Still going strong! No issues at all. I’ve been parked out on hot summer days and gone through tons of pouring rain.
2 Likes
Looks like it doesn’t come with any additional hardware to bolt directly to the camper
1 Like
Correct. You need t-nuts from GFC or GZila.
1 Like
how you like that west mtn radio for power? Is it really necessary? Was doing some research on them and look handy
Anyone have tips for mounting a goal zero Boulder 100 on beef racks?
I bought the roof rack mounting brackets from goalzero but didnt like the fit. They have a tray that the panel fits in that can squeeze the panel together. Unfortunately with the beef racks, this made the panel sit too low that it would have to be below the roof, or way too high that it was ridiculous. I even tried mounting to the top and bottom of the beef racks. I actually ended up using the mounts sideways, not as intended by goalzero and they fit much better that way.
Its raining pretty good now but I can go take a picture of it when it stops. Im actually going to sell the panel and mounting brackets too if you wanted them. Instead I just bought 2 flexible solar panels and hoping the install goes smoothly. The reason for the switch is I usually have a few surfboards/snowboards on the roof. Ive had problems getting the camper shut (especially on my right side) that I think is related to the weight on the roof, maybe even more weight on one side than the other as sometimes I load up a bunch of boards on the left to keep the solar panel on the right. Sometimes to even out the weight i’ll put boards on both sides which covers the solar panel. After a day or two that becomes a problem since i’m constantly charging stuff and mostly live out of the camper and not having energy/lights at night sucks! The other problem is im probaly at the max weight that the shocks can handle and need to drop some roof weight. Since I’d rather not sacrifice on a surfboard i’m hoping to drop the weight by switching to the flexible panels. They are 4lbs each and can 3m directly to the roof!
I have the goal zero mounting brackets as well, but hate how high they sit. I like your idea using the brackets sideways, do you mind sending I photo when you get a chance, I am going to give it a try.
@RbrettM I like the West Mountain Radio Epic PWRGate. It’s small so it fits in my battery box along with a 50 Ah Bioenno Power LiFePO4 battery. It’s programmable so I can set it to charge the battery at the 10A it expects. I can (but haven’t) connect it to the starter battery and program it to use that input only if voltage is over a certain value (ie. when alternator is on). It’s a slick little unit. I ran an ARB fridge in the back of the truck all summer with this setup and didn’t have any issues. Using Anderson Power Poles in the battery box for everything (except for the fridge) makes connecting/disconnecting easy.
I should label it a bit better, but the left side of the battery box is input, with the sun icon being solar and the battery being starter battery (or other DC input).
The DC charger fits in the box too, I have it velcro’d to the battery here.
4 Likes
That’s a sweet box. where did you get it and do you have a write up of the build/parts list?
Haven’t really done a write up on it.
The box is from Powerwerx which included the Blue Sea panel, the powerpole panel I have labelled Input, the binding posts along with the internal Anderson Powerpole connector for the battery. I replaced the 12V cigarette lighter socket on the Blue Sea panel with a second power pole socket for outputs and added the ARB fridge socket on the top left (came with my fridge).
Inside I added the West Mountain Radio Epic PWRgate and wired the inputs (solar & DC) to one Powerpole panel. The output is wired to the binding posts which everything else connects to. The battery connection on the Epic PWRgate goes straight through a fuse to the battery. I configured the Epic PWRgate via the USB connection for a LiFePO4 battery and set the DC input to not draw power below 14V.
The battery is a Bioenno Power 50Ah LiFePO4 model, with the Bioenno charger. The charger is just stored in the case, although when I want to use it I can just plug it into the Input Powerpole panel using the DC input connected to the Epic PWRgate.
On the roof I have a Renogy 100W panel secured with the GFC solar kit on a pair of beef racks. I used Renogy 20ft cables terminated with Anderson Powerpoles, so I can just plug it into the Input of the battery box.
LiFePO4 batteries shouldn’t be charged below freezing, so it is a 3 season setup (well, 3 season charging - the 50Ah battery will run the fridge for 3 days in the cold without charging). Plus I take the solar panel off the truck in the winter so I can clear snow off the roof easier. If you really want to get fancy, I’ve seen some folks add heaters to the battery box so it can be used year round. I went with the LiFePO4 because I want to use the battery box for amateur radio portable setups as well - so it needs to be light enough to cart around. I think the whole box is just 13.3 lbs.
I think that’s it. Feel free to ask questions if you have any.
4 Likes
thank you for the response. how long have you been running the epic PWRgate? I was planning on a Redarc but if I can find something not so expensive that would be great. the weight is under 14lbs? I was planning to use the lead acid from my boat that alone is 60lbs… I might need to rethink stuff
I’ve been running this setup since last spring. The battery is 13 lbs. With the box and PWRGate and charger the whole package is around 17 lbs.
I was able to escape this COVID nonsense for a week last summer and had no issues running the ARB 32qt fridge 24/7 and my 100w ham radio for a few hours a day. It was overcast a good chunk of the time too. That’s basically all I’m running off it and I don’t have any sophisticated battery management telling me happy the battery is, but it seems to work for what I need.
Cold weather charging and cost are the two issues you need to decide on if you want to go LiFePO4.
1 Like
How has this setup survived the test of time? Curious about both the 3m adhesive holding up and the condition of the flexible panels? I know they tend to overheat and fail after a few years, at least compared to rigid panels
How did you affix these rigid panels to the roof?
VHB tape, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007Y7GIKI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2" angle iron cut into probably 6-8" sections for a frame
self tapper screws to mount frame onto panels
3 Likes
i also added some lap sealant around the base of the frame mounts for added bonding power
So far it’s been perfect! No issues at all. The panels are very easy to clean and are showing no signs of detaching. I used the 1" wide VHB, applied it to the perimeter of the panels and an X in the middle. I’ve got through significant climate changes (~0 degree weather up to 110).
2 Likes
So you didn’t have to cut a hole in the camper?
So I recently purchased a redarch RedVision with the manager 30 set up.
I’m looking to run my fridge and GFC lights off my group 31 in the back and charge it off the solar panel on the roof. I also have 2 group 35s under the hood that are wired together with a smart relay. Would I be correct in thinking I can directly tie in my rear group 31 to the main starting group 35 up front or do I need to add a relay there as well. Keep in mind the manager 30 should act as a relay so both batteries go through this before each other.
3 Likes