New to Solar

[TheCaller]

Then either second battery, (M-H is already set up for the second one) or Solar. The second battery would be an easy fix as it is pre-wired already. Just slot in.

I would do the 2nd battery before the solar. You really need two batteries to make best use of solar anyway, so it won't be money wasted either way & you might find the additional battery gave you the extra capacity you need on its own.

I understand the thinking about going to the dealer so as to preserve the warranty, but not all dealers are created equal. Solar is just one aspect of motorhoming that they have to deal with & maybe not that often either. I would be more inclined to get it done by a specialist auto-electrician with extensive solar experience. The two best known, by virtue of their reputation & activity on the forum, are Dave Newell & VanBitz (others are available ). Both give discounts to members - Broken Link Removed. Neither are cheap, but both are value for money. Almost certainly better value for money than a dealer & far more certain of getting a proper job done, with proper advice.

(With apologies to all those motorhome dealers who actually do know what they are doing with solar - both of you. )

 

[gus-lopez]

If they blow off on the M1 and go through a bus windscreen the insurance would want to know who fitted them, oh I just stuck em on myself might not go down very well.

Martin

only if you stopped.

 

[Minxy]

We got a very cheap brand new 60w semi-flexible solar panel at the Peterborough show this year, the following day we signed up for a new van (ex demonstrator) so it seems daft not to use the panel ourselves so I fitted it myself about 8 weeks ago, shortly before our holiday. I used Sikaflex 221 and made sure that the area was clean and the panel was clean before sticking it on. We did just over 4000 miles and it didn't budge at all.

The only concern I had was drilling the hole through the roof for the cable entry with it being 'metal' rather than composite and measuring to ensure I got it in the right place wasn't that easy due to the inward curve of the top of the side wall/roof, but fortunately I got it in the right spot! Actually tackling the job didn't worry me as I've fitted bike racks and a 'through the roof' aerial before which needed a MUCH bigger hole! Just one word of caution though, if you do it yourself make sure there are no cables running through the roof when you make the hole - go very gently through the outer layer first and then have a good shuftie in the hole before proceeding further.

So long as you seal the roof access well so that it is watertight there's nothing to worry about.

 

[sweetie]

What an insurer decides to classify as a modification seems to vary, but it's always safest to let them know of any changes as they otherwise can refuse any claim.
If a modification is done by a professional then if a claim arises, they can pass the cost on to that fitter's insurers, so there's no increased financial risk to your insurer.
If you or a mate do it, then there is that increased risk which they may agree to take on, possibly increasing the premium, or they may decline.

But where does a modification come in?
If you buy a secondhand motorhome that maybe had a solar panel and towbar fitted 6 or 7 years ago. Does that still count as a modification you have to inform the insurance company about.
You probably would not have a clue who fitted them to claim on insurance.

 

[CWH]

But where does a modification come in?

Seems to depend on your insurer's interpretation!
Any insurer can decline taking on any vehicle if they want.

fitted 6 or 7 years ago

If your insurer counts that as a modification, then yes you'd need to tell them however long ago it was fitted and whoever did it.
I'm not saying they WOULD count it as a modification, I don't know; eg ours didn't want to know about the awning or the cycle rack, which didn't come as standard, but I'd rather tell them than not. Also, I'd think they'd probably need to know about a towbar because this changes the way the original vehicle is used and can potentially cause damage to the vehicle. (I'm guessing here.)
The point with insurers is, if they can say you didn't tell them about a 'risk', whether or not it was there when you bought the vehicle, then they can say you're not insured. Also, any policy will say'd that you have to let them know about any changes that you make.
IMHO it's not worth the 'risk' of not telling them everything. (But them, I'm one of those who if anything can go wrong, it will )

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[Daveo2006]

I had mine fitted by the dealership i bought the van from , price seems about right. Its not my bag so wouldn't tamper. Horses for courses i say.

