by Bill Moeller
Tilting your panels allows you to raise panels perpendicularly to catch more of the sun’s rays in the winter or when the sun is low on the horizon in the summer, such as in Alaska. If this is the way you want to go, then place your panels fore and aft. You can use a tilt bar (a length of angled aluminum with bolt holes in each end) to lift them.
Wiring
The next stage is figuring the wire run. Professional installers tell me this is the hardest part of the job because of the work involved.
There are three places you can route the wire through the roof without making a hole: the two vent pipes for the holding tanks and the refrigerator vent. Your choice will be dictated by the proximity of the vents to the battery location. The holding tank vents are usually in one of the interior walls of the RV, which are hollow. The walls of the bathroom, shower room, or toilet room are likely choices for running wires. These walls can also be good places to locate the charge controller and any other instruments you wish to install.
The refrigerator roof vent is another option, but only if it is not located in a slideout. Otherwise, the wiring must be connected to springs or arranged so that it would not be caught or damaged as the slide moves in and out.
Table 12-6. Solar Panel Adjustment by Latitude
Installation
Once your planning is complete, assemble your tools and supplies. The panel dealer can provide you with the wire, caulking, mounting brackets, fasteners, and other hardware you will need. Begin by getting your wiring in order:
1. Measure the wire length carefully, from the solar panels down to the controller and then to the battery bank. Allow for plenty of extra wire; add about 25% more than you measure.
2. Using the length measurement from step 1, consult a voltage drop table to determine the wire size you will need (see Table 10-2). You should aim for no more than a 1% voltage drop (0. 15 volt). Most installations use either 10-or 8-gauge wire. Also you should use 10/2 or 8/2 wire—i.e., two wires in one sheaf—so you have both the positive and negative wires together. Use multistranded copper automotive or marine-grade wire. Do not use Romex solid wire, as it can fracture from vibration, and is unsafe for 12-volt use. The best but most expensive wire is tray cable, which is UV resistant.
3. Cut two lengths—one for the positive wire and one for the negative. They may not be the same length. You may only find wire in 50-foot lengths of single wire, so you will still need the total length from step 1.
4. Establish the route for the wire from the controller to the batteries.
5. Install the wiring harness to the panels before mounting them. Make sure all the wire connections are tight. Give them a good yank so you know the terminals won’t come apart. If you use crimp-on connecters, crimp them hard. Or even better, use glue-filled crimp-on connectors.
Now you’re ready to mount the panels. If you plan to tilt your panels, make sure your brackets allow tilting. Note: You must securely mount your panels so they won’t blow off as you go down the road at 55 or more miles per hour. If a panel gets loose and hits a car or truck behind you, not only could it do a lot of damage, but people could get hurt.
1. If the RV roof has a smooth fiberglass or aluminum skin:
a. Use 3MVHB Acrylic Foam Tape 4950 to attach brackets to the roof. This tape is not like other mounting tapes; it has a super adhesive on both sides that really holds. A big advantage to using this tape is that you don’t have to drill holes in the roof.
b. The roof must be smooth and clean for the tape to stick. Clean both the roof and the brackets with rubbing alcohol or acetone to remove all traces of grease, oil, or wax.
c. Install the brackets on the panels.
d. Put the tape on the brackets and set the whole unit on the roof and press down hard.
2. If the RV roof is rubber or has a fiberglass skin that is not smooth, you will have to drill holes and use screws:
a. Measure and mark the location of your drill holes. Make the holes slightly smaller than pilot holes you would drill for other work. This is necessary because the rubber usually is fastened to the roof at the edges but only glued to the plywood or composition material. Some of this material will not hold screws very well if the drill hole is too big.
b. Install the brackets, and set the panels in place.
c. Drill the holes, then coat the screw ends with a sealant (such as those from Dicor, www.dicor.com) that is specifically designed for rubber roofs. Do not use a silicone-based caulk on a rubber roof as there is a chemical incompatibility!
d. After the brackets are screwed down, flow-coat them with Dicor sealant to eliminate any air pockets that might result in leaks.
At this point, for safety’s sake, cover the panels with an old blanket or pieces of cardboard, as the panels are now producing current, and the wiring will be hot.
e. Secure all the wiring to the roof with ties that have a flat end with a hole so they can be screwed down.
3. If you are installing two panels, now is the time to wire the two panels together in parallel: connect positive post to positive post and negative post to negative post (just as in parallel wiring in Chapter 8).
If you are installing four or more panels, you must use a combiner box since the system may produce more than 15 amps, which is the rating of the panels’ terminals. A combiner box uses heavy-duty metal bus bars that will handle up to 4-gauge wire and will withstand the higher amperage. It can be mounted on the roof next to the panels for convenient wiring.
Once you’ve mounted the panels, you can continue with your wiring. If you are using a vent pipe or refrigerator vent to route the wiring:
1. Drill and saw an opening where the vent pipe is located in the wall for the controller.
2. Drill a 1½-inch hole in the vent pipe.
3. Using a snake, thread the wire down the pipe to the hole, pull the wires through, and strip them.
4. Attach the wires to their respective terminals on the controller.
5. Route the wires down through the wall and to the batteries, which may be through a compartment. Use wire ties to secure the wires and keep them from hanging loose. If the wire must go through the floor of the RV you may have to cut a hole in the wall next to the floor so you can drill a hole in the floor. You can cover a hole in the wall with an inspection port cover later.
