# Dealer fitted Solar panel



## maingate (Aug 12, 2014)

Spot the deliberate mistake. :mad2:




I only found this when I got the van home. I will not go into detail about what else they cocked up. In short, it was everything they touched.


----------



## watchthis (Aug 12, 2014)

Hi Mr Maingate
Is this on your new Motorhome if it is how about a photo of the whole van plus of course photo's of the inside too
Many thanks Jim
Bye for now
Freddie


----------



## Wooie1958 (Aug 12, 2014)

Yep, it`ll be OK if you only drive in reverse :idea:

What have they said about it ?


----------



## iampatman (Aug 12, 2014)

*Dealer?*

Maybe name the dealer?
Pat


----------



## molly 2 (Aug 12, 2014)

maingate said:


> Spot the deliberate mistake. :mad2:
> 
> View attachment 24351View attachment 24352View attachment 24353
> 
> I only found this when I got the van home. I will not go into detail about what else they cocked up. In short, it was everything they touched.


 Looking. At first photo the single bracket is bonded to the roof with no depth of adhesive, with panel rocking the bonding will fail, wireing flaping on roof wiring ,,looks like a large panel. Needing 4 to 6 brackets, should it be fitted across the roof? I find this post interesting As I hope to fit my own panel. Watching with interest.


----------



## invalid (Aug 12, 2014)

Well they managed to get the panel the right way up, what's that old saying,"want it done right do it yourself."


----------



## Tezza33 (Aug 12, 2014)

The entry gland is the right way, you cannot blame them because you didn't reverse in to their workshop


----------



## maingate (Aug 12, 2014)

iampatman said:


> Maybe name the dealer?
> Pat



I probably will but I will wait a while. I have emailed an accredited mobile caravan and motorhome technician and asked him to have a look at the installation with a view to correcting what he thinks is wrong.

I have not even mentioned the other shoddy work they did. This was to add a second leisure battery. They fitted one but it is encased in a white plastic case with a yellow plastic lid tied in place with a strap (the lid that is). The wiring connecting the 2 batteries is only around 1 mm sq section and they did not cut a bit out of the plastic box or lid. So the cables are nipped. 

The 4 mm sq solar cable I supplied was chopped a bit for the first (incorrect) installation and was too short when he did it as requested. The electrician got a long piece of 1.5 mm sq twin core and joined it to the solar cable to make it reach my regulator. He then coiled up the (very long) extra length and tied it up with a cable tie. :mad1:


----------



## wendywo (Aug 13, 2014)

Dealers do not fit solar panels...... they sell you things........Its the men they get to do the work we need to ask about....... hope it all comes right for you very soon  ....

How many of us have got up on to the roof to check out our panels lately are they still where they should be????.....dare we look....


----------



## Captain Biggles (Aug 13, 2014)

*These Charlatans certainly need naming & shaming....*



maingate said:


> Spot the deliberate mistake. :mad2:
> 
> View attachment 24351View attachment 24352View attachment 24353
> 
> I only found this when I got the van home. I will not go into detail about what else they cocked up. In short, it was everything they touched.



Oh dearie, dearie me, these Charlatans certainly need naming & shaming, they also need to be brought to the attention of their local Trading Standards Dept. so that no other poor unfortunates ever have to be victims of their gross incompetance. Trading Standards should also be in a position to demand that all the charges for fitting are refunded to you, you should also ensure that they pay all the charges associated with the subsequent proper professional installation including any associated travel costs or other costs and of course your time. There is always the new version of the 'Small Claims Court' which may be of help also.

In the meantime, you might also want to take their M.D. over the vehicle to view their 'handywork' and comment on his findings.

These wazzocks need flushing out of the motorhome trade, they are a disgrace to all concerned and should not be allowed anywhere near a solitory electron.

Good luck

     Captain Biggles  lane:


----------



## invalid (Aug 13, 2014)

wendywo said:


> How many of us have got up on to the roof to check out our panels lately are they still where they should be????.....dare we look....



