T@B Solar Panel Roof Mount with Tilt-Able Brackets Mod for under $300

AldebaranJill

jkjenn said:

I have always thought this was the way to go with the hard panel mount. It gives you the flexibility to change the panel, in the future, should you decide, without have to worry about whether the holes you drill will line up with a new panel.

Actually, my configuration allows for multiple panels, or a larger panel without having to "worry" about where the holes are drilled or drilling new holes at all. It's just a different solution for folks who don't have or don't want a Yakina rack. I'm always trying to encourage folks to do mods according to their specific usage profiles - rather than saying one mod approach is better than another.

jkjenn

AldebaranJill said:

jkjenn said:

I have always thought this was the way to go with the hard panel mount. It gives you the flexibility to change the panel, in the future, should you decide, without have to worry about whether the holes you drill will line up with a new panel.

Actually, my configuration allows for multiple panels, or a larger panel without having to "worry" about where the holes are drilled or drilling new holes at all. It's just a different solution for folks who don't have or don't want a Yakina rack. I'm always trying to encourage folks to do mods according to their specific usage profiles - rather than saying one mod approach is better than another.

That's great for you, Jill. I was just stating why I prefer to do it the Yakima racks if I were doing this mod.  It's a mod I have considered.

jgram2

@AldebaranJill  I’ve wondered how your rigid panel installation has worked out for you over time and distance and if you’ve modified your system at all? I was in absolute awe at the front end work you did for this mod-well am STILL in awe. 

AldebaranJill

@jgram2 It has worked better than I had hoped for. Have left the generator at home and never missed it. Have been easily able to recharge my battery each day.

I have changed two things:

 First I permanently routed my wires through the roof using a little box made for this.

Secondly, I upgraded my solar controller to a Victron Smart Solar (Bluetooth) MPPT Controller for $118. The controller is totally fabulous because it really improves performance in cloudy/shady conditions AND works with the Victron app so I can see exactly what the panel is doing in real time from my iPhone. It is SO COOL!!! 

Depending on my power needs, season, weather, camper orientation, trees, I will decide how much tilt to put the panel. This has been working very well. Sometimes I leave it against the trailer, often I lift so it is horizontal, and sometimes I lift to tilt towards front of trailer. Having it way up high, off the ground, and collecting sun from the moment the sky has morning light to the last evening dusk, has meant many more hours of collection than I would get with a suitcase. And no worries about theft or having to pack, store and unpack. I am really happy with it.

Edited for picture resizing.







☺️

jgram2

@AldebaranJill Where do you carry your ladder? Somehow I keep expecting you to come up with a way to move your panel remotely!

AldebaranJill

@jgram2 Ha! I did contemplate some struts that would lift it, but since the angle I set it at really varies on conditions, I just do it manually. Honestly it's part of what I enjoy, looking up the sun's path, studying the trees nearby, figuring optimum angle for latitude...and then setting it using my iPhone as a guide. This is fun for me, but yeah, doing it remotely would be way cool.

My ladder is totally collapsible - it packs down very small and lives in my trunk. It's a very sexy ladder. And quite tall, I got it tall enough to be able to get on top of the trailer to easily remove my fan hood, to avoid extra charges on my ferry rides.

jgram2

Considering where you live, that ladder paid for itself pretty quickly with ferry fee savings. Good idea. I might climb a ladder if I had 3 watchers and a fire rescue bag positioned to catch me.

jgram2

Do you recall the brand of ladder you have? It sounds mighty handy for T@B top work, should I ever be so inclined.

AldebaranJill

@jgram2
Here’s a link to the ladder I bought. It’s superb.

Xtend & Climb 750P Aluminum Telescoping Ladder Type II Home Series, 8.5-Foot https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JIMSDA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_mHgDBb5FT2D47

It’s mighty handy for all kinds of T@B work on the roof and sides.

jgram2

Thanks! 

AldebaranJill

New data!

Just came back from August Oregon trip, not optimal conditions, panel horizontal (not tilted towards sun) and wow this new Victron MPPT Controller was humming - 7.0 Amps into battery from a 100W panel!!!



