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400w solaria panel on sprinter van

blutow

Solar Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 20, 2020
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344
I just completed the install of my solaria 400w panel. Pretty tight fit behind the AC unit without overhanging the back, so there will be some shading from the AC at times. The AC is as far forward as possible with the hole right up against a ceiling rib. I fabricated the mounting brackets from 1/2" plate aluminum and it's nice and strong. I also created a little support block in the middle of the panel to keep it from sagging and bouncing. I did a high speed test run last night in gusty conditions and didn't have any weird wind noise or buffeting, so I'm happy the the result. Electrical install will be happening soon.

IMG-0674.jpgIMG-0665.jpgIMG-0670.jpgIMG-0672.jpg
 
Nice looking install. Hope mine is as clean. Those fingerprints though! Guess I'll need to get gloves.
 
Really nice install! And with those rails you have space for two skinnies on either side of the maxxfan later!
 
Nice and clean.
I want to put some panels on the roof of my Sprinter. I have nothing on the roof now. Does these panels, or the MaxFann affect fuel economy or noise much? I will never put an AC on mine so that's not a concern. What is the total height gain?
 
Those fingerprints though! Guess I'll need to get gloves.
yeah, I know. I am replacing the regular nuts holding the brackets with some acorn nuts. I'll need to bring some windex up the ladder when I swap them out. I keep telling myself I'll never see it, but I know those fingerprints are up there.....

Nice and clean.
I want to put some panels on the roof of my Sprinter. I have nothing on the roof now. Does these panels, or the MaxFann affect fuel economy or noise much? I will never put an AC on mine so that's not a concern. What is the total height gain?

Thanks, I'm trying to keep everything clean and low profile on the exterior. I'm planning to keep the stock wheels and tire size and no bolt on ladders/boxes/lights/etc. Going for that delivery van / courtesy shuttle vibe. Hopefully will make it less of a target for thieves.

Anything you put on the roof is going to create a little noise and affect fuel economy. I don't have enough miles on it to speak for fuel economy, but I'd done some wind noise testing. I added the AC first and didn't really notice any additional noise driving around town (but not high speed). With the max fan, I got some noise increase. Mostly because the fan is pretty close to the cockpit, so the fan is almost overhead. It's not bad, but it sounds a little like the side door isn't closed all the way. It's an issue I've heard other report and I have an insulated cover coming that can be used during highway driving to muffle any noise. Maybe a little more noise from the solar panel, but nothing I can say for sure. I took the van up to about 80 on my test run after installing the panel and it was a really gusty night. There was definitely wind noise, but nothing dramatically more than before adding the roof stuff. The increased height (ignoring the AC) is ~5" (the height of the fan when closed). The solar panel is pretty tight to the roof. The bottom of the panel is exactly 1" off the roof rails, so the top of the panel sits about 2.5" higher than the rails. It looks higher at the back because the roof rails stop and the roof drops lower near the back.
 
I've used these in the past on several Sprinters. Work well and similar concept if you want a off the shelf purchase.

 
I've used these in the past on several Sprinters. Work well and similar concept if you want a off the shelf purchase.

I considered those. I used their roof adapters for my fan and AC and also got my insulation and just ordered some speaker adapters from DIY vans. They make great stuff.

~$240 for 3 sets of brackets was a bit rich for me and I like playing with metal. I was also concerned about the strength of the brackets and whether the thinner brackets might have too much give with the large panel. I'm honestly not sure if a little flex might have been good with a little suspension action, but I went with the heavy plate approach and it's rock solid (good or bad).
 
yeah, I know. I am replacing the regular nuts holding the brackets with some acorn nuts. I'll need to bring some windex up the ladder when I swap them out. I keep telling myself I'll never see it, but I know those fingerprints are up there.....



Thanks, I'm trying to keep everything clean and low profile on the exterior. I'm planning to keep the stock wheels and tire size and no bolt on ladders/boxes/lights/etc. Going for that delivery van / courtesy shuttle vibe. Hopefully will make it less of a target for thieves.

Anything you put on the roof is going to create a little noise and affect fuel economy. I don't have enough miles on it to speak for fuel economy, but I'd done some wind noise testing. I added the AC first and didn't really notice any additional noise driving around town (but not high speed). With the max fan, I got some noise increase. Mostly because the fan is pretty close to the cockpit, so the fan is almost overhead. It's not bad, but it sounds a little like the side door isn't closed all the way. It's an issue I've heard other report and I have an insulated cover coming that can be used during highway driving to muffle any noise. Maybe a little more noise from the solar panel, but nothing I can say for sure. I took the van up to about 80 on my test run after installing the panel and it was a really gusty night. There was definitely wind noise, but nothing dramatically more than before adding the roof stuff. The increased height (ignoring the AC) is ~5" (the height of the fan when closed). The solar panel is pretty tight to the roof. The bottom of the panel is exactly 1" off the roof rails, so the top of the panel sits about 2.5" higher than the rails. It looks higher at the back because the roof rails stop and the roof drops lower near the back.
Interesting. My van is a toyota Hiace and I'm going with a low profile fan mounted behind the panels. Hopefully it won't make too much noise.

Also the fingerprints can't be helping your efficiency. I suppose it's insignificant, but it would bug me.
 
Sorry for the bump -
I'm very interested in using this panel for my ProMaster build, but I have no plans for rails or a roof rack. With your experience do you think this panel would be okay with Z brackets into the roof?

Thanks in advance!
 
@blutow How is your panel holding up? And what did you use for the center support block?

Thanks for sharing your work. I just picked one up, and going to install “soonish”
 
@blutow How is your panel holding up? And what did you use for the center support block?

Thanks for sharing your work. I just picked one up, and going to install “soonish”
The center support is just some scrap expanded PVC material glued together and then some soft rubber trim on top (probably wasn't needed). Panel is holding up great, pushing near 400 watts at times.
 
Sorry for the bump -
I'm very interested in using this panel for my ProMaster build, but I have no plans for rails or a roof rack. With your experience do you think this panel would be okay with Z brackets into the roof?

Thanks in advance!
Sorry, I missed this post. I have not idea how Z brackets work, but the panel is pretty heavy and I'd make sure it's mounted to solid structure. For anyone looking to attach a panel this size direct to the roof of a van/rv/trailer, I'd recommend some significant backing structure to attach to. I wouldn't just through bolt it to the roof without some backing.
 
My take on the 400w Solaria panel install, on a 144” wheelbase van. Thanks again @blutow for sharing!

I’m using a cheap knockoff version of the diyvan brackets, which were about ~$100 for three sets.

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Looks good!
Mine is just a 330 watt (2019 technology).
Sprinter based RV.
I used rectangular Aluminum tube and 3M VHB tape to stick it to the roof.
Denali_roof_pv_cleaning.jpg
 
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