Mercedes Sprinter Camper Van - Solar Panels
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 1 мар 2019
- In this video, I am installing a total of 480 watts of Solar Panels on our Mercedes Sprinter Camper Van.
Download a free parts list here - www.dropbox.com/s/xbot5u2qgfr...
Disclosure - As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase using the above affiliate link. Thank you for supporting our channel.
These Solar Panels are 160watt each 36cell Photonic Universe Monocrystalline Panels and you can get them from this link -
rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53...
We have an 40A EPEVER MPPT Solar Charge Controller -
rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53...
In the living area we have a MT50 LCD Remote Controller -
rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53...
Solar Panel 4mm PV cable - rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53...
and solar cable weatherproof MC4 male and female connectors - rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53...
You can get proper MC4 tools for making the connectors here - rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53...
The slotted Unistrut mounting rail - rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-53...
Disclosure - As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase using the above affiliate link. Thank you for supporting our channel.
If you found this video to be useful and would like to contribute towards further content you can make a small donation here www.paypal.me/gregvirgoe
Thank you very much for watching
#gregvirgoe #vanlife #offgridsolar 
Хобби
If you would like to buy these panels or any other equipment shown in this video I have put links in the video description to the solar panels that I'm using as well as the brackets and the solar cable and charge controller too. They are extremely good value for this duty and UK based company in Kent.
Hi Greg,
I’m just revisiting the mounting of my panels currently on roof bars. Do you have a link for the aluminium angle and what size is it please? Also what length bolts did you use and where did you source the square plate washers?
I followed your link for the unistrut the longest length was 1.5 meters was that what you used? I’m working on solutions to make the panels lift. I’m looking at possibly using an inflatable bag the sort used in air suspension systems along with bed lift hinges that I have already. The idea needs more thought at the moment. Glad to see you enjoying the van.
Hey mate. Not sure if you've built your frame for tilting them yet but have a lightweight idea for it for you. Let me know and we can chat further. Cheers
Brilliant! How do you find so far this 480w? Isnt to much?:) I mean better as this then less, just dont want to overspend. Thanks!
Greg Virgoe hi Greg didn’t find the link for your supplier thanks again John
i would suggest oil filled struts similar to ones open boot on car but stronger for angling your panels
You've shared so many solutions to the problems that most van builders will inevitably encounter, and in such a succinct and interesting way. You should be very proud of this series of videos, Greg.
Greg, you might not check these old ones..But a thought, just take around 4 or 5 of those aluminium straps, join them using aluminum rivet nuts as to make one thick light strap ,that has the threads as well to adjust height....Make up a few thick straps, two birds with one stone, strap and adjustment points....Even some of that bonding sikaflex as well to layer the straps, for even more strength with the riv nuts.....
You look like a Italian mafia boss but with a extremely friendly voice .
Haha...so true 😆
Careful there, it might only take half an hour....😂
I absolutely love these videos! I know how much hard work goes into making them, and I appreciate how generous you are with your knowledge. This is such a clean van build- totally inspirational. And your presenting style is easygoing and easy to follow. I'm absolutely a fan.
Just want you to know, how brilliant it has been to be able to view quality videos such as yours, youre extremely thorough and put your research to good use and makes it much easier for us! Thank you mate.
once I get to the UK, within the next 6 months, I will be following in your footsteps. Great videos full of important info and plenty of detail. thanks for the care time and effort you put into these videos.
Thanks for the video Greg, excellent as always, hope the travels are going well for you.
What a truly incredible resource you are. Just bought my van so will have these videos by my side in the weeks to come!
Fantastic idea with the channels Greg. I was gonna mount mine on roof bars, but I think I prefer your installation because it will be lower to the roof. Great job as always mate.
4:01 finally found a flaw in one of your videos greg, some nuts fall out of the bag...YES!! I TOTALLY GOT YOU!! OWNED!!
😆 lol that’s so funny. Made me laugh. Cheers
Got him!!!! He is human!
