Side mount tilt-up solar panel mounts.

[Trailwerx]

I came up with this solar mount for my '96 F350 utility body camper. I'm in Alaska so roof-top mounts aren't so great with our low sun angles and I sometimes carry a canoe on the roof rack. I used Quick Fist rubber mounts which provide a bit of suspension for the panel on our rough roads. I used extendable paint roller extension poles (~ $15 each at Lowe's) for the adjustable supports to hold a 160 watt panel at the desired angle and to prevent the wind from catching the panel and possibly flipping it over onto the roof. I carry three different length poles which allow any tilt angle from flat against the wall to horizontal and it also extends past horizontal in cases where I have to park with the sun on the other side of the truck. I keep it in the vertical position when driving and tilt it up when I park. Works really well so far and I have room for another panel next to the existing one if I need more amperage.

 

[rayra]

I think the side mount in your latitude is a great idea. Paint pole is a good solution too.

I made a set of adjustable awning poles using some nesting EMT conduit, with a simple bail / pin. Drilled a series of centered thru-holes in the inner conduit to have some range of adjustment. Same could be done with a solar mount, with the resulting angles corresponding to the optimum panel angles throughout the year / between solstices.

 

[Herbie]

I really like this, even for my more southern latitudes.

I have a poptop roof, so all roof borne weight adds up fast, particularly any mass closer to the front of the vehicle, where the "lever arm" is the longest.

I'm looking at upgrading our solar, and modern panels are lighter than what we've got currently, but my choices are either smallish panels that I can still haul off the roof for remote use, or a larger panel that would be impractical for anything but fixed mounting.

Fixed mounting pretty much forces me to park facing north, which isn't always practical either

I've built an L-track mounting system on the driver's side - currently for tools and traction boards, but mounting the solar over there would put it at a more manageable height for when I wanted to take it off for remote use, and would let me park facing west (my preference, for maximum shade in the living area off the sliding door) for mounted use...


Hrm.... Now to just solve the security/theft prevention issue...

 

[pugslyyy]

I saw an RV set up with side mount panels at Craters of the Moon a few years ago. They were using the panels as awnings over the windows to provide shade, which I thought was clever.

 

[dreadlocks]

Also good at lower latitudes in the winter, snow wont pile up on em.. and you can get a nice powerboost from snow reflecting light, I hear if you get far enough north in the winter the'll output more power with a bit of ground tilt... I'm mounting my portable one somewhat like this, so I can either leave it vertical, tilt it up, or take it off and move it to the sun.. unfortunately portable is a bit of an overstatement since its 325w house panel and needs two people to move and hang it back up.

 

[Trailwerx]

dreadlocks, vertical mount works best in midwinter especially if the ground is snow covered or you park on a frozen lake (providing the ice is thick enough, that is). Which is a good thing, because we only get about 4 hours of usable sunlight then. And, yes, they don't collect snow, added bonus. And there is about a half inch of airspace behind the panel when in the vertical position so it helps keep the panel cooler in summer.

Pugslyyy, it does work as a small awning just big enough to stand or sit under and helps shade the side of the truck. Added bonus.

Herbie, I run a vinyl- coated cable lock from my roof rack to the top of the panel which keeps it locked in any tilt position but it would be relatively easy (and more convenient) to mount a small hasp lock on each side of the panel although that would only lock it in the vertical/travel position. I was trying to minimize the need for holes drilled through the camper wall. The four Quick Fists only require one 5/16" hole each for through bolts.

I guess the biggest downside is that the panel is a bit more likely to take a rock strike since it's on the driver's side. Also it kind of blows my whole stealth camper scheme since the rest of the vehicle appears to be a work truck and not a tricked-out camper. The blue color of the panel matches my truck color pretty closely but the bright aluminum frame really stands out so I may paint the panel frame dark blue or black so it blends with the truck better. Oh, yeah, before anyone asks: the weather station which appears to be mounted to the top of the truck is actually in the background. Midnight Dome overlooking Dawson City, Yukon Territory last week after a muddy trip over Top of the World Highway..

 

[Herbie]

So I spent a lunch break sketching and I've solved all the mounting and security problems, including all the drawings I need to fabricate the necessary mounts for a lightweight mechanism where I can pivot the panel up and also easily remove it for remote use.

