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This vertical electronics cabinet in my Ford Transit is a bit of a puzzle to work through. I'm looking at moving things around to make room for more components. While this layout has been functional, and there is some logic to it, it could be better. To give you the big picture, here is what it...

We camped next to this solar powerd camera on Tuesday. Below is a shot of the same device after Thursday's launch. Besides being blown over, I cannot tell how much damage occured.

Nice option for my roof rack v2.0

I can't report on what happened during the launch, but the day before here are two cameras set up to take it all in. Yes, the first appears to be a basketball hoop pole and support.

@50ShadesOfDirt, No tricks on depth perception, we were right there. I figure a 7 iron from 150 yards would reach the base of the booster. For reference, the launch tower is just under 500 feet high. We spent Tuesday night at the base of Starship. The induction cooktop meal was solar powered!

...or maybe it is! Just kidding, what the team at SpaceX is building is special, and very difficult. My little solar project was made easy with help from @Will Prowse and many of you from the DIY Solar Forum.

OK, time has passed, in the end I decided that simplicity was the way to go, no linear actuators, no solar tilting. There are 6 Renogy 100 watt solar panels with a Victron MPPT 100/50. The panels straddle 2 roof fans. For mounting, I started with the Flatline roof rack then installed 4 12'...

Nice build! This is similar to mine but more compact. I see the vent on the front but suspect you might need a small fan, possibly on the opposite corner to push or pull air through the unit. For me, the B2B charger can get hot and the Multiplus can get rather warm as well.

@richard cabesa - this is good feedback, I you are probably correct, and perhaps a bit more. The four panels I am looking at will be all of 160 lbs, the linear actuators weigh just under 3 lbs each and then there is the aluminum frame and stainless steel fasteners. The aluminum frame will be...

@blutow, you bring up a good point about stability in the wind, a serious concern. I get pushed around in the wind a bit now although the van is largely empty. After adding 2000 lbs of the buildout, my hope is that it stabilizes a bit more. When ordering the vehicle, I went as beefy as possible...

It will be a powered tilting system. I'm installing a 12 volt A/C system with 600Ah of batteries in Florida, and room to go to 800Ah if necessary. The A/C will get used quite a bit. I figure the tilting panels will help the batteries recover earlier in the day while the sun is still low in the...

Good feedback, thanks. I was thinking a windbreak of some sort would improve aerodynamics and keep the wind from getting under the panels. Something line this: And a look at the inside: And one more for good measure

Hi All, I've got an interesting solar challenge, to add 1000+ watts solar to a 2020 Ford Transit high-top extended length van. I'm constrained by the 144" by 62" (3.66M by 1.57M) roof space. There is the flexibility of a few inches in each dimension as I am building a custom roof rack. The...