Monday, Mar 10, 2014 at 22:16
Hi Mick.
The best way to run the solar cable through the roof is via an electricians water tight
junction box such as a Clipsal Adaptable Box of a size around 75mm X 75mm and about 75mm high.
These boxes have knockouts on the sides and you can screw conduit fittings into those cutouts/knockouts to run the cables from the solar panels into
the junction box. Use a short length of conduit into those side holes, special fittings are readily available, and tape
well to ensure no water gets through into the conduit.
Find where a suitable place you want to come through the roof by looking around the inside of the roof to select that spot you prefer. Ensure it is away from the solar panels.
Once you have found that preferred spot, ensuring it is
well clear of the area you wish to mount your solar panels, drill a 1/4" hole through from the inside so that you now have a clear indication on the outside of the roof where the fully sealable
junction box can be mounted. Drill a 1/4" hole through the bottom of
the junction box and use the drill to centre the box on that hole. Ensure there is a good bed of Sikaflex as a sealing base to mount the box and fix
the junction box in place with 4 screws of a suitable size.
Not too long, not to small, not to big.
Once
the Junction box is mounted you can drill a larger hole through the bottom of it to the inside of the roof to run your cable through.
I would terminate the solar cables inside on the underside of the roof with an Anderson plug so that you do not have a long lead permanently hanging from the roof. By this means you can mount the regulator where you like inside the Jayco Hawk and run a lead of suitable cable to that anderson plug whenever you set up the van. This will enable you to roll up the lead and get it out of your way when packing up. Otherwise you have a lead permanently hanging from the inside of the roof. Not a good idea and it would be prone to damage if it got caught up in the mechanism when packing up. Just a thought.
Mounting the Junction Box on the Roof
Note that this method can be used on any van roof.
Cheers, Bruce.
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AnswerID:
528070
Follow Up By: Shaker - Tuesday, Mar 11, 2014 at 08:10
Tuesday, Mar 11, 2014 at 08:10
Why not just run the cable through a dust & waterproof gland?
FollowupID:
810519
Follow Up By: Member - Bruce C (NSW) - Tuesday, Mar 11, 2014 at 09:08
Tuesday, Mar 11, 2014 at 09:08
Shaker it depends on whether or not you can get to the underside of the outside skin to ensure that it is a definite seal. Then you have flexing working on that seal as the gland only has a small area of contact to support itself anyway so I would imagine it would have a limited lifespan and the absolute last thing we would want is a leaking roof.
Also the J box allows for the bulk of BB connectors or the like should the cable need to be joined above the roof.
Unfortunately I am a "belt and braces" man also. As I always say "always cover your rear end", to that end the larger sealing area that the underside of the box allows satisfies my thinking much better.
As my father used to say when I was helping him with a job, "How is it now". I would say "Near enough", he would reply "Near enough is not good enough" so I would redo it till it was perfect and he would ask "How is it now" and I would reply "Perfect" then he would say "That's near enough". LOL
Cheers, Bruce.
| At home and at ease on a track that I know not and
restless and lost on a track that I know. HL.Lifetime Member
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FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Shaker - Tuesday, Mar 11, 2014 at 09:17
Tuesday, Mar 11, 2014 at 09:17
Glands used in the marine industry to run cables through boat decks.
Using a
junction box you are drilling 5 holes through the roof instead on one.
FollowupID:
810524