solar location on Truck camper
my truck camper has a slanted roof over the bed, and flat over the rear section. I am looking at fixed position mounting of solar panels. (mostly being used in East coast central US during summer). ...
Forum Discussion
You are receiving some great advice here, from many long time users of Solar on their Truck Campers. You might be overthinking the project that you are planning. In addition to the solar wattage size, location, interference you should also include time of use. If you are using your TC during the prime Solar months May 1st to Oct 1st, you are at a good apogee for the Sun’s travel (actually the earth is traveling) across the sky. The only time I ever consider tilting my solar panels is from November through March. As for the Solar Panels on top of my TC, I never tilt those. Too dangerous for a guy my age to be up there messing with them. I just added an additional panel to make up for the loss of not tilting them. My panels are located where there are no interference (shadows) from my TC. So I don’t have that issue to contend with. If you are putting them on the Cab Over portion and they are slanted, don’t worry about it if you are in peak Solar Season. If you are using them all year round, you have more issues to deal with, than locating these panels here. Until you share you are using these panels 4 seasons, I won’t spend time going through this period 60%+ loss of battery capacity and Solar harvesting.
Place your panels where they fit, as bigfootford always shares. Done. Set them up to tilt and then if you never do, there is always that possibility. Use correct cable sizes for your two panels and size it for upgrades to at least two additional panels. Have a good battery bank that can be served by two 100w solar panels. Don’t worry about getting new batteries at this “Training Stage” as you will discover a lot of things, while using your new panels. Later invest in a good set of batteries. A battery monitor is a must have. Get a Charge Controller with the abilities to expand to at least an additional Panel, if not two. Install all of this and go out and use it! Only you know what your use will be and whether your system will meet these needs. If you see that you could use another panel, do it. Then one more? Do it. If you didn’t scrimp on the abilities to expand you are already ready for this upgrade. Nothing needs to be solved from the beginning, but good “Big Picture” planning will pay you benefits.
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The Beginning before Rooftop Solar Panels
The beginning of Solar Panel Install 2 100 Watt
1 ½ years later, I added an additional 100 Watt Panel for a combined 300 Watts
Place your panels where they fit, as bigfootford always shares. Done. Set them up to tilt and then if you never do, there is always that possibility. Use correct cable sizes for your two panels and size it for upgrades to at least two additional panels. Have a good battery bank that can be served by two 100w solar panels. Don’t worry about getting new batteries at this “Training Stage” as you will discover a lot of things, while using your new panels. Later invest in a good set of batteries. A battery monitor is a must have. Get a Charge Controller with the abilities to expand to at least an additional Panel, if not two. Install all of this and go out and use it! Only you know what your use will be and whether your system will meet these needs. If you see that you could use another panel, do it. Then one more? Do it. If you didn’t scrimp on the abilities to expand you are already ready for this upgrade. Nothing needs to be solved from the beginning, but good “Big Picture” planning will pay you benefits.
b
The Beginning before Rooftop Solar Panels
The beginning of Solar Panel Install 2 100 Watt
1 ½ years later, I added an additional 100 Watt Panel for a combined 300 Watts
