@ same here. 40-50% increase. I thought at first it was my panels bc I had 2 on top then I had an extra for the ground. The ground panel was killing it bc of the angle. So I went and got a tilt mount and now it’s fire hard. Especially during winter when the sun is at a bad angle and u need heat at night.
Thanks for sharing this ingenious idea! I have a 96" x 51" 650W panel on my RV....what length and weight rating shock should I get? And should I mount the other end of the shock exactly halfway down the panel like you did?
I agree with everyone else, GREAT IDEA!!!! I’ve been putting off mounting my Zamp 270’s until the weather got better. But now, not only is the weather better, the install will be better thanks to you. Thanks from a new subscriber 🇺🇸
I'm torn between doing something like this, and using the system you replaced. The advantage to the more tedious manual system is that you can tilt the panel either direction. With the struts, it limits how you can orient the RV. It's probably not a big issue in most cases, but I'm only installing four panels on the roof of an emergency communications trailer, and one of those panels has to slide out to deploy.
Excellent idea!!! I spent alot of time cutting alum flat bar to use for each panel, but since it's a real pain to do it, I've not used them one time in the 5 years I've had solar panels.
Lance you are awesome, masterful idea, also your mounting brackets are incredible. Thank you for a super method I can use to mount my panels. Thank you, Steve
Thanks! You know what they say. Necessity is the mother of invention! Remote tilts would be amazing but not at $500/each!!! x12 Panels were only $185/each. Glad I was able to share.
This is an awesome tip! Thank you very much for sharing it! I will have to wait until we get our system laid out and go from there with regards to if I will do this or not. I am sure during that winter solstice time frame, I bet it increases your efficiency by 25+%. Safe travels!
@@WheelinwiththeWendes Ok...that is great info!! Thank you! It will be towards the middle to end of January before our solar is set up. Of course, all of our national forest areas here in Ouray are now closed off due to snow. So, our initial trips will be towards extreme western CO where it is more deserty, or over into UT, between Moab and Bluff.
Not really, the angle it’s at actually works pretty good. Super dialing in the absolute best angle would gain such a negligible amount. All about making it simple! 😎
I really don’t know, towards the sun? LOL I didn’t go for a specific angle, just matched close to where they were originally when manual tilting all of them. If I had to guess, close to 45 degrees? Maybe 35-40?
Bad things! LOL Never even came close in 5 years though. It’s usually done the day before a travel day and a big part of our routine. I’m on the roof every time as part of our checklist. I’ve actually made short runs to dump and get fresh water, knowing there wasn’t any obstructions along the route.
Are your panels 200 watt Hightec? Is the 3" part of the angle on the roof? Any reason that you did not put the rivit nut in the panel frame? Stronger with the angle or just higher? Did you need to drill the holes in the panel corners for the angle brackets? Love your idea. I'm in the process of putting (6) Hightec215 watt panels on my 5th wheel. I already have the full Vitron Setup except for the charge controller, a 150/100 unit. I've been dealing with Continuous Resources for about a year now, good people.
Dude. This video was suggested to me, I guess because I was looking into linear actuators for my panel. This makes so much more sense… how did the struts hold up over time? Is there anything you’d have done differently after having them for a bit? Thank you very much, I was making it way too difficult.
Looking into doing this... Are you happy with the struts you used? I noticed they only support 22 lbs. Curious how that holds up in 40-50+ mph winds. Is it enough to hold the panels in place in high winds, or does it force them back down at all? Will look at a different set if it's not rock solid in high winds. It's a great idea, though. Thanks for sharing. Can you tell me what L brackets you used to mount your panels to the roof? Thanks.
The struts have been working out really well. As to the wind, I would never have them tilted above 50mph, regardless of the struts or not. At that point, the weak spot is the screws mounting to the roof itself. The angle I used is just 2”x 3” cut to 3” sections. (1/8” wall) The struts themselves at the 22lb. each is plenty. Rock solid!
I would have done something like them if I started from scratch but I already had the thumb screws from when I did the initial install using flat bar & rivet nuts to tilt.
