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https://www.motorhomesolar.co.nz/

Motorhome Solar & Electrical, 22D Kaimiro Street, Hamilton (2026)

14/06/2026

All hands were on deck for the busiest week of the year, trying to get jobs wrapped up before the weekend rolled around.

One of the standout jobs was a huge lithium upgrade for Roger. The brief was pretty simple: fit as much solar on the roof as possible, and as much battery capacity as we could reasonably fit.

That led to removing both the air conditioning unit and satellite dish to free up roof space, allowing us to squeeze on seven 100W panels and make the absolute most of the available area. Supporting it all is a Victron DC-DC charger, three Predator 135Ah lithium batteries, a Victron 3000W inverter charger, Starlink, and a handful of additional jobs. It was certainly one of the bigger projects we've tackled this year and a pretty cool system to see come together.

We also completed a full system upgrade for Ross. This one received 200Ah of Predator lithium batteries, another 300W of solar alongside the existing array, a Victron SmartShunt for monitoring, and a diesel heater with its own tote tank, arriving just in time for the colder months.

Another awesome job finished up for Chris and his brand-new Ford Transit. We built a custom power board, installed a 120Ah Fullriver AGM battery, a 445W solar panel, and a wee 250W Victron inverter. The van is about to spend its life travelling the country while Chris sells his book, which is a pretty cool plan, and we wish him the best of luck. Check it out here: https://chrisroberts.nz/product/deadly-ice/

We also had Duncan and Trish back through for a bit more solar. After keeping an eye on their recently installed SmartShunt, they realised they weren't quite keeping up with consumption as comfortably as they'd hoped. We managed to squeeze another 445W panel onto the front of their beautiful Fendt, taking the total solar capacity to around 1kW. More time off-grid and, of course, a few more bragging rights over their mates. 😂

The rest of the week was filled with our bread-and-butter installs, upgrades, fault-finding, and testing work. There has been a lot of solar panel testing coming through the workshop lately, which is pretty normal for this time of year as people notice reduced charging performance and start questioning whether something has changed.

A huge thank you to all of our customers for your continued support and trust. Weeks like this remind us just how lucky we are to work with such a great community.

Hope everyone has had an awesome weekend and has a great week ahead!

11/06/2026

This definitely isn't AI, we promise!

Always good to catch up Allan. Have always appreciated your wisdom and support 😁

Yes, that's 5x 445W panels lifted by gas struts, not something you see everyday! And to top it off, Allan mounted another one on the rear for those days where the sun hardly shows itself.

Of course, all that solar is supporting a very substantial off-grid Victron based system, many years in the making. I'm sure Allan will drop some data in the comments for those interested. 😁

09/06/2026

Full day today, with more outside!!

Spot the RX7 and you win a thumbs up 😁

31/05/2026

Winter here we are!

One of the bigger jobs this week was for Mike, who sold the farm last year and has been travelling full-time ever since. We added a 445W panel to work alongside his existing solar array, installed a Victron 2000W inverter, fitted a SmartShunt for proper monitoring, and upgraded the battery cabling throughout.

The cable upgrade was an important part of the job, but what stood out was just how well everything came together once it was finished. Mike now has a much stronger electrical system to support the way he actually uses the vehicle.

We also finally got an answer for Raewyn and Neil after spending a fair bit of time testing their solar setup. Their existing 720W array simply wasn't performing due to lost efficiency over the years. Combined with the reduced solar conditions we see through winter, available charging power had dropped away significantly. What started as a simple 'solar isn't keeping up' issue ended up having us comparing panel test results against seasonal irradiance data and expected output figures.

The solution was a full replacement with four new 250W panels feeding Victron solar controllers. The numbers are already looking a lot better!

The rest of the week was filled with our bread-and-butter installs, upgrades, fault-finding, and testing work. Every customer comes through the door with a different story and a different challenge affecting how they use their vehicle. Some jobs are simple, some require a bit more digging, but helping people get the most out of their setup is definitely what makes this job so enjoyable.

This wiring arrangement (pic below) was another interesting find from the week. It highlights exactly why we're such big fans of running circuits back to a central distribution point wherever practical. The more joins and additions a circuit accumulates over the years, the more opportunities there are for faults, overloads, and headaches down the track.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend, and safe travels to those out on the road!

28/05/2026

Found this little guy during the week.

At first glance it just looks like a blown blade fuse, but the melted housing tells a different story. In this case, the fuse itself was actually sitting loose in the holder, creating resistance and heat buildup over time.

It is a good reminder that electrical faults are not always caused by “too much load”. Sometimes a poor connection is all it takes.

Definitely worth occasionally giving the fuses in your vehicle or caravan a quick visual inspection. If you ever spot discolouration, melting, or signs of heat around a fuse or holder, it is something worth investigating sooner rather than later.

24/05/2026

Another solid week in the workshop with a really good mix of upgrade work, fault-finding, and system design challenges.

One of the bigger jobs this week was a lithium upgrade for Merv, built around a full Victron setup to cover all charging sources. What made this one particularly satisfying was that the plan evolved once we opened the vehicle up. We originally had another mounting location in mind for the Victron 1200W inverter charger, but after taking a closer look we realised we could mount it neatly under the driver’s seat instead.

