4 way tilting solar panels full use for 2 years

[KateyjaneVanLife]

Was on here once before but covid came to play so everything went wrong!

Design within minutes a super-strong hingeless tilting panel bracket with no moving parts around the tilt area. Built to withstand the UK weather and parking issues that come with it. " types of panel brackets in use, single and twin panels. I could have many more options if I wished to design into them.

small weights 15 kg, twin 30 kg, its a plate design for the roof to spread the loading. PV are 3x 150 watt types.

These panels have allowed me to live in my motorhome without hookup for 2 years 365 days a year. I plan to have 3 more fixed panels and one side panel for progressive voltage.

The panels are then connected to a renogy 50 amp dc to dc charger which is fitted with a cut off switch to fix renogy low voltage issues within the system, this allows for 50 amp alternator power.

2 130 amp-hour carbon AGM batteries.

The same solar panel's cable is another mppt charger for my diesel heaters battery. Both chargers can to turned off giving full solar power to either set of batteries.

Depending on SOC of the batteries I mostly use the smaller panel and leave it up. the larger panel due to its weight and size can act like a sail, but its knowing the weather helps to get the best from the system. After 2 years of use i know this system so well.

After testing the brackets for a week they were put into use straight away, i have never looked back. if something did break which is highly unlikely, spare parts can be bought from DIY shops.

Youtube vid sort of demo but not the best video ever My video

I just love inventing things.

 

[stienman]

Neat! Can you share pictures of the mechanisms involved?

 

[KateyjaneVanLife]

Neat! Can you share pictures of the mechanisms involved?

No sorry, they are being put through as a business, they have no patent yet.

TBH they have no mechanism as such. there's nothing that moves when the panels are tilted so it can't break. Was meant to be in full production with kits but that covid killed everything.

What i,m showing is that's its possible to make them.

 

[stienman]

Good luck with the business!

 

[KateyjaneVanLife]

Good luck with the business!

Thanks, Wow its a bit odd tbh, as i,m homeless I have no fixed address, so when it comes to applying for start-up loans, oh lord. They say we can help, can we have your details for a background check, hahah what background. that sums it up lol. Even more frustrating, had two shops lined up RV stores in the UK to take some stock, plus a trade fair. I laugh because i, ve had a bad 20 years and it still continues lol.

 

[stienman]

Ah, that’s tough! I’d suggest making a dozen by hand and see how they sell, then growing to avoid taking out a big loan, but if you feel you need a patent then you do need quite a chunk of change up front.

 

[KateyjaneVanLife]

Ah, that’s tough! I’d suggest making a dozen by hand and see how they sell, then growing to avoid taking out a big loan, but if you feel you need a patent then you do need quite a chunk of change up front.

Yeah I know, we have free business advice here so took that, everything was costed up. a lot of interest too. That was the week just before the first covid lockdown. So everything went wrong. The patent is about £1500 i think, there are two types. That i can afford still but silly me lost a free opportunity a few weeks back as I just looked at what they said and they have made a massive error.

I had planned to make the, as kit form with a solar panel or fit the brackets yourself. but again mistakes were made but will try and sort it.

I always say, once at the bottom always at the bottom lol. I think is i can't ever do it as a business i just share the design let someone else have it.

 

[eXodus]

No sorry, they are being put through as a business, they have no patent yet.

a 4 way manual tilt is not that difficult to design. Wonder if that will be afforded a patent. From a mechanics perspective that's rather easy.
I would be worried about that staying on the roof.

A 4 way automatic tilt - that would be an amazing patent.

In general I'm against patents, you get knocked of anyhow, with or without. You need to innovate and build the better product then the knockoffs. Provide the better service and the better product and people will buy yours.
Patents only benefit lawyers.

 

[Hedges]

so when it comes to applying for start-up loans, oh lord.

We hear of established companies launching new products with Kickstarter so customers take the risk rather than the company.
But it is meant for situations like yours. Look into that as an alternative to borrowing and owing money, for which you would need sales to customers. Instead you'll owe customers the product.

Kickstarter - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[KateyjaneVanLife]

Thats what I told them but as everyone states, not 4 ways on the market yet, just 1 way types that cost a lot for nothing.

As for staying on the roof. speed tested at 100 fast as the motorhome will go. the small panel is fine in winds over 30 mph, when the wind is in front the design is Triangle, they are extremely strong. The large panels is used mostly in light winds but as they say, use common sense.

They are bonded and screwed to the roof. been in full use for 2 years and not like 99.99% of van users either, i actually head out in bad weather as its my thing in life.

Have confidence in what you do. its as simple as that. The testing was very important. i knew the tilt part worked, it was the weather part. as i said, they were designed for being used in bad weather.

 

[KateyjaneVanLife]

We hear of established companies launching new products with Kickstarter so customers take the risk rather than the company.
But it is meant for situations like yours. Look into that as an alternative to borrowing and owing money, for which you would need sales to customers. Instead you'll owe customers the product.

Kickstarter - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Done a lot of that with Kickstarter, some of it is ok, others not. you have to take into account the type of start-up you doing. Had the mentor program for 3 months which was helpful.

At the moment campers and motorhomes are selling out. as they said get them out asap.

You have to be in it to win it remember. No point in anyone saying well i better not, you get nowhere without trying.

 

[eXodus]

Thats what I told them but as everyone states, not 4 ways on the market yet, just 1 way types that cost a lot for nothing.

As for staying on the roof. speed tested at 100 fast as the motorhome will go. the small panel is fine in winds over 30 mph, when the wind is in front the design is Triangle, they are extremely strong. The large panels is used mostly in light winds but as they say, use common sense.

They are bonded and screwed to the roof. been in full use for 2 years and not like 99.99% of van users either, i actually head out in bad weather as its my thing in life.

Have confidence in what you do. its as simple as that. The testing was very important. i knew the tilt part worked, it was the weather part. as i said, they were designed for being used in bad weather.

sorry if I shatter some dreams:

4 Way Tilt RV Solar Mounts | 4 Way Solar

Tilt your solar panels in 4 directions, allowing you to park in any orientation as still benefit from a 40% boost in efficiency.

www.4waysolar.com

If they get a patent for something anyone can assemble from a hand full or parts at the home improvement store, I'm questioning the patent processes even more.


If you got a good design - you should just go ahead and start selling. The patent process is just slowing you down. You could have sold already hundreds

 

[KateyjaneVanLife]

sorry if I shatter some dreams:

4 Way Tilt RV Solar Mounts | 4 Way Solar

Tilt your solar panels in 4 directions, allowing you to park in any orientation as still benefit from a 40% boost in efficiency.

www.4waysolar.com

If they get a patent for something anyone can assemble from a hand full or parts at the home improvement store, I'm questioning the patent processes even more.
View attachment 54806

If you got a good design - you should just go ahead and start selling. The patent process is just slowing you down. You could have sold already hundreds

wow mine is miles different to that. that doesn't look strong at all.

Patents are a right pain, if you took that design and charged it a bit, that would be fine but if you didn't there be copies and bad ones at that causing all kinds of issues. You know how this world works, stabbed in the back in seconds.

Lol mate, shatter dreams, hahah you can't shatter someone when they been shattered before. nice try tho.

 

[KateyjaneVanLife]

If I could weld, I would have made them myself. powering them would take some complex work. it is possible to do that using magnetic thrust bolts.

If humans can put jam in doughnuts i,m sure you can power 4 way pv lmao.

ohh nearly gave it away lol.

 

[LanduytG]

$84 For that?

 

[KateyjaneVanLife]

$84 For that?

they are a basic design and don't tilt far by the looks of their website. mine tilt to full vertical, oddly, looking at theirs you have to undo a few things, again. My brackets, the locking and the safety system is also the tilt part. each panel has 8 but only need to use 4 if i wish due to the strength of the system.

The bars, one per side, are used to angle one end and the other and are telescopic. wanted carbon ones as they look cool.

 

[SamL]

Would love to see how yours works @KateyjaneVanLife! I personally went with the 4 way solar system, since it's the only one I could find.. I thought about reverse engineering it, but after looking into it it would have cost me nearly as much to make it myself (metal is expensive these days!). When you group 2 or 3 panels, it's pretty efficient for tilting (takes 3-5 minutes for a couple sets of panels). And for strength, the brackets are actually far thicker than I would have personally went with. 3/16" heat treated aluminum is a bit overkill for this application, but i'd rather be more secure than less.

 

[KateyjaneVanLife]

Would love to see how yours works @KateyjaneVanLife! I personally went with the 4 way solar system, since it's the only one I could find.. I thought about reverse engineering it, but after looking into it it would have cost me nearly as much to make it myself (metal is expensive these days!). When you group 2 or 3 panels, it's pretty efficient for tilting (takes 3-5 minutes for a couple sets of panels). And for strength, the brackets are actually far thicker than I would have personally went with. 3/16" heat treated aluminum is a bit overkill for this application, but i'd rather be more secure than less.

Large panels are not bolted together but have their own frame, both panels are separated so one can be removed if faulty. they are then bolted to the frame.

On recommendation, all the alimue is high grade. built by a pro workshop locally. the main brackets use the same aliu but in plate form and are 3 sided. the locking and tilting system is one of the same, so 8 of them and used heavy grade aliu. 8 locking bolts but only need 4 in use if i wish.

the small panel, needs no framework but has corner plates to help strengthen the panel's sides. the brackets use the same design but the roof bolting plate on one end was design to fit around the kitchen skylight, so that panel sits higher in the ar oer the skilight so i can still use the skylight by 3 inches for cooking.

Add ones and upgrades could be very large plates or made from one plate for the roof.

they are so strong i will leave the small panel up not bolted down when its tiled, i just plonk the angle bars up and leave it.

the large panels can hold one using just one bar. In use, they will let me know when the wind is getting too much. buti go by what i can handle when its windy, trying to control a 30 kg sail can be hard work and dam dangers, so i never go that far with the large panel, the small one is so light it matters nothing.

I know if i shared this design out i,m sure it would be for sale soon after.

i,m pushing for funding so i can run it as a made to measure design. i have 4 more upgrades or designs and a kit type. i was basing it on extreme off-grid lifestyles as climbing on a roof for some would be a no no.


If pushing for a start-up loan goes wrong and i share this design out you lot would laugh its that easy and the parts i used to make it tilt. simple yet almost unbreakable.

Best way to design is overkill or go by what you would plan to do.

The tilting bars, they weren't finished and i may never bother if things don,t work out.

I will do typos lol, i,m badly dyslexic.