I bought the thumb screws and rivet nut inserts on Amazon and made the angle brackets myself out of 2”x3” aluminum angle. They’ve held up great! 3 years now and still all tight with no leaks.
After a year of use, how are the struts holding up? Anything you would have done differently? And I assume you put these down to travel... is it still worth the trouble to you? Thanks!
Absolutely worth the install. Only takes 10 minutes now to raise or lower 12 of them. We’ve had them in 40+ mph winds, facing south and coming from the north with no issues and they’ve held up perfectly so far to the elements. Not even any rust. They definitely go down for travel.l though, too tall anyway.
Quick question...does that gas strut hold partially extended..or do you have to completely extent if.. just wondering since angle will change from month to month for optimal solar
Just like a hatchback on a car, it will only fully extend without adding flat bar on each side with multiple holes for different stops, which defeats the purpose of the struts. There’s such a minimal difference in “optimal” angle that you’d never even notice the change in input.
The angle brackets were just made from cut sections of aluminum angle. The small bracket on one end of the struts came with them, along with one for the other side that I didn’t use.
It’s just a pivot point using 2 pieces of angle on each side. One attached to the roof with a 1/4”-20 rivet nut and the other with a mating hole to allow a 1/4”-20 thumbscrew to pass through into the rivet nut.
Damn nice idea and execution! Thanks for sharing. I see the link below for the cylinders... any other Lesson-Learned Tips you can share regarding layout, measurement, slack in wiring, anchoring to roof, etc??
Thanks! For the struts I used and the panel size I have, I gave dimensions in the video. I’d have to measure again to get you anything else you might need. Different size struts will have different dimensions.
Funny you just posted that. I was thinking of doing something similar. Wasn’t sure if I would go with a clip like you mention or a hitch pin or what. Planning on a trip to Home Depot or looking around McMaster-Carr. Thanks!
@@WheelinwiththeWendes . Sorry, I asked the wrong question. What angle brackets did you use from the solar panel to the solar brackets from the roof? Did you use a corner brace from Home Depot and if so which one.
Here's a link to the struts used... www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017FVAJP2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Tilts are a 100000% necessity. Especially during winter when the sun is at lower angles. I should be able to change the angle based on the season.
@@vols2005 I’ve seen up to a 50% gain just from tilting! Gamechanger!
@ same here. 40-50% increase. I thought at first it was my panels bc I had 2 on top then I had an extra for the ground. The ground panel was killing it bc of the angle. So I went and got a tilt mount and now it’s fire hard. Especially during winter when the sun is at a bad angle and u need heat at night.
Adding 2000 watts to my Toy Hauler, will be using this solution, thank you for sharing Steve.
Three years later. That's GENIUS !!!
Thanks for sharing this ingenious idea! I have a 96" x 51" 650W panel on my RV....what length and weight rating shock should I get? And should I mount the other end of the shock exactly halfway down the panel like you did?
It all depends on the weight and size. What I used was figured out based on my panels.
Well done, I had the same idea, nice to see it in a three year old video haha, like you said keep it simple 😄
Thanks! 👍
This is the solution I've been looking for 👍
Now that I'm fixing to go to Wende Solar School I'm all over these videos
I agree with everyone else, GREAT IDEA!!!!
I’ve been putting off mounting my Zamp 270’s until the weather got better. But now, not only is the weather better, the install will be better thanks to you.
Thanks from a new subscriber
🇺🇸
Thanks, now that I went through a winter, they’ve worked out GREAT!
I'm torn between doing something like this, and using the system you replaced. The advantage to the more tedious manual system is that you can tilt the panel either direction. With the struts, it limits how you can orient the RV. It's probably not a big issue in most cases, but I'm only installing four panels on the roof of an emergency communications trailer, and one of those panels has to slide out to deploy.
Excellent idea!!! I spent alot of time cutting alum flat bar to use for each panel, but since it's a real pain to do it, I've not used them one time in the 5 years I've had solar panels.
