What does "pre-cabling for solar" mean?

Guigsy

Guigsy

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We've put a deposit on a nearly new a-class. It's a 2020 model. It's not got solar panels, but it does say "pre-cabling for SAT/roof-climate and solar"... what does that mean?

I'm trying to decide whether to ask the dealer to fit a kit so it's ready for when I pick it up, get someone else to fit a kit, or do it myself.

I did wire up a solar kit for my previous panel van myself. I glued down the panels, drilled the hole in the roof and wired up the controller to the leisure battery. But the van was a post-conversion job and was 10 years old at the time, so I wasn't too concerned about pulling it apart and drilling holes in it as I was unlikely to devalue it. And routing wires in a panel van is easy. I'm a bit more cautious about doing it with newer motorhome. Is a motorhome 'pre-cabled' easy?

Thanks.
 
Sounds like they pre cable the vans in production so options can be added as required, either at the time of purchase or at a later date .
 
Swifter said:
Sounds like they pre cable the vans in production so options can be added as required, either at the time of purchase or at a later date .
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I'm thinking the hardest job will be getting the cable from a hole in the roof down to wherever the leisure battery is (I have no idea where that is yet). If that cable run has already been done, it'd give me more confidence that I could do it myself... Do you think that's what 'pre-cabled' means?
 
Probably the cables are in a locker under the roof for the solar location and to the leisure battery box ready for the controller. Dealer will know for sure as I am certain they will have kitted up for customers before.
 
If yours is anything like mine then you'll find a set of cables in a cupboard ready for the solar panel wiring to come through the roof and the other end of the cabling is by the main fuse board ready for connection.

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So how scary is it to drill a hole for the cables to drop through? How do you do a neat job?
 
When Carthago say "pre wired for solar" it is the cables that run from over the fridge / oven to wherever your batteries are going to be on the van. Be aware they normally split the cables behind the rear camera monitor as that is where they fit the OEM controller.... for some strange reason. The sat cables are also wired to the space above the fridge, the roof vent pre wire should be all the way to the kitchen roof vent hidden in the roof. For sat / Solar you still need to drill the roof to get the cables in and fit a cover etc. I got the dealer to fit my solar panels on a new van, no arguments then over the warranty regarding "who drilled the roof", dealer does it and it is covered by the warranty.
 
Our Carthago was above the oven as well.
what I would say is if you fit two solar panels link them to get her on the roof to a single cable it’s real pain in the bum to try and get two cables through the roof and there’s not much room above the oven to connect it all. I put 2 120w on the roof but I think when the new van comes I may only go for 1 160w and see how it goes? Everyone goes you need lots of solar but a Carthago is power happy yet we are full charged by lunch time😁
 
jako999 said:
Everyone goes you need lots of solar but a Carthago is power happy yet we are full charged by lunch time
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I very much doubt it, your panel may say 100% and the voltage at 14.2v but Carthagos have Gels and they need at least a 4 hour absorption charge phase before they are fully charged.

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All I know is it says their full and we have never had a problem even if we’ve been in all day running loads of things even the radio has the surround sound system which includes a subwoofer, by the end of a day the batteries are showing around 11.6 but by midday the next day back at 13.4
 
jako999 said:
All I know is it says their full and we have never had a problem even if we’ve been in all day running loads of things even the radio has the surround sound system which includes a subwoofer, by the end of a day the batteries are showing around 11.6 but by midday the next day back at 13.4
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Still need to get to 14.2 to 14 4v and have an absorption phase for a full charge. Time of absorbtion phase depends on battery type. Then drop to a float charge of 13 6 tp 13.8v only exception being Lithium.
If they are a only getting to 13.4v they are probably less than 80% charged.
 
Vansflyer said:
When Carthago say "pre wired for solar" it is the cables that run from over the fridge / oven to wherever your batteries are going to be on the van. Be aware they normally split the cables behind the rear camera monitor as that is where they fit the OEM controller.... for some strange reason. The sat cables are also wired to the space above the fridge, the roof vent pre wire should be all the way to the kitchen roof vent hidden in the roof. For sat / Solar you still need to drill the roof to get the cables in and fit a cover etc. I got the dealer to fit my solar panels on a new van, no arguments then over the warranty regarding "who drilled the roof", dealer does it and it is covered by the warranty.
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Don't tell me how but I found this out the hard way don't understand why the split the solar cables 🤬
 
Ditcha said:
Don't tell me how but I found this out the hard way don't understand why the split the solar cables 🤬
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All the Carthago's I have seen have one pair cables coming from near the roof and finish under the floor on the rhs near the dash and another pair from there terminating near the battery. This is because on a factory install they fit the solar regulator where the two sets of cables meet.
 
Posted this info. several years ago when we had the Hobby. Of use to martindevon

We had decided that, because the condensation in the Bathroom couldn't escape except
through the waist high window, we would have an addition rooflight.
SWMBO wouldn't accept me doing the work so it was booked in to a suitable outlet.

It was down for a couple of hours work and given the location and my home, I decided
to have a freebie coffee and a read at the dealer.

After a period, I became aware of the installer walking towards me with some hefty cabling.
"What's that." "Don't know but we think it's for a rear view camera that was preinstalled by Hobby."



I know it isn't a Solar Panel but that doesn't make a difference when you decide to break through the skin of
the van.

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Guigsy said:
So how scary is it to drill a hole for the cables to drop through? How do you do a neat job?
Click to expand...
A hole is a hole. Choose a place inside that isn't seen. I can guarantee that the only hole in the roof that will never cause you any concern and will never leak is the one you make yourself.
 
Agree as above. A sharp drill in the right place using the special outside cable covers works well. I have done quite a few for friends and they are still friends. Getting the correct entry point is the key to a good job.
 
its worth looking a vent. I think it was a Hymer we owned years ago there was a small dome vent over the wardrobe to keep your clothes aired, a perfect place to pop a cable through😁.
 
jako999 said:
its worth looking a vent. I think it was a Hymer we owned years ago there was a small dome vent over the wardrobe to keep your clothes aired, a perfect place to pop a cable through😁.
Click to expand...
Don't think I would want to do that, high chance of water runing down the outside of the cable into the van.
 
Only if the cable goes down but as the vent was about 2” high the rain couldn’t run upwards, if it was the Hymer we kept it for about 3 years with no problem. We’ve had quite a few vans so it may not have been the Hymer all the other vans I have drilled a hole and fitted one of the entry plates. I’m not willing to pay another couple of grand for solar panels when they only cost around £700 all in and are a easy to fit. I may spend around 140k on my motorhomes but I still like to feel I won something out of the deal.

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My rapido has wiring for solar but its pretty thin so I didn't use it. You can lose a lot in the wiring if it's inadequate.
 
"Solar ready" or similar words were on our new Laika, it simply meant that there was a cable box on the roof and a hole underneath it to a cable ducting area that ran behind the cupboards. It was all well sealed and correctly done but there were no cables. When i queried it with the dealer he said that Laika always prefer to deliver like this as they don't know what you may fit on the roof and therefore don't know what cables are needed, i suppose could be solar, sat dish, aircon etc
 
My Adria is Solar ready. I’ve got a nice set of wires in the battery box, even labeled to tell me what they are for. It’s just a shame they don’t tell me where the other end is 🙈🙈
 

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