6. Install an appropriately sized fuse on the positive wire within 18 inches of the battery. There are blade-type in-line fuses available but they are not always reliable. A circuit breaker is better.
7. Once the wiring is done, adjust the controller as needed.
8. Some controller models have a temperature compensation feature. If you have one, you will have to run a separate line to the batteries. A separate battery voltage line also may have to be wired.
WIND GENERATORS
Another source of RV battery charging that has not had much publicity in the past is wind generators. Being sailors who lived aboard a sailboat for twelve years, we’re familiar with wind generators because they have long been used on sailboats.
In the early 1970s, the only conventional way to charge batteries was to run the propulsion engine and hope the alternator would get the job done—a noisy and expensive way to charge batteries. Solar panels at the time were very expensive and didn’t have much amperage output. Their acceptance by the boating community was minimal; consequently, home-built wind generators came into popularity. Some sailors attached old aircraft propellers to automobile alternators, which let them charge their batteries while they were at anchor—the marine equivalent of boondocking.
These early homemade wind generators had many problems, the biggest of which was shutting one off when the wind became too strong without losing an arm or your head. Usually the spinning propeller cut a circle of about 6 feet in diameter, and the generator was mounted in the rigging or on a pole that was mounted on the stern of the boat. The usual procedure was to lock the generator to keep it from weathercocking into the wind, and then either turn the boat or the g
enerator so the propeller was spinning sideways (90 degrees) to the wind. This made the propeller stall. It wasn’t as simple as turning off a switch, but it worked. Nowadays, wind generators have smaller propellers (about 45 inches in diameter) with flexible blades that stall out automatically in high winds, thus eliminating the need for removing or disengaging the generator.
Boondocking with
a Wind Generator
Are wind generators practical for RV use? It all depends on where you will be boondocking. Some areas of the country are consistently windier than others; e.g., the desert areas of the Southwest. And some topographical areas are better than others. Mountain ridges, coastlines, lakeshores, and hilly areas will be windier than gullies, woods, or the leeward side of a hill. Like solar power, wind energy varies with the season. Unlike solar power, wind energy is more prominent in the winter rather than the summer. So if you boondock year-round, coupling wind and solar power may be a good idea.
An Air-X wind generator. (Southwest Windpower)
But in locations where there are many calm days, wind generators would be of little value. In general, they do not start producing electricity until the wind is blowing at about 7. 5 mph and then only produce about 0. 2 amp. At 15 mph, they can deliver 2 amps, and at 30 mph, about 11 amps.
Wind generators have similar advantages to solar power:
Clean and safe: since there is no combustible fuel, there is no fuel to clean up and there are no risks of fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.
Easy: there are few moving parts.
Efficient: in contrast to solar power, wind power is available day and night and on cloudy days, too.
The primary disadvantage of course is that wind is fluky. Breezes come and go, and as wind speed changes, so does electrical output. But here again, coupled with other sources of battery charging, a wind generator can be handy to have around.
APPENDIX 1
A Selected List of
Boondock Campgrounds
Since there are so many places to boondock in the United States, we won’t attempt to list every possible campsite. Our goal is to list camping areas in nearly every state that we know personally or have heard about from friends.
Generally, western states have the most places to boondock, while the more densely populated states, where more of the land is privately owned, have fewer. And most of these more populated states have laws and regulations prohibiting random camping along highways.
Many states in the Northeast have numerous full-service RV parks but only a few primitive areas. This doesn’t mean boondocking places don’t exist; they just may be harder to find and farther apart, and they may have limitations, such as size restrictions or unsuitable approach roads. Chapter 2 discusses boondocking options in much more detail.
Here are just a few reminders when looking for a campsite:
Explore a campsite before you drive into it in your RV. We have seen too many parks that looked or sounded great, but had undesirable or risky conditions: trees down, roads washed out, and trees and bushes growing in the sites or on the road. These all create hazards for your RV.
Watch for steep grades. One problem with eastern states such as Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia is the mountain roads, and particularly those going up to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The roads leading to many of the campgrounds in those states can have grades from 7% to 10%—much steeper than most roads in the West. So be careful. We recommend avoiding steep grades. If you use common sense, you will probably be all right.
Remember that campgrounds vary and can change over time. Options offered by campgrounds—such as hookups, water, and RV length accommodated—can change from year to year. We’ve found many wonderful used-to-be boondocking areas that now have electricity, water and sewer hookups . . . and charge a good deal more money today than we paid in the past. It’s always a good idea to research an area before you go.
Find your own favorite campsites. This is one of the most enjoyable things about boondock camping. As you travel, visit every likely place you come across, make notes for future reference, and mark their locations on a map. Some of the very best places are those that are the farthest from civilization.