I've watched this build start to almost finish. It's the only blooper I've noticed too.
Now your living in it, is there anything you'd have done different? (Ps) are all your tins of beans the right way round.
Brilliant viewing thank you. Enjoy
Darren Parker, I would like to add more 12v USB charging points, charging off the inverter powered sockets is ok but not very energy efficient.
As I'm building my second van this is exactly what I found from the first one. I've doubled the number of sockets and made sure one is next to the bed and one next to the kitchen surface, as well as both ends of the sofa.
Thank you Greg - a job well done.
I am really looking forward to your ideas for the repositioning of the panels in your future video(s).
Keep it up - you're the original Gyro Gearloose, not just inventing but putting things into practice.
Best regards from Germany,
Volker
I was going to buy a roof rack, but have now changed my mind! Thanks. Good video.
Just fantastic mate, we bought a 2000 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado yesterday as a weekender and adventure wagon, so your vids like this are great inspiration on how we can set it up.
I really like how you set this up inexpensive extremely durable and with as few of Parts as possible
I think you do the most informative videos on RUclips top marks and hats off to you for the amazing work you did .
Excellent engineering followed by sound construction. Thanks Mr V for sharing👍🏻
Was thinking of drilling a hole and feeding cables through with just a bit of sealant. Thanks for showing us the proper way to do it with the nice tidy cable entry
Great job as always. If you research a tilt function take a look at the transom area on some boats they usually have hatches to engine compartments that are supported by various devices.
Excellent job Greg!! Enjoy your road trip!!
Your videos are among the best van build vids I've seen on youtube and I've seen a lot. Many thanks, your vids are really helping with my own build and I always come back here before doing anything major. :)
Thats really nice to hear, glad they are helping you.
I’m so happy I’m watching all night .wonderful job
Hey Greg love the hole in the thumb on your glove is that another of your brilliant ideas xx Karlene oh and really appreciate you attention to detail well done
Yes, another great video, thanks Greg! I like it all, and altho it's a lot of power it's far better than finding later that there is'nt enough. And the extra benefit with this huge amount of power, I think, is that it will provide plenty even without any tilting, so leaving them fixed as they are, which is a really nice installation, is what may be best, only do tilting/elevating mechanisms if these prove to be needed, likely not be, as all may work very well as is. Thanks for another top video! Alan, Norfolk.
Hi Greg, just found your channel. Very impressed. Please keep the level of detail going. I'll be using you as a mentor to help me on my first build.
You always do such great work! Thank you for being such an inspiration! 😀👍💁🏻
Thank you Greg. I’m adding two more 100 watt panels to my roof, this video really helped. I hope you are well.🙏❤️
Fantastic!
Fantastic Greg and quality workmanship as always. I have some panels fitted about 3 weeks ago by a guy who was recommended by many in one of the UK motorhome campervan groups. He sikaflexing was horrendous. I think I could have done neater beads wearing welding goggles in the dark. He also used a pair of latter's again the van which left some light dings in my panels. I didn't realise til the next day after I had driven from Wisbech home to Warks and I saw the shambolic pigs ear of a job. Not happy. He did actually fit the same make of mon panels, 2 x 160w and I supplied a Victron Mppt Bluetooth controller.
Mr. Greg ,I did not ever seen like that details video.You are the best I can say ......xxxxx
Unistrut is great stuff! Great instructions yet again, clear, concise and easy to follow. Cheers :)
Great video Greg, I’m pleased you got your internet working to be able to upload this video 😀 Looking forward to some more videos of your trip.
Brilliant video with solid technical information, helps get more ideas to do own projects.
Brilliant and inspirational as always. Can’t wait to do this
Watch TGSNT & Hellstorm thank you very much
THANK YOU AGAIN GREAT VID HOPE YOU HAVING A GREAT TIME IN THE EC
that was so good Greg I watched it twice
Mel’s World, really appreciate it buddy, thanks 😊
Clean installation and good ideas. Thanks for sharing the information.
