No more tents - 8.5x18 Conversion Thread

[flboy]

Here is how I ended up doing it. Similar thought, but low profile and easier to mount. My CTC is 7ft wide. I bought 8ft 1 inch aluminum channel and cut it to 7ft. I spaced them appropriately and bolted them down with one self tapping screw on each side to the outer frame using Dicor tape underneath the point of engagement to seal. I then made L brackets and screwed the panels to the cross members in 4 places front and back. Works great and minimizes screws into roof.

Here are a few recent pics of my 5 100W panels after I painted the roof with Henry's Roof paint.

Three cross members and only 6 screws into the roof on outer edges into steel frame to minimize impact and opportunity for leaks. Panels double up on the middle crossmember.

I also mounted them front and back like I did with the brackets dropped down to keep profile low and close to roof. There is little to no air getting underneath to create lift and stress on the highway. It has been a few years now and no signs of any movement or stress.










A closer look how I mounted with brackets I made from 1 in aluminum angle stock as I was installing. Just cut 4 inch pieces and used them front and back to set on crossmember. It allows the doubling up on center crossmember. I did push them together before I screwed them down. I was just sizing it all up in this pic.






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[SilverStreaker]

Thanks flboy! My layout will have them all running down one side of the trailer (to make it easier to tilt them) but I do like the idea of fewer screws in the roof.

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[flboy]

Thanks flboy! My layout will have them all running down one side of the trailer (to make it easier to tilt them) but I do like the idea of fewer screws in the roof.

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I certainly understand. Tilting is a much bigger deal in the more northern latitudes especially in the winter... not so much here in Central Florida. I added a 5th panel to make up for the fact I will not be tilting mine.

[SilverStreaker]

I certainly understand. Tilting is a much bigger deal in the more northern latitudes especially in the winter... not so much here in Central Florida. I added a 5th panel to make up for the fact I will not be tilting mine.

Yeah, I'm just south of you on the east coast. I've read a lot on whether it was helpful or not to tilt the panels depending on where you live. I also considered some sort of rotating base (lazy susan) so I could manually follow the sun with the panels but the truth is I will likely not even tilt the panels on most outings so anything beyond that was not practical. As you know most Florida campgrounds are pretty shaded, so one benefit of the tilt brackets would be the ability to easily take them off the roof and set all or some of them on the ground using an extension cable.

[flboy]

I certainly understand. Tilting is a much bigger deal in the more northern latitudes especially in the winter... not so much here in Central Florida. I added a 5th panel to make up for the fact I will not be tilting mine.

Yeah, I'm just south of you on the east coast. I've read a lot on whether it was helpful or not to tilt the panels depending on where you live. I also considered some sort of rotating base (lazy susan) so I could manually follow the sun with the panels but the truth is I will likely not even tilt the panels on most outings so anything beyond that was not practical. As you know most Florida campgrounds are pretty shaded, so one benefit of the tilt brackets would be the ability to easily take them off the roof and set all or some of them on the ground using an extension cable.

Yes... so true. I am most often in partly shaded areas so the panels only help so much titled or not. Based on what I learned, the benefit of tilting in this area would be at the most a ~25% gain. I had 4 panels, so I added a fifth to counter given I figured I only needed the 400W for my usage.The reality for me is that the cost of the 5th panel was a wash with cost for the hardware to make a tilt system. Plus, I'd be too lazy to tilt/untilt... etc..

I have recently bought a 6th panel that I have on a cord and can move around on the ground and tilt to chase the sun. It is useful to cover for the fridge usage all day, but I also have the generator I can run for an hour or two in the evening if need to top off batteries. I go riding a lot when camping and I did not want my solar panels to walk away. I feel better with them screwed to the roof instead of laying on the ground. I just toss the portable in the truck and lock it up when I leave camp and the other panels do what they can based on shade, clouds, or not.

In any case, I have found solar to be a great asset for boondocking in Florida, but a generator is a must if you want to ensure to have plenty of power consistently. Maybe out West or places without trees that story would be different. ... good luck with your build.

[SilverStreaker]

So after days of research and some apprehension (about drilling holes in the roof) I finally got around to installing my panels this weekend.

