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Old 12-22-2018, 09:58 PM   #1
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Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: North Carolina
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THOR #12708
Solar panel installation on Thor Windsport

Hello. Happy Holidays. Has anyone installed there own solar panels on their Thor Windsport 34J. This is my second post. Have rooftop connections but cant find wiring harness to connect controller and then to batteries. Their not hanging in the battery compartment nor under the bed in back. Its a 2018 Windsport 34j. Have 100w panel, controller, wiring and mounts. watched youtube for roof installation just need to locate harness. Thanks Dubojet

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Old 12-27-2018, 03:54 AM   #2
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Model: 22E
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THOR #12119
solar wires

usually orange and white wires from roof to behind Ac Dc circuit panel, ends had black electrical tape but not connected to anything, normally you have to run your own wires from charge controller to batteries
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Old 01-03-2019, 05:48 PM   #3
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Solar panels

Thank you sorry about the late response. I did find the white and orange wires under the bed. I'll just have to find a route for the wires to the batteries from the controller. Also looks like batteries hook up in parallel. Neg to last positive to first.
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Old 01-03-2019, 06:19 PM   #4
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Model: Palazzo 36.1
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Solar Panel Question

Our Palazzo came with the solar panels installed, before when I checked the charger box, it would show something, now it seems to be dead and shows nothing. I hit the reset switch and still nothing shows on the LCD panel anyone have any ideas or have you had the issue before? Thanks
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Old 01-03-2019, 06:33 PM   #5
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Model: ACE 30.1
State: Colorado
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I have my doubts on how robust Thor's "solar ready" installations are. Anything of any size takes some fairly beefy wires in order to keep voltage drop down. My sense is that Thor leaves you hanging with under sized wires and letting you figure out how to connect to the batteries.

You might be able to install 200W of solar with the factory wiring, and might be able to use an MPPT charger with the panels in series if you need more power. I don't know where your DC distribution panel is, but I suspect its a ways from the batteries. You might get away with a tie in to the the DC input/output cables at your converter, but I'd be a little concerned about voltage drop. Solar charger needs its own fuses on both the input and output sides.

I have 200W of flexible panels on the roof of my ACE 30.1 (non "solar ready") and I decided to run a pair of 8 gauge cables from the roof through the refrigerator vent and then down the belly bay and across into the forward storage compartment where I mounted a Bogart SC-2030 solar charger. The solar panels are wired in parallel to the 8 gauge cables and I'll be adding another 200W, also wired in parallel.

The solar charger is about 10 cable-feet from the batteries as the generator is between the most forward storage compartment and the battery compartment. With the charger being only 40 amps, I cheated a bit and just used 10 gauge wire from the charger to the batteries. However I'm adding a 1500 watt inverter in the same compartment and am installing 1/0 battery cables for the inverter input. I'll probably remove the 10 gauge wires and tie in solar charger to the inverter terminations..
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Old 01-03-2019, 07:37 PM   #6
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THOR #12231
Yeah definatly dont expect more than 200 watts with anything factory installed (wiring or solar converter if equipped).

If you only need a small inverter (Like 800 - 1000 watts) you should be Okay (IMO) with the 12 volt wires from the battery to the fuse panel (installed from factory). They how I tied my 1200 watt inverter in (but Im not expecting a full 1200 watts and im Okay with that).

Any larger (inverter) than that I would get a much larger cable like Denver T said above.
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Old 01-04-2019, 02:53 PM   #7
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I installed 560 Watts of Solar(residential panels) using the factory supplied 10 gauge wire from the roof to a compartment next to my batteries. I installed an MPPT solar controller thus made use of the higher voltage(~34volts) from the panels. The panels are hooked in parallel thus I encounter a 4.2 per cent voltage drop. Had I hooked the panels in series it would be a 1.06 per cent drop. From the controller to house terminal post I used 4 gauge wire for a 3 foot run with a bussman 200 amp breaker. Used Blue Sea ON/OFF switch between panels and controller. The two panels have inline 15 amp fuses before joining and going into the roof entry point. The fuses were not needed for two panels but can be used as disconnects. The panels are hard mounted to the roof.
For an inverter I installed an 800 watt with 6 gauge wire to the house terminal post.
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Old 01-04-2019, 04:30 PM   #8
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This may not relate to your solar use, but. When installing your panels on the roof did you find studs to screw the brackets into or are the just screwed into the roofing material? If they are into the studs how did you find the studs?. I ask this because I am wanting to mount mine on the roof.
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Old 01-04-2019, 06:27 PM   #9
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I used well nuts to mount mine. I had the roof layout from Thor but it would have been almost next to impossible to line up with the studs. Where I did hit aluminum I used a stainless steel screw. 15,000 miles and they are still on the roof.
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Old 09-17-2019, 07:55 PM   #10
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Unhappy

I have a thor windsport 35m I am trying to install a solar system. I found the Orange and white wires under the bed bed. Has anyone run wires from their to the battery compartment. If so how did you do it?
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Old 09-17-2019, 08:20 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rebel1 View Post
I have a thor windsport 35m I am trying to install a solar system. I found the Orange and white wires under the bed bed. Has anyone run wires from their to the battery compartment. If so how did you do it?


I have an Outlaw 29H and I tapped into the battery cables at the converter versus running additional cable to the batteries.

I installed two Renogy flexible 160W panels and their MPPT Controller. I have had no issues with my setup.

I also upgraded my Inverter to a Xantrex Freedom Xi 2000 and have run the 5000 BTU auxiliary air conditioning for a couple hours without an issue on a sunny day. I have also run our fridge off it for 8 hours during a partly sunny day.

I have not plugged into shore power at home since I installed the system back in May and my batteries have stayed perfectly maintained.
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Old 10-18-2019, 06:04 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by Rebel1 View Post
I have a thor windsport 35m I am trying to install a solar system. I found the Orange and white wires under the bed bed. Has anyone run wires from their to the battery compartment. If so how did you do it?
Sorry about my confusion, but my unit is "solar ready" I am understanding that all I need to do, is attach the solar panels. Where is the wiring on the roof?
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Old 10-24-2019, 04:44 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by ThomasL View Post
Sorry about my confusion, but my unit is "solar ready" I am understanding that all I need to do, is attach the solar panels. Where is the wiring on the roof?
Solar Ready means Thor ran two wires, with plug-in connectors, from behind the rear vent (on my Axis) to under the bed (on my Axis). YMMV. But there is a lot more involved, use the search function. There is a wealth of knowledge here.
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