BrucePerens
07-24-2016, 01:20 PM
This is a work in progress, not all of the mounting screws are installed in this photo. After they were installed, I could lift the trailer by the solar panel frame and jiggle it on the rubber axle. The frame is designed so that all of the weight (about 80 pounds) rests on the walls of the shell instead of the roof, and the frame is anchored into the shell frame. I copied this mounting area from the brackets on the Fiamma awning.
I can still open the rear shell without trouble before adjustment. I might have had it adjusted for too much lift before. The torsion bars have some adjustment range left and we'll see how far that goes.
This is 400 watts on the rear shell, and an additional 300 will go on the front, to bring the input to my MPTT to the maximum open circuit voltage of 150 volts. Panels are Grape Solar GS-STAR-100 polycrystalline. Rather than intending for it to output 700 watts, it's intended to work in partial shade and output 100 to 200 watts during typical usage. Each panel has three separate banks with a bypass diode on each. The MPPT is currently limited to 29 amps charging because I only have one pair of GC2s, I might install a second pair. The MPTT is a Morningstar TS-MPPT-60 with Ethernet.
There is lots of air circulation under the panels, as the full array of 7 panels would lose 1.75 watts capacity per degree Farenheit. The rear shell array shades the rear bed area. The center and edges will be taped with aluminum sealing tape to rain-seal the face of the array. The array is slightly inclined toward the rear and projects about 2 inches beyound the rear roof edge (but not beyond the lights and window cover). The frame provides good places to mount a backup camera and lights.
The frame has three 1 inch aluminum L members on the long axis, screwed to the solar panel frames, and two 2 inch aluminum L members on the short axis. Solar panels are screwed together on the short axis at the center. The two short axis L members are resting on a 1 inch square tube which rests on the roof edge. The tube adds an inch of height to make up for the peak in the shell roof, so that the center of the frame doesn't contact the roof. Screws go through the 2 inch L and the tube into the reinforced roof edge.
I wonder if this could reduce the need for the TV alternator while towing? Some slight mileage gain possible there.
The stick-on conduit and wiring are next.
I can still open the rear shell without trouble before adjustment. I might have had it adjusted for too much lift before. The torsion bars have some adjustment range left and we'll see how far that goes.
This is 400 watts on the rear shell, and an additional 300 will go on the front, to bring the input to my MPTT to the maximum open circuit voltage of 150 volts. Panels are Grape Solar GS-STAR-100 polycrystalline. Rather than intending for it to output 700 watts, it's intended to work in partial shade and output 100 to 200 watts during typical usage. Each panel has three separate banks with a bypass diode on each. The MPPT is currently limited to 29 amps charging because I only have one pair of GC2s, I might install a second pair. The MPTT is a Morningstar TS-MPPT-60 with Ethernet.
There is lots of air circulation under the panels, as the full array of 7 panels would lose 1.75 watts capacity per degree Farenheit. The rear shell array shades the rear bed area. The center and edges will be taped with aluminum sealing tape to rain-seal the face of the array. The array is slightly inclined toward the rear and projects about 2 inches beyound the rear roof edge (but not beyond the lights and window cover). The frame provides good places to mount a backup camera and lights.
The frame has three 1 inch aluminum L members on the long axis, screwed to the solar panel frames, and two 2 inch aluminum L members on the short axis. Solar panels are screwed together on the short axis at the center. The two short axis L members are resting on a 1 inch square tube which rests on the roof edge. The tube adds an inch of height to make up for the peak in the shell roof, so that the center of the frame doesn't contact the roof. Screws go through the 2 inch L and the tube into the reinforced roof edge.
I wonder if this could reduce the need for the TV alternator while towing? Some slight mileage gain possible there.
The stick-on conduit and wiring are next.