How to build an 80/20 Aluminum Solar Panel Rack for your van or RV
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- How to build a rack for your van solar panel array using 80/20 aluminum.
🚐 PRODUCT LINKS BELOW 👇🏼
This is a solar panel rack for a van using 80/20 aluminum.
It's easy and inexpensive to build an 8020 solar panel rack for your camper van.
We spent hundreds of hours researching the best materials and processes for our van build. Now we've put together a list of all materials we (and others in our van community) have used and that we can recommend so that you don't have to spend all those hours on research.
CHECK OUT THE FULL MATERIALS LIST HERE- www.thrivecraf...
➳ PRODUCTS USE IN THIS VIDEO
• 80/20 Rails: amzn.to/36Mvaoa
• Hidden Corner Brackets: amzn.to/3oloraG
• Tower Brackets: amzn.to/3qwwF1H
➳ AUDIO/VIDEO GEAR
• Sony Alpha 6300: amzn.to/3lHJCSN
• Rode VideoMicro microphone: amzn.to/3fXbHUY
• Vanguard Alta Pro Tripod: amzn.to/3qqTzaN
• Holy Stone Drone: amzn.to/3mncbWF
➳ WHO WE ARE
We're Lisa & Jeff Warnick. We've been representing Thrive Life freeze-dried foods for over 10 years. It's been a dream of ours to have a van to travel the country, supporting our team and sharing the Thrive love. Subscribe to our channel to see our van build, and van life adventures. We'll also share recipes and why freeze-dried foods are such a great choice for van lifers.
➳ VAN BUILD PRODUCTS USE AND LOVE
See full list here: ourthrivinglif...
Plumbing-
• Ruvati Sink: amzn.to/2JwD1gB
• Electric Ball Valve: amzn.to/3lp4eit
• Water Pump: amzn.to/39t3NkG
• Water Heater: amzn.to/3o3DqWK
• 15 Gal. Grey Water Tank: amzn.to/3lrZt7L
• 30 Gal. Fresh Water Tank: amzn.to/36qyo0g
• Shower Pan: amzn.to/3obpolN
• Kitchen Faucet: amzn.to/33y8bet
Electrical-
• Puck Ceiling Lights: amzn.to/2JtITXO
• 4/0 Battery Cable: amzn.to/3fVnK4M
• Solder Seal Connectors: amzn.to/3mrRvg2
• Battery Switch: amzn.to/36r8euG
• AC/DC Distribution Panel: amzn.to/3lquFnG
Solar-
• Renogy 100ah LiFePo Batteries: amzn.to/2Vn9yZa
• 100 Watt Renogy Solar Panels: amzn.to/37i2IcU
• 3000 Watt Renogy Inverter Charger: amzn.to/33t1Z7p
• Renogy Battery Monitor: amzn.to/39t34js
• Renogy 50A DCDC Charger: amzn.to/2VkNcHx
Window Covers-
• Front Windshield Cover: amzn.to/3g4ZSfv
• Side Window Covers: amzn.to/39pyxmO
• Sliding Door Window Cover: amzn.to/2KWvloz
• Rear Window Covers (2019+): amzn.to/2JlUyrS
Insulation
• Havelock Wool: havelockwool.re...
Roof Rack-
• 80/20 Aluminum: amzn.to/39CpNJU
• Roof Rail Brackets for 80/20: amzn.to/39vXYmw
Misc-
• Teak Floor: amzn.to/3qhRJZK
• Microwave: amzn.to/39v486z
• Mattress: amzn.to/33vW8hW
• Headliner Shelf Kit: amzn.to/2VlNQ7M
• Fan-Tastic Vent Fan: amzn.to/3qeUv1R
• Door Speakers: amzn.to/36nfzew
Tools we couldn't live without-
• Klein Cable Cutters: amzn.to/3mtRlVM
• Cable Crimper: amzn.to/2JtoOky
• Cable Stripper: amzn.to/2Vo54Bk
• Klein Multi Meter: amzn.to/3fZONMv
• Klein Wire Stripper: amzn.to/3mpka5H
• Milwaukee Jigsaw: amzn.to/39Jx6Qr
➳ CONNECT WITH US:
Instagram: / our_thriving_life
Collaboration/Inquiries: lisawarnick@gmail.com
#vanlife #vanlayout #vanbuild #freezedried
Disclosures: All opinions are my own. Sponsors are acknowledged. Some links in the description are affiliate links that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
This is a great built. Thanks for all the details, as I will be following this fairly closely for my SUV build of 3 pannels. Which Y branch connectors and fuses did you use? Thanks. Great instructional video.
Renogy Y branch connectors and Renogy 30
Amp in-line fuses. www.amazon.com/dp/B00YG2IAQ4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Could you provide details on the parts you use to fasten the whole thing together?
Good info, racking my old brain about how I want to mount solar to the van.
Wow love to hear about that table with the flip up saw.
I was thinking the same thing when I saw that. Nice workbench.
Me too! Plus the table saw at the end. Genius.
When tapping...back out after a few turns, than continue. Cleaner cut.
For the sheet metal Hole i would use grommet rings for chaffing
Creative use of the 8020. If you didn’t put a grommet in the roof where the wires come in I recommend at the first chance you get to do so.
Great job. The proper way to tap a thread is to do 1 or 2 turns, then back off a turn, do a turn or 2, back off etc...
Best roof solar rack I have seen so far. Way better than mounting each panel separate. :)
Thank you!
Thank you! This video went into important details I found lacking in some other channels.
Thank you for explaining series vs parallel
Thank you! We’ve been all day struggling with our plan until I came across this 😊
What type of 5/16 bolts did you use for attaching the panel to the aluminum?
Thank you for the info. Just starting on my design.
I did the same thing on my van, I used 80 20 to mount three 400 watt panels to the roof.
Awesome. I think it’s a great way to go.
Time to move to the metric system like the rest of the world. That sounds just insane playing with the fractions of inches.
I know, right? We do use metric for a lot of our work. It's so much simpler.
Very informative thank you
Also... you did a great job of attaching the side rail of 80 20 to each panel along the sides, but you should have likewise attached both the front and rear end rails to the panels instead of just attaching them to the side rails.
That's how I did mine.
you guys look like a great couple (Micheal Keaton & Vanna White 😉). The one thing about this (Solar & roof rack) is the vibration. I'd be tempted to put in rubber stoppers or something that would absorb the shock
Perfect build. Only thing I added to mine was loctite
Good move.
@@OurThrivingLife did you had to retighten yours since install?
you really good job
I couldn't help but see that when the panels were mounted on your van... the wires and connectors were still hanging loose and laying on the roof so they would be moving around wearing things out for both the wiring, connectors and the roof.
All of those wires and connectors need to be properly secured so they're not constantly rubbing against and making contact with the roof.
Pretty much defeats the purpose after all your care on other aspects of your install to then just quit and leave everything rubbing and wearing directly on the roof.
The Amazon link for the tower brackets doesn’t work - do you know where I could get them? Thanks for the helpful video!
A nice build , but man you really should protect your hearing when using those power tools.
You’re right, but my hearing is already shot. 🤷♂️
Doug: I have a Fiama awning attached to the factory rails. It looks like this brackets would still work for me on building out a solar panel rack. I’d like to order one to size it first… then if it works, start on my solar rack project. Where did you find them?
Thanks,
Bob
Hi Great video. Can I assume you calculated that fuses were required based on the short circuit voltage etc?
Yes. I used Nate at Explorist.life and Will Prowse at DIY Solar as resources. Highly recommended.
@@OurThrivingLife thanks. I have the same basic set up as you. i have watch this vid a couple of times and just noticed the fuses. i did check out Nate. excellent. Fuses ordered.
