DIY Solar Panels Roof Mount for Camper Van (Ford Transit)

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DIY Solar Panels Roof Mount for Camper Van (Ford Transit)

Рет қаралды 34,398

Күн бұрын

In this video I walk you through the details of my DIY solution for mounting solar panels on my extended, long wheel base, high roof Ford Transit van. Three (3) 180 watt solar panels (540 W total) have been installed for over 2 years and have survived 2 Ohio winters without any corrosion or rattling.
I cover the install in more detail on the specific materials used on my website:
notwaitingtoli...
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Пікірлер: 85

@duanepowell9848 3 жыл бұрын

You Have done me a GREAT SERVICE with your Explanation! Very Clear , no background music, no Bull! Great Job! I'll be looking for more of your information to help us to make our life more simple!

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you sir! I appreciate your feedback. There are more photos that you might find helpful in the blog post that’s linked in the description.

@googeliswiththegreys 3 жыл бұрын

I have watched this several times...and let the ads play for you to get something from your great content. I am searching for a way to pivot the panels up when parked off grid for an extended time

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

googeliswiththegreys I appreciate that. Pivoting the panels for more sun while maintaining driving rigidity is something my dad and I spent a lot of time thinking about. It certainly can be done. But we didn’t come up with a good solution. In my mind I’m picturing two screen door extension arms on one side of the panel and a simple hinge connecting the panel to the struts on the pivot side of the panel. You’d manually lift and lock the panels into place the same way you’d do that for a screen door. What are your thoughts on a solution?

@suzied.8301 Жыл бұрын

YAY for Dad's......lol wish mine was still here with great solutions!.

@catw6274 10 ай бұрын

This has been so incredibly helpful, thank you!! I have to subscribe for this video alone. Just bought my engine mounts!

@RErikWeigand 4 ай бұрын

Thanks. I really like the motor mounting brackets.

@billfish911 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your design! I like the use of nylon washers to separate the stainless steel fasteners from alunimum, but I realized the stainless steel strut channel nuts are going to be in direct contact with the aluminum unistrut. Maybe zinc-plated nuts would have been the better choice to reduce corrosion?

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

You’re probably right that something else should be done. The last time I went up there to look was this summer (over two years after install) and still no signs of corrosion yet. Here’s a link to a corrosion table with combinations of zinc and aluminum. There’s still a moderate chance of corrosion with zinc in contact with aluminum. galvanizeit.org/knowledgebase/article/stainless-steel-in-contact-with-galvanized-steel

@billfish911 3 жыл бұрын

@@notwaitingtolive great resource. I'm going to try your design except for the front I'll place the angle brackets on the inside like you did in the back. That will eliminate the need for strut channel nuts.

@martinhenehan9812 3 жыл бұрын

Manny thank you very much excellent video

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome. Thank you for the positive feedback. Are you mounting solar on a van?

@BornToOperate 4 жыл бұрын

This video is awesome, thanks so much for sharing! I am in the process of converting a Transit myself and watched this video after already purchasing mounting brackets for my solar panels that would require me to drill many holes through the roof of the van and I couldn't stop thinking, there has to be a better way. This design eliminates unecesarry holes in the roof of the van and it looks super sturdy. I will be using this design (slightly modified) over factory designed solar panel mounting plates so thank you to you and your dad for coming up with it! My only question is do you recall how long the M8 bolts are that you used to go through the strut and motor mounts as well as how long are the motor mounts that you used?

@notwaitingtolive 4 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome. The M8 bolts were 1.25mm thread, 70mm long. The motor mounts were also M8 thread: 1 inch diameter, 1 inch high. Are you documenting your build? I’d love to check it out.

@ktmmule 3 жыл бұрын

Nice job. Thanks for sharing. They say the angle of the roof where the attachment nuts are located is 5* (degrees) off horizontal. Did you consider this? or does the flex of the motor mounts take this up when you bolt the panels on? Thanks, Steve

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

Steve Muehler Thank you. The motor mounts flex sufficiently. No problems still after a few years.

