Deployable Solar Charging System & Panel Carrier

[Bosque Bill]

This has certainly been done before. This is how I built and installed my solar charging system and the solar panel carrier. My thanks to those who have posted on this topic before, as I "borrowed" many of your ideas.

Remember to click on any photo for a larger version.

http://bosquebill.blogspot.com/2016/11/deployable-solar-panel-project.html

I'll be happy to answer questions that are not already answered in the lengthy narrative.

Thanks,
Bill

Note May 8, 2017. I have updated my original blog posting. I have now added a second 100W panel to the camper roof. To learn why and how, follow the link: http://bosquebill.blogspot.com/2016/11/deployable-solar-panel-project.html#update5-17

 

[Vic Harder]

great write up Bill! I just did something very similar yesterday to mount my two 150w panels in the same place. I like how you secured the c-channel to the camper. Seems very secure.

 

[takesiteasy]

Yes, nice project and writeup!

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

That's a great idea Bill.
I had intended to do that on my Bobcat just after I had it mounted on the truck.
I even had Marty run a solar wire to just above the front window,but soon decided to just mount the panels on the roof.

It still is a great place to keep an extra panel.
If I need more power I will give that area some more thought.
Good write up.
Thanks
Frank

 

[billharr]

Nice install and write up. Like the meter, have it save on Amazon. May not have all the information of a TriMetric but a lot of info for under $20. I have a 120w folding solar in the bag. Have not used it since installing the 150w panel along with the 100w panel on the top. The way I travel I may be parked at a visitor center or such. Nice to have the batteries charging when parked. Going to keep the folding panel for long term camping.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Bill, nicely done! I think the C channel idea could lead to some really great storage solutions to help organize all that extra, bulky stuff we seem to need!

 

[Bosque Bill]

Vic, takesiteasy, Frank, Bill, WS,

Thanks for your comments. Glad you found something of interest in the post. It's nice to have the flexibility that solar charging provides.

 

[CraggyMan]

Curious as to how various installs under the bed cantilever have handled the bolt/nut inside the camper. How does this affect the bed slide and being under the mattress?

This is a great use of this space.

 

[Vic Harder]

Curious as to how various installs under the bed cantilever have handled the bolt/nut inside the camper. How does this affect the bed slide and being under the mattress?

This is a great use of this space.

Craggy,

The plywood is 3/4" thick. I screwed my forward most channel (I actually used two pieced of L bracket so I could flexibly modify the width of the "Channel" to accomodate two panels and the space available) in the same place that the factory screws the front trim into. So there is 3/4" of wood plus a strip of aluminum (or is it galvanized steel?) to hold it together.

The rear most channel is simply screwed and glued into the plywood using 3/4" #10 screws.

 

[Bosque Bill]

Curious as to how various installs under the bed cantilever have handled the bolt/nut inside the camper. How does this affect the bed slide and being under the mattress?

By counter-sinking the holes, and selecting the right length bolt, nothing sticks above the mattress platform. So the bed slide is unaffected.

Thanks.

 

[dakozicki]

That was a project well done. I get that the plywood is 3/4" thick, but isn't there also welded aluminum framing in the overhang? How did you avoid that? I would also be interested in whatever write up you did for the Rotopax storage. I have been looking at a lot of ways to better use that space between the truck top and the camper. It seems like such a waste and just acts like a big mileage sucking scoop.

 

[Bosque Bill]

That was a project well done. I get that the plywood is 3/4" thick, but isn't there also welded aluminum framing in the overhang? How did you avoid that? I would also be interested in whatever write up you did for the Rotopax storage. I have been looking at a lot of ways to better use that space between the truck top and the camper. It seems like such a waste and just acts like a big mileage sucking scoop.

The only metal framing in the overhang is around the periphery. The flat surface is some sort of composite board with a formica-like facia on both sides.

My post on the Rotopax carrier is here:

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/8665-rotopax-carrier-mounted-under-camper-over-cab/

Reminder to everyone: the forum's search capabilities are very limited. You are much better off using Google site search capability. For instance to find the above article I entered into Google's search box:

site:wanderthewest.com rotopax carrier

Thanks.

 

[CraggyMan]

Thanks to all for the tips. I'm looking forward to sorting this out next spring. Cheers-

 

[Bosque Bill]

I updated my original post. I have just added a second 100W panel on the roof of the camper.

To learn why and how, follow the link: http://bosquebill.blogspot.com/2016/11/deployable-solar-panel-project.html#update5-17