Swing up solar panel mounting

[DRP]

Roof space is all used up and I need just a bit more wattage.

My thought is to have another panel that swings up awning style that can be deployed at camp. I would want to be able to go up beyond flat to catch sun on the other side.

Maybe have the added bonus of being able to remove and deploy in the sun if parked in the shade

I know I can design ad fabricate from scratch. I could also go the 80/20 route but that would probably end up heavier than needed. I don't want to reinvent the wheel if something is already out there

Anyone have something in use that they like?

 

[llamalander]

A few more details about what you want your panel to do would help--
Do you want to hang it on the side of the vehicle and angle it up when you're parked in the sun? Will you store it on the roof and pull it out before tilting it up?
How important is it to be able to remove it and position it remotely?
Basically, the more you want to do with it, the more complex the build gets.
Whatever you do, the frame should provide much of the structure you need, supplementing it with aluminum angle behind the attachment points of your mounts will probably be sufficient.
If you are willing to stow the panel for travel, hooking it onto heavy-duty folding table brackets may be all you need, the brackets are attached to your rack with cleats that will hold the panel.
Decide what's most important, and how often you are willing to set-up or orient the panel when you are parked.
Think of a budget, double it and remember not to count your time as worth anything. You are making a custom array for your custom vehicle, it will be priceless.

 

[DRP]

It would have to travel in the hanging position on the back of the box.

Priority one,
Tilt up to awning ish slope, level, or above level, depending where the sun is. Arms with adjustable or multiple attachment points to get those three angles.

Bonus,
Easy detachment to move around in the sun. Detachment method cannot jeopardize the security of the unit parked or going down the road

 

[Trailwerx]

Here's what I did on one of my rigs. It's holding up well, no problems, but next time I think I'll use two Quickfists on each end for the top mounts for a little redundancy/peace of mind while driving.

Side mount tilt-up solar panel mounts.

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...

www.expeditionportal.com

 

[DRP]

Thanks for the link to your setup. I like quick first idea

 

[rayra]

another poster recently showed an idea of two sets of additional panels sliding out from below a fixed set on a vehicle rooftop. Many variations of that idea are possible. Including slats or a system with hinges / pivots that let you extend a panel and angle it downward.
I can't seem to find the link for it, I grabbed the youtube link from a posting somewhere here in ExPo, within the last week or so. Maybe someone else can I.D. the member and topic.

 

[shade]

another poster recently showed an idea of two sets of additional panels sliding out from below a fixed set on a vehicle rooftop. Many variations of that idea are possible. Including slats or a system with hinges / pivots that let you extend a panel and angle it downward.
I can't seem to find the link for it, I grabbed the youtube link from a posting somewhere here in ExPo, within the last week or so. Maybe someone else can I.D. the member and topic.

I've posted a link to that video a few times, but I know nothing about the guy past whatever he's posted about the work on his camper. That's a neat system that looks relatively light & strong for the output. It probably wouldn't work well with much snow & ice on the roof, though.

 

[Buckstopper]

You might be surprised at how much more you can get out of your existing panels by tipping them toward the sun rather than adding a panel. I did this with the panel on the cab of my Fuso and it was significant. I am l looking at how I can tilt the other two panels that are located on the camper roof. There are free iphone apps that you can use to optimize the angle specific to your location.

 

[shade]

You might be surprised at how much more you can get out of your existing panels by tipping them toward the sun rather than adding a panel. I did this with the panel on the cab of my Fuso and it was significant. I am l looking at how I can tilt the other two panels that are located on the camper roof. There are free iphone apps that you can use to optimize the angle specific to your location.

I'm going to start with it fixed horizontally, but I can tilt it by opening my pop-up.
I may end up incorporating a simple pivot & prop design to allow two-axis tilting, though.

 

[rayra]

would be easy to do so. Pythagoras solved it ~2500yrs ago. That and a little Trig (2300yrs ago). All you need is a base edge pivot setup and a pivoting leg or stirrup that is mounted on both 'side' edges, with that 'base' leg sized to match your panel to the optimum angle for your latitude. With an appropriate slot setup in your mounting frame all you'd need is a couple wingnuts / threaded hand knobs, loosen them, lift up on the high edge of the panel until the linkage maxes out, then tighten them. You could even add a pneumatic arm so all you'd have to do is loosen a knob and the panel pops open to height. YOu'd just have to push it flat and tighten the nut / knob (and maybe pin it to lock it down).

What I'd really like to do is mount a panel on a 3-axis wall mount for a flatscreen TV, such that the panel is flat and locked in a frame for transport and once in place just unlock a frame and lift up the panel to whatever orientation you need, regardless of which way your vehicle is oriented. I wanted to do something like that with my own rooftop setup, but wanted a flatter setup to keep the panel unnoticeable.
some noise I made about the idea, 2yrs ago - https://www.expeditionportal.com/fo...-werks-topic-02-k1500-z71.172800/post-2386546


eta this setup would be widely adjustable to cover the full range from Tierra del Fuego to Prudhoe Bay, in any season / axial tilt.