@will-i-amsuresure6995 9 ай бұрын

Legit bro thanks

@number1genoa 3 жыл бұрын

Nice design and a very professional job, I had something similar in mind for our transit conversion , it is the same length as yours so I will just borrow your design :-) If it proves workable I will use the panel frames to prevent any racking movement and dispense with the threaded rod.Can you advise of the width and height of the mounting rail section ?

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Frank. Each side has a 102” run of unistrut (8-1/2’) to connect to the factory bolt holes on the ceiling. My solar panels are 58” wide. I’d guess the unistrut is therefore spaced ~54” apart give or take a couple inches. I have three solar panels which are ~78” Long (compared to the 102” of unistrut). I have more pictures available on my blog: notwaitingtolive.com/diy-solar-panels-camper-van-roof-mount/

@HdaTyp3R 11 ай бұрын

How do you clean? Can it survive a car wash?

@TheJoePavlik 3 жыл бұрын

I still need to install the cross bars but I just installed the strut channel with the vibration mounts and it seems kind of flimsy.

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

That should definitely help. I put them in for rigidity. And I can assure you that now 3 years later those panels are still up there riding in silence.

@bsp7386 3 жыл бұрын

Great work and thank you for the video! I wonder what the support would be on those struts- i.e. could we do smaller panels and a roof deck attached to them? Just curious if you have any insight.

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

The roof is strong because it has to support some the weight of the van from completely flattening in a rollover scenario. Don't hold me to this, just sharing anecdotal evidence, but the roof should support >500lbs. I've heard contractors claim to put as much as 2,000lbs of equipment on the roof.

@donttradeyears6 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the post! I'm going to use this as the basis for my rack. Quick question: Why don't the panels provide the lateral rigidity? Is the cross brace added to ensure they don't flex? Thanks

@notwaitingtolive 4 жыл бұрын

You're welcome. The panels do provide some lateral rigidity. In my setup the panels fasten to the aluminum struts from the top down. The concern was that could loosen over time if the rubber mounts flexed at all. The cross brace intent was to provide rigidity perpendicular to that top down fastener. It may not be necessary, but with it I can say the panels are still firmly mounted in place 3 years later.

@mikefranks4528 10 ай бұрын

When clicking on the link in your description, my spyware caught a major threat. You may wanna fix that.

@robertgregory2618 3 жыл бұрын

Great job but wondered what is an M8. Can any diameter work? Also do you have a part number for that motor mount? Thanks...

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

M8 is the specific thread size of the receiving mounts on the Ford Transit roof. You need to use that size for this specific van. I describe the parts on my blog post: notwaitingtolive.com/diy-solar-panels-camper-van-roof-mount/ The motor mounts I used were 1.25 mm M8 thread: 1 inch diameter, 1 inch high. I purchased them from www.mcmaster.com

@robertgregory2618 3 жыл бұрын

@@notwaitingtolive Thank you for quick response. So are you saying that once you take the cromlet (can't spell) out of the factory holes that there are then threads that you just put the M8 into after going through the super strut?I'm doing this for a friend who has the van and he's on vacation..

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

@@robertgregory2618 yes

@AtomicusPrime 4 жыл бұрын

Shit, love the channel name. Just started the vid but enjoying already. Purchased van a few days ago. Gonna pick it up tomorrow before work if possible.

@notwaitingtolive 4 жыл бұрын

Atomicus Prime the adventure begins! What are your plans for the van?

@AtomicusPrime 4 жыл бұрын

@@notwaitingtolive I'm getting into filmmaking. Carrying gear to small video jobs, but also planning for when there is a larger crew to tote around. For now I have emptied all but 5 seats so that it's a rolling office. I went out to it today to work on a screenplay. Absolutely loving it! Would be nice to get some power and solar eventually.

