Tilt bracket for Yakima track mounted solar panel

[muttmaster]

Searched topic but could not find post on how to tilt my 160 watts panel mounted in Yakima track. Looked thru most solar mount discussions but didn’t see any mentions. Maybe I am not typing in the correct search words. Any suggestions ?

 

[PaulT]

I have the factory aluminum roof rack instead of Yakima tracks so my mounting of the solar panel feet is a little different.
I bought the tilt mount components from amsolar.com which worked for me. My mounting was different from most but easy to adapt. Check their website for ideas and give them a call. I found them knowledgeable and responsive.

https://amsolar.com/rv-solar-panel-kit/mounting-accessories

Paul

 

[muttmaster]

Paul, I have seen your post already and downloaded pics you posted.I am specifically interested in tilting my ZAmp 160 watts panel that is mounted on Yakima tracks. I will call AMSolar as you suggested. Their brackets is a bit pricey but I am sure they are well built.

 

[pvstoy]

In the mean time you can park into the sun direction and drop the front lift panel to gain the angle.

Some places will sell premade ones but if you are handy you might be able to make a simple one using a pivot on one side and arms that collapse and extend on the other. Through pins with clips to hold it.

There is also a factor in the design as to how hard or easy it is for you to make it tilt at the same time you being safe while doing it.

 

[muttmaster]

Dropping one side of the roof may gain 20 degree of tilt, sure. It can help somewhat in some situation, I am a bit handy but lazy too. I was hoping someone had made a tilt setup or found a commercial bracket that is easy to use and secure. Made a call to 4WC for suggestions. I am sure someone has asked this question before, I am surprised that I have not seen anyone post solutions on this forum given the ingenuity of many post in panel mounting.

 

[Jack]

If you're the kind of camper who spends several days or more in one spot, tilting makes sense. I mounted the panel on our first FWC with a piano hinge on the factory rack, but since we meander, staying in one spot for a day or two and then a short trip to another spot, we tilted the panel maybe 3 or 4 times over the 10 years we had the Eagle.

What I do recommend, if you can, is to tilt the panel sideways (high side on either the drivers or passengers side). That way you need only one support to lift the high end (assuming a rectangular panel). With the piano hinge on one end, It was sufficient to use tie downs on the lift end (with rubber pads at the contact points) while traveling.

 

[muttmaster]

Jack, thanks for the recommendations, but tilting it long way would have the panels site too high. If the wind comes up...not feasible in my opinion. Piano hinges? Not very beefy as far as I can tell. Can you send pics of how you mounted inside the track. I can’t even find the hardware that slides inside the Yakima track anymore. I am looking for someone who has brackets or know how to make one that is secure and easy to deploy. I really need pictures of brackets and parts needed to tilt front to back up to 40 degrees and with adjustable angles.

 

[Jack]

Sorry, we upgraded to a Fleet and no longer have the Eagle for pictures.

I used a heavy duty stainless steal piano hinge bolted to the FWC rack. That anchored the panel very well. With Yakima tracks, my thought would be to bolt the under edge of the panel frame to a piano hinge and then the hinge to a 1 1/2' x 1 1/2" or 2" x 2" aluminum bar. Attach the bar to the underside of the tracks with U bolts. The panel then travels between the tracks. A similar aluminum bar mounted to the top edge of the panel with brackets on the side of the frame, so that the bar sits on top of the tracks. U bolts with wing nuts to attach the bar to the tracks.

I used two 1" x 1" aluminum angle bars attached to the front jack mounts to lift the panel (it lifted to face the front of the truck and the lift edge of the panel was bolted to a 6' bar that reached across the roof. That bar also anchored the panel in the down position. Depending on what you have for fan vents and track locations, you may not be able to use the jack mounts. In that case, I can imagine two short 1" x 1" aluminum angle struts that are anchored to the bar at the top of the panel and the tracks with heavy duty re-usable plastic ties. Perhaps sever struts of varying length.

