Solar on Roof

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   im trying the same modification to my new 179
could you explain how you took off the inside cabinet panel and top to drill through the roof. i looked at it and it seemed that the shelf, drawers, etc need to be removed as the panel looks to run the full height of the cabinet. Im trying not to destroy the inside if i can help it. also why not run wires down the vent stack instead of hole in roof

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garyd Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 09 Oct 2017 Location: broomfield co Online Status: Offline Posts: 38	Topic: Solar on Roof Posted: 01 Apr 2018 at 3:52pm
	im trying the same modification to my new 179 could you explain how you took off the inside cabinet panel and top to drill through the roof. i looked at it and it seemed that the shelf, drawers, etc need to be removed as the panel looks to run the full height of the cabinet. Im trying not to destroy the inside if i can help it. also why not run wires down the vent stack instead of hole in roof
	gary

Leo B Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 13 Jan 2012 Location: Lyndonville, VT Online Status: Offline Posts: 4508	Posted: 01 Apr 2018 at 4:26pm
	I am curious also, have a 179 and looking for ideas with the solar!
	Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171

Olddawgsrule Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 20 Sep 2017 Location: New Hampshire Online Status: Offline Posts: 1014	Posted: 02 Apr 2018 at 3:50pm
	I keep watching prices and see you can go flexible for $1 a watt, if you can wait the delivery time. http://www.aliexpress.com/item/3-100W-Mono-Flexible-Solar-Panel-Module-with-3-in-1-Quick-Connectors-and-Extended-Cables/32846491923.html?spm=2114.search0204.3.133.67043344kvgXgr&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_5_10152_10065_10151_10344_10068_10130_5722815_10324_10342_10547_10325_10343_10546_10340_5722915_10548_10341_10545_5722615_10697_10696_10084_10083_10618_10307_5722715_10059_10534_100031_10103_441_10624_10623_10622_5722515_10621_10620,searchweb201603_25,ppcSwitch_5_ppcChannel&algo_expid=516f13f4-b861-4823-9dfd-68d7cf9f2ca5-21&algo_pvid=516f13f4-b861-4823-9dfd-68d7cf9f2ca5&transAbTest=ae803_2&priceBeautifyAB=0 The kicker here is the VAT or Duty imposed. Could be as much as 30% (12-30% range right now). Even at 30% that's still only $1.35 a watt. Still not bad for flexible. This you can glue down on the unit. Conforms to the unit. If I was to mount permanently, I see this as the way I would head. I'll wait till November and the sales out of China. Also let the dust settle on the 'new' tariff's out there. Besides I need to test out my 130's and see where I land with that. As my wife says... "One step at a time please.."
	Byways no Highways 2017 Tacoma Truck Camper Build 2004 F150 My Overlander

lostagain Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2587	Posted: 02 Apr 2018 at 9:39pm
	We have a flexible 100W solar panel that I can lay on the roof of our Pod [front or back ends]. It has grommets at each corner and i attached cords so I could securely tie it down. I put little boat line cleats along the bottom of the side walls and use them to secure the panel so it won't blow off. It's stayed on quite well even in 20 mph winds. I also put the cleats on the bottom edge of our camper shell so I can put it on the truck if the trailer is in the shade. So far it works quite nicely. The big drawback is that it's easy to steal, so we have to be a little careful about when we set it up.
	Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost

Don Halas Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 01 Jul 2015 Location: Connecticut Online Status: Offline Posts: 190	Posted: 17 Apr 2018 at 11:20am
	I have a flexible 100watt solar panel that I mount on the front of the pod with Velcro. It cost about $180 from Amazon. I am using the most secure Velcro brand tape they sell and it is stuck to the trailer with USB tape. I run the Velcro around the entire perimeter of the panel. First time out I also secured the panel through the front center grommet to the hitch with rope. We had no issues travelling with it. Second time I was more confident of the ability of the Velcro and didn't use the tie down. About 1/2 hour from home I saw the panel in my rear view mirror had blown off. So, I replaced the panel and have abandoned hopes of travelling with the panel outside. Instead it rides inside the trailer behind the couch cushion. I can add a second panel if need be through the solar port at the back, but I don't expect that will ever be necessary. There were pictures of my installation on this site, but I believe they were all removed when they changed servers about a year ago.

