BYOS(hade)

[Lorelei072]

So this beautiful beast was posted recently in another thread and gave me an idea: Why not attach full-sized roof racks to our rigs and carry our own shade around? The more solid the floor of the roof rack, the less sun to focus heat on our roofs. With an inch or 2 between the roof rack and the actual roof there’s be great air circulation to break the summertime oven effect. Solar panels even get some security and stealth by hiding between the rails. Passerby’s will see roof rack rails and not likely assume there would be solar panels up there.

My particular van does not have a completely straight roof. While taking measurements and looking at it, I could create permanent shade by taking flexible sheet metal, arc it over the roof, anchor it to the sides of the fiberglass top (or even extend it further down to the metal body), and possibly have better aerodynamics. In that case I would use flexible solar panels on top. I would probably also lose stealth and security (lol)

Has anyone considered or tried this? Would it work?

 

[jacqueg]

IIRC, Bob had a video about it some years ago.

 

[JDub]

I think the founder of the website covers his with white painted plywood with his panels attached - he describes it in one of his his blog entries. It's a very sensible idea - I use a variant of it to shade my Jeep and deploy my solar panels.

Cheers!

 

[jacqueg]

Yeah, and I think, again IIRC, he discusses providing shade with aluminet and/or shade cloth in that same video.

One of the issues to be considered is the optimum distance between the roof of the van and the solar panels.

Found it - -

 

[highdesertranger]

Yeah I do it too. It does work real well for reducing the inside temp. However I would kinda forget about making it aerodynamic unless you are really good with that kind of stuff. let's face it your MPG is going to be worse with a rack no matter what you do. Highdesertranger

 

[JDub]

Yeah, and I think, again IIRC, he discusses providing shade with aluminet and/or shade cloth in that same video.

One of the issues to be considered is the optimum distance between the roof of the van and the solar panels.

I also cover my Poly sheets ( the kind you use as plastic corrugated roofing) with a survival blanket shiny side pointed up to reflect. I secure it with cheap WM clamps you can get in their tool dept. It REALLY does the trick!

 

[Lorelei072]

That is true. I guess I dismissed Guru Bob’s video because I’m moored in a town with a full time job. Hopefully a roof rack will provide shade without breaking stealth. Great to pick out details and concepts that I could still use from the video

 

[jacqueg]

Not sure why you'd dismiss Bob's videos because you're living in a town, but oh well. Most of us here started out living in towns, putting in our time at jobs we didn't like, so we could eventually afford to leave them, after all. It was Bob's commentary and, later, his vids that helped many of us figure out how to get from fantasies to reality.

No need to reinvent the wheel, when so many folks have spent the past 30 years being inventive, and posting about their experiences, good and bad, with using wheels.

 

[Lorelei072]

I’m pretty sure that I specifically referenced a single BW video that was posted in the thread that covered attaching a shade cloth to a trailer and a van in the desert. That doesn’t mean I dismissed his entire channel. I’m perfectly able to pick and chose items that apply to me without throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

 

[jacqueg]

Shrug. It's pretty evident that you missed [size=small][font=-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont,]this one [size=small][font=-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont,]though.[/font][/font][/size][/size]

 

[jacqueg]

I’m pretty sure that I specifically referenced a single BW video that was posted in the thread that covered attaching a shade cloth to a trailer and a van in the desert. That doesn’t mean I dismissed his entire channel. I’m perfectly able to pick and chose items that apply to me without throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Just pointing out where you find lot of the information you said you wanted.

 

[Lorelei072]

Not sure why you'd dismiss Bob's videos because you're living in a town, but oh well. Most of us here started out living in towns, putting in our time at jobs we didn't like, so we could eventually afford to leave them, after all. It was Bob's commentary and, later, his vids that helped us figure out how to get from fantasies to reality.

I’m pretty sure that I specifically referenced a single BW video that was posted in the thread that covered attaching a shade cloth to a trailer and a van in the desert. That doesn’t mean I dismissed his entire channel. I’m perfectly able to pick and chose items that apply to me without throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

 

[Lorelei072]

 
Shrug. It's pretty evident that you missed [size=small][font=-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont,]this one [size=small][font=-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont,]though.[/font][/font][/size][/size]

Yes, I said I didn’t find much in one video. Are you talking about one video or his whole channel? Please stop moving goalposts around.

 

[Cammalu]

Stealth is gone nowadays. May as well not try at all as everyone is pretty savvy to it.

 

[crofter]

Looking at this roof rack for my ProMaster cargo van, is plywood still the best material to provide full shade for the top of the van? I will be putting some solar panels up there also. Another question, is the plywood used as an insulator to keep the panel heat away from the van?
-crofter

https://www.americanvan.com/topper-...xAEVHZH2kin_IsravlX5yPctk3Q6bk8QaAgaOEALw_wcB

 

[bullfrog]

I believe Bob Wells used plywood painted white about 4” above the van. The panels work better if cooler and the underside has a least an 1” of air space also. I would consider painting the plywood white completely to seal it and try some white silicone roof coating as it reflects heat really well. I believe it states as much as a 10 degree difference compared to shiny white paint. It is ugly and hard to clean but no one would see it on the top and it would definitely keep the water away from the plywood but it might leave some run off streaks on the body paint when it rains.

 

[crofter]

Here is a simpler system with aluminum rails, but you would still need cross braces and plywood.
-crofter



@bullfrog
Roof coating is a good idea for the plywood, as well as a wrap on the front edge to keep it from water and wind damage. The rack I am looking is 4 1/2 inches tall, so at least an inch of clearance from the van roof. Sounds like Bob is not mounting the solar panels directly onto the plywood but is spacing them. I suppose using metal instead of the plywood would to heavy.
-crofter

 

[bullfrog]

Most panel suppliers offer L bracket mounting kits which gives you a little added height as well as adjustment to the mounting points by turning it 180 degrees but having a whole area covered by plywood would make mounting locations easy. Some of the panels I have seen depend on Silicone to glue the thin aluminum angle frame to the glass with little or no support in the corners. Something you might want to add is little piece of aluminum angle in the corners for a corner bracket to tie the frame sides together if you are going to be going over rough roads if they don’t have them already.

 

[crofter]

I fainted onto the floor when I saw the price, either because it says "boat" or "solar"  and you would need a set for each panel. Link to supply catalog.
-crofter
https://www.amazon.com/Smarkey-Solar-Mounting-Bracket-Support/dp/B07CR9QS4V

 

[bullfrog]

You can make them easily out of stock aluminum angle, just be careful drilling holes in the panel frame not to scratch the backside of the panel as it will ruin it most likely.