inexpensive panels

Sealing the entire roof with solid panels with an inch for air space for ventilation takes design expertise and a bunch of aluminum square tubing. Attachment points along the edges and front and rear. This would reduce summer oven effect.

Nope, does not have the Gypsy Caravan look. Looks ok. Anybody got a link to his rig photos?

BFL13 wrote:
One of our members (Tom? not sure of name, sorry) will be along to show his panels hanging off the side of his RV that he props up sort of like awnings.

Thought about that idea, don't think that would meet DW's approval for looks.. Would look more like a "carnival" food wagon, but hey, it's your RV, not mine.

Still would need considerable mounting points and bunch of struts to prop it up with the weight of the panels.. Perhaps just buy all the flexible panels you can get and just "wrap" the entire RV from top to bottom? :E Wouldn't need roofing or siding either..

Nothing like "solar extreme RV'n"

One of our members (Tom? not sure of name, sorry) will be along to show his panels hanging off the side of his RV that he props up sort of like awnings.

pianotuna wrote:
Hi all,

I've often thought of using panels as awnings. Nothing to avoid except the fridge air intake, water heater, and furnace.

Tell me more. Would the panels be mounted over the windows and the bottoms tilted out to act as awnings, or do you intend to do it differently? Always room for some ideas & engineering.

I purchased 3 lifts from SolaRVector in Quartzsite in January 0f 2018. They were designed for panels smaller than mine. I got out the TIG welder and adjusted them to work with my panels. GRIN. Really nice to flip the switch and get a rise. OH! wait, did I say that right?
Richard

I once saw a mounting system I really liked which allowed for more panels in the existing space, panels were mounted elevated above roof along each side with a unistrut system of mounting rails,
Underneath these panels was another layer of panels on cabinet Sliders like used for cargo and storage,
The lower panels could be pulled out to expose them to the sun, doubling the amount of active solar panels, spring loaded latching Pins, keep the lower panels in place retracted while travelling,
Panels could be released and extended using an awning pull rod, (before extending the awnings)
And pushed back to lock in place while travelling
Wish I had pictures to post, I have No Idea of the expenses, I only know the design basics and that it seemed to work extremely well

pianotuna wrote:
Hi all,

I've often thought of using panels as awnings. Nothing to avoid except the fridge air intake, water heater, and furnace.

At 40+ lbs for 250W panels, it would take a substantially heavy duty frame to do that as a cantilever..

I certainly would not want to be under them when they crash down so a lot of heavy duty aluminum framing and lots of reinforcement to roof and even your side walls where they hang out over (think triangle frame)..

Got to get them up there and even if you did get them up there, you would have to swing or fold them back onto the roof for the times you are going to be mobile. Folding them over the roof will make them upside down so no solar charging happens while in storage mode, not to mention exposing the back most likely will not be good for them..

Even if you set them up on some sort of slide out (think slide rails) it will take a considerably more money in materials (have to upsize frame rail materials to handle the weight loads on the cantilever), your time in designing, engineering and construction and installation than simply buying a bunch of smaller 100W 12V panels and strategically placing them on the space you have available..

Lots-o-things to go wrong.

Go with the K.I.S.S. method.. (Keep It SIMPLE Silly) Plant them solid to the roof and be done with it (IE no moving parts).

The more moving parts and more complex you make it, the better the odds of failure will happen.

One needs to ask the question, is the hassle really worth it?

Hi all,

I've often thought of using panels as awnings. Nothing to avoid except the fridge air intake, water heater, and furnace.

pianotuna wrote:
Gde,

I think that folks soon tire of portable panels.

Yes they do allow parking in the shade, but that is their only advantage.

I'm a flat fixed install guy.

I would agree with that sentiment..

I personally would hate life if I was having to manually lug around a solar panel, let alone one huge panel or half a dozen panels..

BUT, the reality is very few RVs have enough open space to fit one huge panel like a 250W 24V type.. Unless you are OK covering the A/C, any of the roof vents, fridge vent, TV antenna, stereo antenna and even the black/grey tank vents.. But doing so can open up many cans-o-worms.

That is were smaller 12V panels can be strategically placed around obstacles, much easier to get on the roof and much easier over all.

I know from my own 26ft TT with three roof vents, a TV antenna (that I have not put back on after replacing the roof because I am lazy), did have fridge vent but that wasn't needed after replacing the fridge with a residential type, roof air could be put back if I wanted to go that route and of coarse black and grey vents that there simply is no single open patch of space for one single 250W at 24V panel..

There is however lots of space to hang at least 6 physically smaller 100W 12V panels, perhaps a few more on my TT..

Have not really needed solar at this time since we really only use the RV for two weeks a yr and our battery setup allows us to basically "overnight" between campgrounds with power..

Now, if we decide to use campgrounds without shore power, that may be the game changer for us.. But I am not really seeing that for a while and camping in the southern states in the summer pretty much requires shore power to handle the A/C for the brutal 110F+ daytime temps with high humidity..

If my Brother who was living in VT was still alive, Solar would have been a priority, VT State parks don't have shore power at any sites and do not allow genny use at all and I would have liked to have tried a few of those parks..

Gde,

I think that folks soon tire of portable panels.

Yes they do allow parking in the shade, but that is their only advantage.

I'm a flat fixed install guy.