Ghosthawk Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 01 Apr 2018 Location: Fargo ND Online Status: Offline Posts: 128	Posted: 18 Apr 2018 at 7:10am
	Looking at those myself. I have pretty much decideded to buy 2. A One will be mounted on the roof using the grommets. Exactly how I have not yet worked out. But I will. B Second one will probably be kept loose in the TV so it can be propped in convenient location as needed. Murphy will always rear his ugly head if you do not plan for him. So belt and suspenders all the way. Or a piece of paracord between 2 belt loops. Preppers have a saying, "One is none, two is one" Any one system can fail. If that happens, your without. Two systems means redundancy. Unlikely both will fail. But if in doubt, there is always 3. My favorite saying though is pretty simple. "Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance". Velcro is fine when parked, but wind at 50 + MPH is a wicked thing.

Don Halas Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 01 Jul 2015 Location: Connecticut Online Status: Offline Posts: 190	Posted: 18 Apr 2018 at 10:06am
	If I added the second panel it would definitely be the suitcase variety. I wouldn't need a charge controller since I've already got one big enough to handle another panel. I'd plan on having a cable of about 10'-20' to allow flexibility of where I placed it outside. It would run through the port on the back of the pod. But, unless our style of camping changes significantly I don't see a need for it.

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 02 Oct 2018 at 7:59am
	I know this is an older thread but just to clear up some misconceptions on solar system design I see here I'd like to add a couple of comments. First, a 100 (or 200 or whatever) watt solar module essentially never produces 100 (or 200) watts. Why? Because solar modules are tested at 25C (77F) in a flash tester in a conditioned factory at an irradiance of 1000 watts per meter squared, aka "1 sun". That is what is called STC (standard test conditions). You can certainly get the 1000 w/m2 in the wild, perhaps a little more on a very sunny clear day with the solar module directly facing the sun. But, unless it is freezing out you won't get the 25C module temperature. The solar module will heat up in the sun and the output is reduced. On a 25C (77F) day the module will typically be at about 55C (131F) and output will be reduced by around 15%. This reduction in output comes as reduced voltage, current output actually goes up just slightly. This is why modules designed for 12V battery charging typically have a max power voltage (Vmp on your data sheet) of around 17-18V, so they can still charge batteries effectively on hot days even though 13.6-14.4V is as high as you ever want to charge a lead acid battery. An MPPT charger will not get around this voltage drop with temperature. That's just basic semiconductor device physics. The MPPT charger will only help with wasting extra solar module voltage you can't otherwise use, especially on cooler days. But if you're planning your system for summer use the 15% will be there even with an MPPT controller, and more for hot locations. If you're using a PWM controller, your losses are going to be more like 20% because of the wasted voltage. The easiest way to determine what you can expect to get from a solar/battery system is to to look up the max power current (Imp on your data sheet), and multiply that by the sun hours for your location, time of year, and panel orientation. That will give you the average daily amp hours you can expect to get for your 12V electrical loads, barring any shading or dirt accumulation on your solar array. There is a nice calculator for sun hours here: http://solarelectricityhandbook.com/solar-irradiance.html Second, the energy available to your loads from the battery will be delivered at about 12V, even though the battery will charge at around 13.6V. So, you have an energy loss in the battery as well as the solar modules. If you work in amp hours these losses will be taken into account but if you want to work in watts you'll need to derate your system for battery voltage losses by about 12/13.6 or about 12%. So, your total derates starting from solar module nameplate watts to delivered load watts will be around 25-30%, maybe more for a hotter climate. None of this should stop you from going with solar, its so cheap now that nothing can compete with it as long as you have good solar access. Just be realistic about what you can expect to get from a given size solar/battery system.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold