PART 3 DIY 500 Watts Solar Panel Roof Rack! | EP29 | Ford Transit Campervan Build
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- čas přidán 23. 08. 2024
- This episode is part 3 of the solar panel mount and DIY Rack build on my self build ford transit campervan. Ive dropped down from 3 Panels to 2 Panels are they were just so much easier to much. I can final start to charge my Leisure batteries with renewable energy. To learn about the Roof rack more and the Roof bars check out part 1 & 2
Welcome to my Ford Transit Mk8 Van build series.
My name is Alex Frood, I'm a UK based Freelance Expedition Leader and Outdoor instructor. I am converting my 2018 Ford Transit Mk8 L3H3 into a full-time Camper.
These videos are not How-to videos but showing my process for my conversion. feel free to copy me but id always recommend doing your own research as well.
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Cracking rack mate great idea
Cheers! Glad you like it
Another fab video Alex, thanks for sharing mate there is defo some lessons people can learn form you. Your a good man sir
Must appreciated, there will be another solar video where I got more in-depth about solar itself and the tech behind it.
His mum was like "Oh no, what is he doing? Is he drilling into his roof?"😂
U will get few more watts once ya use some voltage. Its recognizing its almost full so not charging full blast
Oh definitely. The initial test was done about three or 4 o’clock in the afternoon in the UK so not the most ideal condition so I was never going to get near 500. The batteries were probably about 95% at the time of turn up. How that I have constant power drains like the fridge I see the panels working well. Once they are full the intake is 0watts as there is nowhere to put the energy,
Hi Alex. Been loving watching these videos, picking up some very useful tips along the way. Great work. I have the same Van Guard roof rack installed on a L2H3 transit, and thinking of mount the solar panels on top of the rack same as you did. My only concern is there much wind noise whistling under the panels when you are driving? Thanks
I have a little bit of wind noise above 60mph. But that might be due to the frame I made around the panels and not the panels them self. But I drive most of the time with cruise control at 56mph so I don’t get any noise anyway
Yay
Hi Alex.
I'm curious regarding some of the tubular joints.
Do fittings like the TEEs or coupler slide down the tubes and clamp to the position you require or do you have the cut individual tubes at each point you require a fitting?
I'm just thinking about rigidity, say 6 TEEs clamped to a 3.2m length would be much stronger than that 3.2 cut into roughly 900mm sections.
I also mention coupler as that would be ideal to slide and clamp where there are gaps between panels and the roof bars, should the panels be sitting on external joints. I think you looked at making a packer in the center at one point...
Thanks
The Tee looking joints side down the tubes. So all the tubes are one continuous piece.
Hi, interesting video. Did you do a video on your wifi set up and if so which number was it?
I haven’t yet done a video in my wifi set up.
But I used a Huawei E5577 4G router with a EE SIM card. ( I haven’t yet installed the external antenna ), additionally I have the router connected to a TP Link travel router for the actual Wi-Fi which the devices connect too
Thats the problem with running 12v leisure batts is you gotta spend shedloads of money on the solar controller. Can't help but think you would have been better off getting a 100/20 for each panel? Half the price.
Originally I was planning on three of the panels and I wanted to use them in series so I went for 150 | 60, but had to drop down to panels over wise I would of gone for a way cheaper I 100 | 50.
Running two MPPT controllers would of been another option as I think with Victron software to can sync them together, otherwise the MPPT’s can get confused when one changes voltage when enter a different charge stage. But running two controllers wouldn’t give you the advantage of running series and hitting the system voltage +5V which activates the MPPT to start charging. Which is helpful for living in scotland, with less light from cloud cover.
It seems for vans ( in the UK ) are almost always 12v as there leisure voltage. In the future Is I get some land I might reuse the large 150 | 60 for a far larger array.
@@MispronouncedAdventures Yeh sorry I watched a couple of other videos just after and saw the 3 panel 750 watt one. I guess looking on the bright side, your future proofed!!
No worries at all. Yeah that how I’m justifying it now future proofing!
@@MispronouncedAdventures I am running a 75/15 with a 100w panel on my jeepy micro camper. Going to get a compact full size 270w 24v panel for it, as house panels are such good value compared to 12v camping tax ones. it's rated a bit above the 15a on the SmartSolar but apparently you can "over" solar them without damage as the Smartsolar will only allow 15 amps to flow even if there's more available. I mean we're in the UK right, not Florida so I can't see me getting near 270w when flat mounted on the roof rails. If it blows up I'll let you know! :p
From my understanding for the Victron units to many voltage from the PV / panels is when issues starts as you can’t go over the MPPT voltage or you will damage it. But too many amps to a degree is less of an issue as the MPPT acts a resistor and burns off the excess energy, same thing happens when the batteries are full but the MPPT is still taking in power from the panels it burns off acting as a giant resistor which is what the big black fins on the back of the Victron MPPT are
Hi Alex, I've got the same Ulti Bars on my van currently planning how to mount a solar panel to them. Have you just used 4 in total for each solar panel at the corners, or is there something more securing them to the bars? I like the idea but worried about the strength at the 4 corners where they're mounted as if I do it that way I'm not going to have anything to break the wind from the front. Cheers!
I ordered a bunch of the wrap around “top hat” brackets off VanGuard. The same ones which hold the bars to the roof mounts plate. I just use them inverted, wrapping around the bar to hold the solar panel to their bar. So each corner is one top hat bracket which is bolted through the panel frame with two M6 bolts. So 4 brackets and 8 M6 bolts per panel. Then the additional frame around the outside is held on in a similar fashion using the top hat brackets inverted. Absolutely bomber
@@MispronouncedAdventures Brilliant, looks like sorted. Cheers, keep up the good work the videos are really helpful
No problem at all! Best of luck with your build!
@@MispronouncedAdventuresdo the m6 bolts fit through the square holes in the top hats or did you have to drill them out slightly?
@chrisb5839 they fit the M6 bolts fit without issue. The bolts which the the kit comes with have a square part under the head. So the bolt doesn’t move in the top hat bracket