@notwaitingtolive 4 жыл бұрын

Atomicus Prime very cool. are you blogging about your conversion at all? I’d love to see what solutions you come up with

@grnladybuglouviere2956 4 жыл бұрын

What size angle brackets are these and where did you buy them? I don't see them on the parts list. Thanks!

@notwaitingtolive 4 жыл бұрын

I bought ~3ft a piece of angled aluminum (90 degree bend). Each flange was ~1.5”-2”. I then clamped the long angled aluminum piece to a table and pre drilled holes where I needed them, spaced about ~2” apart. I used a hack saw to cut off ~2” width pieces to make individual angle brackets.

@timgreen8337 4 жыл бұрын

What gauge wire did you run from your solar power to your converter/batteries Thank you in advance

@notwaitingtolive 4 жыл бұрын

tim green 6 gauge. notwaitingtolive.com/electrical-schematic-ford-transit-camper-van/

@philosophy4242 3 жыл бұрын

What charge controller do you use please?

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

amzn.to/3jvfwV0

@epicoffgrid 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing, really like that design and i'll absolutely be using that for my build when my van arrives in a few months. Curious about the motor mounts, I can't seem to find any that are hollow and threaded all the way through that you'd use a long 70mm bolt to mount them. I've found ones with a threaded stud on one end and hole on the other which might work but concerned it might not be as strong. Could you let me know where you found what you're using?

@notwaitingtolive 4 жыл бұрын

Micah Thomas The motor mounts I used were 1.25 mm M8 thread: 1 inch diameter, 1 inch high. I purchased them from www.mcmaster.com/.

@Lakelubber65 4 жыл бұрын

I like the idea! Have specific part number?

@notwaitingtolive 4 жыл бұрын

@@Lakelubber65 This is the most closely comparable part I can find online: amzn.to/3eeXTDG Pay attention to the height that you need on the rubber bumper to get over the crown of the roof. The item linked has a height of 1.57". The bumper I used was ~1" but also didn't quite fully clear the crown. This higher bumper might work better than what I used.

@DoriMena 3 жыл бұрын

@@notwaitingtolive THanks for this info.

@carsonreid422 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing! Did you connect the middle solar panel to the rack? If so, how? If not, do they rattle at all on the mount while driving? I'm building out my van right now and am hoping to attach 4 solar panels together, but am worried about not connecting all to my channel strut.

@notwaitingtolive 4 жыл бұрын

Carson Reid I used a threaded rod to connect the middle panels to each other. They’re all individually bolted to the strut using an angle bracket. I list the parts in this blog post: notwaitingtolive.com/diy-solar-panels-camper-van-roof-mount

@carsonreid422 4 жыл бұрын

@@notwaitingtolive Thanks! I actually tried doing this (and read your post about 5 times :)), but either angle bracket left a gap between the mounts and I don't have much real estate left on my roof (4 panels and need every inch), or I couldn't fit a wrench under the panels to secure them to the strut. Were the angle brackets attached to the side of your strut channel?

@notwaitingtolive 4 жыл бұрын

Carson Reid email me at manny@notwaitingtolive.com and I will send you additional photos that should clear that up.

@alex72079 3 жыл бұрын

Hello, how many motor mounts on each side? And did you place a motor mount in one of the small intentions on the roof rather than the larger rectangular indention?

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

I believe I have 10 up there, 1 in each pre-drilled hole that has a cover. I have more photos in the blog post: notwaitingtolive.com/diy-solar-panels-camper-van-roof-mount/

@alex72079 3 жыл бұрын

@@notwaitingtolive thank you! Another question if I may...did you use smaller bolts to go from the aluminum strut To the motor mounts? It looks like it but can’t tell

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

@@alex72079 Yes I did. The bolts connecting the strut to the motor mount only are the thickness of the strut + the thread depth of the motor mount (which will vary based on what you buy but I believe mine had a thread depth of 3/16")

@fpmadden1 4 жыл бұрын

Where did you get those motor mounts? What is the sizing for them?

