Cable Entry Plate 8AWG - IP68 Roof Gland with MC4 Connectors

This is the heavier-gauge version of our cable entry plate: the same compact flame-retardant housing, but with 8AWG tin-plated copper leads and IP68 MC4 connectors already fitted. You mount it, seal it, and plug your panel cable straight in. There is no gland to tighten onto a bare cable and no connector to crimp, which removes the two things people most often get wrong on a roof.

Why this plate

• 37.7 amps continuous at 600 volts, on UL1015-certified 8AWG tin-plated copper. Tin plating is the detail that matters on a boat or anywhere near salt — bare copper corrodes at the cut end and the resistance creeps up over years.
• IP68 MC4 connectors, pre-installed. A published, tested ingress rating rather than a vague waterproof claim, and factory-terminated so the seal is not depending on your crimp.
• UL Listed connectors with UL94V0 flame-retardant shells, and VW-1 fire-rated PVC insulation good to 221°F.
• Flame-retardant polypropylene housing rated from -40°F to 185°F.
• Small and genuinely light — 5.9 × 4.3 × 1.6 in and 0.34 lb, so it needs no roof reinforcement.
• Red and black leads with clear polarity marking, and a reinforced structure intended for vehicle vibration.

8AWG or 10AWG? The only difference that matters

• This 8AWG plate carries 37.7A continuous (50A peak). Our 10AWG plate (RS-G04) carries 30A continuous (42A peak) and costs a few dollars less.
• Everything else is identical: same housing, same dimensions, same IP68 MC4 connectors, same certifications, same temperature range. The 8AWG version is 0.05 lb heavier and that is the whole physical difference.
• Buy the 10AWG plate unless your array actually exceeds 30 amps. On a 12V system 30 amps is roughly 400 watts of panel; on 24V it is roughly 800. Most RV and van installs are comfortably under that and the extra money buys nothing. Step up to 8AWG if you are running a large 12V array, if the cable run is long enough that voltage drop is a concern, or if you want headroom to add panels later.

What it will not do, plainly

• Mounting hardware and sealant are not supplied. Rich Solar says the plate mounts with adhesive, sealant or screws, and includes none of them. Budget for a cartridge of polyurethane sealant at minimum.
• The IP68 rating belongs to the connectors, not to your roof. The plate still sits over a hole you have made. Sealing that hole properly is your job, and it is where these installations leak.
• The lead length is not stated on this model. The 10AWG version specifies 1FT leads in its title; this 8AWG listing does not state a length anywhere. Ask us before ordering if you are working to a tight cable plan.
• 600V is the wire rating, not a system rating. It is not an invitation to run a high-voltage string through it without checking the rest of your system.
• The housing is black only. There is no white option on this model, unlike our Cable Entry Housing.

Installation

• Dry-fit and mark before cutting. Check the leads reach where they need to go with slack to spare.
• Drill the cable hole, deburr it and seal the hole edge as well as bedding the plate. Two separate jobs, both necessary.
• Leave a drip loop in the cable below the entry so water runs off rather than tracking along the cable into the hole.
• If using screws, seal under the heads too. A screw through a sealed plate is still a hole.

Warranty and safety

• Covered by Rich Solar's published limited warranty; terms are on the manufacturer's warranty page.
• Carries a California Proposition 65 warning for cancer risk and reproductive harm.