Anyone fitted thin solar panels to roof rails

[Pedro Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pedro]

Currently have an AGM battery in back and am considering putting solar panels on roof rails.
Waeco CF 50 is run off battery which i currently keep charged via ctek charger in van and also a smaller one at home.

Anyone else with solar on roof racks (no roof rack) and, what did you use and what was cost?

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Yes, used whispbars and bolted aluminium angle to these and the panels. The bars were about $200 (?) and the fixings and angle $50.

[Pedro Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pedro]

Thanks for that.
Any photos of your setup and what panels do you use.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Thanks for that.
Any photos of your setup and what panels do you use.

I knew you would ask... tomorrow. Panel is a Korr 160W folding panel screwed together.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

The panels are still hinged together. I fitted M6 rivnuts to the sides of the panels, 4 each side. The aluminium angle is bolted with toes towards the centre down to the whispbars using M6 (M8?, cannot remember) screws and speed nuts in the slots in the bars. Panels are bolted with stainless screws into the rivnuts.

I ran twin core 4mm2 cable up the rear opening to an Anderson plug screwed to the factory rails. The solar panel plugs into that.

When we go camping I usually fit the roofrack and the panel bolts into that the ssme way. Rack has awning, shovel, axe and kayaks.

Pics of the other stuff in my build, link in the signature.

edit: I missed the word thin.

[Pedro Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pedro]

Thanks for that. Much appreciated. Looks like a good setup.

I am picking up a set of used Pro rack bars https://www.prorack.com.au/findmycar today as a start and now will be looking at panels and regulator.

Whilst not showing in this old picture have an anderson plug to the right of existing ones and this will be used to connect the solar wiring to 2nd battery.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

The best part is the whole thing is an easy one person fit or remove in a few minutes. Still under 2.1m high. I wanted to mount the panel so it was level with the top of the factory rails using cross rails under the factory ones but that was just too much trouble.

[Pedro Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pedro]

Well I finally bought a 200w panel from ebay https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/331593538743 and a solar regulator https://www.ebay.com.au/p/20a-Solar-...230&chn=ps
The second hand bars I bought were unsuitable and I bought a new set of whispbars (thanks mjrandom for photo) and had above installed.
T bolts were used to secure to bar and wiring done through taillight. Regulator sited on top of battery box and connected via anderson plug.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Pics?

[Pedro Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pedro]

unable to post getting SQL error message

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

You should be able to post them. Get the sql error, click ok then refresh the page. Worked for me.

[Pedro Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pedro]

have been hitting F5 after suggestion with no luck
will check again in morning

[Pedro Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pedro]

No luck and my message bank is not allowing me to send pm "You have reached your stored private message quota of 10 topics. You have 47 topics saved combined in your private message folders. Please delete some of your existing topics."
Very frustrating

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Bum. I just refitted mine after the Prado came back from cosmetic surgery. Took 10 mins.

[Pedro Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pedro]

If anyone wants to try and load send message to p r o b1atbigpond.net dot au please
It is driving me crazy