How do you unload solar panels by yourself?

[ArtieKendall]

Cool hope it works out for you, if you can’t figure it out and I still have a few left to stack I’ll take a video or something.

Basically for one clamp this is how it works.

You shall use your body (chest, waist, whatever) to hold the one that you are popping off. It will be at an angle so it’s going to be a couple pounds of tilting force.

You shall use one hand (probably non dominant) to hold up the ones staying in the stack. This is only stabilizing force so it is minimal.

The other hand (dominant) relocks the 48” clamp so you can walk away with the one resting on your body. Now with two free hands

Good to order two, then you can decide your risk tolerance for trying with just one.

Sometimes the rubber padding pops off one end, which you need to handle with zen and just realize that it locks fine without it.

Thanks again.

 

[zanydroid]

No problem. I actually got this approach for 48" clamps from someone else on the forum. They're the MVP here.

In terms of real overall difficulty compared to other stuff in a DIY install, this is really far on the bottom despite how intimidating I perceived it to be two weeks ago.

Cutting the box and packing straps and letting it all hang loose is a bit of a burning the bridges moment though

 

[ArtieKendall]

No problem. I actually got this approach for 48" clamps from someone else on the forum. They're the MVP here.

In terms of real overall difficulty compared to other stuff in a DIY install, this is really far on the bottom despite how intimidating I perceived it to be two weeks ago.

Cutting the box and packing straps and letting it all hang loose is a bit of a burning the bridges moment though

About 50 years ago, I cut a hole for a sunroof in my brand new van. THAT was scary.

 

[LydMekk]

About 50 years ago, I cut a hole for a sunroof in my brand new van. THAT was scary.

I did the same on an old 70s VW Beetle. Fun times ^^

 

[ArtieKendall]

My panels arrived today, and I had much less trouble with them than I thought I would. The driver was very accommodating and put the pallet exactly where I needed it to be able to support the panels with my car, and the DeWalt clamps worked a treat. Thanks so much to everybody who responded.

The batteries, on the other hand, were much harder to manage than I thought they would be. Luckily I saw a Will Prowse video a while ago about using a hydraulic lift table for batteries, and I got one (not as nice as his, but it did the job). I would have been totally stuck without it.

 

[ArtieKendall]

One other thing, if anybody is in the same situation as I am. The pallet they came on did not allow side access; you had to put the forks in the long end. So the Home Depot rental pallet jack would not have worked. There was even a warning on the pallet that said something about long forks only.

And geez, was that a nasty, ugly pallet. Wood I wouldn't want to burn within a mile of my house, nails sticking out all over, boards falling off when we were moving it. I feel lucky that it managed to not completely fall apart between the curb and the garage. And it will probably take me an hour or two to break it up and pull out the nails to make it not be tetanus waiting to happen.