Cracking job and great way to fit the panels. I wanted to put surf boards on my roof and used brackets which lifted my panels off the roof by 8 inches so the boards fitted underneath the panels. Also the panels i chose through Bimble do collect a little extra power from under the panel from the reflection off the roof. Only down side is you can see them from the ground and I guess they create drag. I have 600 watts of power and they produce great power even in UK. It will be interesting to see if you actually really need to elevate your panels to get the power you need. Great install. Stephen
I'm sure i must of watched your entire build series numerous times by now! Hopefully I will get my sprinter started at somepoint 🤣 your wood working vids are well worth the watch too, im a carpenter/cabinet maker myself. Matt
Bespoked Handmade Furniture thank you 😊 from someone in the trade I really appreciate the nice comment 👍🏼
Nice job Greg, as usual!
Lovely Jubbly Greg. Excellent. I think the gas struts are a good idea.
fantastic video as always. I can see you engineering an remote controlled set of arms that will lift the panels in increments to catch the sun and a timer to insure that it will always top off your battery pack. or designing a flat panel or two that you can set out to boost the permanent ones on the roof.
thx for these vids i'm learning so much, its all a bit scary seeing all the wiring on these vans
Great video Greg.
I think you will find the normal practice is not to solder the wire in crimped connections. The problem is that the solder stiffens the braided wire and causes work hardening just behind the solder and with vibration the wire eventually fractures - also normally the two wings on the crimp fold over the insulation to provide a firm grip on the cable - however, that would then need a crimping tool to compress the ferrule onto the bared wire strands also and it wasn't clear from your video if you had the tool. Maybe I am wrong in this case but that is normally what happens with generic crimp connectors.
If you want to improve the electrical connection between the wire and the connector you should dip the wire strands in vaseline (other brands available), you might think that that is an insulator and would be counter productive but the thing is that when the wire is crimped most of the vaseline will be squeezed out of the connector so there will still be plenty of metal to metal contact but the voids will still be filled with the vaseline and without oxygen there can be no corrosion. 40 years ago we used to use vaseline filled crimps in the telecoms network.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks. I found this video very helpful! 😊
mate loving your vids,just bought a lwb high roof here in ozz & your workmanship & ideas are awsome, well done & thank you + Keep safe
Andrew Young thank you for your support and hope your own build is awesome. 😁
Great video Greg really like your work.👍👌
So glad I seen this video again the you unknowingly have give me a idea with this channel for a double bed to go to the ceiling at the front of my Iveco daily , with the help of two 12 volt trailer winches wired to one remote I have tried it out in the shed but the bed was moving about too much but the channel with rollers fitted will work , I have ordered four shout lengths and will knock it up and let you know if it works ok . I have made the bed already because I would like to take my grandchildren with us , it will be next year now . As I have only just started I will be cutting out two windows and fitting them over the weekend weather permitting then it’s start stippling the Van out .you know what comes next but I’m really looking forward to it I have not got the balls to do any live feeds with me doing the talking but I may do a few of my progress as I go on many thanks for your videos they have helped convince the wife we will be quite comfortable on two single beds as we are too old to be climbing over each other if one of us need a wee .thanks again Greg
you should spray the sawn end of the unistrut with galvefroid ,,,it will go rusty in no time at all.... great series of videos
*_This what I came up with and using for the tilt up. Two 12v Linear actuators to push up my panels and 30amp switch polarity reverse DC motor control. It works for me just fine._*
Do you have a video/pictures of the setup?
Finally someone without the ego and nonsense, who just clearly knows what he's doing 👌 👏
dear Greag. awesome explanation and neat idea using the rail (haven't had that idea myself).
to build the lifting mechanism. i first would use the free room underneath the panels in between the rails to build a support frame (rectangular with an x to strengthen it. like a door frame). as fixture points on the rail. i would try to find some quick release snap in things (like for the legs on these party benches). to secure them in the upper position i would construct 2 legs, attached to each upper corner with can be prolonged and fixed to the opposite fixing point (like a diagonal strut). or you add multiple fixing points and don't care about the telescopic mechanism.
i hope you get the idea and that it will be of any help.
looking forward to your solution. all the best.
