I Didn't Know I Had These

[Paullo]

I'm thinking about getting some solar fitted to my Malibu T460 LE which I bought from new in October 2020. Whilst looking in the lockers for potential places to feed cables etc. I came across something I hadn't noticed before - a bundle of four fairly hefty cables coming down from the roof in the right hand corner of the over-cab locker (driver side). They're clearly factory fitted pre-cabling for solar but does anyone know where they may lead to and how they might be utilised. I thought they may run to a place in the roof space for connection to a solar panel but I've had a look on the roof and there's nothing to indicate where they may be, or could they be fed down to the battery(s)/Elektroblock? I really don't have a clue so any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Landy Andy]

I have pre installed wires for solar and the two ends are, hab battery/charger, and wardrobe near roof. I would think that to be to most sensible. Near roof, near battery.

 

[Riverbankannie]

I'm thinking about getting some solar fitted to my Malibu T460 LE which I bought from new in October 2020. Whilst looking in the lockers for potential places to feed cables etc. I came across something I hadn't noticed before - a bundle of four fairly hefty cables coming down from the roof in the right hand corner of the over-cab locker (driver side). They're clearly factory fitted pre-cabling for solar but does anyone know where they may lead to and how they might be utilised. I thought they may run to a place in the roof space for connection to a solar panel but I've had a look on the roof and there's nothing to indicate where they may be, or could they be fed down to the battery(s)/Elektroblock? I really don't have a clue so any help would be much appreciated.

and welcome
Is there any information in your user manual about the pre-installed solar cable?

 

[autorouter]

I have pre installed wires for solar and the two ends are, hab battery/charger, and wardrobe near roof. I would think that to be to most sensible. Near roof, near battery.

That's the most sensible thing, but I've heard of cases where the wire from the roof to the hab battery isn't continuous. They go to a place for the solar controller. If you don't want to fit the solar controller in that place, then you need to link the cables together.

 

[Vansflyer]

On our C-Tourer the cables ran from the space above the oven / fridge to behind the reversing monitor on the Uk offside (this is where they factory fit the solar controller). And then down to the battery compartment / bottom fuse box. Good luck hunting.

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[simbadog]

Ha, I recently purchased a brand new Autosleeper, during the handover I asked where the solar controller was, only to be told it didn't come with solar panels! Wasn't very happy but carried on anyway. When I got it home I looked at roof from upstairs window to view the solar panel

 

[Paullo]

and welcome
Is there any information in your user manual about the pre-installed solar cable?

Thanks Riverbankannie. Unfortunately the handbook is pretty generic and has nothing in it regarding any pre-cabling.

 

[Paullo]

On our C-Tourer the cables ran from the space above the oven / fridge to behind the reversing monitor on the Uk offside (this is where they factory fit the solar controller). And then down to the battery compartment / bottom fuse box. Good luck hunting.

Thanks Vansflyer. You got me thinking so I went out to the van and had a better look. What initially seemed to be 4 single core cables turns out to be 2 twin core 6 amp cables. As you suggested I looked in the space above the fridge/oven unit and intitially couldn't see anything but on closer inspection there were some cables looped and well hidden inside a piece of flexible ducting (presumably to protect it from the heat of the oven) and one of the cables is a twin 6 amp cable. This is probably the cable that needs to be fed through the roof to the solar panel. I also found a twin 6 amp cable going into the leisure battery compartment under the passenger seat. I don't know how to access the leisure battery but I presume the cable is looped somewhere in there waiting to be connected to the battery. So I'm guessing that the solar controler is meant to be fixed in the overhead locker where I saw the cables to connect between the panel and the battery.

 

[Vansflyer]

Thanks Vansflyer. You got me thinking so I went out to the van and had a better look. What initially seemed to be 4 single core cables turns out to be 2 twin core 6 amp cables. As you suggested I looked in the space above the fridge/oven unit and intitially couldn't see anything but on closer inspection there were some cables looped and well hidden inside a piece of flexible ducting (presumably to protect it from the heat of the oven) and one of the cables is a twin 6 amp cable. This is probably the cable that needs to be fed through the roof to the solar panel. I also found a twin 6 amp cable going into the leisure battery compartment under the passenger seat. I don't know how to access the leisure battery but I presume the cable is looped somewhere in there waiting to be connected to the battery. So I'm guessing that the solar controler is meant to be fixed in the overhead locker where I saw the cables to connect between the panel and the battery.

Glad you have made progress. Depending on the length of the cables from the solar panels detrimental where you join them to the pre wired cables already fitted. I made up some cables for the roof so after the diode connection they run into the space above the oven and are joined there. Sorry I should have mentioned the metal ducting, it is indeed to protect them from the heat of the oven, if your van is pre wired for satellite these wires will also be in the ducting and ready for use.
I would test the cables to see if they/run in one length from the roof space to the battery locker and I doubt they will. Carthago have some strange ideas and put the controller for the panels in some weird places, it should be as close to the leisure batteries as possible btw. I would trace the cables or ring the dealer and ask where they run, carthago give the dealer a book with all the cable runs listed for every model.
Good luck and remember electric can bite.. even 12v. It is no fun winning the "blue flash" award