2019 GD 2930RL Roof Gland

[proesner]

Good day everyone! I'm about to start a solar install on my 2019 2930RL. Before I remove this mysterious aluminum plate from the roof in hopes that it's a cable run to the pass-through, to make my solar cable run a lot easier... I thought I'd ask the group if that is what it actually is. It seem to line up perfectly with the distribution box on the inside, and straight down to a group of wires coming out of the upper floor to the pass-through.

[JBill9694]

Is there an open conduit extending into the passthrough from above? It yes, try fishing a tape up it and then see if it can be heard tapping on the bottom of the plate.

[proesner]

I can try running a tape up the whole from the pass-through. I'll report back.

[Cate&Rob]

I don't think Grand Design runs a conduit from this plate to the pass through area. They might run a wire or a piece of twine to pull wiring through the space.

Rob

[TucsonJim]

To answer your question, that is the intended purpose of that plate. To the best of my memory, on 2019 units, I believe there is some 10 AWG solar compatible wire coiled up under the plate. If you find 10 AWG in the pass through, then that's the other end of it.

I see you're going to install eight panels? If so, just be careful you don't exceed the ampacity rating of the 10AWG cable. I have eight panels myself. I installed them in a series/parallel configuration to get the maximum voltage still stay within the current capacity of the wire.

A basic rule of thumb is that 10AWG wire will support a run of 50 feet and handle 20 amps of current with a 10% voltage drop.


Jim

[proesner]

Hello TucsonJim . Thank you for chiming in here. Now I don't feel like ripping up the aluminum plate will be a lost cause.

I see you noticed the blue tape on the roof for the solar panels. It was planned for 8, then updated to 10 panels at 220W each. 5 panels on each side, in series, each supported by their own solar controller. 12.6Amp - 20% efficiency loss = 10.1Amp at high noon will go through the PV circuit to each solar controller. Each PV circuit will be about 50ft in total. So worse case I might be about 6%~ voltage drop for a couple hours a day in perfect sun situations. Other than that, will be below the 3%~ voltage drop recommendation for PV circuits.

[proesner]

Hello All. So a follow up about the roof gland that was on top of the 2019 2930RL. There was about a 4" x 4" aluminum plate with caulk around that, from the factory. I removed that, and there was a hole in the roof. I cut through the thermal sheet and went through the insulation. About 2-3 forward of the hole, there is another hole. Is seem about 2" x 4" rectangle area. This was the top of the middle wall.There is no chase, per sey. The trick is, and took us hours to figure this out, that you have to remove the distribution panel to spot the wire run on the inside wall, about 4ft down from the roof, reach back there and push the wire run to the back of the cavity to continue your run. Follow the big group of wires that flow into or from the distribution panel. Hope this helps someone else.