Great video I used this rail I sprayed them with bed liner so they never rust.
Mr Jones they are galvanised so should be fine unless you cut them. Just spray the cut ends.
Awesome work,,,, as usual. 👍👍👍
Good to see you posting again, Greg... How are you enjoying your trip?
Best work for van job on RUclips
Hi Greg,
nice installation. Please concider, that you should have several angles to tilt the panels if you would (need) to make the most out of the sun irradiation.
By the way I would have installed the cable inlet pointing to the rear of your car. The way it is installed now the inlets have to fight against the wind from driving.
kind regards Mark
VID AS NORMAL ALWAY TOP VOLTS AND AMPS KEEP SPARKING a GREAT JOB.
Thanks really good info. Well presented.
👍 Danke fürs Hochladen!
👍 Thanks for uploading!
👍 Very good and beautiful, thank you!
👍 Sehr gut und schön, danke!
Fantastically well informed videos. Really helpful
Thank you very much 😃
The unistrut's a good idea, might see if I can use that on my Transit - I hate the roof racks that mount on the rain rail.
Hey Greg! I’m sure it would only take a half an hour to figure out how to tweak your system! Fabulous video!
Thanks Greg, surprised you went in series though, I will be wiring mine in parallel
Hello Michael, There are a couple of reasons why I chose series over parallel.
1. Your batteries need just over 14volts before they start charging, so in very low light I can still get some charge by adding the three voltages
2. Keeping the amps low and the voltage high means smaller cable sizes and less chance of overheating, main electric grids send electric at high voltages 33kv and 11kv so they can keep cable sizes down.
3. The MPPT charge controller will constant,y find the peak power available and give me a charge most of the day even in cloudy conditions.
Hope that helps
@@GregVirgoe Makes sense Greg, I have x 3 150W panels, each being 150 watts, so 450w total. I have the 60AMP solar controller, and 2 x 220v 12 volt batteries
@@GregVirgoe Foirgot to ask, where did you find those aluminium rivnuts? Liking that idea. I also spotted you have extra rivnuts fitted, what are those provisions for? I will be doing the same as I have spot lights to go up on the roof, sides, and rear, a light bar on the front, and then x 4 wireless camera's, which will connect to a screen in my living area so I can see around me at any given time. The only windows I will have are snap narrow sliding vent windows which will be fitted in my two flares on the rear panels.
I was going to suggest unistrut, but now I've come back to watch again I think it was here I first saw the idea! I fitted mine on with unistrut. I used unistrut clamps too, made to hold solar panels, rather than drilling into the panels.
Hi, did you use the existing holes on the roof or did you drill new ones?
Great find with the rails, I hope you dont mind me copying the idea 😊 great video again!
Great informative video's Greg!
Vinie Vizzle Vlog thank you 😊
Hi Greg, I just found your channel and this is exactly what I looked for. Your skills of explaining all details are superb. Thank you for that
You have got a new subsrcriber.
I hope to start building my own van in about 2-3 years from now so I will be watching your vids a couple of times I guess haha
Did you come up with an solution for your tilting solar panels? Would love to know the solution
Do you also update videos whenever you get new ideas or when you have new insight information or when you have second thoughts about implemented ideas?
Regards,
Marcel
Great video!! I am curious as to why you used self drilling roofing bolts. Didn't your sprinter have existing holes (specifically for rails) that were capped by Mercedes?
Nice setup Greg, I’ve seen Ash Pollard has his panels angled to the sun and uses a prop and a ratchet strap to then keep everything tight. Sometimes the simple solutions work best.
Over the past 9 months I’ve taken gadgets galore in the van, drones, cameras, laptop, tablets and more! My panel is 150w and I have 2 x 130ah batteries. Only once did we run out of power after not moving for 3 days and using the inverter for 6 hours running a slow cooker, seemed like a great idea at the time 🤦🏼♂️
If you’re travelling every day or two then I would say you’ll be fine. My panel is fixed and I get over 110w from it in summer and 50 to 80w in winter.
I’ve moved over to everything I can possibly run from 12v and use the inverter for very rare emergency laptop or drone rapid charge. I’ve also got the ability to pull and push power via the starter battery, which saved us after the slow cooker incident.
You’ll figure everything out really quickly, make tweaks & changes and end up with near perfection 👌🏻
Take care & have fun 🚐❤️
You are so right John it’s not till you live in one that you realise how you could have made it better and simpler.
12v usb sockets would have been so much better than charging phones via my inverter. I’m charging stuff during the day and turning the inverter off after sunset.
I don’t think I would have bothered with the Skyroam or the pc as our phones have 4G and unlimited data that only costs £25 a month upfront no contract with giffgaff. I am getting a new laptop when I get back too. 😀👍🏼
It’s all part of the fun for me, like Apollo 13 trying to figure out what to switch on & in what order, which bits do you use most in the van and how can you get more from less. If you can see if you can get a laptop with a recent core intel 8th edition, they use much less power. Then get a 12v to 19v step up transformer to charge the laptop. That should save you loads of battery power, also get an AC power bank & charge that during the day, when you’ve got sun or are driving, then use the power bank at night for a laptop boost or even to charge phones/tablets.
Just check gift gaff allow tethering off your iPhone. If they do then go for it, or checkout my recent video about mobile data in the van, you could use a giffgaff sim in that too.
@@GregVirgoe Are you using virgin mobile Greg? Unlimited tethering.
That's what I ended up with as I have their home package which you need. One could piggyback off a third party ( family member with virgin home fibre ) as long as one pays up front for the virgin mobile of-course.
Maybe better Greg to put some spring locking washers on those bolted fittings to prevent vibrational loosening or a small drop of loctite if you haven't already.
Did you choose to connect in series to keep the wire gauge down?
Good job Greg, it looks well ❗
Nice setup.
I would tape the cables to the underside of the panels rather than just cable tie as on the move the wind will make them flap around.
I had an idea that you might find useful. Instead of angling the cells for better power production how about a removable reflector?
You can get Mylar reflective material, fastened to three or four rods like a banner it could be mounted easily on either side. Being material it would not be damaged by any wind. A vertical reflector about 3 feet high should add a lot to the light hitting the panels. A bit like the round collapsible reflectors that they use for photography. You could have the rods slot into sockets on either side depending on which way the van is to the sun. When travelling it would just roll up. Fabric is available on Ebay and some carbon fibre rods and away you go. Very cheap
Let me know what you think.
steve allen hi Steve I am a professional photographer. The reflector you mentioned is a Lastolite reflector. They are very flexible and any wind makes them act like a sail. They also do tend to ‘focus’ the light into a central spot which is not good for solar applications. I get what your trying to do. I worked in the NHS as a medical photograph and made a system to film in tiny babies mouths while they had cleft palate surgery. I used mirrors to get a reflected image to photograph. I had wondered about a version of this but abandoned it as it’s too bulky. Hope this helps? 😉
Good idea for the ottaman hinges. I have have been thinking of Tv wall mounts on a rotating base
Mark
If you do use the gas struts, they actually rely on the weight of the matress to slow the lift down. You'll need some sort of latch to stop them springing open at inopportune moments. Those struts are strong!
Nice job!
Brilliant Greg.
Now, I’m not an electrician so please go easy....I would of connected positive to positive to positive then to the roof and the same for the negatives......is this not a ring main/daisy change setting??🤔
I’ve an idea for the movement to follow the sun, stick the panels on a lazy Suzan and tailgate struts to higher/lower, that way you can park up any direction and just spin the panels to suit. 👍🏼😊
Great video 👍🏻
That's a great job Greg, interesting you connect in series. I read your comments below and understand the reasoning - hope it works out.
Might the cut ends of the gal U channels cause a messy bit of corrosion? Did you treat the ends?
