Installing A 200 Watt Flexible Solar Panel Onto The Roof Of My Honda Fit Car Camper!
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- Опубліковано 3 лип 2024
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Thank You For Watching!
@0:00 - Intro
@0:36 - Previous Solar Setup
@1:38 - Idea #1
@2:20 - Problem #1
@3:06 - Idea #2
@4:06 - Problem #2
@4:19 - Idea #3
@4:38 - Final Install
@6:58 - Wiring
@8:02 - Temporary securement
@8:44 - Wrapping the Panel
@9:15 - Finished Project
@9:52 - Outro - Авто та транспорт
200 Watt Flexible Panel 1 Year Review ua-cam.com/video/8MdbCJNGqxY/v-deo.html
A few Amazon links to items shown in today's video:
200 Watt Flexible Solar Panel amzn.to/3KgzBMn
150lb Female Thread, Heavy Duty Magnets amzn.to/3xcizH8
I’m considering to add Thule bar and cargo for my Fit, so the fuel mpg will drop???
I like the basket idea. That might be what i do. I like to see if the flex solar panels hold up though
The solar panel held up, just not to the car.
Here's a link to my one year review video. ua-cam.com/video/8MdbCJNGqxY/v-deo.htmlsi=ofNl-_qIBWXVJjq8
Everything seems to be holding up now. It just looks a little poopy.
Love the vinyl wrap idea ! Well done 😀👍
Thank You!
The problem is that the air is sealed under the panel. The whole time I was thinking, "man I hope he doesn't seal around the whole panel". You might as well have put the panel directly on your roof, if the air can't flow around and under the panel, it's going to heat up a TON.
This is a great question that involves future experimentation.
I routed the battery temperature sensor that came with the charge controller through the radio antenna hole and attached it to the roof underneath the panel.
This will allow me to monitor the temps underneath the panel during this upcoming summer.
If the air pocket temperature becomes hotter then the outside ambient air temperature I'll be able to poke holes and insert vent tubes (straws) near the rear of the panel.
This is why the front and rear coroplast strips were applied with there ridges running length wise with the car. The air should be able to go through the front and rear coroplast strips if and when the vents are needed. At least that's the plan.
@@HondaFit4Adventure Damn! You thought of everything.
that shit looks way better now , i love how secret it is to, the water thing was a wicked idea
Lol, Thanks.
I am going to miss the old set up though. Especially while trying to locate my car in the parking lot, lol.
Some suggested that I hide the water spigot behind the fake vent. Not only will it be hidden but the heat from the exhaust below it could possibly prevent the spigot from freezing up during the winter. #Genius
Wow, you've been busy. Great job and thanks for sharing.
Thank you. I still have a lot more to do before the spring.
A born engineer.
Thank You David!
I've attached flexible panels to a roof before using just 3 beads of strong silicone type glue, leaving 2 channels down the length of the panels. The air gap seems to be enough, as the panels worked well. Used 2 smaller panels to reduce the problems caused by a curved roof.
I almost put some clear vinyl down on the roof and did the same thing.
While this setup lasted for awhile it eventually failed when I hit 80mph.
The 2nd time around I wrapped the panel on the roof with Eternabond. While the adhesive on the Eternabond tape is super strong, I'm afraid it gets soft in the heat. It failed again at 80mph.
My latest install involved adding more eyelets around the solar panel and then using the eyelets to bolt down the panel to 18 industrial magnets on the roof rated for 150lbs each and then wrapping the panel down with the Eternabonda again. I was going to use silicone this time too but it was very hard to move and adjust everything already with just a few magnets on so I didn't use any silicone. I guess I should have at least went around the base.
I have one more car show to attend and then I will be going on some test runs before going on my next road trip.
Two smaller panels would probably be better against the wind forces at play but it doesn't look as cool ;)
I'll let you know how it goes.
@@HondaFit4Adventure let me know how it goes too!
the aero gains, looking forward to see the gained MPG's!!
I need to get back up in the 30mpg range at tollway speeds.
Factory gas tank is 10.5 gallons plus a 20 gallon Auxiliary tank would get me 30 gallons.
30 gallons x 30mpg = 900mile range.
Chicago to Florida... 1200 miles
just imagine a flexible solar panels for covering every window facing the sun
Your persistence is impressive. Curious, did you have roof rails before? If so, I wondered if they could've been used to secure the sides of the panel? Also, with all these flexible panels that come with a peel and stick backing, I always did wonder about decreased efficiency because of trapped heat not allowing as much wattage to be captured from the sun. Keep up the build!!! Excited to see things progress as you tinker. Thanks for sharing.
