DIY Roof Rack Solar Panel Installation - Subaru Crosstrek Car Camping - Soldering and Testing
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
- How I repurposed an Overland Solar Triple Fold Solar Panel Kit to customize solar power for my Subaru Crosstrek car camping setup - Inexpensive, secure, easy installation, & clean appearance! I was interested in newer, more efficient panels, but this kit was gifted to me by a friend's dad (who no longer had any use for it).
The purpose of the installation was to charge my Jackery Power Station when I'm out for the day - Snowboarding, hiking, or biking. Even if its not a full charge, it would be convenient to charge the power station less frequently. The panels will not be used while I'm driving because the power station can utilize the 12V car plug (45W input). If I stop anywhere along the way, a wall outlet (60W input) will work too!
The kit wouldn't fit alongside the Thule rooftop box as it, so I had to modify the panels orientation. I removed all of the hardware from the kit - Mounts, hinges, handles, & latches. I even removed the charge controller because the Jackery has one built-in.
I purchased some hardware to mount the panels to my Thule crossbars to ensure a secure fit (Links to the hardware/racks are below). I knew that I needed a robust solar system if mounted to the rooftop of my to withstand a variety of conditions. On my last winter road trip, I was driving along I-80 in Wyoming with cross-winds exceeding 60 mph. I designed the mounting system to ensure that they would stay on my car, even in the worst conditions.
If you enjoyed the content, please like the video and subscribe to my channel!
I have been modeling an updated conversion for my Subaru Crosstrek and will finally be building it in the next few weeks. I'll document my progress and create an instruction guide for those who want to do the same!
If you have any questions or suggestions (not just for this video, but any more in the series), throw them down in the comments section.
Thanks for Watching & Safe Travels!!
Power Station:
Jackery 240 (amzn.to/40oGIrU)
Solar Panel:
Overland Solar 120 Watt 3 Panel Folding Solar Kit (orccgear.com/O...)
Materials:
Half Channel Electrical Unitstruts (amzn.to/3u8aDII)
Strut Channel Spring Nuts (amzn.to/4643dnf)
M6 T-Slot Bolts (amzn.to/3SvfrlS)
1/4" (1.0" O.D.) Washer (Hardware Store)
Thule Racks:
Thule Force Rooftop Cargo Box Large (amzn.to/49ptVcY)
Thule Wingbar Evo 50" (amzn.to/3QJ6ggf)
Thule Evo Rasied Rail Foot Pack (amzn.to/3QJgVHM)