CAMPGROUNDS AND SITES BY STATE
Alabama
Wilson Dam—Lower Rockpile Campground (TVA), Muscle Shoals. Description: fee, 23 sites. Directions: SR-133 0.5 mile west from south side of dam, then 0.5 mile north and follow the signs. Contact: 256-386-2231; www.tva.gov/river/recreation/camping.htm#wilson.
Gunter Hill Campground (USACE), Montgomery. Description: fee, 146 sites, dump station. Directions: US-80 west 9 miles from Montgomery, turn right on CR-7, then follow the signs. Contact: 334-269-1053; http://al-lakes.sam.usace.army.mil/gunter_hill_campground.htm.
Alaska
The whole state of Alaska is practically one big boondock campground. You do need to get permission from owners of private property before camping. Dry camping is allowed in many places including grocery and drugstore parking lots. Some Wal-Marts and Kmarts allow parking overnight, but always check with store managers first. Below are a few campgrounds that we think are "must stops."
Denali State Park. Description: 4 campgrounds, 123 sites, toilets, water. Directions: 163 miles north of Anchorage next to Denali National Park. Contact: 907-269-8400; www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks/units/denali2.htm.
Denali National Park and Preserve is one place in Alaska where you should spend several days; the scenery is spectacular, and you will see more wildlife there in just a few hours than in other places in several days. It has three campgrounds that accommodate RVs:
Savage River Campground. Description:fee, 33 sites, toilets, water. Directions: Mile 13 on the Park Road. Contact: 1-800-622-7275; www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/campground-reservations.htm.
Riley Creek Campground. Description: fee, 150 sites, toilets, water. Directions: just inside park entrance. Contact: 1-800-622-7275; www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/campground-reservations.htm.
Teklanika River Campground. Description: fee, 53 sites, toilets, water. Directions: Mile 29 on the Park Road. Contact: 1-800-622-7275; www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/campground-reservations.htm.
Arizona
Arizona is one of the most popular states for boondock camping, so this is only a sampling of the many sites available.
Quartzsite is considered the boondocking mecca. From January to March, the population of this little town swells from 2,000 to about 500,000. For many miles south along US-95, you will see RV after RV boondocking on the desert. You need a permit to boondock. Short-term permits are good for up to fourteen days; long-term permits are valid for up to seven months. You can obtain one at the La Posa Long-Term Visitor Area or the BLM Yuma Field Office. Contact: 928-317-3200; www.blm.gov/az/outrec/camping/laposa.htm.
Mather Campground, Grand Canyon National Park. Description: fee, 319 sites, dump station. Directions: I-40 to SR-64N, 0.5 mile south of town. Contact: 1-877-444-6777; www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/cg-sr.htm.
Lees Ferry Campground, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Description: fee, 55 sites, dump station. Directions: US-89A 5 miles north of Marble Canyon. Contact: 928-608-6200; www.nps.gov/glca/planyourvisit/lees-ferry.htm.
Lost Dutchman State Park. Description: fee, 35 sites, dump station. Directions: SR-88 5 miles north ofApache Junction. Contact:480-982-4485; www.azparks.gov/Parks/parkhtml/dutchman.html.
Picacho Peak State Park. Description: fee, 25 sites (some with water and electric), dump station. Directions: I-10 40 miles north of Tucson. Contact: 520-466-3183; www.azparks.gov/Parks/parkhtml/picacho.html.
Burro Creek Recreation Site. Description: fee, 24 sites, dump station. Directions: I-40 17 miles east of Kingman, then US-93 54 miles south to Burro Creek Bridge. Contact: 928-718-3700; www.blm.gov/az/outrec/camping/burrocr.htm.
Arkansas
Most of the primitive campgrounds in Arkansas are National Park Service sites.
Buffalo National River. Description: fee, 10+ campgrounds (all but on
e—Lost Valley—along the river), water, toilets. Directions: Upper District—SR-7 or SR-43 south from Harrison; Middle District—SR-65 31 miles south of Harrison; Lower District—SR-65 5 miles south from Harrison, then SR-62/412 east to Yellville, and SR-14 south. Contact: 1-877-444-6777; www.nps.gov/buff/planyourvisit/feesandreservations.htm.
Gulpha Gorge Campground, Hot Springs National Park. Description: fee, 43 sites, water, toilets, dump station. Directions: located in downtown Hot Springs. Contact: 501-620-6715; www.nps.gov/hosp/planyourvisit/campground.htm.
California
California has too many boondocking sites to list; we’ve included just a few that we know about or that have been recommended to us.
Yosemite National Park. There are so many sites that your best bet is to visit the website and browse all the choices. An alternative we recommend is driving in as a side trip, especially in the summer. Contact: 209-372-0200; www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/campground.htm.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Description: fee, 10 campgrounds for RVs, most have flush toilets and water. Contact: 1-877-444-6777; www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm.
Death Valley National Park offers beautiful desert scenery and mountain views. Description: fee (some are free), 6 campgrounds that accommodate RVs, water, flush or pit toilets, dump station (some). Contact: 760-786-3200; www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/camping.htm.