That ended up being a much cleaner solution overall. Keeping the inverter charger close to the batteries helped minimise cable lengths, reduce voltage drop, and make far better use of otherwise wasted space. Combined with an additional 400W of solar on the roof alongside the existing array, the system now has some very solid off-grid capability heading into winter.

We also spent a good part of the week working on a beautiful Hino bus for a couple deep into a major reno. The goal there was to completely overhaul the electrical side of the vehicle and give them a safe, reliable foundation to continue building from. We reworked the 230V side to bring everything up to a much better standard, while installing a complete Victron-based system to handle the DC side of the build as well.

Towards the end of the week, things shifted into a mix of smaller jobs. Battery replacements, satellite fault diagnosis, and plenty of testing work filled the days up.

One job in particular has had us deep into the numbers. We have been investigating a set of four solar panels that appear to be underperforming, but the answer is not quite as straightforward as it first looked. Between panel testing, system measurements, and cross-checking available irradiance and seasonal solar data, we have been trying to answer a surprisingly difficult question: are the panels actually failing, or are they simply performing as expected for this time of year? We'll update as we find out more!

That side of the job is something we genuinely enjoy. There is a lot more science and analysis behind solar performance than most people realise!

Safe travels for those out on the road this week!

19/05/2026

303V AC at the inverter output. 😳

This is one of those faults that really reinforces why we test every system properly before touching anything else.

Interestingly, most failed inverters we come across tend to go the opposite direction — low voltage output, unstable operation, shutdowns under load, things like that. Seeing one overshoot this dramatically is much less common.

In this case, the inverter was a particularly cheap unit, and while it still appeared to be “working”, the output voltage told a very different story.

For those interested, this type of fault is usually caused by a failure in the inverter’s regulation or voltage feedback circuitry. Essentially, the inverter loses its ability to correctly control the AC output voltage, and instead of maintaining ~230V, the output can climb well beyond safe operating range.

The scary part is that a lot of appliances will still appear to function… briefly.

Battery chargers, TVs, coffee machines, microwaves, laptop chargers, induction cookers - they all rely on stable AC power. Feed them 300V+ and components inside can overheat and fail quickly.

This is also where cheap inverter design really shows itself. Better-quality units generally have multiple layers of protection and will shut themselves down long before things get this ugly.

Needless to say, this inverter has officially been retired...

17/05/2026

Another busy week wrapped up!

One of the more memorable finds this week was definitely that earth connection we posted earlier. Safe to say it was not memorable for the right reasons. It sparked some good discussion online, but it also highlighted just how important proper workmanship and attention to detail really are in these systems. The small things matter, especially when safety is involved.

On a much more positive note, we completed a very tidy 1600W inverter replacement for Mike in his beautiful Frankia motorhome. The original unit had done well with around 7 years of service before finally calling it quits, so we swapped it out for a Victron Smart inverter and got things back up and running again.

We also had AJ back through with her awesome full-time van setup. She has put a huge amount of thought and learning into the project over time, and this week we added the final piece to her charging system with a Victron Smart mains charger. She is now set up for campsite top-ups as she continues travelling around the South Island through the colder months.

Aside from that, there were battery upgrades, inverter installs, fault-finding jobs, and a surprising amount of solar panel testing coming through the doors this week as well.

I finished the week by heading along to the local rally at the Classic Car Museum. It was great catching up with a few past customers and having some good conversations with people questioning their electrical setups. Most looked to be in pretty good shape already, but we will definitely be seeing a couple of them in the workshop next week.

Weeks like this are always a good reminder of how varied this industry really is. No two systems, customers, or jobs ever seem to be quite the same.

15/05/2026

A car worthy of its own post!

Last week we mentioned the owner Johnny’s Honda Civic VI-RS… and a few people wanted to see more 👀

This car is a pretty good reflection of how we approach everything here at Motorhome Solar & Electrical. Every detail has been thought through carefully, nothing rushed, nothing “good enough”.

From the wiring and fabrication, right through to the tiny finishing touches most people would never even notice, Johnny has put an insane amount of time and care into this build.

That same attention to detail carries straight through into the workshop and every install we do. Clean, tidy, reliable work that’s built properly the first time 🔧

14/05/2026

This is one of those small details that can create a very big headache later on. Safe to say that a few particular words were said when we saw this...

The panel on the right needed to come up for unrelated work, but because the panels were mounted this close together, the fixing hardware became completely inaccessible. What should have been a straightforward removal turned into a much bigger job.

It is a good example of why system design is not just about making everything fit. It is about thinking ahead to servicing, fault-finding, upgrades, and future access.

There is a huge difference between something that technically works, and something that has been properly planned!

Sometimes giving yourself an extra 10mm of clearance can save hours of labour down the track.

Motorhome Solar & Electrical

14/06/2026

11/06/2026

09/06/2026

31/05/2026

28/05/2026

24/05/2026

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15/05/2026

14/05/2026

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Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm