RV Solar Rack - Part 2: The Lower Layer
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- It’s finally time to tackle building a rack to hold our solar panels. The goal is to get all eight of our Sunpower E20 435W panels on our roof, giving us nearly 3500W of solar. We realize that using panels of this size (81.5”x41.5”) is quite unconventional for most RVs. But, if you haven’t figured it out already, we are totally fine with making unconventional choices if it serves a purpose for our family. In the video, we discuss several of the reasons that we chose these large panels over more standard 100W-200W panels. A few of the reasons include higher energy density, better technology to cope with shading, and higher efficiency
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You can use, articulating wire track, for the sliding panels
Thanks Tom we will look into that.
You're Going To Love This Idea ... In order to deploy the Solar Panels and simultaneously hold them in place, I suggest adding an electric window actuator to each panel so that you can deploy them electronically instead of manually. You have enough space to mount the actuator and electric drive motor under the panel. I would suggest using an actuator that has a long travel, such as one from a full size van or truck. The actuator would also assist in keeping the panels locked in place while traveling on the road.
This is a great idea. A car window motor on the center slider just spinning something like a piece of all thread rod or something a little better would be simple and easy to build.
Thank you! Love the idea - we are still working through all this and have ordered some actuators that should be here next week. Stay tuned!
You didn't mention it, but I will assume that the two tracks, as they sit on your mock-up, are completely level. You did mention that your floor might not be level. I thought about that as well. 3/4" seems like a lot of play. Don't forget to leave yourself enough room between the panels for the cables. I love your design, and I can't wait to see the Rocinante in her new paint job.
Thinking about this some more, you could intentionally lower the side from which the panel slides (or raise the other) so that the panel is level when fully extended. This would give you the added feature that your panel is less likely to slide out unexpectedly when stowed.
Thank you Mark. We did level the model from left to right but not forward and aft (our driveway pitches down so that water can run off into the street). Yes, we think the 3/4 is actually mostly due to the floor since it is the same loaded and unloaded. We are so excited about the paint job. We called the painter this past weekend and he said it would be at least another 4 weeks - possibly even longer because of all this monsoon rain!
It will be worth the wait--like standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting to see your prom date come down. Okay, maybe not exactly like that.
LOL!! That literally made me laugh out loud.
Yissss another video! I feel like a junkie getting his fix :-)
Thank you Travis - I have enjoyed watching your videos as well!
Why are you sliding only one way? Why not 1/2 your overhang and slide to passenger and driver side, thus reducing the stresses? Also, this will provide some shade to the bus walls during the day reducing heat gain during the peak of the day.
We are considering this and we may do something like this but we have a couple of other considerations. #1 actuators are really expensive - especially ones that actuate something 45 inches or so out ... to help offset this we are considering moving the bottom panels in pairs (so maybe we could pairs to each side?). #2 we want to build some "side skirts" to keep a strong crosswind from trying to "lift" the entire structure off the bus (and possibly destroying panels) - we thought it might be slightly easier to build a skirting if we only have to worry about one side actuating (maybe not - but it's just the stuff we are thinking about)
Regarding the skirts, I would recommend having two way skirts, with the top hanging down overlapping the bottom skirt. The top skirt should be flexible, maybe weatherstripping for a garage door, just to reduce wind. The bottom skirt is then only required to come up to the bottom of the rails or something.Chris and G just stated that he wishes he had more room under his panels to maneuver his arm easily for installation/maintenance.
Interesting - I will have to watch and see what he says.
I suggest you talk to Jim & Debbie of Life is a Joy, about the wind which get under your solar panels, they have one pretty much ripped off by the wind whilst traveling, so you will definitely need to deflect the air flow "over" those panels, the wind at 60/70 mph will rip the panel off the roof xxxx
Any chance you could say the measurements in millimeters as well for all the people in the rest of the world! thanks great work guys
Quite the project. Enjoying your videos. Good explanations and good visuals. Like your relaxed, patient explanations.
Thank you Bruce - We appreciate the feedback and kind words. We are hopefully getting a little better with each video. Projects like this are a little harder because ... we honestly don't know where it will end up ... it may not work at all :) But we are going to try our best and see what happens :). Thank you for following along
Careful about wind getting under the solar panels when driving at high speeds. My worry would be the panels would rip off the roof when driving down the highway.
I am thinking the same thing. Maybe putting a simple wind deflector in the front to keep wind from going under could help and it only would have to go to the top edge of the upper panel.
Thank you, cowboy - yes we are very worried about that and that was a major contributor to us changing our design to something more compact for when we are in motion (or there is a storm detected - more on that later). If you look up "Life is a Joy" here on RUclips - Jim had a microburst come through and destroy two of his panels and bend and damage several others. We re hoping to build a skin on the side of the structure that would prevent the situation you are describing. Thanks for tuning in!
I don't like it. It will have too many moving parts and will require constant monitoring and necessitates getting up on your roof to extend and retract your panels whenever you go anywhere. The amount of effort and the cost just seems too high to make them so that they can extend and retract with a push of a button. You started all of this because you felt that the panels stuck out too far and were too flimsy. What you have here sticks out further and is even more flimsy than your original idea.
Thanks for the feedback Alex - If we could not automate the panels coming in and out we wouldn't even consider this design - we are not climbing on the roof everytime we stop and want to deploy the panels. The original design was a lot more simple but had its own flaws (like having a lot of surface area available for the wind to lift and damage the panels). Jim from "Life is a Joy" had 2 panels destroyed and about 4 more bent up using a configuration similar to original configuration but with smaller panels and a lower profile roof. The hope is that when everything is retracted it will be less susceptible to the forces of the wind. Once we get them actuated - we can start to program logic like 1) if it becomes too windy ... the solar panels retract. 2) If it is night time ... the solar panels retract. 3)If it is daytime and there is less than 15 mph of wind - the panels come out. 4) If the battery is at 100% the panels retract (you get the idea). We are still proving all this out ... and there is a possibility that it may not work.
OK, I have to say that I am impressed that you not only thought all of this out but your are not overwhelmed by the time, money, and effort that this would require. I was surprised that you and your wife were willing to gut that bus the way you did and to put all of that work into the battery and inverter system. I have a similar project myself, a 1995 Class A motor-home on a Ford chassis that needs a new roof. I had underestimated the amount of water damage when I bought it and now I am in the midst of replacing the shower, pantry, and all much of the rotted wood around them. I got stalled out in energy and money after a year and it is now sitting incomplete. You guys inspire me and I hope that I can build half as nice as a rig as yours is going to be if you keep pushing through these projects like you have been. Blessings to you and your family. I'm rooting for you to pull this off. Your success is our success.
Thanks Alex - Here I thought you were trying to troll me a little ;). I really appreciate your kind words. It certainly is a big, complicated project and as you can imagine - I can totally sympathize with your project. We do get a little discouraged at times and I am sure you felt similar to us when we were just discovering problem after problem! If you see some of our earlier videos we thought that we were just going to redo a few minor things, slap on a fresh coat of paint and off into the sunset we would ride - that was a year and a half ago and many tens of thousands of dollars ago :). I always just pray for one thing: "Lord, please don't let me get discouraged" it has worked so far but we have had a few cries, and a few disappointments, canceled plans etc but we are determined to see this thing through (God willing of course). We will pray for your project and your family and we are rooting for you to!
Interesante, aunque creo que merece mas la pena tener paneles inclinables.
This is so cool. Going to be fun to see how you deal with the wires and locks. I am so going to use this if and when I buld my small camper. God Bless brother.
Thank you Bobby. We are busy trying to figure some of this stuff out and we will post as we make discoveries. Thank you for following along!
Are you going to deploy the panels on the Curbside or Driver's side of the bus? If you deploy the panels on the Driver's side, the panels can act as awnings for the windows on that side of the bus and you can install an awning on the curbside to shade that side of the bus.
The only problem with deploying them to the driver's side is that we have the vent pipe sticking up there ... we could shorten it ... Honestly, we have not decided yet. A suggestion was also made to maybe have them alternating to distribute the load a little better. If this works out (we are still testing the viability of even doing this) those will be fun problems to solve. Thanks for tuning in!
Hi, Nicholas here..Love your update video, and that you want with the higher watt's solar panels.. Q = Are you going to use a air system to slide out your lower solar panel or something else ? i did see on youtube a guy use an air system to slide out his solar panels. looked pretty good. thanx again for your video. and ps. i think you should have gone with a higher BTU air-condioner with the mini split and you could have added another inside blower.( just my dumb two cents) love you show,Thanx again.
Hi Nicholas. Thank you for watching and commenting. We saw Everlanders air actuators and they looked really cool. The only problem is we need to have actuation over about 45-47 inches. I could not find an air cylinder that big that was reasonably priced. I am going to try my luck with an electric actuator and see how that goes. I agree a higher BTU air-conditioner might fit a little better. The 12K BTU was the biggest we could find in 110V. We would have LOVED to get a dual zone unit with 2 heads - maybe next time :). Thanks for tuning in!
I have the same plan and I'm happy to see someone else doing it. I do plan to tilt my system. I have a Ram Promaster and will be using Renogy 100W panels. 3 down each side with 3 pulling out from under them for a total of 1200W. I plan to use all aluminum framing to keep weight down.
Awesome! That is totally do-able. If you have not seen it yet the Overlanders have a great video: ruclips.net/video/3nKCH-whO2A/видео.html
First off I am not being a negative, discouraging , nay-sayer. My intent is to be a "second (maybe third or fourth) set of eyes" looking for problems. So here goes:
1) Will the slides (purchased slide) survive the weather?
2) Water is going to collect in the channel, drill some side drain holes to let it escape?
3) A thought, if both panels slid out, that would mean the extension would be half of what the one is now and maybe that would be "more" solid? Not sure shade generated by one side deployment will net you anything as they will not be out far enough unless the sun is directly overhead?
4) With the current one slide extension coming out so far I would be concerned about wind gusts. There will be a natural up swelling of gusts that hit the side of the Motor Home. Those panels will make great sails. Will the panel itself have the strength to resit bowing up in the center from wind hitting the bottom side (mount a piece of plywood under the panel, this might also help with the raking)?? Also wind under the panel while going down the road? Wind fairing around the panel in the closed position, but then the vent might be restricted?
5) Center tilt up suggestion is probably too fragile.
6) I do like the idea of the slide, definitely needs to work off an liner actuator. You have to think about weather again.
7) not sure how you could use this, I had to repair the driver side window actuator, definitely would not stand up to weather unless protected some how, these are available through NAPA and are the same in Fire Truck doors to raise an lower the window. ruclips.net/video/uyuM6R8kOi8/видео.html
Working on our fourth attempt to buy a new home (this one has three large barns, and yes the motor home fits in one (height)).
Remember I am only trying to be a wall too bounce ideas off of.
You are a true "Maker"
Glenn
Hi Glenn -
I always assume the best when I am reading your comments. I truly appreciate and value your input as your "Maker" abilities far exceed anything I can do.
We are still in a somewhat "feasibility" phase of this whole thing but the idea is starting to solidify. I will do my best to share what I am thinking around some of your comments:
1) That is a concern we share also - it was one of the reasons we turned the second piece of angle the other way to provide an additional "shelter" for the slides. Only time will tell on this one and it is something we are going to keep an eye on.
2) This is a good idea and we will drill some drains - water will very likely collect on those
3) The sliders are actually 50-inch sliders that we only need to slide about 42 inches - this does indeed make them more rigid and they do feel stronger than when they are extended to the full 50 inches. Sliding the top panels would probably be much harder and the mechanism needed to support that sliding would probably cause shading on the panel below it? I don't think the shade from these will be significant and we are seeing that is purely a side-benefit.
