NEEDED: solar array mounting system w/ easily detachable panel function

[JosephBr108]

Greetings!

I'm purchasing 4x of these https://store.santansolar.com/product/amerisolar-375w/. They are each 77" by 39".

I'm looking to put together a solar mounting system (to accommodate four of these panels) that easily allows me to detach each solar panel so that I can place them at angle toward the sun when parked.

I'm NOT looking for fixed angled mounting systems. I don't prefer these because they typically only allow one angle and there will be times when I can't adjust which way my RV is parked. As such, I would simply like a mounting system that easily allows me to detach the solar panels whenever I want.

I'd really appreciate any ideas, thoughts or experience! Thank you in advance.

Joseph B.

 

[mattleonard]

I think you'd want something better for these larger panels, but here's what I did for a mobile/portable setup with a pair of 100w panels.

First, made them into a "suitcase" - using stainless steel hinges. The panel faces fold flush to each other for easy storage. Lots of YouTube videos on this. Using lighter-weight uni-strut (14g), I made a frame about 16" wide (with a tilting pole mount for my purposes, but you don't need that) - it's the length of both panels when folded out from the suitcase mode.

I drilled (2) holes on the outside rim of both frames, and then added U-nuts (speed nuts) over the holes. A tiny tab of epoxy keeps them in place. I have 4 plastic star-knob bolts - that screw through the unit strut and into the speed nuts.

Tool-less setup, takes about 30 seconds to mount/un-mount, and was ~$20 in parts. My usage is super portable and I have access underneath the panels (usually I have them mounted on a tripod speaker stand), but it's been working great so far.

 

[JosephBr108]

Nice!

Yeah, I think I've seen a set up like this before, in this guy's video

Fast forward to the end. He has only made his set up to tilt in one direction, but it looks like that setup could easily be made to tilt in either, opposite directions as needed.

Is that basically the set up you're describing?

 

[mattleonard]

Clever, but not quite what I'm doing. Though I am looking to build a super lightweight version, so those angle stock might work well.

Here are a few pics of my setup. I'm about to do a lightweight version with 110w flexible panels - but still trying to figure out options for a rigid-enough but still lightweight frame for the panels. That ideally doesn't become a sail and fall over with a small breeze!

 

[JosephBr108]

Ohh, so you're mounting that tripod to the top of your RV?

 

[mattleonard]

Ha, no. No RV for me. I do totally mobile/portable setups (often powering sound systems) - so that tripod speaker stand is typically how it's deployed in the field. The stand is just nice to make it easy to spin and tilt to track the sun, and minimizes oblivious people shading me out.

 

[Picasso]

heavy cotton canvas aka duck cloth or maybe look at small design like this? https://smartflower.com/ (scam)