@notwaitingtolive 4 жыл бұрын

Frank Madden The motor mounts I used were 1.25 mm M8 thread: 1 inch diameter, 1 inch high. I purchased them from www.mcmaster.com/.

@fpmadden1 4 жыл бұрын

@@notwaitingtolive Thanks bud, I'm gonna be calling them in the morning to order some.

@RandyRandersonthefamous 3 жыл бұрын

how did you mount the rear panels?

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

I just uploaded some additional pictures to the blog post which should give you a visual. I cut angled aluminum into ~2” sections and bolted the angle to the panel and strut. notwaitingtolive.com/diy-solar-panels-camper-van-roof-mount/

@MrMalomer 4 жыл бұрын

what kind of seal did you use in between the sandwich mounts and the roof?

@notwaitingtolive 4 жыл бұрын

Exterior grade silicon (such as window & door). This has been in place for several years with no leaks.

@catw6274 10 ай бұрын

Dicor is often used too.

@carolannworsham7152 3 жыл бұрын

I'm in Ohio also. Do you install the roof rack and solar panels?

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

I do not. To be candid I'm not even sure what a fair price would be to do that. Have you gotten any quotes from people?

@yourinnerfatkid6539 3 жыл бұрын

Any idea how much this cost you? Minus the panels?

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

If I had to guess I'd say $200-$300 (that's for the roof mount only, excluding all wiring and panels). Two 8ft aluminum struts should be ~$100 on their own. And then all the other little pieces add up. In my blog post I do a rough list of the items (it's not very good but should help): notwaitingtolive.com/diy-solar-panels-camper-van-roof-mount/

@yourinnerfatkid6539 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@AndreasEUR 3 жыл бұрын

How do you stop water ingress ?

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

Silicone sealant. Has worked for years.

@AndreasEUR 3 жыл бұрын

@@notwaitingtolive thanks. Does the bolt go all the way through the motor mount? Or does the motor mount have it's own bolt attached to it?

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

The motor mount has its own shallow thread internally.

@AndreasEUR 3 жыл бұрын

@@notwaitingtolive I found the one you used on your website :) I'll see what I'll do here, unistrut is not available here. At least I have not found one yet. I wanna fit as much solar as I can on the roof. Hoping for at least 1000W

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

@@AndreasEUR what panels are you going to buy?

@Roaming50 4 жыл бұрын

Sorry, but I am not digging the additional holes you put in the roof. Why not just put a cross strut in, just in front of the panels?

@notwaitingtolive 4 жыл бұрын

Colorado Biking I agree it’s something I would’ve liked to avoid but it hasn’t caused any leaks yet. The arch of the roof led to that decision. The threaded rod is about all that could fit across the roof and connect the aluminum channels. Even then the rod is bent slightly and those hole are for the supports that keep the rod from rubbing against the roof. In order to use a cross strut instead either the motor mounts or the channel needs to be at least 1/2 inch higher to clear the arch. Then something rigid that wouldn’t sag like another aluminum channel could be mounted across the top of the other channels. What are your thoughts on an alternate design?

@donttradeyears6 4 жыл бұрын

@@notwaitingtolive could you have used a piece of aluminum angle to bridge the two rails and put it between the panels or in front of the panels?

@redrockrider7009 4 жыл бұрын

@@donttradeyears6 definitely

@th3num83rs3 3 жыл бұрын

What size are your solar panels?

@notwaitingtolive 3 жыл бұрын

Without going up there and measuring I believe these are the panels I have up there, though you should be able to find the for much cheaper than the linked price: amzn.to/3waIUTb ~58” x 26” x 1.38” panel (160W)

@notwaitingtolive 4 жыл бұрын

Have you seen the propane heater in my Ford Transit conversion? kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pa2bZ5l3qdjHfIE.html