4)Yes, these will make great sails for sure - We are considering building some skirting around the structure to keep the wind from lifting the panels from up underneath. This will be easier on the non-siding side than the side where they have to come out but it should not be impossible. some kind of fairing on the front to deflect wind around also makes a lot of sense. If we leave the back open there is a chance that it may create a vacuum that might actually help to pull air out of the coach when it is underway - (not 100% sure on this one - I almost got a chemical engineering degree but I never got to fluid dynamics)
5) We originally designed the top panels to tilt - we came to the same conclusion - we could not make it strong enough to feel "safe" doing it.
6) An actuator is pretty much a "must" for us. #1 we are not going to get up on the bus every time we want to get the panels out ... its a lot of trouble and dangerous. #2 (which is more interesting) - once we have it motorized we can start to build logic into when the panels should be out or in: 1: if it becomes too windy ... the solar panels retract. 2: If it is night time ... the solar panels retract. 3: If it is daytime and there is less than 15 mph of wind - the panels come out. 4: If the battery is at 100% the panels retract (you get the idea).
7)We just ordered a large linear actuator that is supposed to push 200lbs or something - should be more than enough. They are quite pricey so we thought about actuating the panels in pairs (bolting 2 together in the center to create a 2x size "drawer")
I thought you had already moved into your new home but I guess when I think about it I just saw you move out of your old home.
The last few videos you were looking a bit more fit - I hope you are feeling better.
As always, thank you for sharing your thoughts and concerns with me - I always look forward to seeing your feedback.
Juan
"maker" don't put yourself down, you do outstanding, well thought out, out of the box projects, stuff I have not thought of. The reason I repeat "First off I am not being a negative, discouraging , nay-sayer" are my remarks could easily be misunderstood, I will stop. I have seen some pretty sketchy stuff out of some of the well known makers
I look forward to your updates.
We have not moved, when I got sick we put a halt to everything, including moving. I am still getting better.
The new place has three barns, I might now start to think about a bus conversion of my own, I have an inside place to do it. I still wonder if bus conversions could be a business (Most are done because of the cost of buying one done). It is a lot of labor, and conversions carry the personality of the builder.
Bolting the panels together might create more raking problems. I would think the best place would be in the center of the length of the panel. You would not want one side to get stuck with a 200 pound force trying to push the panel out. In this case weak might be a good thing. These electric actuators are slow, I do not think strength adds any speed. Just a thought, you do have compressed air on the bus, an air piston would move the panels much quicker.
Ok, enough for now Glenn
Thank you Glenn. I had considered a pneumatic actuator but could not source one that moved 42 inches or so (that was not like $1500 ) - Someone on here suggested that the air cylinder has the additional benefit of not "getting stuck" if something runs amock - a very good point to consider. I will try to search again.
I have considered the raking problems but thought maybe I could offset that if I have a length of angle or bar that goes 1/2 the distance of each panel on either side? (like pushing out a big "T") - I will have to play with it.
I can confirm 100% that building a bus is A LOT of labor. I would love to see what you come up with if you ever decide to build one! If it is anything like the dragster or your garage it will be magnificent!
The only suggestion I would make on the raking would be to do an "X" from corner to corner with some aluminum. Also backing the panels with plywood should help with both raking and strengthening the panels from "up" gusts. With the third slide it should help support the panel from sagging in the center.
There are a number of problems with the pneumatic actuators, stick with electric and just deal with the speed, double the voltage from 12 to 24? Slow may not be a bad thing, just a pain in the neck.
Just bought a step down voltage "transformer" www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/MEAN-WELL/RSD-60G-12?qs=%2fha2pyFaduiesmk8LrRekg7QeVqw0B7y4QA7KD40hPdWCr8DJg%2fQvA%3d%3d to handle the 12 volt lights on the dragster (running a 18 volt battery to spin the engine over quickly enough for the mag to start the engine. Glenn
i love your videos.
Their are awsome but i'm completly lost with your mesurment in us inch & feet.
:(
meter user :)
Thanks Antoine, to be perfectly honest I don't like the American system as much as the Metric system either!
Cut to "painting bus in MEX"... what are the rates like and which shop are you using? Did you supply your own paints?
