Has anyone ever mounted solar panels to a tow vehicle?
I want to build a rather heavy solar system for full-timing in a travel trailer (actually 2 separate systems, a 12v and a 48v one). However finding TTs that will carry this much weight are hard to find and limit my choices considerably.
I was just toying with the idea of mounting some high voltage solar panels and 48v battery bank on a pick-up truck rack over my bed topper. As a side benefit, the panels would act as a giant wind deflector, increasing fuel mileage when towing. I would mount 4 - 435 watt Sun e20 panels on the rack at a 9-10 degree angle to deflect wind over the top of the camper while towing. I could also hinge the front to lift them to a higher angle into the sun when stopped (possibly with an electric jack.) Another advantage this would give me is I could park the camper in the shade, in the best direction that suits the location, while the truck could be positioned where it would collect full sun. If I use the 435 watt Sun panels, they would overhang the sides of the truck by about 4" on each side and about 8" in the back. If I use the smaller 300 watt Sharp panels instead they would fit with only a couple inches overhang either way, but probably wouldn't deflect the wind quite as well as the bigger panels would. If the 300 watt panels are used, I would need to add 2 folding panels, (for a total of 6 - 300 watt panels or 1800 watts vs 4 - 435watt panels for 1740 watts) one on each side, which would hang vertically when traveling and be raised so they are flush with the others stopped. I would have the charge controller and inverter in the truck bed, near the battery bank. An 8 ga heavy duty 25ft extension cord should be more than enough to carry 12 amps of 48v DC power needed to power my 48v native mini-split heat pump. I would also add a 30 amp female electrical receptacle mounted on the back of the camper to plug my trailer's shore power cable into for my inverted 110v AC needs. Another advantage of my plan, other than to remove about 900-950 lbs of weight off the trailer, (at the expense of 1,000 lbs added to the bed of the truck, which should be OK as I have a 3/4 ton with enough reserve) would be to allow easier access to the solar panels for cleaning and maintenance without climbing on the roof of my TT. Plus the additional weight and expense of building a tilting solar panel rack will be offset by the cost and weight savings of having fewer solar panels producing higher output due to tilting.
Here's a drawing of what I'm talking aout:
Has anyone seen or done something like this? Does anyone see any major drawbacks in my plan?
-Summary-
Advantages:
1. Removes 900-950 lbs from the trailer.
2. Starts with 10 degree panel angle (great for RGV in summer) and allows easy panel tilting for harvesting more solar power, especially in winter and higher latitudes.
3. Facilitates panel cleaning, and battery access - lower is safer
4. Allows panels to act as big wind deflector making towing easier and improving mpg.
5. Panels shade truck and topper, keeping it cooler inside.
6. Travel Trailer can be parked in the shade (or mostly so) so it stays cooler inside trailer, requiring less AC.
7. Truck can be easily positioned for maximum solar harvest at different times of the day and year.
8. Avoids putting extra holes in roof of TT to mount 4-6 panels (plus saves roof space).
9. Increases storage space inside TT by moving batteries, controller, meter and inverter to truck bed.
Disadvantages:
1. Adds 1,000 lbs to the truck which will reduce MPG when not towing. (Will offset MPG gain when towing)
2. Takes up some additional space in truck bed to house batteries, controller and inverter.
3. Any more?
Thanks for your help and advise,
Chip
I was just toying with the idea of mounting some high voltage solar panels and 48v battery bank on a pick-up truck rack over my bed topper. As a side benefit, the panels would act as a giant wind deflector, increasing fuel mileage when towing. I would mount 4 - 435 watt Sun e20 panels on the rack at a 9-10 degree angle to deflect wind over the top of the camper while towing. I could also hinge the front to lift them to a higher angle into the sun when stopped (possibly with an electric jack.) Another advantage this would give me is I could park the camper in the shade, in the best direction that suits the location, while the truck could be positioned where it would collect full sun. If I use the 435 watt Sun panels, they would overhang the sides of the truck by about 4" on each side and about 8" in the back. If I use the smaller 300 watt Sharp panels instead they would fit with only a couple inches overhang either way, but probably wouldn't deflect the wind quite as well as the bigger panels would. If the 300 watt panels are used, I would need to add 2 folding panels, (for a total of 6 - 300 watt panels or 1800 watts vs 4 - 435watt panels for 1740 watts) one on each side, which would hang vertically when traveling and be raised so they are flush with the others stopped. I would have the charge controller and inverter in the truck bed, near the battery bank. An 8 ga heavy duty 25ft extension cord should be more than enough to carry 12 amps of 48v DC power needed to power my 48v native mini-split heat pump. I would also add a 30 amp female electrical receptacle mounted on the back of the camper to plug my trailer's shore power cable into for my inverted 110v AC needs. Another advantage of my plan, other than to remove about 900-950 lbs of weight off the trailer, (at the expense of 1,000 lbs added to the bed of the truck, which should be OK as I have a 3/4 ton with enough reserve) would be to allow easier access to the solar panels for cleaning and maintenance without climbing on the roof of my TT. Plus the additional weight and expense of building a tilting solar panel rack will be offset by the cost and weight savings of having fewer solar panels producing higher output due to tilting.
Here's a drawing of what I'm talking aout:
Has anyone seen or done something like this? Does anyone see any major drawbacks in my plan?
-Summary-
Advantages:
1. Removes 900-950 lbs from the trailer.
2. Starts with 10 degree panel angle (great for RGV in summer) and allows easy panel tilting for harvesting more solar power, especially in winter and higher latitudes.
3. Facilitates panel cleaning, and battery access - lower is safer
4. Allows panels to act as big wind deflector making towing easier and improving mpg.
5. Panels shade truck and topper, keeping it cooler inside.
6. Travel Trailer can be parked in the shade (or mostly so) so it stays cooler inside trailer, requiring less AC.
7. Truck can be easily positioned for maximum solar harvest at different times of the day and year.
8. Avoids putting extra holes in roof of TT to mount 4-6 panels (plus saves roof space).
9. Increases storage space inside TT by moving batteries, controller, meter and inverter to truck bed.
Disadvantages:
1. Adds 1,000 lbs to the truck which will reduce MPG when not towing. (Will offset MPG gain when towing)
2. Takes up some additional space in truck bed to house batteries, controller and inverter.
3. Any more?
Thanks for your help and advise,
Chip
