We talked about the benefits of having solar panels on your RV, and how many solar panels you need to satisfy your everyday needs, and what elements you need. Today, how do you attach the RV solar panel to the RV battery?
1. Install solar panels on the roof of the RV.
2. Install the charging controller in the RV as close to the battery as possible.
3. Connect your pv solar cable from the solar panel to the RV and then to the charging controller. (You can cable it through a fridge vent or through a pipe into the RV if those places are located near the battery. If not, you can drill a hole in the roof of the RV to lay the wires, and thoroughly cover and caulk any holes). You should install a fuse or circuit breaker on this line.
4. Attach the cable of the charge controller to the battery pack. A fuse somewhat larger than the rated current of the charge controller should be installed on these wires.
5. At this point, the system is completely installed, but the RV's solar panels are not already attached to the charging controller. Before making the final connection, you must carefully check all the wiring to make sure that the polarity (plus or minus) is accurate. Once you're satisfied, you can plug the solar panel into the charging controller. We recommend doing it at night or with a blanket covering the solar panels to avoid sparks.
6. This step is optional, but if you want to use a 120V AC appliance, you will want to install an inverter in the RV as close to the battery as possible and attach the relevant wiring to the inverter.
7. Note: If you connect the solar panel/controller directly to your battery pack, there is no need to disconnect the existing converter in your RV. Both the converter and the solar panel contribute charge to the battery bank.