We got about 4 quotes in Arizona (in and around Phoenix) - each of them was between $20K and $30K with a lot of indications that it was going to be much closer to $30K than to $20K. The shop we took it to in Mexico is really small - basically, a guy and his sons but they came very highly recommended from a fellow bus nut who has been doing business with him for over 20 years (he used to own a few auto repairs places in Tucson and would bring him all the body and paintwork). We are paying $7500 for the paint job and that includes stripping the entire bus down to the aluminum and resealing and repriming all the panels. The quote was originally $6500 because he was not planning to strip it all the way down to the bare metal - but it had too many layers of paint (I think he said it was like 6-8 layers) and the price went up $1000 for the extra effort and primer + seam sealer.
The only thing that looks like it might be a problem will be wind load while driving. I am guessing a nose cowel is intended to shear off the wind load on the panels while driving.
Thank you Travis - We do intend to put a wind-break on the front but we have had the solar up there since Feb and it has been doing great.
those sliders are rated at 400 pounds when mounted in a vertical orientation.
Even though they are under the panels - they are still in a vertical orientation (mounted on the verticle face of the aluminum angle)
How much weather and debris will those slides be seeing? If it's a concern it might be better to capture the angle in a channel with uhmw poly sliders incorporated in or similar...love this sci-fi bus!!
LOL thank you (sci-fi bus LOL). That was one of the drivers of turning the aluminum angle the other way - it creates a little shelter for the slides. Great idea on the UHMW Poly - we will have to look into that. We will probably grease everything really well and keep an eye on it for now. We will report back if they are getting noisy or having unusual wear
Consider ICE, sand, water, leaves...
20% efficient? Excuse me but I'm no mathamatarian... but that sounds like 80% INEFFICIENT. Hmphfffff
LOL - pretty ridiculous huh? - AND THESE ARE THE GOOD ONES!
Like a petrol car
Good on you for having the balls to have a crack at doing something different. If everyone stopped when a negative comment came along we’d have no technology at all.
No tilting provision to maximize winter efficiency?
Our original plan called for the top layer to tilt but after testing a few design ideas we didn't think we could build it sturdy enough to support tilting.
Looking good but I would very worried about Highwinds on the panels if you pull out and how to lock them down while travelling having them bolted securely to an I-beam or tubing is much safer for driving
Thank you Jeff - yes high winds are a strong consideration - If this works out we will be addressing this in a future video (probably with some kind of fairing or side skirts to prevent the wind from getting up under the panels. We are first trying to see if we can make this idea go ;). Thanks for tuning in!
Beginning from this Morning Hi have seen this guys set up it night help.
m.ruclips.net/video/JbBNC-jCV7E/видео.html have a great day.
They have a great setup! Thank you for sharing the link
Juan you probably have your reasons but if everything is electric but the water heater then instead of propane what about a diesel water heater. This way you would only need to carry 1 type of fuel not 2. It would simplify things. Just an idea!
Thank you J Jones - Right now we really like a propane instant hot water heater. The problem with the Desiel heaters is they are so expensive and they take up so much room - I can't even get a price for the aquahot system "please call a sales rep" is all I see when I try to look at their products. Last time I called I think they wanted $4000 for the system?
Wow. Ok I understand
Where did you purchase your slides?
Hey John - I got the sliders from Amazon - amzn.to/2GRFDCl
They do make 327W Sunpower panels. I know you already have these, but you could "tent" the 327 Sunpower panels to clear your vents possibly and avoid the large overhang distance caused by the rounded shape of your bus...
They are 61.4 x 41.2....you could do one on each side with a peak in the middle. You could do an adjustable hinge and lift the outside edge when parked... (to minimize any shade)
Thank you Shawn. I love the idea - if we had smaller panels we might be able to make something like this work (still a big maybe). Honestly, I was surprised (shocked really) that we found these. When I was researching solar panels these SunPower 435s kept coming up, winning all these crazy awards and stuff - crazy good quality and cutting-edge technology. The size has made them a little inconvenient but we are hoping the quality of the panels pays us back for all this effort.
Both panels are part of the E20 line. The only difference is 427 is larger. The efficiency / power density is the same.
I have E20 325w and they produce more than advertised!
If your budget can afford it take everything in and have it powder coated then corrosion will be not a problem. If not just have the small brackets done to help with the dissimilar metals touching.
We would love to have them powder coated - I really believe that is the best way to do it. We did not have a great experience last time we took a few items to the powder coater so we will very likely use a good self-etching primer + top coat.
That's to bad about the powder coater, but good rattle cans will take care of you. I look forward to your videos.
I do metal fabrication and dont like to use powder coating. Once it gets chipped or dinged, and it will, the rust starts and ruins the whole thing. I have found better success with good primer and industrial enamel. Rattle cans are OK for touch up in a situation where you dont have time to paint it well, but not as a good top coat. Too little paint and too much solvent and propellent.
Loving your project. I needed my little home done quickly, so I picked up a Fleetwood Gearbox toyhauler 5th wheel. I did the MPPSolar inverter chargers and doing a DIY pouch cell LIPO battery. I have it built in a 7S6P aetup, but doing 8 packs so the BMS's can do the best possible job. I only did 1200 watts on the roof, but have 2 ground mount arrays of 1440 watts a piece. I am also looking to engineer a way to position a wind turbine on the 5th wheel when stationary also. I will be living in it full time, hence why I will be over engineering it.
But I love what you guys have done, and one day I will get a bus also, and over engineer it also.
Sounds like a great project Steve! Welcome to our channel.
Given any thought on how your going to latch them in place while the panels are deployed or when the panels are in travel mode?
Boun_Viaggio_USA I was going to ask the same question
Hi - Yes - what we are reaching for is having the deployment of the bottom panels be done via some kind of actuator. Our hope is that the actuator would be strong enough to hold the panel in as well as keep the panel out (when deployed). Of course, we will test our theory and if that is not the case have to again move to plan B. Our hope is that once we get the actuator working we can then tie it to a weather station and a small set of circuitry that would allow for the following automation: 1) if it becomes too windy ... the solar panels retract. 2) If it is night time ... the solar panels retract. 3)If it is daytime and there is less than 15 mph of wind - the panels come out. 4) If the battery is at 100% the panels retract (you get the idea) - but before we can even begin to dream any of these scenarios we need to make sure they can reliably extend and retract under some kind of power system.
Another great idea Juan. I used (2( 36" x 500# slides under my Dometic horizontal refrigerator with good luck. I laid them flat and made a flat drawer with holes for the refrig feet to sit in. It pulls out lengthwise. I am glad you stayed away from 100 watt flex panels. I have Souaki panels and after 2 years, they are failing.
Thank you Roy - We are not in the clear yet but the idea is starting to solidify a little more. Honestly, we have heard nothing but bad reports about the flexible solar panels - we have seen reports of people taking them off after a year and usually 2 years tops. The biggest problem we have seen is they don't allow the heat to escape - so they essentially burn up.
Juan; Sorry to bother you. Where did you get the sliders? I need 3. dave
No bother dave. All our videos have a blog post associated with them where we give some more technical details along with the parts we bought and links to where we bought them from. We always include the list of parts and tools we use at the very bottom. To save you the clicks they are these: amzn.to/39gUlgB
@@BeginningfromthisMorning Thanks, looks like these will have to go to Canada,as they do not ship here. The lock down was extended until mid April. Since last Wednesday, this country has been under a "Movement Control Order'. You can go for food, if there is any,but you don't visit, go to church or work. I live 2 blocks from an Air Force Base, been really quiet, scary actually Please take COVID-19 Seriously. 1000 deaths in the U.S.A and over 18,000 world wide. The economic fallout from this is so high I can not pronounce the number. A few minutes ago I got a msg saying Trump has approved a 2 Trillion dollar funding plan. Cathay Pacific Airlines is in big trouble. The economic fallout will take years to rebuild. Please, as hard as it is Keep the kids Home,easier said than done, have the kids read the World Health Organization's website. CDC has conflicting information. You have no idea what is already in your back yard.
I would suggest 1/4" hard rubber between the dissimilar metals...it might also help with vibration control when traveling.