I've got a little man for that. :cheers:


----------



## Sharon the Cat (Aug 13, 2014)

We park on the cattery car park opposite the house & have a bird's eye view from the bathroom window. As soon as we parked Percy there when we first bought him we noticed that the fridge vent cowling was missing. Luckily we had an empty margarine tub to hand.

I would name the company who fitted that panel. It has hardly been fitted so badly by accident has it?


----------



## Siimplyloco (Aug 13, 2014)

wendywo said:


> How many of us have got up on to the roof to check out our panels lately are they still where they should be????.....dare we look....



Yesterday, and it is still secure! I left the MC4 connectors on as I wasn't sure that it would all work first time - which it didn't - but I'll do a soldered heatshrink connection when I get home.
John
Sun is now shining at Rockley Park and we had bacon sandwiches al fresco!


----------



## Wooie1958 (Aug 13, 2014)

wendywo said:


> Dealers do not fit solar panels...... they sell you things........Its the men they get to do the work we need to ask about....... hope it all comes right for you very soon  ....
> 
> How many of us have got up on to the roof to check out our panels lately are they still where they should be????.....dare we look....




Every day when i look out of the landing window at the side of the house.

I fitted it myself so i know it`s secure and sat on 4 good sizes brackets to give a good air flow and keep it cool.

The roof entry gland is fitted the right way round and the solar cable kept nice and neat in some mini-trunking available from Screwfix.

2 metres for £1.26.   Tower Mini Trunking 16mm x 16mm x 2m | Mini Trunking Lengths | Screwfix.com

Others sizes are available.


----------



## coolasluck (Aug 13, 2014)

The trouble with maingate is that he is a fussy old fuddy duddy

Sorry to hear of your woes though mate,when i fitted mine to the roof i used 4mm ally angle drilled to accomodate 4 fixings.The bracket runs the whole length of the front and rear with a good inch for an airgap underneath.I also fitted with a daft amount of sikaflex and my fibreglass roof will come away before the panels do.
Bloody shocking though and scary that these people can fit such a hazard to your van and make out that they are pros.
I hate to think of you and ann going at speed down a motorway and that flies off.


----------



## yeoblade (Aug 13, 2014)

I wonder if they used a protective carpet on the ladder, as you do, when _they _got up there ?

The 2 cables into the one stuffing gland is beyond belief, how can that be strong enough to hold the solar panel, when it breaks free from the roof mounting on a motorway jaunt


----------



## QFour (Aug 13, 2014)

wendywo said:


> Dealers do not fit solar panels...... they sell you things........Its the men they get to do the work we need to ask about....... hope it all comes right for you very soon  ....
> 
> How many of us have got up on to the roof to check out our panels lately are they still where they should be????.....dare we look....



Fitted mine myself and as SWMBO says once I have fixed it it stays fixed .. I can also see mine from the bedroom window and yes it is still where I stuck it . Just goes to show the muppets they have working for them. Hate to think what else they are incapable of. Our Dealer is now offering a REPAIR and SERVICE facility for Fiat's but according to the Commercial place I take ours they don't have much of a clue.

I know when I had troubles at the start they were pretty useless ..... 

..


----------



## maingate (Aug 13, 2014)

The van has gone back to have the work redone to the proper standard.

I have to be fair, the Service Manager was not happy either and got the ball rolling straight away. It helped that I sent him some photos to back up my words. They collected it and will bring it back when finished. Everything I asked for will be done.

What surprised me was that the wiring kit used for coupling in the second battery is the standard kit used by Autotrail (which is where they source it from). It seems far to thin to be suitable.

I am pleased that I resisted the urge to name the company as it seems they are just as sorry as I am that this happened. No doubt there will be changes made in future.

Thanks for the support .... even for a fuddy duddy like me. Kevin, watch your back from now on. :mad2:


----------



## horshamjack (Aug 13, 2014)

Well done maingate ..Glad they saw fit to sort it ! A nice end to the thread


----------



## Wooie1958 (Aug 13, 2014)

My 2 leisure batteries are linked together with these Adesas Battery Strap Link Cables 35mm² - 24cm Long | eBay


----------



## Wooie1958 (Aug 13, 2014)

maingate said:


> What surprised me was that the wiring kit used for coupling in the second battery is the standard kit used by Autotrail (which is where they source it from). It seems far to thin to be suitable.