If one could rig a sort of lazy-susan baseplate, you could spin the deployed panel to face whatever direction you want. You just spin it around and flatten it for road travel.

Here's now mine is now, details are on this page and prior -

Los Angeles -Class Attack Sub(urban), Build / Collected Werks topic - '02 k1500 Z71

Drove up to Vandenberg today to witness the SpaceX Falcon9 / Iridium launch, but mostly because it was to be the first attempt at re-landing the 1st stage on land on the west coast. Closest I could get was about 4.5mi from the launch pad, in the farm fields of Lompoc. Rocket went off without a...

www.expeditionportal.com

I'm thinking about reworking the setup to have two panels on the roof, same sort of frame, with the forward panel fixed, with the portable panel remaining removable in the rear portion of the frame. Just need to find a ~100W panel that's no more than 44" on the long side. And up my fabrication game a little.

eta and wire them in parallel, so if I park the vehicle in shade and ground deploy the portable panel in the sun, the setup will still generate some juice.

 

[shade]

would be easy to do so. Pythagoras solved it ~2500yrs ago. That and a little Trig (2300yrs ago). All you need is a base edge pivot setup and a pivoting leg or stirrup that is mounted on both 'side' edges, with that 'base' leg sized to match your panel to the optimum angle for your latitude. With an appropriate slot setup in your mounting frame all you'd need is a couple wingnuts / threaded hand knobs, loosen them, lift up on the high edge of the panel until the linkage maxes out, then tighten them. You could even add a pneumatic arm so all you'd have to do is loosen a knob and the panel pops open to height. YOu'd just have to push it flat and tighten the nut / knob (and maybe pin it to lock it down).

What I'd really like to do is mount a panel on a 3-axis wall mount for a flatscreen TV, such that the panel is flat and locked in a frame for transport and once in place just unlock a frame and lift up the panel to whatever orientation you need, regardless of which way your vehicle is oriented. I wanted to do something like that with my own rooftop setup, but wanted a flatter setup to keep the panel unnoticeable.

That's basically what I plan to do. There won't be a need for anything fancier than pivoting anchor points on one side, and a fixed brace on the other. I only have a single large panel to position, and if I add a side tilt, it'll be with the intent to have it supported well enough to leave it tilted while unattended for days, if needed. The perimeter frame of my camper has T-slot channels, so mounting crossbar shouldn't be too hard.

Something similar to the above could be done for those that want a swing-down arrangement. Just make the lower/fixed rail extend far enough outboard of the roofline to allow for sliding the panel to that edge for mounting the pivot point, and devise a prop to support the lower edge near the ground.

 

[rayra]

with a little finagling you could fashion an internal frame a panel fits over, secured with 4 hand-tightened knobs and on the fly be able to unbolt and re-arrange which edge of the panel becomes the pivot base, all four sides of the panel. With the stanchions being moved to pre-set locations. Some tacked nuts or even just tapped holes in some angle iron would do the trick. A panel could be tipped up in all four cardinal directions of the vehicle. (wrong word, but close enough, x- and y-axis of the vehicle)

 

[shade]

with a little finagling you could fashion an internal frame a panel fits over, secured with 4 hand-tightened knobs and on the fly be able to unbolt and re-arrange which edge of the panel becomes the pivot base, all four sides of the panel. With the stanchions being moved to pre-set locations. Some tacked nuts or even just tapped holes in some angle iron would do the trick. A panel could be tipped up in all four cardinal directions of the vehicle. (wrong word, but close enough, x- and y-axis of the vehicle)

True. I'm not that concerned with being able to go both ways, but that would make it possible for me to have three tilt options.

I'll probably use three crossbars of 80/20 T-slot stock. I haven't checked their pivot hardware options yet, but I'm sure I can find or make something. It may take some fiddling to prevent rattles.

 

[dogsled]

Solar Panel Roof Rack Mod for 60 series

Hey gang - I've been silent on this forum for a long time, but though I'd share a recent mod to my 60. I run a 24v 1987 HJ-60 (Cdn spec) and have, like many of my brethren, had my share of battery-related issues when parked for an extended period in cold weather. I also, like many of my...

www.expeditionportal.com

Works out just fine in a Yellowknife winter - not that I use it much then - but come spring the panel is in perfect shape.

 

[Rbertalotto]

Eight spring loaded "barrel bolts", two on each corner and you can tilt in any direction.....A couple adjustable tent poles to tilt at desired angle.

Easy Peasy!