>I was typing the below question then watched as you actually did it that way...lmao!<
(You mentioned that the panel gets sloppy when extended...have you considered a third rail in the middle of the panel to stabilize it?)
Great minds think alike!
Will the top panel be functional while in motion? It would be incredible to have 100% of the energy gathering potential of a conventional system using only 50% of your system.
Yes the top panels should be fully functional while in motion (about 1740 Watts!). The bottom, of course, will be completely shaded - but they will be wired in parallel so it should not affect the function of the bottom ones at all (if it does we will hook them to a disconnect that will get disconnected when they retract). We will discuss how we are wiring and how we plan to deal with some of this stuff in a future video - thanks for following along!
I sure you have learned some new skills doing this project. But you’ll know how it all works. Great vid. Thanks for sharing
Thanks Joe - I am still learning everytime I go to work on a bus project. My welding has gotten a little better as well! Thank you for the kind words and encouragement and thank you for tuning in! We'll see if we can't make this crazy idea go!
Really good engineering here. I think the slide out panels will do double duty as a small awning, really nice.
Thank you! My engineering is questionable at best but we are trying to make something work :). Yes, the small awning will be interesting - we want to also fit a real awning up there if we have room :). Thanks for following along and for the positive vibes.
We LOVE the way you two see where you are, where you want to go, and then get there! Thank you for showing us your process, challenges, and wins.
Thanks guys - we are enjoying your videos as well and are rooting for your build!
Just a thought but could you create something like a gate latch that the sliding panels will click into and lock open that would also support the panel? You could cut a tire tube up to make a gasket material to go between the steel and aluminum.
Thank you Jerry - both solid ideas. We are hoping to actuate the bottom layer with a motor - hopefully, that motor will be powerful enough to keep the panels out and keep them in ... if not ... plan B (although lately, it seems like I land on something like plan H or K). Thank you for tuning in!
Love the idea. Maybe the top panels should be wired together so they can charge independently when the others are retracted
They will be wired 2s4p with the two pair on top wired in parallel with the bottom panels - this should allow us to charge just off the top ones (1740 Watts) while retracted. We will have the numbers for everybody once we get this thing installed and wired up.
Brilliant!
Why not just use flexible marine grade solar panels ?
What manufacturer? Link?
If something like this is available which I have seen them I think the price would be about the same as what Juan is doing and with less output.
Kevin Hornbuckle take your pick ! ! www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_10?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=flexible+solar+panel&sprefix=Flexible+s%2Caps%2C169&crid=31PS4JEH6L8W1&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aflexible+solar+panel
Honestly, we have heard nothing but bad reports about flexible solar panels. From most accounts, because these panels have to be mounted flat against the surface of the vehicle - they overheat and usually die within a year or two of putting them in. AM Solar (whom I really like and trust) even posted a few months ago about flexible solar panels: "We think they are fine for some applications, but we don’t recommend mounting them to a vehicle. After about two years of use, most people want them ripped off their roofs, which is exactly what we did for these customers. -The plastic doesn’t hold up well on a vehicle roof.
-The plastic doesn’t conduct off-angle light very well.
-The panels leave burn marks on your roof under the cells." - instagram.com/p/Bi0OHLkH-jJ/?taken-by=amsolaroregon
A simple Google search at the beginning of our research on solar panels essentially eliminated flexible solar panels as a viable option - I couldn't find a single instance were someone was happy with them after 2+ years.
"RVWithTito" uses them and seems pleased. I do recognize they will transfer a lot of heat to your roof. He also built portable window shades with them to gain more solar when boondocking. Very cool idea.
Vinyl pan liner is good for isolating alum and steel. Aluminum paint on steel would look good on your custom mounting brackets.
We were thinking something more like 3M 5200 Marine Adhesive - maybe it would work to both secure the brackets and isolate them from each other?
+Beginning from this Morning That would work. Also, plan on spraying the slides with WD40 twice a year.
Dont use WD40. It is not a lubricant. The name stands for W-water D-displacer 40-40th recipe. Best to use white lithium grease or dry silicone. Those are lubricants. WD40 doesnt really last long and as a lubricant does work.