Overall, I think this is a solid idea - it'd definitely be easier on my back to access the panel on my rear-quarter, versus pulling it off of the roof, just given the length of my panel, etc.
I can even rationalize that the panel isn't at much more risk for damage on the side vs. the top since I'm about equally likely to encounter low-hanging branches as narrow-trails.

Literally the only thing that makes me second-guess this arrangement is that it puts the panel very much in view when I'm parked, which is the kind of attention I'd rather not draw. On the roof, it's "out of sight, out of mind". I only have to worry about the side-mount for the traction mats and tools when I'm packed for a trip - they're easy to remove for normal "storage" parking, but the panel will be on all the time - even if/when I'm parked on the street or driveway at home. I can secure the panel against casual pilferage, but nothing is secure against a determined opponent, and putting the panel right at head level on the street-side seems like a bit more advertising than I prefer.

Decisions, decisions. I'll need to decide soon - I'm about to kick off a campaign to strip every unneeded ounce off the roof, so that whole system is getting a redesign.

 

[Alloy]

I think you are good if is secure against someone walking away with it.
A dermined person would probably break into the camper and not bother with a single solar panel. To awkward to deal with.

Is solar charging while one the road a consideration?

 

[Herbie]

I think you are good if is secure against someone walking away with it.
A dermined person would probably break into the camper and not bother with a single solar panel. To awkward to deal with.

Is solar charging while one the road a consideration?

Not so much when under way, but charging while parked is a primary consideration, since I am not always able to park my rig in the driveway where I can keep shore-power attached to keep the batteries happy.

 

[Trailwerx]

Herbie, if security is an issue, you could mount the top edge of the panel to hinges instead of the Quick Fist clamps I used. I'm not overly concerned because the top clamps of my panel are around 10 feet off the ground but yours will be much lower. I've heard that solar panels don't hold up well to vibrations, bumps, etc. so I like that the Quick Fists are rubber and help damp vibrations but it may not be a big issue because a lot of people have rigid mounts on vehicles and they seem to work fine. I just purchased another panel and will mount it next to the one I already had. One panel wasn't quite keeping up with the load from the Engel 45 fridge/freezer.

 

[rayra]

how about moving the vertical mount upward so the panel could be pivoted all the way up and over and face-down on the roof when traveling? You lose power generation then, but you're driving anyway. And once 'camped' you can deploy it.


I just pulled my folding ground panel roof bracket off, preparing to replace / upgrade the roof deck, there's better pics in my build topic, but this image is handy and it sort of illustrates what I did. The panel is kept mounted, operational, flat on my roof, locked in this bracket. But if can be unlatched and stood up on its integral feet / braces for a high angle when camped or placed on the ground on a long power lead.

 

[Trailwerx]

Just a quick follow-up one year later: This spring I added one more 150 watt solar panel and painted the aluminum panel frames to make them blend better with the truck (a '96 Ford F350 with a utility body camper). I've driven this thing on a lot of rough roads in Alaska and the Yukon and the am happy to report the system is holding up well. I was worried the rubber Quick Fist clamps would deteriorate in the sun but they are holding up fine so far. When they do eventually break down they will be cheap and easy to replace (I mounted them to the truck with Plus Nuts and sealant). One mildly annoying thing is that I have to carry three different sizes of paint roller poles to get all the tilt angles I need. Short ones for spring and fall, mid-size ones for summer, and long ones so I can tilt the panels up past horizontal if the sun is on the other side of the truck. But if I park with the rear of the truck facing south, and I am nearby at mid morning and mid afternoon to adjust the tilt angles, I am able to get sun on the panels all day long from sunup to sunset with minimal futzing.

 

[dreadlocks]

I did mine finally too, had all the stuff laying about and got sick of carrying this monster 325W inside.. need to attach shocks next, but for now my aluminum level does fine.





1/4in thick 2in Aluminum angle used for everything, painted it and used a nylon washer between the two brackets so the hinge action is nice and smooth w/out taking all the paint off.


Comes off easy enough when I need to move it into the sun:

 

[4x4tripping]

Cool idea! Also suggest to look deeper into EFTE Solar panels - which dont have to be directed to the sun to get power.

Surfy