diy solar

diy solar

What panels are you using on your rv roof??

Yeah I have tilt frames now, and have thought if I ever get time, I’ll design something with small servos to tilt them. The trick is ensuring they are locked down tight in any position due to winds from either travel or
Stationary.
Vibration is more concern for me. I travel quite a few dirt roads. If your stove grates inside the rig vibrate when on the washboard road, imagine that vibration on your panel mounts. I got lucky when I accidentally saw that my panel screws pulled out of the truss on the roof. Vibration caused the threads to pull out. The only thing holding it down was the rubber covering on the roof. That panel would have blown off when I got on the highway. I changed over to longer strut channel mounted to the roof. It had been just 4 z bracket mounts. I now have 6 screws on each strut channel then mounted my panels to the channel.

I also check my panel mounts more often. Vibration on tilt mounts seems to be as critical.
 
Yes I have lost a couple thumbscrews & nuts, so check and tighten them much mote often. I had a panel flip over and bend a tilt frame on a trip with high wind on the road.
 
Vibration is more concern for me. I travel quite a few dirt roads. If your stove grates inside the rig vibrate when on the washboard road, imagine that vibration on your panel mounts. I got lucky when I accidentally saw that my panel screws pulled out of the truss on the roof. Vibration caused the threads to pull out. The only thing holding it down was the rubber covering on the roof. That panel would have blown off when I got on the highway. I changed over to longer strut channel mounted to the roof. It had been just 4 z bracket mounts. I now have 6 screws on each strut channel then mounted my panels to the channel.

I also check my panel mounts more often. Vibration on tilt mounts seems to be as critical.
Yes I have lost a couple thumbscrews & nuts, so check and tighten them much mote often. I had a panel flip over and bend a tilt frame on a trip with high wind on the road.
I plan on using (blue) loctite on my fasteners for this very reason... last thing I want is the liability of a panel flying off my trailer on the freeway and causing an accident, or worse. Even if it's not something horrendous like that, I'd still rather not have things get damaged if it can be avoided.
 
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