diy solar

diy solar

Rv project for a new guy..

MisterSandals said:
Flexible panels? No, never tired it.

It would be worthy of a new thread with a title like "Help mounting flexible panels to RV". If you mentioned your specific panels, their size and what your roof is made of, you'd get some good advice.
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I will, as the time gets closer. These typically come with factory adhesive applied. This set was dry, but it can be post applied. They also make a rubber bumper kit. I need to contact a rep to see if I can get those in kit for, or if I want them. I was more concerned with oppinions on heat transfer.
 
I got the inverter charger and batteries mounted Saturday. Kinda quick and dirty from using things I had on hand. Spent today building cables, and rewiring the 120v through the renogy transfer switch. For a load test I fired the 13.5 rooftop ac. It horsed it, but thermaled out about 30 seconds after I shut it down. But I had 5 minutes running to check cables and connections with flir. The inverter recovered, and seems fine. Still haven't decided how to mount the cigs, but at least now I can get started getting a handle on the battery bank..
 

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Well, long story. But my renogy croaked. I bought it used, so I own it. At least I don't have to worry about dealing with they're customer service. I took it apart tonight. Looks like it had some cold solder joints on some MOSFETs. The traces don't look too bad, I think I can maybe save it. But we're going to go ahead and upgrade to the victron and get it over with. Anybody need a renogy project? ?
 
Having trouble uploading, but here's a pic of the burnt joints.
 

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I don’t know if you mounted your flexible panels to the roof, but this is the video I used:


Makes the panels replaceable and also has a sheet of plastic cardboard underneath to at least give it a little bit above the roof for cooling. I mounted two 175 watt Renogy flexible panels this way.

In a different video he did, he put flexible panels on the ground with a huge air gap and tested that against the same type flexible panels he had on the roof, and totally unexpected the ones on the roof tested marginally better.
 
chrisski said:
I don’t know if you mounted your flexible panels to the roof, but this is the video I used:


Makes the panels replaceable and also has a sheet of plastic cardboard underneath to at least give it a little bit above the roof for cooling. I mounted two 175 watt Renogy flexible panels this way.

In a different video he did, he put flexible panels on the ground with a huge air gap and tested that against the same type flexible panels he had on the roof, and totally unexpected the ones on the roof tested marginally better.
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Thanks, but thats a no go for these panels. They're MUCH thinner and more flexible and have no grommet holes. They are designed exclusively to be bonded directly down. Most come with adhesive pre applied, but the ones I fell into do not. Not to mention that side of the project is on hold until I get the power side ironed out. We had been planning a dry camping trip this weekend. Luckily the weather kept us home. If we'd have gone, the inverter would have failed 3 hours from home with no other power than a generator, that could have only run between certain hours.
 
TwilightZone said:
do you have an opinion on directly bonding these to the roof?
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My opinion is to sell them and get solid, framed panels. Even unistrut can handle the install issues.

I liked the ‘flexible’ idea for a long time but never installed any. But on boats I learned that people were very proud of buying flexibles- for a year or two. Then generally they fail and the narrative changes to victim and how the got ripped off…

I guess fixed/rigid panel failure happens? But not like flexies.
 
12VoltInstalls said:
My opinion is to sell them and get solid, framed panels. Even unistrut can handle the install issues.

I liked the ‘flexible’ idea for a long time but never installed any. But on boats I learned that people were very proud of buying flexibles- for a year or two. Then generally they fail and the narrative changes to victim and how the got ripped off…

I guess fixed/rigid panel failure happens? But not like flexies.
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Thanks, but I can not afford the weight of framed panels. Absolutely can not.
 
TwilightZone said:
Thanks, but I can not afford the weight of framed panels. Absolutely can not.
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600W of solid panel is ~75# total over 600W of “light” fexibles. So basically the weight of almost two small deep cycle batteries or 15 gallons of water over the flexies, installed. Not a huge difference.

Is the weight concern because of C-rated tires?
 
No. Gvwr of the camper, that we plan to live in full time. It's a turd sandwich, but this is the wrong time to be replacing what I have. By the time I added the battery bank and inverter, I have very little leeway. And I still have to have food and clothes to live.
 
GVWR is almost always related to the tires. The manufacturers use the minimum possible tire to make that last $50 profit. Often, the GVW upgrade at ‘new’ is merely a tire change…
The second thing is springs: but most often the springs/axle is the same between the ‘heavy duty’ and ‘standard’ options. But not always. Fifth wheels diverge from what I’ve seen.
Lastly, there are ‘standard’ cheap 3750# axles- if your trailer is short you might have two axles for 7500#- or 5000# axles. That’s important, too, because those two common, cheap axles often have smaller spindles and bearings. (A customer had axles replaced twice on a 26’ camper because of bent spindles and he was under by 1500; the third time warranty or not he came to us to put heavier dexter axles under and it went across country a couple times with no more troubles…)

Go to a trailer place (RV dealer isn’t usually the best) that deals in utility trailers and ask them about your springs, tires, and GVWR. It just seems extreme that 100# is an issue
 
This is a 5th wheel with Dexter tor-flex axles. Its wearing 4 brand new high quality E range tires.
 
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