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Any update on the new crop of flex solar panels ?

Solar Flex panels

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#21 DavidGraves

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Posted 02 December 2018 - 04:55 PM

Thanks Jeff

 

That is very promising experience you have had with your Solar Blvd panels.

 

I have a set that I hope to get installed soon and you comments are very helpful.

 

The lightweight incentive for flex panels is hard to resist.

 

David Graves


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#22 DavidGraves

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Posted 02 December 2018 - 04:58 PM

Hi Rando

 

Any marine store or online will sell you a grommet install set and tool....it would be very easy to install brass grommets in the flex panels where you need them to fit the stud location on your roof frame.

 

David Graves


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#23 rando

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Posted 02 December 2018 - 06:08 PM

Hi Rando

 

Any marine store or online will sell you a grommet install set and tool....it would be very easy to install brass grommets in the flex panels where you need them to fit the stud location on your roof frame.

 

David Graves

 

That is a great suggestion - but I just checked and the new 120W panels are shorter/wider than the old ones, so it won't reach the existing studs length wise.

 

I pretty much exclusively use the electric roof lift now, so I may just look at a larger (200W - 250W or so) rigid panel to mount.  


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#24 carld

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Posted 04 December 2018 - 04:22 PM

I bought two KINGSOLAR 50W (100 W total) Semi Flexible Solar Panel and connected them in series with a Viltron Energy Blue Solar MPPT smart charger controller and their MPPT Control/Monitor.  The total cost was about $400.

 

 I put the panel in series.  The nice thing about the series connections is that in starts up and charges in low and overcast light.  I made a frame out of 1/8" x 1" aluminum to match the mounting holes of the panels to the roof screws on one side of the roof.  The panels weigh 2.2 lbs each and the frame is around 2 lbs.  I used RTV to secure the wires to the roof so they wouldn't flop around.  After my camper was totaled, it was easy to remove with a putty knife.

 

I had the panels for over 2 years.  With the camper in storage they keep the battery charged without  doing anything.  I had the 3-way fridge, heater, lights and fan.  Always switched the 3-way to 12 volts while traveling even if I stopped for an hour.  No problems on for about 100k miles. I did noticed that the surface of the panels got hazy or translucent and collected dust and dirt.  Cleaning made a small difference, I think the power was reduced some but they were still working fine.  

 

I got into an accident in NM and it totaled the camper, but I saved to solar panels, mounting bracket, and controller and plan to put in a new ATC panther shell.  The panels were not that expensive if after a couple of years they need to be replaced. 

 

 

 

 

 

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#25 Vic Harder

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Posted 04 December 2018 - 08:00 PM

That is a great suggestion - but I just checked and the new 120W panels are shorter/wider than the old ones, so it won't reach the existing studs length wise.

 

I pretty much exclusively use the electric roof lift now, so I may just look at a larger (200W - 250W or so) rigid panel to mount.  

Go big!

https://www.canadian...anels/hiku.html


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