The above 262 word description is way short of the 1000 words of a picture, but I hope this helps.

 

[muttmaster]

Jack, thanks for trying to help, but I lack a engineering degree and imagination. Your description was loss on me.

4WC called back. Shawn informed me that no one has asked about tilting the panel before. He also said that it won’t make that much difference anyway. I beg to differ as the Winter solstice coming up in few days. Tilting panel toward the low angle sun can double or more amp input to charge controller.

I didn’t want to fuss too much about making the panel tilt as i do have a 100 watts suitcase that I use on occasion in the winter or when I am parked in the shades.

Shawn also informed me that no manufacturer makes a tilt bracket for the Yakima track. Guess I will just play around and experiment a bit to see if I can come up with a simple tilt system.

 

[Wallowa]

Paul, I have seen your post already and downloaded pics you posted.I am specifically interested in tilting my ZAmp 160 watts panel that is mounted on Yakima tracks. I will call AMSolar as you suggested. Their brackets is a bit pricey but I am sure they are well built.

====================================================================================
Hey mutt,

Like Paul I am dealing with AM Solar in the process of installing an AM Solar Zamp 170w second panel...my 'factory' [FWC] rails are the Yakima Rails and the tilt package from AM Solar will only work with their L-Feet/adapter combo using threaded knob attachment to panel and tilt bars.

Like many have said with a little time I bet you could fabricate a set of tilt arms for your panel...BUT you will still need some type of pivoting attachment to the panel...for when you tilt it...my Zamp 170w uses a 19.5 inch set of arms for a 45 degree tilt....my current efforts at installing the new panel may lead to me not being able to tilt the panel...long story...and a miscalculation on my part..

Phil

Ps...Learn from my mistake, the Yakima rails are slightly too wide apart for the Z170w panel to fit squarely on the roof and to use the AM Solar / Zamp Omni rail mounting system on the outside of the rails...I should have off-set the panel 3 inches to either side of the rails...

PPs...Mutt...view the AM Solar DIY videos, things will make more sense..

 

[PaulT]

My tilt bars are steel and heavier than required. I would have preferred they were aluminum. Amsolar has several lengths of struts to lift different width solar panels to reach a 45 degree angle. This is appropriate for Oregon as the 45th parallel passes through the state between Salem and Portland. The "ideal" angle is equal to the latitude where you are. You might want to make a set of two bars with one solid and the other with a slot down the middle. Put some markings on the slotted one and include a wing nut or T-nut mechanism such that you could vary the length to make the length appropriate for the latitude and time of year to match the angle to maximize the solar acquisition.

Looking around the web, you can find some ingenius solutions for solar panel tilting and steering with sensors, motors and processors to keep the panels at the best angle to maximize solar collection. Many of these look fragile if put on a vehicle and needing maintenance to keep everything in working order. In addition to the complexity, most of these would increase the height of the unit to eliminate storing your camper in a garage.

One of the most interesting I found was a ground mounting support here in Oregon where there were three freon or equivalent liquid filled tanks. The one nearest the sun evaporated the freon and forced the gas to the cooler tank on the other side. This was a passive steering mechanism. By moving the weight to the other tank, the panel mount would swing around keeping the panels pointed toward the sun. At night the ground was warmer than the air and another tank pivoted the panels back to the starting point in the east by morning. Each quarter, the owner changed the tilt manually to match the angle of the sun. It worked for the owner and gave him something to do after retiring from his career as a semiconductor engineer. He also had a smalll hydroelectric generator in the creek, a windmill, and a gas generator if all else failed. He had been living off grid for quite a few years of necessity as every windstorm took his power lines down.

