Cargo Van Rack + Solar Panel

[NoLimit]

Hi all, 
I have a chevy express standard length cargo van that I converted to a camper van. I want to add solar but I need a roof rack and solar panel suggestion. Some van dwellers on youtube have the Van Tech H2 aluminum roof rack but have expressed some issues with it, so I looked for other racks and came across a Prime Design Alu Rack, 123" aluminum rack that is similar to to the Van Tech rack but possibly better and cheaper. It supposedly has aerodynamic bars to help reduce wind drag and noise and it only costs $883 shipped. I like the Van Tech and Alu Rack design because it helps hide the solar panels a bit. Any other roof rack suggestions?

Also, I want to add a single 300+ watt mono solar panel for simplicity and to avoid extra wiring and connections. Any suggestions?

 

[29chico]

I have the below rack setup:

https://www.amazon.com/Vantech-Alum...&ymm=2012:gmc:savana+3500&keywords=vantech+h3

Very nice, good aerodynamics.   Way cheaper

You can bolt on some 3" x 1" aluminum L shaped extrusions to the ends of the load bars.  Then put FRP (fiber reinforced plastic panels on each side of the solar panel out to the inside of the L aluminum and your solar panel would be pretty stealth.

 

[BradKW]

Shopping big panels can be difficult depending on where you live. It's not that they are unavailable, it's that when you look at sites like this http://sunelec.com/ and see the prices, it gets frustrating. From that company I got the Suniva 325 watt panels...scroll down and you'll the price is now $157, or $0.48 per watt. So when you walk into Joe's Solar down the street, it's hard to stomach handing over $550 for one panel.

I got lucky and found a guy on CL that had just bought a pallet for own use and just wanted to unload the extras at cost...got 975 watts for under $600. Prior to that I was getting frustrated because to get best deals you either have to buy quantity, or buy online and pay shipping...and shipping is about $300 or so. Guess the moral of story is the longer you can be patient and keep shopping, the better off you'll likely be. And don't turn your nose up at a good deal on a poly panel...they're actually better at some things anyway.

And those big panels are usually 46v (ish), so you'd benefit from a MPPT controller.

 

[NoLimit]

I have the below rack setup:

https://www.amazon.com/Vantech-Alum...&ymm=2012:gmc:savana+3500&keywords=vantech+h3

Very nice, good aerodynamics.   Way cheaper

You can bolt on some 3" x 1" aluminum L shaped extrusions to the ends of the load bars.  Then put FRP (fiber reinforced plastic panels on each side of the solar panel out to the inside of the L aluminum and your solar panel would be pretty stealth.

I thought about going that route but the solar panels just stands out too much, even if you hide it from the sides. Also, I might add another 100 watt panel in addition to the 330 watt panel. However, I may end up going the same route as you did. Thanks for the recommendation and link!

 

[NoLimit]

Shopping big panels can be difficult depending on where you live. It's not that they are unavailable, it's that when you look at sites like this http://sunelec.com/ and see the prices, it gets frustrating. From that company I got the Suniva 325 watt panels...scroll down and you'll the price is now $157, or $0.48 per watt. So when you walk into Joe's Solar down the street, it's hard to stomach handing over $550 for one panel.

I got lucky and found a guy on CL that had just bought a pallet for own use and just wanted to unload the extras at cost...got 975 watts for under $600.  Prior to that I was getting frustrated because to get best deals you either have to buy quantity, or buy online and pay shipping...and shipping is about $300 or so.  Guess the moral of story is the longer you can be patient and keep shopping, the better off you'll likely be. And don't turn your nose up at a good deal on a poly panel...they're actually better at some things anyway.

And those big panels are usually 46v (ish), so you'd benefit from a MPPT controller.

I've been going through exactly what you just described. lol Either you pay a fortune because of shipping or you are forced to order a bunch of solar panels because vendors will not ship a single solar panel. Very frustrating. I called some local solar places but they even wanted $400-$500 to add an extra one to their work order, which is ridiculous.
I might just do what you did and keep checking CL for an extra solar panel from a work order. 

 

[NoLimit]

I'm going with the Prime design ALU Rack. I found a local dealer who will sell it for cost $791.41+ tax and will install it for $40. I'd rather go through a dealer so if anything goes wrong it can be handled though the dealer. I like that this rack is aluminum, aerodynamic and will help hide the solar panel. Also, the company, prime design, has excellent customer service and answered all of my questions.

Also, I found a local CL guy who is selling new 300 watt poly solar panels for $250 no tax.

