pvstoy
Senior Member
Izpup I ordered the panels off Overlands web page and at the time I received a new customer discount code that was emailed to me.lzpup said:Hello Pvstoy,
Very interesting, did you order the panels? I am interested in putting 2 of the overlands on my Hawk. Interested to know how you mounted and wired it.
Thanks,
Brian wired a 90 degree SAE plug to match the reverse polarity of the FWC. My panels are wired in Parallel.
I worked with a friend and made a aluminum "Z" bar frame welded together with lateral cross supports. The panels mounting holes were marked on the "Z" bar and the were drilled and taped. The whole frame was attached to the Yakima tracks on the roof.
Stainless screws were used. The ones in the aluminum "Z" bar were coated with Silicon or RTF to keep them from backing out. The ones to attached to the Yakima tracks were coated with grease to prevent seizing of the metals.
I think that answers your questions.
pvstoy said:I can answer that question for you. I was at FWC last month and saw the new panel that is being installed. I was impressed and contacted Overland Solar for details.
I talked to Rando and he pointed out that the specifications provided on the web page is wrong. So talking to Brian at Overland Solar I got the corrected specifications.
22 X 57.25 inches
7 Pounds
Pmax 160W
32.2 Voc
27.3 Vmp
Isc (A) 6.8
Imp (A) 5.83
FWC started installs at the beginning of the year when the new owner took over. Mainline Overland also stocks the panels.
How they are mounted is a aluminum frame with a air gap under between the roof and aluminum angle. On the long sides there are 5 metal grommets on each side and screws are used to attach to the aluminum frame. There has been lots of testing to see if there needs to be a thin backing plate to prevent warping or sagging. As it turns out they are ridged enough that nothing is needed. But a caution for my install for mounting the panels North / South between the two roof vents was air flow getting under the panels while driving. If I do see any wind ( not likely) then a simple poly air deflector will solve it.
I ordered 3 panels and since they have a higher voltage I'm choosing to use a MPPT controller and wire them in parallel to get more amps. Also Overland Solar provides 90 degree SAE plugs to FWC.
Talking to Brian at Overland Solar I was impressed with his customer service. They live off the grid and use and test their products. They are busy and travel a lot to shows and events where I needed to leave a message and they will get back when available.
Hope that answers your questions.....