Sliding solar system

Very kool @Davo
New thread created as I don't want this great idea to get lost
 
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Kevin said:
Very kool @Davo
New thread created as I don't want this great idea to get lost
Click to expand...
Phew!.....I did wonder what was offensive, and why it had vanished
This is one of those rare projects where the reality turns out better than the original vision! Stoked at how it came together
 
That really is genius and I’m sure we’ll see more of this happening in the near future. I’ll have to remember this for future builds of mine too ;)

Cheers

Bennie
 
@Kevin I've used a Enerdrive SQ150 panel. This gives 150W in a shape that is 'squatter' (shorter and wider...that's the SQ bit) than most panels this size. That made it the perfect size to sit under my roof bars. The panel also clips out very easily just by lifting the front when fully extended. Gives me the opportunity to have the car in the shade and panel in the sun once we are settled in camp, or I can angle the panel later in the day.
 
@Davo OK - so the part left on the roof is not a solar panel as well?
 
You could certainly do a 'double stacked' solar panel this way, and double your solar output. However: a) I don't need that much power (famous last words when the sun don't shine!), and; b) I need the roof storage. In road trip mode, there will be a basket mounted above the bars with spare tyre, fuel, recovery boards etc. I'll post pics. So for my rig there's no point in having a second panel, as it will be shaded by the basket.
I'm only running LED lights and a 45 L Engel fridge on an 80 AH lithium iron battery. 4hrs of sun @ 8A from the panel "should" get me through (failing that, 1hr of driving charging @ 40A).
 
I should add...if you were doing double stacked solar panels, you would need to attach them on top of the bars (or have a smaller top panel that sat only in the space between the bars). The shadow from the roof bars would smash the solar output from the top panel
 
On earlier models with those strange roof rails that are further apart at the front than they are at the rear and that have a recess on the inner side it is possible to screw a length of aluminium angle section to an appropriate width solar panel so as to be able to slide the solar panel to fit neatly into the recesses.
Worked very well on my MY03 with just enough space to fit the cross bars and roof coffin in front of the panel thus preventing it from moving as well.
Obviously a smaller panel than Davo`s would be used. In my case a 50 watt one was used but there was/is room for a larger one.
 
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Davo said:
I should add...if you were doing double stacked solar panels, you would need to attach them on top of the bars (or have a smaller top panel that sat only in the space between the bars). The shadow from the roof bars would smash the solar output from the top panel
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Would it be possible to put one of the panels in reverse, e.g have one panel as per your setup and have the 2nd one extend out the rear. I am not familiar with the space beneath the roof bars. :redface:
Biggest problem would if you needed to open the tailgate.
 
I have seen setups where panels slide out each side (
). I reckon with my bars, you could JUST squeeze 2 panels in. However, I really like the fact that I can park up anywhere in a car shaped spot (even in town), know that my panel is protected by the car, but that it is still charging my fridge! (and shading my windscreen, as a bonus). Between 40A when I'm driving, and 8A when I'm not, I'm hoping I've got my reasonably meager power requirements covered.
 
ateday said:
On earlier models with those strange roof rails that are further apart at the front than they are at the rear and that have a recess on the inner side it is possible to screw a length of aluminium angle section to an appropriate width solar panel so as to be able to slide the solar panel to fit neatly into the recesses.
Worked very well on my MY03 with just enough space to fit the cross bars and roof coffin in front of the panel thus preventing it from moving as well.
Obviously a smaller panel than Davo`s would be used. In my case a 50 watt one was used but there was/is room for a larger one.
Click to expand...
Much simpler! Interestingly, the rails on my '11 are till further apart at the front than the back. I took my initial measurements at the back, assuming the rails were parallel! Nope!
 
Only real downside is that sliding weighty panels in and out is a bit tedious. I stuck one sided tape with a carpet like thin film along the rails to prevent roof scratching.
 
I need to get some advantage for all the effort! Mine will deploy itself if the car is on a slight downhill incline.....
 
....and this is where the power goes!.....80AH lithium battery in the wheel well under this rig. First pic you can see the Enerdrive DCDC charger slid out from beside the fridge on it's little rails. Second with the fridge slide extended.
 

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1 month field report - back today from a 1 month camping trip across the top of Australia. System worked flawlessly, and thanks to locktite and nylocks, all held together across thousands of miles of corrugated gravel. Must say, battery and charger worked so well that I didn't need the solar system until I put a rock through the radiator and was stuck in a remote place for 4 days without capacity to run the car, while sorting repairs. Then, it saved my bacon! Literally and figuratively. Night of fridge, light and water pump use always recovered by midday with the150W panel. V pleased with the setup
 
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