@@OurThrivingLife Hi Jeff. This is unrelated to your solar but i was unsure where to send the question. I may have done things a bit out of order as we are putting in out cabinets and have not installed our seat swivels yet. If you installed swivels how much clearance do you have behind your driver seat? any info is greatly appreciated.
@@stewartcook6684 My cabinet is right up against the pillar behind the drivers seat, and I can swivel the seat so that it faces the passenger seat. If you want it to rotate all the way so it faces towards the back of the van, I’d estimate that you need to set your cabinet back at least 6”. One other tip: be sure to disconnect the starter battery before you remove the seats. If you don’t do that you will trigger an error on your airbags.
@@OurThrivingLife Awesome. I greatly appreciate your wisdom.
Love the idea.. BUT, the link to the 'towers' does not seem to be good any longer. I tried to search w/o success. Ideas on where I can find them?
We no longer recommend these brackets. We’ve had a couple break. We now use roof racks from Flatline, Orion, and Unaka. Unaka also makes some brackets for a DIY rack that we can recommend. Good luck.
Thanks.. I'm probably not interested in the 80/20.. but really liked the idea of mounting panels to the rails such as you did.
Nice build man! Very clean. Could you easily attach a third or forth set of feet to in the middle? An overlander tells me this is the first failure part on roof racks over time
Yes. You can attach as many feet as you like.
Nice job. I do wonder though, if one of the 30-amp fuses blows, will you have access to it to replace, without unbolting the whole assembly, with them all zip tied and bolted together?
Great question. They are in-line fuses that can be accessed on the roof. FYI- I am no longer using the Renogy DC-DC charge controller. I switched to Victron for all my builds. This allows me to wire the solar panels in series or parallel/series array. With setup you don’t need the inline fuses.
If a fuse blows, it's probably because a panel has gone, in which case you will need to take everything down anyway.
Buen vídeo 👌 gracias.
Great video. Nice install. Have you had any issues with hardware corrosion? Specifically the 8020 connectors? Did you buy stainless versions or the standard ones? Thanks for any advice you can provide.
I used regular 8020 hardware and haven’t seen any issues.
You skipped over the part where you slid your preassembled solar panel system into the roof rails. you must remove one of the ends of the roof rails in order to do that and I don’t know which end it is best to remove or how to remove the piece so I wish you had not skipped over that part. That’s why I searched for and watched your video. would you please elaborate on how to do that?
Sorry. Some friends stopped by unexpectedly and they helped me lift it onto the roof. Didn’t have a chance to get my camera set up.
I didn’t have to remove anything off the end of my roof rails. The bottom of the tower brackets that looks like a big t-nut with two bolts sticking out slid right into the end of the rails. I put those into the rails in position, and then lifted the entire panel assembly up and set it onto the bolts that were sticking up. Then I just put nuts on the bolts and tights them down. Hope that helps.
@@OurThrivingLife so you installed the roof rails? I bought my Sprinter with the roof rails already installed and there are black plastic end pieces at the front and back. Also a black plastic coupler near the back. I don’t know why they did not make it out of one piece of extrusion.
Unfortunately you used the cheap chinese knock-offs of our patented 8020 tower brackets. These are made of low quality aluminum and are likely to fail. Other issue is that you have severly overloaded the 4 towers. We recommend at least 8 of OUR higher quality towers for an array that large. Your panels are highly likely to fly off your roof and possibly injure someone. All the best Hein at DIYvan
👍👌❤️🇨🇦, sweet
Any concerns about the 8020 hardware loosening with time?
I have not had any problems, but you could definitely use some Loctite on the threads to be safe.
Apparently this gentleman does NOT READ instructions for anything he uses
Oil on the Diablo blade, the 80 20 black slide nuts (on their website) states the direction they are supposed to be positioned, etc .