Max output for this day was 108W from a 100W Renogy panel. 😍

jmiller808

@AldebaranJill

I really appreciate the information you put in this post and I'm going to be doing this same type of mount with some minor differences (z brackets with VHB tape instead of the fry suction cups and screws.

I was curious about the placement you decided on. If you counted from the lowest beam on the back,  which beams did you screw into? Even though I plan to use VHB tape, I'd like to make sure I'm over the beams just in case I need to tap a screw for a little extra hold.

dragonsdofly

@jmiller808, welcome to the forum.

AldebaranJill

jmiller808 said:

@AldebaranJill

I really appreciate the information you put in this post and I'm going to be doing this same type of mount with some minor differences (z brackets with VHB tape instead of the fry suction cups and screws.

I was curious about the placement you decided on. If you counted from the lowest beam on the back,  which beams did you screw into? Even though I plan to use VHB tape, I'd like to make sure I'm over the beams just in case I need to tap a screw for a little extra hold.

I requested and received a drawing of the location of the frame cross beams from the factory. I measured from a bottom landmark and as a double check from a top landmark to make sure I screwed into the cross beams. The “landmarks” were from screws for the fantastic fan and the ones that were near the tail lights. 

jmiller808

Thanks, I ended up getting a good position temporarily setting it up like your guide and watching the shadow cast by the aero flo vent cover I installed.

Unfortunately due to the curve of the roof, z brackets and VHB tape weren't going to work and I ended up doing the exact setup as you. I made sure to also run a bead of caulk around the suction cups after screwing them down.

So far I'm really happy with the final install, thanks again for the extensive and detailed write up.

Now onto my next set of mods ha ha

AldebaranJill

jmiller808 said:

Thanks, I ended up getting a good position temporarily setting it up like your guide and watching the shadow cast by the aero flo vent cover I installed.

Unfortunately due to the curve of the roof, z brackets and VHB tape weren't going to work and I ended up doing the exact setup as you. I made sure to also run a bead of caulk around the suction cups after screwing them down.

So far I'm really happy with the final install, thanks again for the extensive and detailed write up.

Now onto my next set of mods ha ha

Yay!!!!! I would love to see a photo of your set up!!! I too ended up running a beak of sealant around the suction cups.

Out of all my mods - the solar has done the most to improve my camping experience, allowing me to camp in places without hookups, and not having to worry. Am really delighted that this write up helped you. It feels great  

jmiller808

@AldebaranJill Here is my combination of a few threads on here, This thread of yours for the mounting of the panel, the numerous threads about dual 6v batteries, then was inspired by the Battery Spaghetti Fix by @BrianZ

Installed on a barely used 2018 320 S. I couldn't pass up the deal i got on this thing, it's amazing what a single hail impact to the plastic trim (not even visible from the ground) will do to the dealers bottom line.

First the panel, I'm sure you'll recognize it.  I do need to cut off some of the lower brackets so they aren't sticking out so far.


based on where the shadow path was from the Aero-Flo, i may be able to lower the panel down a notch or two on the bracket.

Instead of running my panel wire through the AC vent or a hole in the roof, i used zip tie mounts and ran the wires along the plastic trim.  The rope in the photo was my temporary "helping hands" since i was mounting the panel from above by myself.


Next the fix for battery spaghetti, i put together a bus bar box and mounted it to the A frame under the battery box.  I just need to install the new (longer) wires to connect to the battery.


And lastly my dual 6v 215 AH battery bank with MPPT charge controller


The only change i could see myself making to this setup later would be to move the propane out of the box and onto the A Frame so i can set the batteries side by side with the mppt in betwen them and gain a little bit of stoage in the box.

AldebaranJill

  

BrianZ

Very nice, @jmiller808!
I never even considered that spot for the bus bar box, but it looks like it should serve you well since it is readily accessible there.
Nice job!

jmiller808

I originally had the box in the same place you have yours but it was way to cramped and when I was accessing it the wires on the charge controller were starting to pull out. Then I noticed that there is already one of those boxes mounted underneath the frame for the 7 pin trailer wiring, which gave me the idea to put it where I have it now.

ptrusheim

Jill, Would you have a close up pic of an installed suction cup you could post? I see comments about removing the bolt and screwing them down but not clear on how that was done. Love the mod, one of the better looking installations I have seen. 

