Large Rigid Solar Panel Upgrade

BDA123 · November 2023

So ... when I purchased my 2018 NuCamp TAB 400 (I'm the second owner and got it in 2019) it came with a single 100w flexible solar panel. I added two more solar panels that were identical for a total of 300w. However, in my experience that flexible panels are trash and a waste. I washed the solar panels regularly, cared for the plastic surface, and still got lucky if I got 180w out of all three in the summer (and I live in Phoenix with lots of sun). Over the past three years the surface has degraded and started to microcrack. So finally I decide to remove all three. I DEFINATELY wish the dealer had never installed the first panel and that I had never invested another $400 in two additional panels that were worthless. Taking flexible panels off is a nightmare. These past few months I designed and built a mounting frame that allows for a single 400-450w (37v 13a) rigid panel in the same space as the three other panels. It works perfectly off an inexpensive but high quality Victron 75/15 solar charge controller for 12v or 24v systems. The mounting allows the panel to hinge up or down from the top. and the bottom mount raises and lowers so that the panel can sit at the essentially a 15 degree up or 15 down angle. Granted there are many ways to go higher than a 15 degree up angle. The new solar panel and mounting are solid, don't add additional wind resistance, look like they were factory equipment, and it provides 250w when dusty on a winter day driving down the road and 450w in the summer when clean and directly facing the sun. It gets plenty of airflow underneath so that it doesn't derate. It will also last 15-20 years vs 3-5 for flexible panels. I am very pleased and thought I should share. I used a full set (four corners and two long middle pieces) of black abs solar fairing mounts with 4x black four inch double hinges on the top, 4x regular black square door hinges on the bottom, and extruded black aluminum between the hinges and the panel on the bottom. I just pull out four adjustable hand bolts in the bottom, swing two legs up, and replace the bolts and it's facing the opposite angle/direction if I'm park facing south. See attached pictures for fun and let me know if you have any questions. I wish NuCamp would stop using flexible panels (which look good but don't work well over time) and developed something similar for TAB 320 and TAB 400 owners.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021717/uploads/editor/0s/x9418d5ix8lo.jpeg

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021717/uploads/editor/71/d8z0w5aur1mp.jpeg

Sharon_is_SAM · November 2023

Nicely done! What ladder do you carry?

SLJ · November 2023

How did you attach yours to the roof?

Mickerly · November 2023

That's nice. Being off the roof, it won't heat the trailer in the summer.

pthomas745 · November 2023

Every one who ever sees this post is going to ask:

How are they attached to the roof? How are they secured while the trailer is in motion? Or, do they have to be?

Can you show us what the "mounting frame" is and how it works? How did you get on to the roof to install it all?

Where/how does the wiring enter the trailer? How/where is the solar controller?

Beautiful install. There have been several other installs of "tiltable" panels done in different ways, and each have been pretty remarkable achievements.

This install was pretty amazing for...2017.

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/4971/t-b-solar-panel-roof-mount-with-tilt-able-brackets-mod-for-under-300/p1

BDA123 · March 2024

Sorry for the delayed response. I just now realized that people had asked questions.

Roof access method on the road - Typically a fold up stool on one side and my truck on the other. Definately takes two people to easily raise and lower. Although, admittedly I don’t raise it the majority of the time. I just park facing south.

Attachment to Roof – Nucamp provided a hand written layout of the cross beams but it didn’t show the entire cross beam structure so it wasn’t helpful. I didn’t know where to measure down from. The dealer had installed a previous flexible panel with screws which I had removed. So I already had four screw holes in the roof and two were at the top. The ferring mounts have a lot of surface contacting the roof. So I used black Sikaflex 252 (and wow is it thick) between the roof and the mounts, around the mounts, and over the screws. I only used screws in the upper most mounts. It is super attached. The Sikaflex does an amazing job. Honestly, I only think the screws (which are visible in the middle picture at the edge of the mounts covered with black Sikaflex) added peace of mind. If I didn’t already have holes in my roof I probably would have skipped the ¾” screws in the upper mounts.

How did I get on the roof to install it – I built it entirely off the roof, got a ladder on each side, set it on the roof, flipped the upper mounts over (they are on double hinges), put Sikaflex all over the base, flipped it back over, put in screws, put Sikaflex over the screws and around the base of the mount, and let it dry. If you didn’t use screws then you would need to just attach a rope from the front center of the panel to the trailer tongue to keep it from sliding while it dried. Then I did the same to the lower mounts but that was much easier since the top was dry and secure. No screws in the bottom.

Where does the wiring enter the trailer – The dealer had installed one 100w flexible panel which had a connection on the roof. It was just to the side of the plumbing vent and the wire runs down the covered area in my closet. From the picture from the back you can see the vent on the left of the solar panel. The connector is just to the right of it under the solar panel. If I hadn’t had that already I would have put an MC4 connector just above the vent and to the left of the panel.

Solar charge controller used – I have three solar charge controllers. A Victron 75/15 (hooked to this rooftop panel), Victron 100/20 (hooked to an MC4 mount behind the back right tire for a 400w fold out solar panel), and Victron 100/30 (connected to an MC4 connector on the tongue to hook to my 750w array that I have on my truck bed rack) that all sync with my Victron system with 400ah at 24v (25.6v technically or 10kwh). I designed my system to allow me to be entirely off grid with AC and without a generator although I do have a Honda 2200i. Best thing about the permanent panel is I store my trailer south facing and it always keeps the batteries topped off and ready to go.

Large Rigid Solar Panel Upgrade

Comments

Categories