Weather proof Bulkhead connector for solar panels?

[IdaSHO]

I went ahead and bought the SAE bulkhead fitting you posted in #110, #118. Seems well made. The black PVC of the bulkhead fitting is thick and stiff but pliant enough to conform to a slightly curved surface. And with the four screws and a gob of sealant it really shouldn't leak at all, even in your horizontal install. And the cap on the connector is also thick and ought to hold up for a long time. I'd probably orient the cap strap towards the front of the vehicle so the wind forces are working to push the cap shut.
Looks like it needs a large hole though, 13/16"? Easy enough with a step drill.
The disc of the bulkhead fitting is 1-7/8" in diameter.
The depth needed behind it is at least 1-1/4" and that's with putting a sharp 90deg bend on the wiring.

I'm going to go fart around with the coupling on my Sub roof deck, while the rains have stopped, see how things will line up. Be back with a few pics within the hour...

the diameter of the bulkhead fitting will just work, in combination with my Z71 roof rack footing height and the installed height of of my roof deck.

The bulkhead fittings as supplied are about 12" long, about 10.5" of wire between the fittings on both ends. My installation will let me clip the wiring 1-1.5" from the bulkhead and put anderson connectors on it.

The exterior shell of the roof rack footings are just that, a shell. There's a blocky plastic shoe that actually bolts to the roof mounts, which the roof rack rails attached to. I'll be taking out one of the bolts and passing my roof wiring thru the hole and into the ceiling. In 2-3 weeks I'm installing the 1/0 cable extensions for my winch power plugs at both ends of the vehicle and will be pulling out all my storage platform / drawers / power module as part of that. Replacing rear view camera / wiring, running the solar wiring and installing this bulkhead fitting and possibly even taking out my factory subwoofer box and installign some sort of onboard air option and also hard-plumbing it to my bumpers.
It's such a pain in the butt to take it all apart that I want to get as much done as possible while I have it apart.

FYI, I use those exact connectors for my electric camper jacks.

Don't expect the covers to last.... Especially in the cold.
They simply do not hold their shape enough to stay fitted onto the plug.

So Id advise blowing the connector out with air before each use as you cannot depend on the covers to keep junk out.

 

[john61ct]

The SB50 itself doesn’t need to be waterproof while in use. Check it for corrosion on occasion.

A.

No one suggested an SB50 would meet what OP specified, I have not seen anything like that for SB50 at all.

wrt waterproof, the bigger issue is the water dripping down through the skyward-facing fitting into the interior

more so than the electrical connection itself.

A vertical surface is easier, and allowing a dongle to dangle would make it a no-brainer even on the roof, but that is specifically excluded from the spec of this thread.

 

[carbon60]

What happens when corrosion is found ?

Maybe a better connector is sealed in both mated/un-mated positions.

Clean it up or replace the terminals if it’s really bad.

 

[rayra]

FYI, I use those exact connectors for my electric camper jacks.

Don't expect the covers to last.... Especially in the cold.
They simply do not hold their shape enough to stay fitted onto the plug.

So Id advise blowing the connector out with air before each use as you cannot depend on the covers to keep junk out.

Thx for the warning. But SoCal sun is going to destroy it anyway. I'm going to sleeve the wire and probably silicone the plug after insert anyway. It's a semi-permanent roof vehicle installation for me. I really out to go wtih the clamshell designs and the wire lead runs into the mounting frame for the panel, under the panel to the anderson connectors there. The lead coming out of the bulkhead fitting is just going to stay there all the time. Really didn't need to be removable / a plug

 

[rayra]

The anderson connectors use silver-plated terminal lugs and they connecting in a 'wiping' configuration, under spring tension. The way they rub they don't arc and are self-cleaning. And there's a variety of boots, covers and plugs for the connectors. Pretty sure the SB50 sizing has the same options as the SB175.

 

[IdaSHO]

Depending upon your application, a bit of sealant might work just as good.

There are flush mounted assemblies. I made my own. Is nothing more than a bit of .09 aluminum.

Once terminal ends were crimped and installed in the plug, the backside was filled with sikaflex.
I also oriented the plug so that moisture naturally drains out of the connector, instead of being trapped near the terminals.

 

[shade]

If thats the plan, Maybe best to solder the conductors or leave plenty of slack.
In fairness, I only seen a couple Andersons what were corroded badly enough to warrant replacement.
Those were constantly energised, 48V, in marine environment.
Even then in a pinch, I think a few dozen mating cycles and cleaning spray would get it working good enough to get by with.
But still be suspicious of corrosion within conductor to contact transition.

Seems like a good application for an anti-corrosive.

NO-OX-ID Electrical Contact Grease- Conductive Lubricant | Sanchem, Inc.

NO-OX-ID electrical contact grease prevents the formation of corrosion deposits & keeps metals free from rust & corrosion. Buy electrical conductive lubricant now!

www.sanchem.com

NO-OX-ID "A Special" Conductive Terminal Grease

<div class="product-description"> <p>NO-OX-ID "A-SPECIAL Electrical Grade" is an electrically conductive grease for new electrical installations and maintenance. It keeps metals free from rust and corrosion, and has been used in the power industry since

baymarinesupply.com

 

[IdaSHO]

I have wired a direct-to-battery set of cables and andersen connector for every vehicle we own.
Its simply tucked under the front air dam or bumper, typically with just a zip tie.