Here is the rack:

 

[TrainChaser]

"I want to add a single 300+ watt mono solar panel for simplicity... "

One van (video?) that I watched recently had four 100-watt panels. He said he did that on purpose, in case one of them got damaged (falling tree limb, rock, etc), and he wouldn't have to replace a single large EXPENSIVE panel.

I hadn't thought about that, but it does make sense.

 

[NoLimit]

"I want to add a single 300+ watt mono solar panel for simplicity... "

One van (video?) that I watched recently had four 100-watt panels.  He said he did that on purpose, in case one of them got damaged (falling tree limb, rock, etc), and  he wouldn't have to replace a single large EXPENSIVE panel.

I hadn't thought about that, but it does make sense.

These panels are made to take a hit, I wouldn't worry about damage. I know many van dwellers who just have one big 300+ watt panel and have been doing fine for years. Imo, it's much easier to detect a bad panel when it's one panels as opposed to dealing with multiple solar panels. If one of your solar panels is bad, the only way you will be able to find which one is bad, aside from visual damage, is to test each panel separately, which can be a pita. Also, you can often get a big 300 watt panel for much cheaper than buying multiple 100 watt panels.

Instead of buying that 300 watt poly panel that  mentioned above, I'm going to buy a 325 watt panasonic mono panel for $400 from a local company. This panasonic panel has one of the highest efficiency rates, 21%, model# VBHN325SA16. It's smaller than most 300+ watt solar panels with a better rating. I'm also going to add another two 100 watt panels that will be on a separate charger and battery so if I incur any issues with my main system I will have a back-up system and I will run all of my lights and TV off the separate battery.

 

[NoLimit]

FYI - Installed the Prime Design AluRack. The rack was super easy to install, super light for a roof rack (40 lbs) and I took the van on the highway at speeds over 75 mph and it was a quiet as it was without a rack. So the marketing hype that this rack is aero dynamic and doesn't make noise us LEGIT. Although it's fairly pricey roof rack at $884 shipped, from American Van website, is still a bit cheaper then the Vantech H2 roof rack, and better imo. You pay for what you get, this rack has excellent quality.

 

[Scott T]

FYI - Installed the Prime Design AluRack. The rack was super easy to install, super light for a roof rack (40 lbs) and I took the van on the highway at speeds over 75 mph and it was a quiet as it was without a rack. So the marketing hype that this rack is aero dynamic and doesn't make noise us LEGIT. Although it's fairly pricey roof rack at $884 shipped, from American Van website, is still a bit cheaper then the Vantech H2 roof rack, and better imo. You pay for what you get, this rack has excellent quality.

Thanks for the great review of Prime Design's AluRack!  Could you please post a few photos with your solar panel installed?  I was about to pull the trigger on buying an AluRack but got concerned about the 6"+/- high side rails shading part of the solar panel during the winter when the sun is low in the sky.  My understanding is solar output drops substantially even with a little shade on the panel.  Do the AluRack's side rails block your solar panel?  Any decrease in solar output?  Thanks!

 

[Gideon33w]

I'd rather have 3x 100W panels. That way, an issue with a panel doesn't completely kill your system.

 

[ValerieP]

Is there a rack that can go on a high top that attaches to the metal bit that is under where the hightop attaches?

 

[Gideon33w]

Yes. Those are drip rails. You need REALLY tall legs on the rack though. If your hitop has built in supports its probably better to mount to those. No to mention that a rack which fits around an over the top stick out.

 

[ValerieP]

Gideon, it'll have wood re enforcement. Is that what you mean? Is it ok to mount directly to the fiberglass?

 

[MikeRuth]

I used a two bar steel rack,cheap at $80.00 Three bar are about $120ish

 

[ValerieP]

Can I put that on top of the fiberglass?

 

[WalkaboutTed]

I too, have the Vantech H3 racks (~$300, I think). They took about 15-20 minutes to install. I have plywood mounted on them and then the solar panels mounted on the plywood. The layer of shade helps a lot in keeping the ceiling inside cooler.

On my vehicle, the MPG on the highway is surprisingly only mildly affected-I still get about 16mpg. Now in town, I'm lucky to get 12mpg.
Ted

 

[MikeRuth]

Can I put that on top of the fiberglass?

Not straight away, it would take some modification of the rack, likely drilling new mounting holes and of course the point of attachment to the fiberglass would require reinforcement internally. 

If I were mounting hard frame panels to a high top I'd probably look at making or finding brackets to mount the panels directly with no rack. 

Mike R

 

[John61CT]

I'd bet plusnuts backed by fender washers would be just fine.

But I'd mount a light rack to allow for adjustments, easy replacement of different sized panels in future

 

[grandpa pete]

why not just glue to the top " into the mystery 13 " just glued the panel z clips to the roof with no screws . look for his U Tube video on this .