That’s exactly why I came up with this system. That flat bar was a pain to deal with.
Lance you are awesome, masterful idea, also your mounting brackets are incredible. Thank you for a super method I can use to mount my panels.
Thank you, Steve
Thanks! You know what they say. Necessity is the mother of invention! Remote tilts would be amazing but not at $500/each!!! x12 Panels were only $185/each. Glad I was able to share.
What a great set up. So going to use this idea. Thank you.
Thanks! Works great!
That’s an awesome upgrade Lance! Will definitely be adding that to my to-do-one day list.
Ahhh... the ever-growing to-do list... LOL
Just subscribed. Awesome video. Going to attempt to build a couple next week.
This is an awesome tip! Thank you very much for sharing it! I will have to wait until we get our system laid out and go from there with regards to if I will do this or not. I am sure during that winter solstice time frame, I bet it increases your efficiency by 25+%.
Safe travels!
Exactly! Between 25-30%! Well worth the effort during the winter.
@@WheelinwiththeWendes Ok...that is great info!! Thank you! It will be towards the middle to end of January before our solar is set up. Of course, all of our national forest areas here in Ouray are now closed off due to snow. So, our initial trips will be towards extreme western CO where it is more deserty, or over into UT, between Moab and Bluff.
Thats a great set up.
I’m going to do mine your way. Sweet!
Brilliant... I never even thought of this one !
Liked/Subscribed !
Thats Awesome Idea
Do you sometimes wish you could change the angle to more or less?
Not really, the angle it’s at actually works pretty good. Super dialing in the absolute best angle would gain such a negligible amount. All about making it simple! 😎
@@WheelinwiththeWendes Thanks for replying! What angle is it?
I really don’t know, towards the sun? LOL I didn’t go for a specific angle, just matched close to where they were originally when manual tilting all of them. If I had to guess, close to 45 degrees? Maybe 35-40?
Amen
I'm gonna do that....if it's not already installed
What happens if you drive off and forget to lower the panels flat
Bad things! LOL Never even came close in 5 years though. It’s usually done the day before a travel day and a big part of our routine. I’m on the roof every time as part of our checklist. I’ve actually made short runs to dump and get fresh water, knowing there wasn’t any obstructions along the route.
Are your panels 200 watt Hightec? Is the 3" part of the angle on the roof? Any reason that you did not put the rivit nut in the panel frame? Stronger with the angle or just higher? Did you need to drill the holes in the panel corners for the angle brackets? Love your idea. I'm in the process of putting (6) Hightec215 watt panels on my 5th wheel. I already have the full Vitron Setup except for the charge controller, a 150/100 unit. I've been dealing with Continuous Resources for about a year now, good people.
Dude. This video was suggested to me, I guess because I was looking into linear actuators for my panel. This makes so much more sense… how did the struts hold up over time? Is there anything you’d have done differently after having them for a bit? Thank you very much, I was making it way too difficult.
You have panels down both sides of your roof. Do they tilt and all face the same direction? How do you choose which side they should face when tilted?
Any reason why you didn’t install fewer LARGE panels vs many smaller panels?
This is just what happened to fit easily without building a raised rack.
@@WheelinwiththeWendes Ok, thanks.
Looking into doing this...
Are you happy with the struts you used?
I noticed they only support 22 lbs. Curious how that holds up in 40-50+ mph winds. Is it enough to hold the panels in place in high winds, or does it force them back down at all?
Will look at a different set if it's not rock solid in high winds.
It's a great idea, though. Thanks for sharing.
Can you tell me what L brackets you used to mount your panels to the roof? Thanks.
The struts have been working out really well. As to the wind, I would never have them tilted above 50mph, regardless of the struts or not. At that point, the weak spot is the screws mounting to the roof itself. The angle I used is just 2”x 3” cut to 3” sections. (1/8” wall) The struts themselves at the 22lb. each is plenty. Rock solid!
Even faster: Use round wire lock pins. On and off in half a second.
