably go with 200W if I had more electric consumption and traveled more during the winter. Otherwise, you will simply fill up the (rather small) battery sooner, and then make the poor regulator dissipate the excess power as heat.

 

[MP45]

In case it helps someone, my solar panel cable goes like this:


View attachment 2931

Then it enters the rubber cable hose right next to the left hinge - I had to make a small cut, and then protect it with tape.
View attachment 2934

It is almost unnoticeable with the door open:
View attachment 2933

After that, the cable enters the rearmost cupboard, and goes down following the corner -- next to the red line in the pic. The cable is black and hard to see:

View attachment 2935

From there, the cable goes forward towards the fridge. I have installed the solar charger in the space under the fridge, it fits nicely next to the AC-DC charger.

Best regards,

OK great. Thanks a lot. So it seems like there is no way around damaging the rubber tube with a cut :-((

 

[MP45]

Just my humble experience: I have a single 100W solar panel and it's perfectly adequate with the stock battery and normal consumption. On a sunny summer day it can take the battery from almost empty to completely full by itself.
I would probably go with 200W if I had more electric consumption and traveled more during the winter. Otherwise, you will simply fill up the (rather small) battery sooner, and then make the poor regulator dissipate the excess power as heat.

So what you are saying is that 360 W might be a little too much right? that came to my mind also. 240 Watt is what I wanted originally. Maybe I will build one myself .

 

[enano]

So what you are saying is that 360 W might be a little too much right? that came to my mind also. 240 Watt is what I wanted originally. Maybe I will build one myself .

Yes, at least for the stock battery. Such a high generation to storage ratio might be useful in the winter or in very high latitudes. Or maybe if you routinely use a real lot of power (heavy electric boiler usage, perhaps?)

 

[enano]

OK great. Thanks a lot. So it seems like there is no way around damaging the rubber tube with a cut :-((

No big deal. The solar cable is quite thin. If for some reason you decide to remove the solar panel, you might even be able to fix the cut in the tube with bicycle tyre glue.