About adjustable panels, I often think as I am driving down the freeway at 120kph in my van about the wind shear pressures on the under surfaces of the panels and I am happy to have my panels securely fixed to the roof with NO chance of flapping free like a great wing. However, here in Aus often the problem is too much sun.
Hope you are having a safe and wonderful trip thru Europe and we get to see some travel vids soon.
Hey Greg,
Thanks so much for the series, Greg!!! So helpful. What size self drilling roofing bolts did you use? And did you remove the plastic covers to the existing holes in the roof first or did you just drill through them?? Thanks again!
I don’t know what it is but, I completely trust you 😂
There’s a lot of instructional videos where you can tell the author doesn’t really know what they’re talking about… great job Greg.
We’re planning a van build this year if we can sell our Campervan so I’ll be watching them all 👍🏼
Thank you 🙏🏼 I’ve spent a lot of time making sure the information I’m giving out is correct so it’s sound advice. Thanks for watching
@@GregVirgoe in return, I’ll be spending a lot of time watching 😁
Great job, you’ve just help solve my solar panel and decking dilemma 🙌 Did you use pre galvanised or hot dipped uni strut? Cheers! 👍
Good evening Greg,
I am not sure if you have solved the problem with elevating your solar panels as you posted the video last year.
We live in the UK and have a Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG U1300L Expedition Camper. It is called Noggin the Mog. The Chap who we purchased the vehicle from had fitted 2 x 110W solar panels to the roof of the accommodation box in a similar manor to what you were proposing with the M8 knobs and aluminium strips to prop the panels up at about a 45 degree angle.
However, they were permanently raised and although the UNIMOG is not the most mpg friendly, having a pair of air-brakes on the roof did not help the figures much. So, we kept the frames and used an 12v electrical linear actuator on each of the panels to raise the panels and lowering them flat whilst in transit.
However, we up-rated the solar system by fitting 2 x 275w panels (designed for a narrow boat) and a MPPT charge controller. The panels lie flat on the roof and we have had no problems in getting max charge out of the panels, thanks to the MPPT controller. The other advantage is you do not have to worry about orientating the vehicle to point the panels towards the sun. In fact 18 months ago, we did just over 5,300 miles circumnavigating Scandinavia. Being up in the Arctic Circle you would need to raise the panels even more to be perpendicular to the sun, again we did not have any snags with the panels flat on the roof.
We have also completed trips to the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and the Shetland Islands and notice it isn’t overly sunny, but there is no shortage of wind. So we have augmented the solar system with a Rutland 914i Wind Charger which now gives us all the electrical power we need and totally off grid.
Hope that helps.
Luvin’ the videos.
Thank you for the video
You’re welcome 😇
I would use 2020 Ali extrusion you can bolt things to them and its strong enough
LOL that positive negative joke is probably the funniest joke you have done so far, can't wait for more!!!!
Is that a hint of sarcasm I detect in that comment. It was meant to be tongue in cheek 😁
Brilliant video as ever Greg. I must admit I was totally with you on being able to angle the solar panels up to catch the best light but of course I never considered the practical issues of turning the van to the sun - not always possible on many sites, lay-bys etc. Perhaps it is better to over-size the PV panels and rely on them being firmly fixed horizontally to the roof.
Did you say you have AGM batteries? Are there any issues being charged by a split charge relay system?
Finally, do you plan to report back on any issues with the build? - minor leakages, breakdown of components etc? I can see your build is light years above all I've seen but nevertheless something will be an issue right?