Is this it ? Additional Battery Harness - Sargent Electrical Services Ltd.

Looks a bit on the thin side to me as well.


----------



## maingate (Aug 13, 2014)

Wooie1958 said:


> Is this it ? Additional Battery Harness - Sargent Electrical Services Ltd.
> 
> Looks a bit on the thin side to me as well.



Yes, that's the one.

It's a bit disconcerting on a German van, they have black wiring for positive and Brown for earth. The Autotrail wiring kit means there is a brown wire going to the black terminal. :idea:


----------



## drewdt3 (Aug 13, 2014)

Maingate, is the wiring to the original battery very thin as well, mine is and it seems far to thin to me?

Drew


----------



## drewdt3 (Aug 13, 2014)

....also I have been told by Sargent that the 2 sets of battery cables are connected in parallel in the harness.


----------



## hextal (Aug 13, 2014)

Think my leisure bats are linked with 170amp cables from memory.

Those definitely look a little on the thin side.

I guess most of the time it probably wont be a problem but for the sake of a few quid id upgrade em (but then im a worrier).


----------



## maingate (Aug 13, 2014)

drewdt3 said:


> Maingate, is the wiring to the original battery very thin as well, mine is and it seems far to thin to me?
> 
> Drew



No, the original wiring looks about the same outside diameter as 4 mm solar cable. It is still a bit on the thin side though as manufacturers keep every wire and cable down to the minimum ...... presumably to save money.

It seems to work OK but if one of the 2 batteries fails suddenly then the thin wiring can have a much bigger current going through it. There is a built in 20 amp fuse in the Sargent kit but 19 amps running for a long period will heat up that thin wiring I would think.


----------



## maingate (Aug 13, 2014)

runnach said:


> Without being too harsh, their quality system needs looked at, get it right first time, makes for a happy customer!



That is 100% correct Mate.

It could be just a busy time of year for them (they certainly looked busy) and they were not coping well.

I worked in the Service Industry at times and know the score, became an expert in spotting bulls**t (and using it when necessary).  

The company cannot be that bad normally, otherwise they would have hardly any customers.

If I wanted, I could use another company a few miles away. The owner is very talented with caravans and motorhomes but his organisation skills are non-existent.


----------



## hextal (Aug 14, 2014)

Depends on the set up at the end of the day. Building my van I went OTT with the wiring as the cost differences were pretty much negligible.  I worked out the absolute worst case theoretical loads if I had every possible domestic circuit/socket running at full chat then assumed for ,say, 25% extra load for future additions etc, worked out the domestic fuse(s) size(s) to cover that then bumped the cables such that they were a fair bit larger than the fuse capacity.  

My actual battery connectors were bought early on in the build when i was originally going to have a split-charge circuit.  The alternator on the van is 150amp rated - so I went with 170amp cables.  The current wouldn't realistically get anywhere close to 150 amps on a normal basis - but I like covering the theoretical worst case scenarios.


----------



## maingate (Aug 15, 2014)

Just an update.

The company sent someone to my home and collected the van. It has just been returned and is now rectified to a good standard. I got no hassle or problems, they stepped up and sorted it out quickly and professionally. I am now of the opinion that this was a one off communication error and that they have the customers interests at heart.

This is why I never jump in at the beginning and name names, we are all human and these things can happen. I would not be averse to using them again. It just stresses the importance of making sure both sides are satisfied with the scope of work to be done. The Service Manager himself came with the van this morning, which shows commitment to customer care.


----------



## Andys (Aug 15, 2014)

ny chance of a couple of pictures of how it looks now - just for comparison 
Pleased you got it sorted


----------



## maingate (Aug 15, 2014)

Andys said:


> ny chance of a couple of pictures of how it looks now - just for comparison
> Pleased you got it sorted



Yes, as soon as it stops chucking it down.


----------



## Dezi (Aug 15, 2014)

maingate said:


> Yes, as soon as it stops chucking it down.




If its not one thing he is whinging & moaning about its another.

Dezi c:


----------

