Roof Rack Solar - Below Load Solar Panel Mounts

[woodybegood]

I discovered these products recently manufactured in OZ by TLR: Solar Panel Brackets - Rhino-Rack Vortex/Heavy-Duty Rack - TLR Products

They let you mount a solar panel under the space where you would load your roof racks.

This is great for me:
- get clear view of the sky if you park in the sun
- mount once
- can still carry stuff without removing panels
- don’t have to get them out/pack them away/plug them in
- can’t aim them - I have to leave them alone
- shades the car
- are black

IMG_7653.jpg

These are made for a few types of racks, but I had Yakima Aerobar which meant
- have to mount the front bar backwards
- have to mount the panel 20mm away from the end to clear legs
- can’t have mount/edge of solar panel at legs

Even so I managed to fit 200W (100W Renogy Black x 2) with some black Ali angle to join it into one panel

I run the power down the side of the tailgate but it could be done like the roof top aerials.

[p38arover]

They even stay on when you roll the car!

[John_D4]

I think that redarc make a similar product by memory

[oka374]

If you want to be able to collect solar when stopped but have stuff on the roofracks then mount them on drawer sliders so they can be either slid out over the windscreen or over the tailgate, bonus is they then give some shade to both those areas.

[woodybegood]

Drawer slides is an awesome idea!

TLR manufacture the ones for Redarc, they are the same couple of products.

[p38arover]

If you want to be able to collect solar when stopped but have stuff on the roofracks then mount them on drawer sliders so they can be either slid out over the windscreen or over the tailgate, bonus is they then give some shade to both those areas.

I’ve been wanting to do this for a while. One day.

[loanrangie]

My only concern would be the slides rusting so that rules out the ball bearing type, ideally something like nylon or HDPE in aluminium C channel .

[Tins]

If you want to be able to collect solar when stopped but have stuff on the roofracks then mount them on drawer sliders so they can be either slid out over the windscreen or over the tailgate, bonus is they then give some shade to both those areas.

What a good idea. What we need now is for someone to come up with a solar panel awning.....

[oka374]

There's plenty of those already in use, on Oka's too over the rear window if they have one. Side mounted solar panels are a problem on anything used in the bush though.
I've seen a coaster bus with them mounted on both sides and the rear, forget how much they generated but it was more than enough to power a split aircon.
Electric actuators are now cheap enough to use for the purpose. There are light duty drawer slides with nylon bearings which would do the job.