Just the fact he cut the 80 20 aluminum right next to his solar panels looked like a video for fail army
Are. you able to confirm what the size of each solar panel is that you have? I am struggling to find the set of 4 on Renogy that create the width of 78". I have already ordered my aluminum so i am kind of stuck with this size so hoping you could clarify what the dimensions are and maybe what Rengoy said they were when you purchased?
Why do you have 30 amp fuses for each panel again? Their short circuit amperage is like 5.8 amps right?
If a panel goes, then the amps from all the panels go back through this panels wiring.
Isn't a DC charger for battery to battery charging? Shouldn't you be using a solar charge controller?
We use both.
I chose not to have 8020 do my end taps because it was going to take another 4 weeks for some reason. My bolts are 5/16... what size end tap bit do you use? Is it something smaller than 5/16 or would it be 5/16 end tap bit? I have the same rails as you.
A 5/16” tap works. Good luck.
Hey Guys, The 8mm hardware you have used isn't avaliabilbe on amazon right now, i was wondering if you have other suggestions? Also can you comment on the other hardware you've used, i cannot find what the oval ones you've used are called. Thanks so much :)
We now order all of our extruded aluminum parts here: www.tnutz.com/aff-id/thrivans/ All of the parts we use are available here.
@@OurThrivingLife I also ordered the Aluminum extrustions to your measurements however i have just read that each of the panels that i purchased (the same as yours) are 20.9" wide each. making the final length a few inches longer than your measurements. I was wondering if you could confirm that the ones you installed were the panels that said they were 20.9" long but the total length combined was still 78 and some inches long?
@@OurThrivingLife Also, thanks so much for you response, i was able to utilize the company you referred me to also. There prices were the best I've seen so far :)
Your roof rails don’t have the joint near the back. Are these aftermarket roof rails?
My last van had aftermarket rails, and my new one has factory rails. I was able to slide the brackets into the rails from either end on both vans.
@@OurThrivingLife Strange cause mine has black plastic at front and back ends preventing that. Mine is Sprinter 2020 tall top passenger van
@@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath My new van is a 2020, high roof as well. Do the black plastic pieces come off? Mine is in the shop for recalls, or I’d check it. I installed a ladder on the rails a few weeks ago and slid the brackets right into the rails.
@@OurThrivingLife So you didn’t have any black plastic pieces covering over the ends?
@@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath I don’t remember anything on the ends. They do have the joint, but the brackets slid right over the joint.
I'm curious why you purposely installed the piece backwards to run the wires through the roof? It's aerodynamically designed to make the airflow over it and the wires running into it from the back. Why would you intentionally mount it on your roof backwards?
It reminds me of crew chiefs or mechanics who would mount the drain tubes backwards on the aircraft of pilots they were upset with so instead of the airflow helping to evacuate the tube by suction... the air being forced into the tube as you're flying would blow the urine back on the pilot who was trying to relieve himself.
It just blew my mind to see you not only mounting it backwards, but you were verbally telling people to mount theirs on backwards too!!!
It’s not backwards. The wires are coming in from the back.
@@OurThrivingLife That's not what you said and pointed to in your video.
@@OurThrivingLife I just went back to double check and you still needed to put the goop across the back and you said you'd put the camera down and put it across the front. I can't see which end is really front or back of the van, but you clearly said it backwards for the roof mount.
Nomad its not your project your a troll piss off
@@punxnotdead3873 You piss off punx, you're the troll...
I was wondering if this guy knew what he was doing until he flipped out the sliding miter
You fused EACH panel with 30a?? That makes no sense and will not do what you hope.
According to Nate at Explorist. Life(who I trust on these issues), there are times when running panels in parallel that inline fusing is needed. You can check it out here. www.explorist.life/how-to-fuse-a-solar-panel-array-and-why-you-may-not-need-to/
@@OurThrivingLife I wasn't disputing the NEED to fuse the wire. The location and rating of the fuse is what I questioned.