Powered solar panel tilt?

My arrangement is similar to Oldman's in the photo above. 2-way tilt. Though my brackets are huge because panels are huge, 42 lbs monsters 245W each.

I used to prop them with a stick - literally. Have never got around to making hind legs of aluminum angle, because of:

a) With a big solar and modest needs the tilting doesn't affect the output. By the time the sun is high enough to generate big amps, the battery is in Float or almost there.

b) This is a lot of pain. My roof is 10ft high. Take 12ft telescopic ladder out of the storage compartment - darn thing weighs more than 20 lbs, expand it, climb up, carefully walk to panels on the roof that is not supposed to be walked on, loosen the wing nuts on brackets, prop it up, tighten the nuts again, carefully climb down, remove the ladder.

You can use pins but then it will rattle more when driving. Ladder may collapse or slip/fall on uneven or soft ground. Roof can be wet and slippery in the morning. 42 lbs panel is surprisingly heavy even when you lift only one side. To prop the first corner up is not easy, the second one is easier.

Hypothetically, I might consider doing all this when staying in one place a week or longer - if I needed this, but in my energy scenario I don't. I would not do this for staying a day or two.

Naio,

There is no economical powered tilt.

A van conversion RV might be able to tow a small cargo trailer. If so, then that trailer could be fitted with some power goodies like solar (including portable solar which can be aimed), inverter, small generator, batteries, etc. You could plug some or all of the van's AC appliances into the inverter on the trailer.

Somebody on here does something like that ISTR. Some bigger RVs do that too, pulling cargo trailers almost as big as the MH.

I have only seen them on craigslist once but the do make larger panels. A 435w panel is the same size as a 310w panel and would be a lot easier than mounting a few panels.

JiminDenver wrote:
I have only seen them on craigslist once but the do make larger panels. A 435w panel is the same size as a 310w panel and would be a lot easier than mounting a few panels.

Hmmm.. I will look out for that!

I don't want to tow a trailer. I got the bigger van INSTEAD of a trailer.

I have 4 256W panels on my roof sitting flat. Have see 1K watt days in the S.W.