Portable Solar
With all this talk of portable setups. It's got me thinking of one too. Here's the panels I'm interested in: Two 140W 12V panels. I saw where someone hinged a couple of panels together and put a handl...
Forum Discussion
I think it makes sense to go portable first until you are sure what you really need/want and that you are keeping that rig for a while.
Can't repost photos right now, but my first portable method was to build a wooden tray for the panel, which I secured to the roof on rubber mats to protect the roof. Lashed down with bungee cords using the metal base of the a/c shroud with the slots in it (perfect for bungee hooks) and to the cargo rail around the back of the trailer. The ladder would do for that too.
Looks like there is room between ladder and back shroud for a tray, then just put the panels in the tray lashed to the tray. I have a couple of bars across the back of the panel bolted onto the panel frame. The bars then get lashed to the tray.
I have driven at highway speeds for two hours at a time with the panel up there in its tray all lashed down and bungeed and it is still there on arrival. I connect using the fridge vent same as if panels were nailed down on the roof, so they are working while driving too.
Whole idea is once you get there, you can leave as is, go up on roof and tilt them , point them, whatever--even take them down and use on the ground. Then put them back in travelling mode. If leaving them up there, you don't have to keep taking them up and down from the roof, but you don't have to nail them down either.
With a suitcase set, with room for only one tray between ladder and shroud, you could give up the solar working while driving (don't need it anyway) and unfold on arrival, or take the top one off with the loose hinges and set it down on the other side of the shroud. Since you are not moving the rig it does not need to be lashed right down while camping.
First I used a rope to haul the panels up and let them down. Then I found it easier to take along a normal aluminum ladder and set it against the back of the slide-out and just carry the panel up in one hand beside me while climbing the ladder. Your problem where to keep a portable ladder! If you leave them up all the time except at home, you can just have the ladder at home.
Can't repost photos right now, but my first portable method was to build a wooden tray for the panel, which I secured to the roof on rubber mats to protect the roof. Lashed down with bungee cords using the metal base of the a/c shroud with the slots in it (perfect for bungee hooks) and to the cargo rail around the back of the trailer. The ladder would do for that too.
Looks like there is room between ladder and back shroud for a tray, then just put the panels in the tray lashed to the tray. I have a couple of bars across the back of the panel bolted onto the panel frame. The bars then get lashed to the tray.
I have driven at highway speeds for two hours at a time with the panel up there in its tray all lashed down and bungeed and it is still there on arrival. I connect using the fridge vent same as if panels were nailed down on the roof, so they are working while driving too.
Whole idea is once you get there, you can leave as is, go up on roof and tilt them , point them, whatever--even take them down and use on the ground. Then put them back in travelling mode. If leaving them up there, you don't have to keep taking them up and down from the roof, but you don't have to nail them down either.
With a suitcase set, with room for only one tray between ladder and shroud, you could give up the solar working while driving (don't need it anyway) and unfold on arrival, or take the top one off with the loose hinges and set it down on the other side of the shroud. Since you are not moving the rig it does not need to be lashed right down while camping.
First I used a rope to haul the panels up and let them down. Then I found it easier to take along a normal aluminum ladder and set it against the back of the slide-out and just carry the panel up in one hand beside me while climbing the ladder. Your problem where to keep a portable ladder! If you leave them up all the time except at home, you can just have the ladder at home.