Hello Greg, I've been following your van build series from the start and I enjoyed it very much, thist episode is no exception. I like the way you fixed the panels to the roof. I was wondering if after a few weeks on the road you were still thinking of adding panel tilting mechanism. In my small camper van I have 2x150 W panels fixed to the roof and they are sufficient even in cloudy weather, although I don't use as much power as you probably do (e.g. no computer work, no TV). I'm looking forward to your comments on this after following weeks and months of your travel. Greetings from Poland :-)
Jacek Kapanowski, after a couple of weeks we have used nothing else but solar and always had power so the need to elevate them may not be necessary, I have got nearly half a kilowatt though and have benn getting between 100-150w on cloudy days
Looking good Greg! Anything else you need, let us know
photonicuniverse the solar setup has been working really well. We are in week 4 now and been off grid the whole time. The new controller and remote are working a treat. 😀
Hi Greg. A fantastic series of videos, thank you. I have a question about the uni-strut as I'm thinking of using it on my Peugeot Boxer. Did you use hot dip galvanized or did you go for the stainless steel? Many thanks Ian
Hi Greg, Brilliant video as always. I am about to fit my solar panels and I hadn't thought of uni-strut. Have you road tested it and does it whistle at all?
An easier solution for your soldering station, is buying a 18V Ryobi soldering tool ( I noticed you have some Ryobi tools, so you have the batteries) it is worth every penny as you don’t need to be dragging cables behind you.
Hose channel nuts, they usually have springs underneath to hold them in position, in the Electrical trade we call them Zeb's after Zebedee from magic roundabout!
Hi Greg. Great videos, keep it up. Quick question on your solar array. I see you have connected them in series as opposed to parallel. What made you choose this route. I’m in parallel but was thinking of changing to series, but not sure if I would gain any more power by doing it. What’s your thoughts. 👍
I considered solar panel tilting as an option for my roof and am going to test out linear actuators to see if they will be strong enough to withstand wind gusts. Of course if you engineer a solution that uses linear actuators, I will shamelessly copy :)
Nice upload 👍
One question though, did you use the roofing bolts instead of the standard factory fit holes, or aswell as?
Thanks for the incredibly informative series, Greg!
I am researching options for solar setup for my Ford Transit and came across the Trina Solar 335W Half Cut Mono PERC Solar Module. They boast more than double the power of the Photonic Universe panels for roughly 3/4 of the price. I figured I must be missing somthing regarding the structure and durability of the Trina panels, since various online reviews claim that Trina produce really high quality cells.
Just wondering if I'm missing some critical detail and there are significant differences that justify the more than singnificant price difference.
Thanks!
Hey Greg! Have you had any problems with water getting trapped under those rails? 2006 Sprinter owner here, they're very prone to rust :) Thanks for all your great videos, you've been an enormous help to my fiancé and I's build!
Nice and tight! 😁
Crazy Mongol, 😊lol
Good tip about the rivnuts. Unless it's being glued, which I personally don't like the idea of, there aren't any simple ways to stop the interior nut from rotating.
Greg....you are an absolute legend. Your videos are the most educating I ever found on RUclips. I am dreaming about building a campervan for me and my 3 girls however I wouldn't have the skills you have. I have to say you are an absolute hero. It's a pleasure to watch how you building your travel vehicle. One day I'll build my own van like yours. Your van has everything I wish to see in my van. If you ever decide to sell your sprinter please let me know.
Now few questions.
1. Where did u learn all this?
2 . What is the total weight of your van inc baggage, gas, etc?
Are u still within permitted weight?
Merry Christmas
Kind regards
Dave
Hello Dave, thanks for the lovely comment. This is within anyone’s capability
I’ve never done a manual job before. I’m a mechanical services design engineer. So I may know how things work but never done any carpentry just practiced and a lot of trial and error. The van was underweight but very close and you do have to be careful not to carry to much water etc
@@GregVirgoe Thanks Greg. Merry Christmas to you and your family. I've watched your videos until 4am last night. 🤦♂️😂
Hi, thanks for the video. Given me some good idea's. Have you had any problems with any wind noise or feel when traveling at 50mph the panels are all safe. Maybe a wind deflector on the front edge.
Couple of things to think about, some spring washers or thread lock on the 8mm knobs. They would do some damage if came loose & hit another vehicle.
I seen a van conversion video that had a frame that allowed it to tilt the panels.
Perhaps linear actuators run from stepper motors along with suitably strong frame for your solar panel tilting with a remote tilt sensor