 

[Derbyshire wanderer]

I really don't understand how you can come to that conclusion. There are so many variables, I pay £100 just for the regulator

Very true but in my experience a £100 regulator would be in the "for another £xx we can fit a better regulator for you" discussion as an upgrade.
The point I was trying to make is that the dealer usually gets a contractor to do the job so they can add their bit. As others have said, there are traders who specialise in fitting good quality kit and the price would be justified but buying from the selling dealer is unlikely to be a good deal as you are unlikely to know the quality of the components.
The figure of £150 is realistic for a basic 120w panel, fixings, regulator and wiring especially for someone buying from a wholesaler.

 

[stevec]

When i bought my new van the dealer fitted the cable through the roof to keep the hab warranty intact. I fitted the panels and controller and they were happy for me to do that. Maybe yours would do something similar?

 

[maison]

When i bought my new van the dealer fitted the cable through the roof to keep the hab warranty intact. I fitted the panels and controller and they were happy for me to do that. Maybe yours would do something similar?

Sounds worth exploring.

Thanks.

 

[eddie]

I really don't understand how you can come to that conclusion. There are so many variables, I pay £100 just for the regulator

Thanks Andy save me the trouble (Again)

Give you an example, we have a set price and some motorhomes are easy, some difficult

I fitted a 100w panel yesterday to an Autosleeper Panel van conversion. Once the panel was shoehorned into place there was absolutely no roof access whatsoever. The whole installation had to be carried out from above. This resulted in the van having to be moved several times, and took bloody ages

The end result was the customer was delighted with the finished product, he has a quality regulator with a SSP circa £110, he has dual charging to his leisure batteries and his engine battery via the Battery Master, a warranty on the whole thing and with his discount he paid £496

Would we do six hours work ( yes this job took six hours) for any less?

Nope!

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[Scattycat]

As you may, or may not have picked up from an earlier thread, I have been having a problem where my batteries were not getting a charge from my solar panel.
To cut a long story short it has resulted in me having to have a new solar panel fitted.
The cost of removing the existing panel, supplying and fitting a new 140 watt panel and controller, ( booked in for next Monday), and also the half and hour or so spent yesterday with their electrician testing and tracing the fault in my existing set-up will be 568€
a quick conversion breaks that down to around £345 for the parts and £84 for labour.

 

[Bazzermc]

If you are not confident, then get a "pro" to do it for peace of mind.

I do all my own vehicle work, so when I came to fit my 85w panel, I just checked what others do, on this site and elsewhere and it was a doddle.
Bought the plastic mounts, used aluminium pop rivets to fix to the panel (so that same metal for fasteners and panel frame), which also mean I can drill out if need to remove panel, cos don't think I would ever get mounts off roof (cleaned, roughed up and sikaflex, as recommended on this site.....)

Drilling the hole through the roof was done carefully....measure, measure again, check internal/external datums and measure again.....then check no wiring, etc inside and go for it. Put wires through and sikaflex cable gland box to roof......check first few times when it rains for no leaks, which is unlikely with amount of sikaflex used.

In our Autotrail, the panel is connected straight into the EC325, max 100w, which ensures van and leisure batteries are always fully charged when we are not using the MH and we no longer need to worry about connecting upto mains when at home, which we only do pre trip to cool down the fridge.

With this setup, we can go away without requiring electric hookup, except I have to be careful running my 12v drinks chiller for only short periods through the day......

The only issue we had was with electric hookup just after fitting the panel - with electric battery charger and solar running the EC325 would over heat, so switched off mains charger and all has worked perfectly since, just switch on occasionally at night if we need extra charge (which is probably more for my peace of mind than is necessary).

We only have one leisure battery, not yet seen need for second.

Given choice between solar or 2nd battery, my choice is solar.....it suits our need.

 

[Bazzermc]

BTW...forgot to mention all our lighting is LED, I guess if using normal bulbs a second battery would be necessary??

 

[Cal54]

Price quoted is what I paid for Dave Newell to supply and fit a 100 wt panel to my PVC at Lincoln show last year.

 

[Terry]

BTW...forgot to mention all our lighting is LED, I guess if using normal bulbs a second battery would be necessary??

A second battery is the way to go with or without the solar -then when or if you need solar at least you have the capacity to store the energy supplied by the solar without a lot going to waste
terry

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