I did not have roof rails before. That would've been a great idea to try out.
Thankfully my car is white and doesn't get to hot. I've seen a few builds where they peel and stick the panel to the hood of their engine. :(
The sun was out this last weekend and the panel peaked at 7.8amps. Only time will tell how well the panel perform and how long it will last.
I'm curious how hot the inside of my car will get in the summer this year. The roof rack with panels essentially was a mobile canopy that always kept my car in the shade and now I wont have that.
Soooo awesome
Thank You Olivia!
I haven’t seen any videos from you in a long time so I checked to see if your channel was still active. I don’t know why UA-cam stops putting some creators in my feed, very frustrating. I recently bought a 2015 fit to use as a road trip car. I will be doing a camper mot this year. I am going to binge your channel tonight to catch up. I will try to leave comments to help the algorithm.
Thank You for all the comments & support!
I can't wait to see what you come up with.
People here in Australia use one sided corflute (ribbed) to mount flexible panels.
Coroflute seems to be the same as Coroplast which still won't shape to the curves to my roof :(
@@HondaFit4Adventure Sorry, I didn't watch the whole video before. What you eventually did is very tidy and stealthy. You can easily put on the roof rack when needed. The only possible issue is lack of ventilation under the panel since they lose efficiency when hot.
Awesome build bro, that will be awesome if you can build a full jdm showcar spec / camper
Last year it looked like a JDM overlander. ua-cam.com/video/yBdVAQ8bXDw/v-deo.html
Maybe one day we'll be able to throw a K20 inside.
Love the build bro.
What if you did that on a Tesla Model Y AWD and used it to charge the main battery? You might be able to generate 5 or more miles a day when parked in good sunlight conditions.
Links to the items purchased and used would be nice in description!
Hi there, the links to the items used or show are pinned in the comments. Based on my experience, not many people go through the video description.
The Panel is nice, but I dislike the company.
They never return phone calls or emails.
I'll have a 1 year update video out in March.
Thanks for the reply. Im looking at doing some work to an SUV i've got and it seems to be pretty similar to the fit. Cheers!@@HondaFit4Adventure
So the double sided 3M tape and the vinyl wrap held on for 3 months. It eventually failed when I hit 80mph for the first time.
My 2nd attempt I used eternabond roofing tape to secure the panel down. I think the summer heat softened the adhesive because it failed after 600 miles. Once again at 80mph.
I added some more eyelets to the flexible solar panel and used 18 of those magnets to secure the panel down and then used the eternabond tape. So far it's held on at for 6000+ miles at 80mph plus.
It just doesn't look as clean...
It might be easier to use a smaller panel or at least have a flatter roof then I do.
Stay in touch, and let me know what works out for you.
@@MrSorgath3
Have you looked into HandiRack Universal Inflatable Soft Roof Rack Bars instead of your current rack, that can be placed on top of the solar?
I've looked at a few ideas but I might need to carry more then one kayak. So I think the bars are still the way to go so far.
I am presently outfitting my 18 Honda Accord for a trip to Alaska and Arctic ocean later this year. When are you going? I will leave New Jersey mid July and plan on visiting many places in the west before heading to Alaska and Arctic in August.
I was planning on visiting Alaska in July.
There's a small town where they like to drive old cars off of a cliff for the 4th.
Let me know when your making your way through the Mid-West and we can link-up.
I'd like to go back out West and travel up the Coast line along scenic highway 101.
Safe Travels my friend!
@@HondaFit4Adventure The Arctic ocean stop in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada I plan to reach sometime in August as that is the warmest the water will be for the entire year and I am going in for a dip! While I’m in the water my drone will capture the moment from the air as of course I will need proof as my friends and family are saying I will chicken out. It might be only a 2 second dip because the average water temperature for August is 47F there. I really wanted to do this in Alaska but Prudhoe Bay is all oil companies and I just don't like the idea of going into the ocean after I pay for a tour and a whole bunch of people will be doing the same thing. Tuktoyaktuk is an isolated place and from what I have seen on UA-cam it should be fairly free of large groups of people. This is one of many things on my bucket list to do. I know it will take several days to get there as from my research there is like 600 miles of dirt road and 2 ferries one way I will have to travel on slowly so I won't destroy my car. 3 weeks ago I got new tires and my 2 100W solar panels are coming this weekend. I already have the Thule roof rack waiting to be installed then the panels and eventually a light bar. It will be similar to your setup except I will do it without the cargo cage as I am trying to minimize air flow disruption for wind noise and MPG. It sure would be cool to meet up! I had a 2015 Honda Fit for 3 years and turned it in for the Accord. The Accord has the 1.5L engine but with a turbo and it is great on gas as long as I drive like an 85 year old. On the highway I got my best MPG of 42 which I achieved last July when I drove from NJ to Mexico just 25 miles south of the border crossing in Tijuana. My car was fairly heavy that time and maybe I will get a better MPG this time as I will be taking the rear seats out. Anyway I don’t want to hold you up as you have many comments to reply to. I just stumbled upon your videos when I actually searched for Accord camping but no one has done it yet in the 10th gen as far as I can tell. I will let you know when I’m on the way to the west and maybe we can meet up. Thanks for the ideas and I’ll message you in the future.
