Economical way for under-rack solar panel slide-out?

[Hillbilly Heaven]

Instead of using silicone or any other type of wet lube try finding some dry lube. It will go on wet but once it dries leaves a dry film lubricant. Using wet lube attracts dirt and road grit. Just clean it good with alcohol before apply because you have silicone on there now. I use Break Free CLP, not something you would find at the auto parts store but might find it at WalMart near the gun cleaning stuff.

 

[JCDriller]

Hey so a quick update

Everything is bolted up and done. 80/20 makes a deadbolt latch that I used. I also plan to add a padlock hasp.


Rolls smoothly after adding some silicon lubricant and shaving down the plastic in a few places. My screws were not perfectly center down the track, so it caused the track to bulge in some places, adding friction to the slide.

On a cloudy day in San Diego, with the panels stowed away, I was getting 1.5 amps into the battery, battery voltage 14.5v. My batteries were already fully charged, so that plus the clouds, I suspect I could get double that on a sunny day. Very happy even with the 1.5a trickle and 14.5v. Batteries should stay in tip top shape now. With panels fully extended, I get about 7-8amps each on a sunny day.

While the panels don't need any support to stay extended, I found that they rest perfectly on top of my open barn door. So no prop needed. Without the door support, they sag down about 2"

View attachment 411977View attachment 411978

Any updates on how the system is working for you? I just ordered my frontrunner rack and all the solar parts except the panels. I want the renogy eclipse panels and they are sold out everywhere.

 

[jeegro]

Panels I picked up for $115 each on Amazon. Got really lucky - the price shot up to like $180-200 right after I bought them.

The slide-out is exceeding expectations. I thought i'd have to deploy at least 1 panel to get a good trickle charge, but every time I check on the battery monitor (with the panels fully tucked in) I'm still getting 1.5+A at 13.5-14.5 volts. Which is just fine when the fridge isn't hooked up and I'm just parked out back at home.

I have not taken them on a trip yet

Double check how much room you'll have underneath your rack. For the discovery 2's at least, they sell two different versions: one that hugs the roof and one that is taller.

 

[JCDriller]

Panels I picked up for $115 each on Amazon. Got really lucky - the price shot up to like $180-200 right after I bought them.

The slide-out is exceeding expectations. I thought i'd have to deploy at least 1 panel to get a good trickle charge, but every time I check on the battery monitor (with the panels fully tucked in) I'm still getting 1.5+A at 13.5-14.5 volts. Which is just fine when the fridge isn't hooked up and I'm just parked out back at home.

I have not taken them on a trip yet

Double check how much room you'll have underneath your rack. For the discovery 2's at least, they sell two different versions: one that hugs the roof and one that is taller.

Glad to hear it's working well. You got a hell of a deal on the panels! I'll have to check my rack when it comes it but I think it'll be tall enough on the 4Runner because the rack clears the shark fin antenna.

 

[rayra]

Looks good. Nice that you get a good trickle charge when stored, too!

And nice setup that it forms a shade at the rear of the vehicle.

I think I'm finally lined up to a lay hands on a folding panel kit this coming weekend and have already dismounted my roof deck to fashion the MkII. Over the next few weeks I think I'm going to fashion a flat roof mount where the forward edge of the panel slots into a piece of channel on my roof deck and the rearmost edge gets locked down with a similar channel that's fastened with something like a flush-style hood lock (the kind with the round barrel key). Locked on when mounted, and wired to my power setup for constant power. And positioned towards the rear of the roof so I just stand on the rear bumper, turn a couple hood locks and the panel comes free and I can position in on the ground on a either a short or long lead, as desired. So I can park my huge black bus in some tree shade or under my awnings.

Maybe I can make the mount on the roof deck like a sort of picture frame, so the panel sits down inside it, it's sides all covered from wind or probing fingers. And have the locks added to the panel array as an extension on the panels themselves, and with some foam rubber footings under the panel so the panel doesn't rattle around. Just put it up there, slot the front edge into the mount slot, press it down into the rubber / closed cell foam as the locks are engaged. From the ground all anyone sees is the black perimeter frame, if they even notice that.
Have to think about that some more. Wind forces, uplift, the speeds I drive. The tiny roll pins in those hood locks probably aren't sufficient. So maybe a hinged piece of angle metal as the rear retainer lap, with the lock setup built into that. Flop it open, insert the panel, fold it up and over the rear edge of the panels, press down while engaging the locks. I think that will work well.

I could even cover the panels with a sheet of lexan and not worry about using the automated car wash.

And use 'security' screws to mount the framework to the deck

 

[jeegro]

Having a hard time visualizing it, but sounds like you have a plan!

Update on the solar. I did a weekend trip. Had a hiccup with the plastic glide track getting stuck. It worked itself out over the weekend as I slide it in and out more and more. I used the handle to yank really hard to try and pull it out, and separated the frame from the panel I should have realized the frame is only glued on onto the panel. I think if I add a couple long threaded rods and bolt them to the opposite edge of the panel, that will provide better support. And a bonus, I'll have a couple rails for hanging things while I cook. I also realized that if a panel breaks it'll be a pain in the butt to redrill and attach a new one. The deadbolt latch is working really well.

I'm also only getting ~5.5 amps MAX from each panel, in direct sunlight in the desert of SoCal. The specs say its good for 5.7A @ 17.7 volts, so my morningstar sunsaver MPPT should be converting some of that higher volts into amps, right? I might try it in series, but unless I can switch easily between parallel and series (e.g. 0, 1 or 2 panels deployed) then its not practical.

 

[rayra]

well you are doing well to have so much hair, pilgrim, er I mean generate so much of the potential when the panels are in a flat / horizontal mounting. You'd likely exceed the conservative rating if you had the panels at their optimum angle, perpendicular to the sun. Around 50-60deg from vertical, this time of year, in SoCal.
http://solarelectricityhandbook.com/solar-angle-calculator.html



Here's a quick sketch of what I'm planning. A sort of picture frame that will trap the panel in a flat 'stored' mounting on my roof rack deck. Which can be readily unlocked to free the panel adn raise it to the appropriate angle and orientation for max gainzzz. Or even set on the ground on a longer lead. I'm going to wire things so the panel when on the roof will be connected via fixed wiring to my Aux Power Module in the rear of the Sub. And have a second connector on the rear faceplate of tha tmodule for when the panel is ground-mounted.

eta I'm even toying with the idea of putting most of the mount and panel on a lazy susan so the panel can swing some side to side, locked in the centerline position when it is trapped by the locking plate. And incorporating a subframe with pneumatic lifters and a limiting wire so when you unlock the panel it pops right up to the pre-set optimum angle. And the 'ready' angle for mounting or dismounting the panel.
There's only 44" between the side rails of my rack, so it won't have much of a range of motion.

I'll be developing the idea in my Aux power topic in the 12V forum.