I would have done something like them if I started from scratch but I already had the thumb screws from when I did the initial install using flat bar & rivet nuts to tilt.
so we’re did you get solar mounting brackets and thumb screws? Also how have they held up in the wind?
I bought the thumb screws and rivet nut inserts on Amazon and made the angle brackets myself out of 2”x3” aluminum angle. They’ve held up great! 3 years now and still all tight with no leaks.
How does it do in the traveling wind? Any rattling while driving?
As long as the thumb screws are back in, no rattling at all.
After a year of use, how are the struts holding up? Anything you would have done differently? And I assume you put these down to travel... is it still worth the trouble to you? Thanks!
Absolutely worth the install. Only takes 10 minutes now to raise or lower 12 of them. We’ve had them in 40+ mph winds, facing south and coming from the north with no issues and they’ve held up perfectly so far to the elements. Not even any rust. They definitely go down for travel.l though, too tall anyway.
@@WheelinwiththeWendes Thanks for the quick reply. Will definitely being using your idea when I install solar!
Quick question...does that gas strut hold partially extended..or do you have to completely extent if.. just wondering since angle will change from month to month for optimal solar
Just like a hatchback on a car, it will only fully extend without adding flat bar on each side with multiple holes for different stops, which defeats the purpose of the struts. There’s such a minimal difference in “optimal” angle that you’d never even notice the change in input.
Where did you get the brackets sir?
The angle brackets were just made from cut sections of aluminum angle. The small bracket on one end of the struts came with them, along with one for the other side that I didn’t use.
Question, how did you mount the front so that it also rotates up and it isn't fixed. Thank you
It’s just a pivot point using 2 pieces of angle on each side. One attached to the roof with a 1/4”-20 rivet nut and the other with a mating hole to allow a 1/4”-20 thumbscrew to pass through into the rivet nut.
Where did you get the aluminum with the nut attached? Can you share the bracket info?
I made them with cut sections of aluminum angle and added threaded nutserts to be able to use thumbscrews.
Damn nice idea and execution! Thanks for sharing. I see the link below for the cylinders... any other Lesson-Learned Tips you can share regarding layout, measurement, slack in wiring, anchoring to roof, etc??
Thanks! For the struts I used and the panel size I have, I gave dimensions in the video. I’d have to measure again to get you anything else you might need. Different size struts will have different dimensions.
How many batteries do you have with that many panels? And because you has many can you run your AC?
We have 10 Battle Born batteries at 100ah each. The way I have it wired, I have one of our 3 AC units on the inverter.
Do they have Automatic Tilt Thangs
They do, but at over twice the cost of the panels themselves. $500 each!!! Times 12 panels? Uhh... no. Though I’d LOVE it. www.SolaRVector.net
You could maybe ditch the thumb screws and have "R" clip on a chain
Funny you just posted that. I was thinking of doing something similar. Wasn’t sure if I would go with a clip like you mention or a hitch pin or what. Planning on a trip to Home Depot or looking around McMaster-Carr. Thanks!
You say you came down 12.5" from one end of the panel for the strut mount - how wide are those panels total? Is that the halfway point?
The panels are 26”. At the 12.5” it put the panel at the angle I wanted and also allowed it to lay flat. Took a little tinkering to get it just right.
Did you make your own mounting brackets
Yes, I used 1/8” angle cut down to 3” sections, drilled holes to accept thumb screws and installed rivet nuts in the panels themselves.
Where did you get the mounting brackets?
DIY... I just used aluminum angle from a supply house that cut them down into smaller sections. Drilled holes and added rivet nuts.
What did you use to connect the solar panel to the angle iron?
Just self tapping hex screws…
@@WheelinwiththeWendes . Sorry, I asked the wrong question. What angle brackets did you use from the solar panel to the solar brackets from the roof? Did you use a corner brace from Home Depot and if so which one.
👍🏻
Sowe’re did you buy the brackets and threaded pins to tie down panels when not raise up?
I bought the thumb screws and rivet nut inserts on Amazon and made the angle brackets myself out of 2”x3” aluminum angle.