JonW

Hi Jill - what did you use to attach the solar panel wires in the loom coming down the roof?  And where did you get them?

Nice install BTW.

DigitalSorceress

I was inspired by your idea .. I have a 320 S Boondock with the Yakima rack.. so I'm going to fab a custom tilt rack for dual 100w panels and build a system.. I really like that idea. going to make mine removable and get an extension cable so I can (if I want) move them off the camper to place in sun if I park in shade...

Doing two so I can set up 2 panels in series to get higher voltage for less drop when using longer wires (MPPT controller should let me do that and downconvert pretty seamlessly)

Thanks for the inspiration

Also, I appreciate your investigation of a temp wiring through the AC vent area.. I'm not sure what I',m going to do..I'm terrified to drill holes in my camper (especially the roof) so I'm thinking I may do something along the lines of what you did or if I MUST drill a hole, maybe do it over on the side next to the outdoor shower hookup... I was thinking of installing an MC4 port.. I've seen one but it looked cheap.. so there would be MC4 connectors I would just plug into to let me swap out between shorter cable for on-camper use vs longer ones to get it out in teh sun more when I'm parked in the shade

AldebaranJill

JonW said:

Hi Jill - what did you use to attach the solar panel wires in the loom coming down the roof?  And where did you get them?

Nice install BTW.

Here is what I bought:

Renogy Cable Entry Housing Mount Cable Entry Housing Mount for RV, Boats, Caravans, Marine, Cable Entry Housing Mount https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N04XAHC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_RvCaDbCBNRH36

AldebaranJill

AldebaranJill said:

JonW said:

Hi Jill - what did you use to attach the solar panel wires in the loom coming down the roof?  And where did you get them?

Nice install BTW.

Here is what I bought:

Renogy Cable Entry Housing Mount Cable Entry Housing Mount for RV, Boats, Caravans, Marine, Cable Entry Housing Mount https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N04XAHC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_RvCaDbCBNRH36

And thank you for the kind words Best mod I ever did. 

AldebaranJill

DigitalSorceress said:

I was inspired by your idea .. I have a 320 S Boondock with the Yakima rack.. so I'm going to fab a custom tilt rack for dual 100w panels and build a system.. I really like that idea. going to make mine removable and get an extension cable so I can (if I want) move them off the camper to place in sun if I park in shade...

Doing two so I can set up 2 panels in series to get higher voltage for less drop when using longer wires (MPPT controller should let me do that and downconvert pretty seamlessly)

Thanks for the inspiration

Also, I appreciate your investigation of a temp wiring through the AC vent area.. I'm not sure what I',m going to do..I'm terrified to drill holes in my camper (especially the roof) so I'm thinking I may do something along the lines of what you did or if I MUST drill a hole, maybe do it over on the side next to the outdoor shower hookup... I was thinking of installing an MC4 port.. I've seen one but it looked cheap.. so there would be MC4 connectors I would just plug into to let me swap out between shorter cable for on-camper use vs longer ones to get it out in teh sun more when I'm parked in the shade

You know, sometimes I do just the least invasive approach first, just to live with it for a while. I went thru the AC vent for a long time before I decided to go through the roof. Go with whatever works now as long as it leaves you options for later. Nothing wrong with an iterative approach!  

Thank you for commenting and would love to see your final work.

AldebaranJill

ptrusheim said:

Jill, Would you have a close up pic of an installed suction cup you could post? I see comments about removing the bolt and screwing them down but not clear on how that was done. Love the mod, one of the better looking installations I have seen. 

Here is a close up taken just now - please forgive the pine needles. They came with a bolt and I removed it and added my own. Let me know if this helps. You just need something to be a little flexible for roof curvature. 

