[SOLD] Autohome Columbus Variant w/ 100-watt Solar Panel

[justincwatt]

I purchased this Autohome Columbus Variant rooftop tent, size small, in June 2020, brand new from Autohome, in order to support my father who was hiking a thousand-mile section of the Continental Divide Trail. I used it for approximately 10 weeks from mid-July to mid-September. Its condition is like new.

Included in the sale is a Renogy 100-watt flexible solar panel, also purchased new in June, fixed to the top of the tent's fiberglass shell with two 15-foot rolls of 3M VHB 4950 and one layer of corrugated plastic. No holes. Additionally I'm including a pair of 20-foot 10-AWG solar extension cables (one red, one black) with MC4 connectors at one end (which connect to the solar panel's MC4 connectors) and an Anderson SB50 connector on the other (which I had plugged into a Dometic PLB40 battery, but could be connected to a charge controller of your choice, or removed entirely to expose bare wire).

Original Purchase Prices:

• Autohome Columbus Variant: $3000 (now $3500!)
• Renogy 100-watt flexible solar panel: $200
• 20-foot 10-AWG solar extension cable (pair): $25
• Anderson SB50 connector: $5
• 3M VHB 4950 (2 rolls): $50
• Corrugated plastic sheet: $20

Total cost of materials was $3300 (not including taxes or freight), and I'm looking to sell it for $3000. I'll deliver it to you within a few hours of Fresno, California (saving you hundreds of dollars on freight), and I'd be more than happy to help you install it on your vehicle. If you live more than 3 hours from Fresno, we can meet somewhere halfway. I'll accept payment in cash ($100s only, please) or a cashier's check (provided we meet at the bank).

Note: I plan to keep the Dometic PLB40 lithium iron phosphate battery and the Dometic CFX3 35L Powered Cooler I used with the solar panel, but if you want a complete, turn-key, off-grid, portable power and cooling solution ASAP, I'd be happy to sell both the battery and the cooler for an additional $1900.

 

[Superduty]

So cash in $20 bills won't do it?

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[justincwatt]

Ha, for both our sake, I'd prefer to count and verify 30 bills, as oppose to 150.

 

[grampswrx]

Any pics of the inside? Or close ups of the tent? Hard to tell the condition.

 

[justincwatt]

grampswrx, I can try to get some closeup shots tomorrow. The condition is "like new", as I only used it for about 70 days.

 

[justincwatt]

grampswrx, hope these are what you were looking for. I took the mattress out of the inside so I could vacuum it out, but it's also in "like new" condition, always used with a sheet.

 

[life_w_vagabonds]

I got a ******** load of dimes.

Sorry, had a Blazing Saddles flashback. Have a bump, internet neighbor.

 

[grampswrx]

Look pretty clean. Let me know if you are open to taking a slight detour into Southern California. I am in San Clemente. Looking at this one and a roofnest falcon. Thanks for the photos.

 

[justincwatt]

grampswrx, I just got back to Fresno last night, Sept 28, but would be more than happy meet you halfway if you want to "kick the tires" (apparently halfway is just north of The Grapevine, at The Outlets at Tejon on I-5) or if you're 99% sure you want to make the purchase (i.e., willing to make a 10% deposit via Paypal) then I could certainly make the trip down to San Clemente. Feel free to DM me.

 

[justincwatt]

Just a reminder that I'm back home with the Autohome Columbus Variant, willing to deliver it anywhere within 3 hours of Fresno, CA, including, but not limited to: San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Visalia, Bakersfield, Tehachapi, and all points in between.

 

[alia176]

Here's a bump for ya. Curious, why didn't the solar go directly on top of the tent roof vs using a sandwich material? This is a real slick way to use solar panel on this RTT. I might copy this design some day and thank you for mentioning which VHB tape you used.

Cheers.

 

[justincwatt]

alia176, based on the limited research I did in advance of this trip, I read that the power-generating efficiency of a solar panel decreases as its temperature increases, and one of the ways a panel can overheat is by sitting directly in contact with a hot surface facing the sun, i.e., the roof of a rooftop tent. So creating a "sandwich" with corrugated plastic creates a potential airgap between the panel and the roof to reduce heat transfer from the roof to the panel while also allowing the heat of the panel itself to dissipate. I also oriented the corrugated plastic so that the hollow channels go from front to back (in line with the direction of travel) so that air (and water if it's raining) is forced through the channels while driving, for additional cooling.

In terms of installation, I watched several videos made by RV with Tito DIY where he explored the efficacy of a product called EternaBond for fixing solar panels on the top of his RV. Renogy suggested using a "silicone structural adhesive" caulk, and I saw several videos where people recommended a caulk called "Lap Sealant", but this seemed like messy business (based on my previous experience with caulk). Probably my favorite video was this one made by an Aussie outfit, which used both the VHB corrugated plastic sandwich method, plus something like EternaBond around the edges. It was a video by HOBOTECH, where he used only small strips of VHB to fix the brackets of his rigid solar panels to the top of his RV, that convinced me that a VHB sandwich installation alone should suffice. Also, on Amazon I could only find EternaBond in lengths of 50 feet for $50, when I only needed about 4-6 feet. Like all such decisions, I viewed it as a hypothesis. After traveling with it for ~10,000 miles, I see no evidence of delamination.

 

[alia176]

An excellent reply, thank you for educating us on how you did this project. It'll for sure help others following your footsteps.

cheers and GLWS.

 

[justincwatt]

Just a quick note to let folks know that my Autohome Columbus Variant tent is still looking for a good home!

 

[BlackDogTundra]

Beautiful photos, looked like an amazing trip! Good luck with the sale!