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Solar panels on an enclosed trailer. Who has done it ?
I am in the planning stages of adding solar panels to the roof of my trailer. Anybody do this? More interested in how they were attached. I'm thinking of a 400 watt system max, 4 panels.
I used the 3M tape to tape the brackets to the roof. Drilled a hole in the top rail on the side of the trailer near my electrical panel and ran the wire to the control box through the wall (finished walls on inside). But I just have 1 small panel to keep my battery charged.
mussl...whats the intent? just charging the house batteries while in transit or storage...or....powering stuff
Really looking for ideas from people who have done it with these larger panels. Things to consider like 80 mph driving speeds (short burst), possible lift or fludder if air stream gets under the panels, etc. No doubt I can get it done, but ideas from experience would help.
Current thinking is that nothing penetrates the roof and I am pretty sure that is possible. Tilting the panels is not something I am thinking about.
Charging 2 Optima yellow batteries in the former winch pit in the floor. I already have a 2000 watt pure sine wave inverter and would like enough solar power to run a cooling fan in warmer months, along with a 40 inch monitor to review videos. Trailer already has wiring for 120 volt and 12 volt lights, outlets.
I have an existing optima in the pit that powers the 12 volt stuff like landing gear and winch, and 12 volt lighting. Charged by the tow vehicle.
I got the idea for the VHB tape by 3M from youtube, so it must be true (just like everything you read on Rennlist). There are several videos there of guys using it to mount big panels to their RVs, so I tried it. My panel is small, maybe 8W, but it has held up well at speed Mounted with brackets that hold it 2-3" off the roof.
I got the idea for the VHB tape by 3M from youtube, so it must be true (just like everything you read on Rennlist). There are several videos there of guys using it to mount big panels to their RVs, so I tried it. My panel is small, maybe 8W, but it has held up well at speed Mounted with brackets that hold it 2-3" off the roof.
I have ideas based on VHB tape as I have several rolls and know it enough to trust it somewhat. Mechanical attachment aided by VHB may be the answer. Loosing a panel is not a big deal, loosing a panel that hits the vehicle behind you is a really big deal.
from a few that ive spoken to they recommended putting it on the rearward side of the rooftop a/c units or vents. those things will deflect a lot of the pressure from wind/air speed when cruising down the road. and I would probably use some kind of gorilla tape to tape down that leading edge so caivtating wind behind the vent doesn't get under the leading edge. my guess is you'd be just fine.
My panel is smallish (about 1.5x3' for a 40W panel to charge the battery) but is raised a couple inches off the roof by metal brackets. It is bolted to the brackets. It's been there for ~4 years with no issues.
is 40W sufficient for charging the batteries? how big is a 40w panel?
18 x 36 for Tom but that is a 4 year old panel. I'm looking to mount 4 panels a bit larger than that that produce 100 watts each.
A 40 watt will keep the batteries charged week to week. My needs are day to day and because they are flat on the roof, extra capacity will help a lot.
800 watt systems look really good but at that power lever an inverter needs to accept 24 volt input, Chargers too. Already have a 12 volt inverter.
If all you need to keep a battery fully charged is about 20W. I went with 40W as I was living in an area that got a lot of coastal fog and not much sun. I have a generator for providing power for everything else. Keeping the battery charged over the months that the trailer sits helps reduce frustration when you don't have time to do much before hooking up and heading out.
to regulate the charging. (They don't make that model anymore and I see I ordered it in 2011, so I've had the solar panel on the trailer for ~6 years, not 4) Lots of panels and options available via Amazon.
If all you need to keep a battery fully charged is about 20W. I went with 40W as I was living in an area that got a lot of coastal fog and not much sun. I have a generator for providing power for everything else. Keeping the battery charged over the months that the trailer sits helps reduce frustration when you don't have time to do much before hooking up and heading out.
Just remember to add something like this to regulate the charging. (They don't make that model anymore and I see I ordered it in 2011, so I've had the solar panel on the trailer for ~6 years, not 4) Lots of panels and options available via Amazon.
What I am looking at is a complete system from Renogy on Amazon. 400 watt RV kit with 4 panels, wires, mounting clips, and charge controller.
I've been looking into a system for my trailer now for a while. I did a system using two 40 watt panels for a couple of garden fountains with a charge controller and two batteries which were small - only 18 ah. I'm running it in series for 24V.
I used the flexible panels so they were easier to mount and will use the same on my trailer. They are a bit more expensive - but you can use the adhesive tape to secure them without drilling and they are flush to the roof. In estimating the my needs - I've determined that I need no more than 200w and probably less, to charge a couple of 100 ah deep cycle batteries. I'll wire it in series again to get 24V to go through a charge controller and combination inverter and charger - so I can plug the system in where there is "shore" power to charge the batteries. I'm anticipating running a 27in monitor, inside lights, possibly a winch in the future and charging stuff like phones, laptops, etc. when at the track. There's lots of good info out there on determining your needs in terms of watts, etc. and how much loss you'll get from the panels.
If you are going to 24V, you can buy 24V panels. I ran an irrigation system for a few years off 2 80W panels, 2 batteries and an inverter (silly irrigation controllers require 24V AC). The solenoids from the irrigation were not a big draw, so it didn't take much to keep the batteries charged.
I added panels to mi 20' trailer. Went cheap... really cheap, like HF cheap. Bought their 45w 3-panel setup (they now sell a 100w version). The lice part is that this comes with a frame to mount the panels and charge controller. I bought some flanges from Home Depot and screwed them to the 'studs' in the ceiling/roof. Made sure everything was locktighted and sealed with good caulk. Ran cables in through the front vent down to the front of the trailer.
There I tie it into a deep cycle battery. This is the main purpose. I run a TV, lights, and winch off the battery. The panel is there to make sure there is a charge on the battery at all times. Works well! So far I've had no issues. Seems to be fine at highway speeds too.
Oh... I added an isolation switch so I can either run the house lights off the battery/solar panels or off the tow vehicle. I also run a 1100w inverter that works for most things except a coffee maker. I don;t think I would change anything.
Sorry, I don;t have any pics of the installation. Here is a picture of the trailer. You can just barely make out the solar panels on the roof.
08-22-2017, 12:54 PM
Solar panels on an enclosed trailer. Who has done it ?
Mounted with brackets that hold it 2-3" off the roof.
