Solar panel as a wind deflector

[Mr_Miyagisan]

As the title says, I'm liking the thought of solar on my Jeep XJ. I did a little digging and I cant find any solid information, id like to run a panel and double it as a wind deflector for my RTT to sort of save space and have something serve a dual purpose. Only worry I have is strength and longevity

Anyone have any pictures of a setup like this?

 

[john61ct]

Sounds dicey, better IMO to keep the panel out of the wind path as much as possible, scratches from road dust rocks, tree limbs etc will degrade efficiency.

 

[java]

Might get scratched/dinged, but I was surprised at how sturdy the panels really are.

 

[Haf-E]

Long narrow panels are somewhat hard to find these days - but older ones are out there if you look for Arco or Siemens brands which are 13 inches wide x 48 to 53 inches long - models M75, M55 or even m53. I wouldn't have any issue with doing that if it fits well on your rig. I suppose it might even be possible to use a wider panel even.

 

[JPaul]

If you're going to go that route, I'd make a cover for the panel to protect it from rocks and other debris while driving. A piece of thinner aluminum or even a piece of thin plexiglass or other plastic would be plenty. You could attach a hinge to the leading edge and use clasps on the trailing edge to keep it on, and then when you're parked just undo the clasps and fold the guard down to expose the panel to the sun.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[Mr_Miyagisan]

If you're going to go that route, I'd make a cover for the panel to protect it from rocks and other debris while driving. A piece of thinner aluminum or even a piece of thin plexiglass or other plastic would be plenty. You could attach a hinge to the leading edge and use clasps on the trailing edge to keep it on, and then when you're parked just undo the clasps and fold the guard down to expose the panel to the sun.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

that's a pretty good idea!

 

[chet6.7]

Like this @ 10.18?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY2Rxcs1KOU

 

[Mr_Miyagisan]

exactly

 

[Explorer cron]

I know I’m quite late to the show, but did you go with the solar wind deflector? I’m planning on doing this on my trailer.

 

[J!m]

Old thread but perhaps a piece of the clear film used to protect paint could be laminated to the panel as a sacrificial surface...

This is a neat idea but I've destroyed two panels up on my roof rack (spring mounted and not directly in the wind) and have not been in a big hurry to replace them yet.

 

[Kevin108]

I have to laugh at how everybody that says not to has never tried it. It works great! It considerably reduces wind noise, or at least it did for my build. I ran this setup for a few years. Everybody worries about it getting damaged, but I never had any issues. The FJ is gone, but the panel survived the wreck and I still use it at home to charge my Jackery. And if it does get damaged, a $90 solar panel isn't going to bankrupt you.