This is something similar in concept but different. I wish I could remember more but it was more than 20 years ago when I visited his place.
https://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/solar-tracker-zmaz77ndzgoe

Paul

 

[smlobx]

I have the factory aluminum roof rack instead of Yakima tracks so my mounting of the solar panel feet is a little different.
I bought the tilt mount components from amsolar.com which worked for me. My mounting was different from most but easy to adapt. Check their website for ideas and give them a call. I found them knowledgeable and responsive.

https://amsolar.com/rv-solar-panel-kit/mounting-accessories
Paul

Paul- Thanks for the link. I had never seen their mounting system before.
I am in the process of replacing my flexible panels that died on our Alaska trip with 2, 100 watt Renogy solid panels and have been trying to figure out a way to attach them to my flat fiberglass roof on my Hallmark Everest. I called Hallmark and they had a suggestion that involved drilling into the roof and I would like to avoid that if at all possible.

In looking at the AMSolar videos I see that his mounting brackets use some 3M double sided tape and they say that this will work if the prep is done correctly. I’m wondering what you and others think of the longevity of this system??

Their tilting mechanism also looks interesting assuming that you can get your rig properly oriented.

 

[challinger]

I can vouch for the longevity. I installed 2 100 watt panels with the tilt mounts back in 2008 on my airstream, the 3M tape is still holding strong! AM Solar has always been great to deal with and highly recommended.

Carl

 

[smlobx]

I can vouch for the longevity. I installed 2 100 watt panels with the tilt mounts back in 2008 on my airstream, the 3M tape is still holding strong! AM Solar has always been great to deal with and highly recommended.

Carl

Thanks Carl. That’s a pretty good recommendation!
What part of VA are you in?

 

[challinger]

Southeast, Hampton Roads - Tidewater. Always trying to escape this area as much as possible! How about yourself, what area do you call home?

 

[smlobx]

Southeast, Hampton Roads - Tidewater. Always trying to escape this area as much as possible! How about yourself, what area do you call home?

Mostly at Smith Mt. Lake which is between Roanoke and Lynchburg. The rest of the time in Hatteras, NC or on the road somewhere! Small world...

 

[muttmaster]

PaulT, etc. I moved one of my 100 watts mono Renogy panel mounted on Renogy tilt mount from my travel trailer to the aluminum rack on my Grandby. Had to widen the mounting hole on the panel frame just a tad to make the bracket fit snugly. Cost $32 from Amazon. Much simpler and more adjustable and maybe lighter than AMSolar mounts.

Renogy make a adjustable mount for $37 that just might work to adapt onto the ZAmp/Yakima track mount. I probably really don’t need to tilt the 160 ZAmp anymore as the 100 watts tilted boosted amp input to over 11amps by 10am, good enough for me. It can be removed and placed on the ground easy enough so I can shift positions as the day progresses. My problem solved.

 

[Fielding.dots]

Renogy makes adjustable tilting brackets and mounts that can be fastened to Yakima rails with the right hardware. Just search amazon.

 

[Jon R]

I’ve used several types of 3m doublesided tape for small automotive trim items and household stuff, so I’m familiar with how well it sticks when used properly. However, i would not use it to attach a rigid solar panel for two reasons. One is that, if the panel comes off on the highway, it could kill somebody. You don’t want that to happen obviously, and you could be found negligent for using doublesided tape alone. While a type of that tape is used to hold building glass in place (which is also a life safety installation), that is done with approval by a professional engineer. The second reason is that having the rigid panels pulling on the sheet metal away from the points of attachment of the sheet metal to the roof frame may cause damage to the roof.

I’m pretty conservative about this stuff, though. There have been several negligence verdicts in our state due to objects coming off of or out of vehicles on the highway.

 

[smlobx]

Jon I agree that I would be skeptical about applying the VHB tape to the thin metal roof found on a FWC camper. Particularly if it is the ones that are “dimpled” if that’s the right term. My Hallmark has a solid, smooth carbon fiberglass roof that is much more structurally sound so I think I’m going to give it a try... I received the kit from AM Solar yesterday and everything is very well built. I attached the components to the panels and I’m just waiting for the temperature to get high enough per the instructions for the VHB tape to adhere properly. I’m also not installing the panels on the front edge where the flexible panels were but further back about 5 feet to hopefully minimize the effects of the wind as it hits the front of the camper.