I have been using Jackery Saga 100 Solar Panel trays and when got my GFC V2 Pro this past Fall i tried a few different ways of attaching them to the GFC beef bars and solar trays. As the GFC solar panel trays appear to be designed for rigid solar panels, i wasn’t able to find a decent way to securely attach the flexible Jackery panels. This past weekend, i came across an online video that sparked an idea - which was to create a rigid frame around the Saga 100, then attach the frame to the GFC solar panel trays which are then attached to the beef bars.
I opted to use flat steel bars - 2 each which are 6’ long x 2" wide and 1 which is 6’ long by 1" wide. They are all 1/8" inch thick. I used galvanized washers/nuts/bolts - 5/16". The bolts are 1". The total cost of the steel, nuts/washers/bolts was around $150 at Home Depot.
I cut the 2" wide steel bars to 52" each - leaving right at 2" extended past the 48" length of the solar panels. I cut the 1" wide bar to 44" and used the remaining length to fit between the foldout “stands” on the back of the Solar Panel. So when needed i could remove them from the roof of the GFC and stand them upright on the ground.
The rigid panel/frame mounts flush with the beef bars and allows for air flow beneath the solar panel.
I couldn’t find anything on the forums for this particular item, so hopefully this helps others.
Really cool idea and nice fabrication. I guess you aren’t planning on using the panels as portable panels anymore? That’s probably why you haven’t found much online for mounting them. I installed flexible panels on my GFC (didn’t use the tray, the RV way), and have a portable panel for my EcoFlow batteries. Got 100 feet of wiring with T4 connectors on both sides. This way I could park under trees, but still get 100+w of charging by propping the portable panels further away.
@JJFColo I have the same set up and was trying to figure out something similar. Would be Interested in how it’s holding up and if you used the stock jakery wires or something different?
It’s been working great. I have two of the solar panels running into the jackery 1000 pro. Using standard jackery cables and adapter. That powers a dometic fridge and starlink (and diesel heater on coldest days) and can typically recharge enough during the day to keep things running. Happy to answer any specific questions.
I just ran the wires between the GFC and the Awning. Then cut a small hole in the GFC frame to feed the cables into the top part of the GFC. Ran the cables through the corner “slot” in the GFC, attached the cablese for both of the panels into the Jackery “adapter” and plug it into the Jackery 1000. Nothing too elegant.
Thanks, that is exactly what I was thinking, and seeing it helps a lot. As a side note I don’t have the adapter my cables go straight from then panels in to the Jakery 1000V2 but I don’t think that changes anything. I think ill look to wrap or conduit the cables on the exterior some how, you can already see that CO sun doing its thing on the cables.