These allow me to charge and/or jump the vehicle without popping the hood.
Very helpful if you have 3-4 feet of snow on the hood.

IN the pat 10+ years of doing this, Ive never had a connector corroded enough to warrant a replacement.
They definitely corrode (green growth), but a few connects/disconnects seems to be enough to make a solid connection.

I find it hard to believe any other connector would do as well.

 

[IdaSHO]

And to shade's comment, yes, grease would help, but I've simply never seen the actual need.

The connectors seem to put up with the abuse just fine.

 

[john61ct]

Seems like a good application for an anti-corrosive.

NO-OX-ID Electrical Contact Grease- Conductive Lubricant | Sanchem, Inc.

NO-OX-ID electrical contact grease prevents the formation of corrosion deposits & keeps metals free from rust & corrosion. Buy electrical conductive lubricant now!

www.sanchem.com

NO-OX-ID "A Special" Conductive Terminal Grease

<div class="product-description"> <p>NO-OX-ID "A-SPECIAL Electrical Grade" is an electrically conductive grease for new electrical installations and maintenance. It keeps metals free from rust and corrosion, and has been used in the power industry since

baymarinesupply.com

Yes, tops is NO-OX-ID "A Special"

not a "grease"

 

[shade]

Yes, tops is NO-OX-ID "A Special"

not a "grease"

Any value to applying NO-OX-ID to marine wire before crimping a terminal?

 

[shade]

Its not what we do in industry, but I would think so.
The grease should get forced out of areas of metal to metal contact but remain in any possible voids between strands. Also get pushed into the strands under conductor insulation helping ’bridge the gap’ where insulation to terminal transitions.
But, one may argue, it could leave a resistive film (albeit insanely thin) between the metals.
At end of the day...
For some chumpass rigging up their camper, It cant hurt. But maybe fools errand for a realistic gain.

It leaves a conductive film, so I don't see that being a problem. What you described about moisture intrusion between bare stands and under insulation is what I was thinking about. I guess it could make it easier for a crimped terminal to pull free, but a proper crimp shouldn't leave anything but microscopic voids, and I aspire to be a chumpass in all things, so I may start using it.

 

[john61ct]

Yes the high-tech conductive anti-corrosion films are much better than the old electrically insulating "greases".

With proper mil-spec crimping there is a "gas tight" cold weld so no voids left, so either sort would be fine

no chance of wire pulling out from the termination in any case.

But NO-OX-ID A Special has specifically been proven IRL testing to prevent corrosion in harsh marine environments better than the rest.

 

[Victory_Overland]

After 11 pages of reading and tangents, I guess I'll add my two cents even though its not worth that much. First, being in aviation, we generally never run vertical bulkhead connections unless they are under cover and I stick to this same theory with my wiring. If it were me, and this is what I am doing for my roof top panel, I run the connector (Deutsch is perfect but Anderson will work too) from the panel to the rack and hard mount my only exposed and horizontal connection under the rack. Then that harness runs down the A-Pillar (99% of vehicles have them) cover under the hood and through a Blue Sea sealed bulkhead clam and if I chose to use a bulkhead connector it will be at the firewall and goes through the firewall horizontally in a weather proofed area to my power panel. If you want to T off for another connection for an extension cable, do it under your hood/battery box/firewall box boot, etc., pop the hood and plug in your extension which will go direct and close to your MPPT controller anyway. If you must run down the back, do it through the hatch/tailgate into the cabin and have your bulkhead connector inside where you can T off or plug in through lightning or bulkhead weather boots.

No chance, I mean no chance I am drilling vertical through my roof and even less of a chance that I am running power vertical through my roof in a non-sealed environment. Someone mentioned SoCal heat will eat that plug in a month or two and in the winter snow/rain you have constant moisture; even with dielectric grease which should be on all connectors inside and out you can rest assured you're gonna get good at troubleshooting.

Weathertight plugs are only as good as when they go together dry/greased; once their integrity is broken they are no different than any other connection when they go back together. Why would anyone risk exposed corrosion/moisture to their electrical system; coming from a Land Rover guy you better know your wiring if you are going to gamble with it; you'd be surprised where water goes when it gets in through the roof and runs down into your floor kick channels where the main harness is on 90% of modern vehicles.

Off my soapbox.....thanks for listening!

 

[rayra]

...

No chance, I mean no chance I am drilling vertical through my roof and even less of a chance that I am running power vertical through my roof in a non-sealed environment. Someone mentioned SoCal heat will eat that plug in a month or two and in the winter snow/rain you have constant moisture; even with dielectric grease which should be on all connectors inside and out you can rest assured you're gonna get good at troubleshooting.

...

well stay tuned because as soon as the rainy weather (ironically) lets up, I'll be installing my bulkhead fitting into the left rear shoe of my roof rack and be showing how I intend to use a 'surplus' rack footing bolt home to route my wiring thru the ceiling and some 100% silicone to seal it off. That will all be under the outer aero shell of the rack footing and should last a very long time.