Solar Panel Tilting Yes, No, Maybe

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This is a link to a video how I mounted our solar panels. Also how we tilt the panels.
• RV Solar System Mounti...
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[@stevemurphy2064]

Thanks for for sharing this information
Excellent setup!

[@Gary-hi5xr]

Thank you very much.

[@SuperSushidog]

That's the best-looking ground mount array I've seen. Kudos. We're too old to climb on the roof to raise and lower panels, so we built a 620-watt liftable solar array mounted on the side of our motorhome. We lift the array to the exact angle needed based on month and latitude to optimize its output. It serves as a nice bedroom window awning too, practically lifting itself with a couple gas struts, and it's easy to clean with a windshield squeegee, standing safely on the ground.
We finished the 12v part of our build last January, with the addition of a 560ah LiFePo-4 battery that we built with 8, 280ah prismatic cells. We use a Heltec 330amp BMS, and a 5a active balancer to keep the cells synched up. It cost us less than $1,500 to build this 560ah 12v (7.1Kwh) battery, including the high amp BMS and balancer. We chose these cells rather than a pre-built battery because they fit perfectly under the steps of our MH where our old pair of GC-2 golf cart batteries used to reside, saving 35lbs too. We insulated the battery compartment, cut a 1" hole in our step risers and installed a tiny computer CPU fan to keep this space at close to room temperature, so we don't have to worry about the BMS shutting down charging if they get too cold - or their life reduced from getting too hot. We use an 80A Progressive Dynamics LFP converter/charger, a 1,000w Renogy Inverter, an Epever 50a MPPT charge controller and a Lnex battery monitor. This entire 12v system cost us under $3,500 to build and takes care of all of our basic off-grid needs except for air conditioning and microwave use.
By mounting our solar array on the side of our MH, we left the roof free to rack 8, 550W Sungold Power solar panels (4,400 watts) down the length of our MH 15" off our roof, above our AC, vents, etc. The array will be horizontally mounted with the exception of the first 2 panels which will drop to the roof at a slight 9.5-degree angle, so wind doesn't get under them when traveling down the road. We should have enough wattage to make up for not being able to lift them. We won't be using our air conditioners (our biggest energy draw) in the winter, when their production is lowest, so flat mounting shouldn't affect us that much in a practical sense. They will cover the entire roof, providing some nice shade with plenty of cooling air underneath, increasing their output and reducing the heat load on the air conditioners too. We got them for only 51 cents/watt shipped to our door. We're in the middle of this build now, but we're taking our time to get everything in and installed over the winter, as we're old, slow and doing the work ourselves. We bought our aluminum racking material in Somerton (near Yuma), where we're wintering over this year, for under $400. Our solar panels, wiring, breakers and Sungold Power all-in-one 48V, 5,000W, Inverter/100A charge controller/battery charger arrived about a week before Christmas. Our 48v battery bank uses 16, 320ah grade A prismatic cells which only cost us $1,726 from EEL batteries. Our Heltec 200amp 16s BMS just arrived yesterday.
Together with our 560ah 12v bank, we will have a total of 23.5 kwh of batteries onboard - kept charged by over 5,000 watts of solar! We removed our old rear 13.5k btu rooftop Dometic AC and put a powered roof vent in its hole. We will be installing an EG4 28.5 seer-2 12k btu mini-split heat pump on the upper rear of our MH with the head unit mounted in the bedroom, blowing down the hall to the front. This second phase will provide 24/7 off-grid air conditioning, supplemental heat from the heat pump and allow occasional usage of our rooftop mounted high-efficiency Furrion AC in the front of our MH to cool things down quickly during peak afternoon hours, as well as give us whole house 120v ac power. We'll soon have total off-grid electrical independence on a budget we can afford, reserving our onboard generator for back-up use only.
Take care, we hope to see you down the road!

[@igowhereimtowed6839]

In the description is a link to our video of how I mounted. Also, how ow we tilt the solar panels on the roof of our motorhome.
ua-cam.com/video/ylvbuZs_lY4/v-deo.htmlsi=2B0hR10IlmzqM4sO

[@Dodgeramcummins739]

Would it be better to tilt them?

[@igowhereimtowed6839]

Yes, as the charge controllers displayed. The panels that are tilted have a higher charge rate.

[@Dodgeramcummins739]

@@igowhereimtowed6839 OK. Thank you!