Here's the unistrut painted and screwed into the roof.


Here's the finished view of the panels.


I still need to secure all the loose wiring and put some self-leveling lap sealant on all of the screw heads.

[SilverStreaker]

Next up on my list is 2- 14"x21" windows. I just ordered them so they won't be here for this weekend but that gives me time to figure out exactly where I want them. I might put them both towards the front and get another wider style to go towards the rear. I'm thinking 1 in the door and the other just opposite of it.
I also ordered an attwood blower to vent the battery box. I got a digital temp controller that will turn the blower on at set temp which might help keep the overall temperature in the trailer down too. I am still trying to find a one-way vent that would allow air to enter the box pulling inside air in and blowing it outside via the blower.

[flboy]

Very nice work. Looks very professional. I like it!

Will you tilt the panels from the door side before awning deploys, or is your roof a walk around roof and you can approach from backside to tilt?

It would not take too much to put some linear actuators on those and tilt remotely. That would be ideal I suppose.

I am contemplating a Class B build out of a tall Cargo Van (Promaster, Sprinter or maybe a 90's class B to gut and restore) in the near future and that is on my list. Electric tilt solar panels.


Edit, Just noticing your panels are on the opposite side of door. Guess awning deployment is irrelevant in this case.

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[SilverStreaker]

Thanks for the complements Don! I do need to look into some sort of remote system cause it's gonna be more of a pain to raise those panels than i thought since I can't walk on the roof.

My windows are supposed to be in tomorrow, so this weekend should be quite an experience , weather permitting.

[aggie79]

For a one way air vent, could you use a clothes dryer exhaust vent mounted so the exhaust side faces inward rather than toward the exterior?

Nice job on the solar panel install BTW!


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[flboy]

Thanks for the complements Don! I do need to look into some sort of remote system cause it's gonna be more of a pain to raise those panels than i thought since I can't walk on the roof.

My windows are supposed to be in tomorrow, so this weekend should be quite an experience , weather permitting.

You are welcome. They do look nice.

The fact I could not walk on my roof and the expense and complexity of electric tilt is what lead me to just add the extra panel to compensate for the inefficiency related to sun angle, but again, not a huge impact here in the South.

From what I have researched, the loss can be as much as 20% in places up North (lower 48 in US) and less here in Fl. My solution was to put on 20% more capacity than I figured I needed and call it even. For me, that was much more practical so now I do not have to concern myself with which way the trailer needs to face (one way tilt) or etc..

If you are going to be in an area for more than a few days in the winter months and have the flexibility to choose trailer orientation, it would probably be worth your effort to tilt and maximize output, so good to have that option in any case. Your are all set for any situation.

Good luck with the windows. Putting in the windows was the most stressful part of my build. Something about cutting those huge holes in the side of the CTC.

If you have not done this before, I used a piece of cardboard to make sure I had the hole the right size and then used that as a template to transfer onto the trailer. Then I used painter's tape to outline and keep the saw from scratching the finish. That helped me alot. I was a rookie and very nervous.


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[beachguy005]

Thanks for the complements Don! I do need to look into some sort of remote system cause it's gonna be more of a pain to raise those panels than i thought since I can't walk on the roof.

My windows are supposed to be in tomorrow, so this weekend should be quite an experience , weather permitting.

Nice setup but can't you just reverse the tilt to inboard rather than outboard? Looks like doing that would make it easier to tilt them from the ground.

[SilverStreaker]

Nice setup but can't you just reverse the tilt to inboard rather than outboard? Looks like doing that would make it easier to tilt them from the ground.

Thanks man! Yes, the mounts can be tilted from either side, the only issue would be parking the trailer so the correct side is south facing. Right now where I have it parked in my yard, that side is facing the south. It will just be a roll of the dice as to whether or not I can position the trailer at a campsite that way.

[SilverStreaker]

For a one way air vent, could you use a clothes dryer exhaust vent mounted so the exhaust side faces inward rather than toward the exterior?

Nice job on the solar panel install BTW!


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That's a great idea! I'll have to look at doing that. Thanks!