DigitalSorceress

@AldebaranJill Yeah, so far, I've done virtually nothing to my T@B that isn't 100 reversible.. when I swapped out my door lock for an RVLock v4, I saved the original parts so I could in theory roll back

When I did my fan upgrade, I did clip a couple of "fast connect" connectors to replace them with different ones, but that's super minor

I use Command Strips instead of screwing stuff into the wood (Though they really don't stick well to the walls... only the wood and the shower door)

I lashed a hose holder to the Yakima rack, and I built an antenna pole for my WeBoost and run the cable outside through a window.

I may eventually do some more perm things for certain projects, but yeah keeping my T@B as able to be returned to factory condition is something I really try and do as I figure that keeps the resale value high (in case I want to move to a 400 some day)

I just completed making a bracket to let me join my 2 100w Renogy panels together.. I realized that they lay across the Yakima rack perfectly.. but I'm now a bit worried that by combining the panels into one, I may be making a bit too much wind surface.. I may revisit this.

I realized that the Yakima rack and the position of the holes on the panels makes a PERFECT alignment to put 2 U bolts through the top and effectively create a hinge.. laying the panel on the bottom part of the rack would let me lash it down tightly for travel.. and using the bracket idea, I could raise it.

My problem is I don't quite want to semi-perma-mount them .. I need to be able to remove the panels for a yearly event I do where I KNOW I will be in the shade and need a near 40' run to get the panels into the sun.  So,

my plan is to cut an 8' aluminum L channel (2", 1/8" thick) into two rails  I will mount each rail to the Yakima rack top and bottom with U bolts. I'll use the "wing nuts/hand nuts" to make a hinge at the top and on the panels

The two panels will be bonded with another set of Aluminum L channel.. and then laid length wise so each panel fully rests on the Yakima at two points. It'll require a ladder and possibly a friend and a few minutes to disconnect/reconnect, but I think I can manage.

I'll try and take some pics and do a write up with a parts list .. once I know what Parts I actually used

DigitalSorceress

@jmiller808  Nice setup. I almost got a Victron controller like that but ended up with something slightly bigger.. Have you ever had worries/issues with water getting into the compartment?

AldebaranJill

DigitalSorceress said:

@AldebaranJill Yeah, so far, I've done virtually nothing to my T@B that isn't 100 reversible.. when I swapped out my door lock for an RVLock v4, I saved the original parts so I could in theory roll back

When I did my fan upgrade, I did clip a couple of "fast connect" connectors to replace them with different ones, but that's super minor

I use Command Strips instead of screwing stuff into the wood (Though they really don't stick well to the walls... only the wood and the shower door)

I lashed a hose holder to the Yakima rack, and I built an antenna pole for my WeBoost and run the cable outside through a window.

I may eventually do some more perm things for certain projects, but yeah keeping my T@B as able to be returned to factory condition is something I really try and do as I figure that keeps the resale value high (in case I want to move to a 400 some day)

I just completed making a bracket to let me join my 2 100w Renogy panels together.. I realized that they lay across the Yakima rack perfectly.. but I'm now a bit worried that by combining the panels into one, I may be making a bit too much wind surface.. I may revisit this.

I realized that the Yakima rack and the position of the holes on the panels makes a PERFECT alignment to put 2 U bolts through the top and effectively create a hinge.. laying the panel on the bottom part of the rack would let me lash it down tightly for travel.. and using the bracket idea, I could raise it.

My problem is I don't quite want to semi-perma-mount them .. I need to be able to remove the panels for a yearly event I do where I KNOW I will be in the shade and need a near 40' run to get the panels into the sun.  So,

my plan is to cut an 8' aluminum L channel (2", 1/8" thick) into two rails  I will mount each rail to the Yakima rack top and bottom with U bolts. I'll use the "wing nuts/hand nuts" to make a hinge at the top and on the panels

The two panels will be bonded with another set of Aluminum L channel.. and then laid length wise so each panel fully rests on the Yakima at two points. It'll require a ladder and possibly a friend and a few minutes to disconnect/reconnect, but I think I can manage.

I'll try and take some pics and do a write up with a parts list .. once I know what Parts I actually used

Lots of great work! I intend on keeping mine for life so have no intention about resale value. And mods are entertaining for me. My only thought is just double check the impact of loading the panels (or anything) on the tongue weight. Adding weight that far back does reduce it and you just wanna keep it above 10%.