Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Well I finally bit the bullet and bought a Kyocera KC 85T 85W solar panel. I made an adjustable rack for it so I can tilt it according to the season. They're so darn expensive I want to be able to get the most out of it. I found tilting information here. The first picture shows the rack in the winter position. The other photos show the panel installed on the trailer in the travel position. I haven't wired it in yet to see if it works, its snowing here anyways. It definately is a lot more noticable than I hoped it would be but it will be worth it if it charges my battery the way I hope it will. It should easily power my homemade swamp cooler. The whole thing weighs about 20 pounds.



Bruce

How sturdy is the surface? It it can break, I'd make a cover for traveling. That unit looks like it would put out some power all right.

cracker39 wrote:How sturdy is the surface? It it can break, I'd make a cover for traveling.

Hmm, that's a good idea. I wonder if a sheet of plexiglass would work? That way I could still charge with it on.
Bruce

Bruce
That solor panel looks nice. Here in Texas I would worry about hail damage. That plexiglass covering sounds like a good idea.

Yes, I'd put something over the cells, too. I priced them awhile back and thought how I would cover it in case it hails. Too much money to leave to chance. I thought about some sort of wire mesh like chicken wire or smaller but the Lexan idea would probably be easier and more reliable.

Nice looking, Bruce. Bet it was pricey. I agree that a sheet of acrylic would be helpful, and wouldn't appreciably lower the absorbsion.

Before I put a piece of plexiglass on, I would talk to the solar panel people. Ask about how hot it gets, the possiblilty of current reduction, the possiblilty of damage to the panel because of the plexiglass.

Mike...

You should use lexan (polycarbonate) with short standoffs, it won't break if you happen to be caught in a hail storm.

Mikes quote:

Before I put a piece of plexiglass on, I would talk to the solar panel people. Ask about how hot it gets, the possiblilty of current reduction, the possiblilty of damage to the panel because of the plexiglass.

Ditto.
Used a piece to make a solar oven in the summer. Warped my cheappy alum. pot.

What do home owner do to protect thier solar panels?
Looks great though!

Miriam

For nearly 20 years I've had a bunch of solar panels on my roof, and no hail damage. But we don't get that baseball sized stuff here in Central Oregon. I'll bet there is some sort of hail rating on the Kyocera panels.

Q

Miriam C. wrote:What do home owner do to protect thier solar panels?
Looks great though!

Miriam

From what I can tell, the panel is rated for golf ball size hail at 50 mph. I doubt there is a hail guard available since the panels are so sensitive to shading. I might throw a sheet of plywood in the truck that I can cover the panel with if it hails big time. I've got bigger problems if I get hail that big (my truck!). I wired the panel to the controller tonight and the LED came on. Looks like the fluorescent light overhead was enough for some output. I also found out that the junction box on the back is metric so the knockouts are the wrong size for the bushings at HD. I should have the wiring done by tomorrow night.
Bruce

P.S. Mike - I left the box alone and didn't cut it flush with the panel rails. I ended up with enough clearance between the panel and the roof for it to fit.

bdosborn wrote:Well I finally bit the bullet and bought a Kyocera KC 85T 85W solar panel. I made an adjustable rack for it so I can tilt it according to the season. They're so darn expensive I want to be able to get the most out of it. I found tilting information here. The first picture shows the rack in the winter position. The other photos show the panel installed on the trailer in the travel position. I haven't wired it in yet to see if it works, its snowing here anyways. It definately is a lot more noticable than I hoped it would be but it will be worth it if it charges my battery the way I hope it will. It should easily power my homemade swamp cooler. The whole thing weighs about 20 pounds.
Bruce

You're gonna love that solar panel. I had two 65 watt mounted on a sailboat on either side of the cockpit kept them adjusted at about a 45 degree angles from the boat. Never worried about hail, just pilings and other boats. Looking good on the TD

Steve

bdosborn wrote:P.S. Mike - I left the box alone and didn't cut it flush with the panel rails. I ended up with enough clearance between the panel and the roof for it to fit.

It looks good. I guess I'll have to mount mine soon.

So is the plan to spin the teardrop around to face the sun if necessary? Or did you make the mount so that it spins around, like a lazy susan?

Do you have a quick disconnect in case you are parked in the shade, and the sun is just a mere 10' away?

Mike...

This solar thread really pushed my button .... This makes so much sense!!!!!! I watched people fighting for second hand gas to run their generators , after the storm ... not a pretty site .... also watched a college student with a solar panel and a marine battery , live quite comfortably through the crisis... had a tv , fan , small cooler , light ...Smart kid!!!!! ... Why not a pop-Up solar panel fit into the body of the TD , or just why not carry one and set it up when you need it , really doesn't need to be on the roof , eh ?
Don't mean to be personal , BUT where'd you get it , quanto ???That's what I need to do ...!!

This should be a consideration for all TD , given the "variability and greed" of the oil companies ...and their political friends...

I mounted mine on a 6' pole so I can swivel it and also has a tilt. the only problem with the pole it only fits in my trucks not my car. I guess if I take the car i can just lay on top of the trailer when parked and put it on the bed when traveling.