Two happy-making Bobcat add-ons

[ootnaboot]

Well, I finally finished two add-ons I've been wanting to do for a while: solar and side surf racks.

For solar, we went with two 153w frameless panels. They're manufactured with carbon fiber, so they have the rigidity and are super lightweight (10 lbs per panel). We bonded the panels to 1 1/4" aluminum, and bolted them to the Yakima track nuts. Then ran the wires through some solar rack wire holders. They're set up in series. Here's how it turned out (I still need to cap off the openings):

For the surf racks, our good friend (who also hooked us up with and helped with installing the solar panels) owns a company called Moved By Bikes. They make racks for carrying surfboards to the break on a bicycle or scooter. But, he got the idea that we could use the jack brackets. So, our rig has moved from being roaming mtb bike and ski lodge to roaming mtb bike, ski, and surf lodge: ready for missions in the mountains and down into Baja!

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Welcome to the cult ,with your Bobcat.
Your mods look like a nice job.
What year is the Bobcat?

Great campers.
Frank

 

[ootnaboot]

Welcome to the cult ,with your Bobcat.
Your mods look like a nice job.
What year is the Bobcat?

Great campers.
Frank

Thanks, Frank! It's a 2014. We've got it in late 2019 from another WTW member. It's been a great addition to our life.

 

[Vic Harder]

Who makes those solar panels?

 

[BlueSky]

How do you keep the surfboard from banging against the truck? Is there a pad in there? Asking for a friend that used to be a surfer in SoCal but ended up in Colorado and has been stuck there ever since

 

[PaulT]

Who makes those solar panels?

Me, too. I couldn’t find anything on them. They look interesting.

Paul

 

[ootnaboot]

Who makes those solar panels?

Me, too. I couldn’t find anything on them. They look interesting.

Paul

They're made by a company called Giga Solar (Model # GS-OG49-153P-12V). A friend of ours who works in the solar industry (not related to Giga) ordered and gave them to us for voice over work my wife did for them. He's sort of a solar guru and thought they'd work perfect for a pop-up camper. If you're interested, I'll ask him where he ordered them from and pass it along. They're super thin—maybe 1/4" thick—and light (10 lbs each).

 

[ootnaboot]

How do you keep the surfboard from banging against the truck? Is there a pad in there? Asking for a friend that used to be a surfer in SoCal but ended up in Colorado and has been stuck there ever since

Oh man, your friend really needs to grab a board, get to the break, and paddle out...like soon. The board hooks are locked in place super solidly and padded with the perfect amount of closed cell foam. We have a single board version (as shown in the image) and a SUP version that lets us carry two boards. Little nylon straps keep the board in place. Won't drive often (especially not to Baja) with the boards out of the board bags. But there was no movement even driving on Hwy 1 at 65mph out of the bag. Here's a video about them (https://youtu.be/z3ACQFOh96I). They bolt perfect on the jack brackets.