Where to drill

[Dirt Rider]

I know this has probably been covered, but I need to know where to come through the roof for my solar feed. Thinking front right to come down to the battery and where I will mount my solar charge controller. And how do I hide the cable but allow play for the up/down. Also any ideas about the best waterproof roof adapter?

 

[ski3pin]

I don't know if this applies to your question, but this is what I did back in 2013 -

Wiring a FWC or ATC for a Solar Panel Roof Mount

I hope it is of some help.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

I know this has probably been covered, but I need to know where to come through the roof for my solar feed. Thinking front right to come down to the battery and where I will mount my solar charge controller. And how do I hide the cable but allow play for the up/down. Also any ideas about the best waterproof roof adapter?

Ok, I’m engaging the Wayback Machine. I’m pretty sure that FWC has prewired campers for at least 10 years, maybe more. Reach out to Stan Kennedy to see if your camper has the prewiring, and if so, where the terminal ends are. The wiring from the roof typically was run behind the front lift panel, then on to the area around your buss bars and fuses. I think the roof end was very near the front vent.

If you google “site: wanderthewest “Four Wheel solar prewire””, you may see a couple of threads on the topic.

Edit: I just did that search and it returns several threads.

 

[Old Crow]

FYI-


Stan's 2007 post about solar pre-wiring (and how to check if your camper has it)

 

[Vic Harder]

I did this on my Puma. I put mine as far forward and to the side as possible, on the driver's side front corner of the camper. I used a MC4 cable box.
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As for exactly where to make the hole in the roof, you will want to go up onto the bed area of the camper, and notice where the wood trim slat are on the ceiling. Those have aluminum tubing behind them, as part of the structure of the roof. Similarly, at the front of the camper is another such piece running around the edge of the roof. You will want your hole such that you do NOT hit one of those support tubes, but close so you can screw the box to them from the outside. Also, you will want the wires to run behind the lift panels (I taped them on using duct tape) and minimize how visible they are as they come up from behind the panel, and go through the ceiling cloth/insulation. Mine only show for about 4" or so.

Once down the back of the lift panels, the wires run behind the 6" x 48" trim panel on the drivers side of the bed, and from there down to the floor/battery box.

Make sense? I'm sure there are pictures in my Puma build thread....

 

[ckent323]

If your FWC camper is newer than about 2005 or 2006 then there is a reasonable chance that FWC can tell you where the solar wires are and if there is a built in spot for roof penetration. Call aand give them your model and serial number.

The newer your camper is the more likely there is are not only wires but an Aluminum plate preconfigured for adding a solar cable feed through.

FWC gave me that info for our 2007 Keystone and it was pretty accurate. I was able to confirm the location of the hole in the pre-installed Solar penetration plate in the camper ceiling by feeling around on the roof top (it is pretty thin Aluminum) in the general location based on the mesurements provided by FWC.

See post #15 at this link:

https://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/18121-wire-location-in-roof-for-pre-wired-solar/page-2?hl=%2Bckent323+%2Bsolar#entry215287

 

[Dirt Rider]

Already checked to see if mine was pre wired, but my 2004 was not, many thanks to everyone for the great feedback, think with your ideas I should be good to go....H