This is fantastic stuff! Do you have an LSD? I would think that would be high on the list if you're on much gravel.
No I do not.
I didn't want to heavily modify the FIT until it was over 100,000 miles.
I'm currently at 101,000 miles. ;)
Soft Roading in the Honda Fit ua-cam.com/video/QY_6mUOwlFM/v-deo.html
What year is your Honda Fit? I have a 2017. Really enjoyed the video. Thanks
It's a 2015 Honda Fit LX
How did you make that solar entry hole? do you drill it yourself or it comes from manufacturer? i have a honda civic 2012, there is no antenna hole on mine, wonder if I can fit one on.
That's where my antenna used to be. I had to file it back a few millimetres to get the cables through.
Hmm... Maybe try running the cables along the side of your back window and have them go into the trunk? (No Drilling)
Could you make a video making an improvised cover for the car to protect from sun and rain
Hi Sherman,
Would you be referring to a cover for the car itself or one that comes off of the side for shelter while camping?
@@HondaFit4Adventure Yes, it would be to shelter the car from rain or sun. Because my house has no roof and because you are an expert in creativity, I wanted an idea or one that you already have in mind to be able to protect the car. My car is just like yours, but automatic. Thanks!
oh my lord!! dat solar tho !!! lol move to florida :)
I'll visit eventually...
I don't know about moving.
You might have to convince the Judy, lol
RS wing when!
Maybe, now that it wont hit the roof rack!
What are your reason to do this instead of having the roof rack?
1. Stealth
2. Fuel Economy
3. I want to show that Overlanding can be more the just a contest of how much stuff you can store on the outside of your vehicle, lol.
Sick ! ITs a shame Honda stooped making the FIT
Thank You!
The Honda Jazz is still being produced :)
Can't hear you talking because of the loud music.
My apologies Cheese. The music was supposed to be reduced to 50% at the @0:36 mark. I still have the project file saved on my computer, and it looks like it was left at 100%
Oops! 😮
This kind of looks like a bad idea the way you have it rigged. Lets not build it like this, okay guys?
You are correct! Do you have any suggestions?
While this setup lasted for several months it did eventually fail at "Time Machine" speeds.
(Back To The Future Reference)
I don't have a solution to make it work but there were some things you did which were just obviously a no go
Using any sort of adhesive including tape.
Drilling holes into a nice newer car.(this probably shouldn't even have been considered unless you were dying or something.)
Those magnets are reckless. If I knew you in person I would avoid driving behind you like the plague, there's just no telling what kind of surprises are coming. (Looks like between all the problems you had in this video and the eventual failure probably means when it failed you were also surprised and had it been a panel flying and hitting a car behind you, you'd probably think it was and call it an accident, it's negligence my guy)
@@FainTMako Maybe I didn't show it in the video but I did use 3m double sided adhesive tape on this install.
I showed the installations that didn't work for me while installing this panel because they are some of the common ways of installing a flexible panel shown on UA-cam.
Since the panel was on for several months and several hundred miles on the tollway I was surprised when it happened.
I always perform some sort of testing before hitting the road as you can see in my previous videos with my previous Solar SetUp.
@@HondaFit4Adventure props to you for showing what didnt work.
What about wind and hail ?
My old solar panel and the new flexible solar panel held up to up to some hail. However, I did have some attachment issues with keeping the solar panel secured while on the tollway. These issues have since been fixed.
Here is a 1 year update and review video ua-cam.com/video/8MdbCJNGqxY/v-deo.htmlsi=gCPWsc3C-u4DwNmp
@@HondaFit4Adventure Thanks