Tiffin Allegro Breeze 32BR
6x170W SunPower E-flex solar panels
By John Garziglia
For those considering solar panels for an Allegro Breeze 32BR, I thought I would take a few minutes to describe the solar panel install that my wife and I did to our 2017 Allegro Breeze 32BR. I had two goals with this install and the method of install reflected those goals.
First, I sought somewhere in the neighborhood of 1000 watts of potential solar power. That was achieved by six (6) 170-Watt SunPower flexible solar panels which were obtained from Sun Powered Yachts. I cannot say enough good about Lyall, Katie & Sarah at Sun Powered Yachts. The six solar panels were immediately shipped and arrived in great condition within days. I ordered on a Friday evening and they were delivered the next Tuesday and Wednesday. I was kept apprised at every step of the way on my order, and Lyall quickly responded to my inquiries and questions in detail. I highly encourage the use of Sun Powered Yachts as an information and product resource.
The other important goal was to avoid putting any additional holes into the motorhome roof, either for the solar panel mountings, or for cables. The install method we used is described in this YouTube video produced by RV with Tito.
Watching this YouTube video is an essential element to what is described below. Tito describes in detail the materials he used in the "SHOW MORE" link beneath the video. I will not repeat everything that Tito describes but rather describe how my install may have deviated from, or supplemented, his. Below is a photo of the finished install of the six SunPower 170W flexible solar panels on our 2017 Allegro Breeze 32BR.
I used the aluminum T-Track that Tito describes for installing the solar panels (product link) Here are some of the differences in my install from that used by Tito: Rather than using the 1" two-sided Eternabond tape described by Tito to affix the aluminum T-track to the roof, since the aluminum T-tracks are 3/4" in width, I used 3/4" 3M VHB 5952 tape (product link) which is pretty much permanent once fastened (Amazon even gives a warning notice that must be acknowledged when ordering stating the tape not for general consumer use).
Rather than using hex-head bolts to fasten the flexible solar panels to the T-track, I used 1" x 5/16-18 T-bolts (product link), locking 5/16-18 nuts (product link) and flat washers (Tito used two nuts to create a lock). The 1" T-bolts stick up about 1/3" above the lock nuts once installed, and I put white rubber end caps on those bolt ends (product link). I backed each solar panel with the Lexan polycarbonate sheeting (product link) as recommended by Tito. While it does appear that this polycarbonate sheet is available at some Home Depot stores, I found that two of the local stores that showed on the web site that they had them either did not, or the store personnel could not find the product in the stores (how does a store lose 4' x 8' sheets of anything!).
In my research, Home Depot appears to be just about the only source for these polycarbonate sheets -- any other source on the web involves huge shipping costs. While the polycarbonate sheets are available in a smaller size (a 48" x 72" sheet if I recall correctly), the 4' x 8' sheets allow for three panels of material from each sheet while the smaller panels allow for but one which substantially increases the cost. The six solar panels are wired with two sets of three each in series, and those two sets then wired in parallel to the MPPT solar controller. You will find many opinions on whether to wire the panels in series or parallel or a combination. For these six panels, all six in series would create too much voltage, while all six in parallel would have required a much larger gauge wire from the panels to the MPPT solar controller. The two sets of three each in series appeared to be a reasonable compromise. The rear, rear right and middle right are one set in series, and the rear left, front left and front right are the other set in series.
Tito drilled a hole in his roof to run the wires. Rather than drill a hole in the roof, I used the same method for the solar power cables I previously used to get my cell phone booster antenna wire down which was to run them through the upper right-hand side rear grill and down through the PVC pipe inside that grill cavity. While someone on the ground looking closely will see the wires, for a non-motorhome aficionado I doubt the wires look any more dismal than any of the other myriad of bumps and protrusions on a typical motorhome.
The solar power cables (8AWG) covered with split-loom tubing (product link) run down the PVC pipe that is inside the grill area into the rear of the engine compartment, and then a short distance to the right-rear bay that houses the chassis batteries. In the bay in which the chassis batteries are located, the MPPT solar panel controller was mounted in the left portion of that bay on the guard panel protecting the wiring behind. Since the guard panel is only attached at the bottom and on the left with wingnuts, and the solar panel controller is rather heavy, I ran a 6" hex bolt through the back wall and guard panel with three nuts and lock washers.
From the MPPT solar controller, it is a short distance through an access hole on the right to the very large gauge wire from the house batteries to which I connected the output power from the MPPT solar controller. The large gauge wire from the house batteries is the one connected to the right-hand lug of the Gigavac solenoid. The wire from the MPPT solar controller is the large red cable connected to the Gigavac solenoid at the bottom of the RH lug.
Hopefully this is helpful to Allegro Breeze owners contemplating solar panels. There is plenty of room on the roof for at least six 170 Watt SunPower flexible solar panels. I positioned the solar panels so that the air conditioning and vent fixtures on the roof would not, for most of the day, cast a shadow on the solar panels. Also, there is space on the roof to walk in order to clean or service items.
My next project is putting in heated LiFePO4 batteries to replace the wet cell house batteries.
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