Roof rack vs. solar panels?

[Gadget728]

Good point HDR

 

[SternWake]

Not quite sure what is to be carried.

I have 200 watts of solar and I can load several hundred pounds of plywood on top of them by using some protective feet I made to distribute the weight properly.

My feet might Be OK carrying some other things up there, if loaded/unloaded carefully

 

[Vagabound]

(Not That Bob)  Thanks, usually my out of the box thinking gets me in trouble!

I hear ya, brother.

(highdesertranger)  as I see it the problem with just laying a panel on the ground would be animals walking on it. deer, cattle, elk, moose, bear, etc. yes I have had all these animals walk through my camp.

Yeah, yeah, good point, but mostly ... I want to go stud camping, TOO.  Where is it?!?  Come on, fess up!  You, me, Bruce Willis, Arnie, Chuck Norris, that short Chinese guy from The Expendables, lions, tigers, and bears .... man, I just can't wait!! ;-)

(SternWake)  Not quite sure what is to be carried.

I have 200 watts of solar and I can load several hundred pounds of plywood on top of them by using some protective feet I made to distribute the weight properly.

My feet might Be OK carrying some other things up there, if loaded/unloaded carefully.

What to be carried:  Could be anything.  I'm mostly concerned about the inherent conflict between a roof rack (designed to carry heavy, bulky, pokey things) and solar panels (glass-covered fragility).  It seems as incompatible as buying a pickup truck, and then filling the bed, permanently, with wine glasses.  I understand why people are doing it, but the resulting loss of functionality is unfortunate.  So, I'm trying to figure out how to get the full benefit of a rack and solar panels.

Please describe your solar panel "feet" a bit, they sound useful.  Are they spacers between the rack and load, or between the solar panel and load (probably not)?

Vagabound

 

[GotSmart]

What to be carried:  Could be anything.  I'm mostly concerned about the inherent conflict between a roof rack (designed to carry heavy, bulky, pokey things) and solar panels (glass-covered fragility).  It seems as incompatible as buying a pickup truck, and then filling the bed, permanently, with wine glasses.  I understand why people are doing it, but the resulting loss of functionality is unfortunate.  So, I'm trying to figure out how to get the full benefit of a rack and solar panels.

Please describe your solar panel "feet" a bit, they sound useful.  Are they spacers between the rack and load, or between the solar panel and load (probably not)?

Vagabound

How about thinking INSIDE the box?

 

[Vagabound]

How about thinking INSIDE the box?

Sorry, GS, can't quite tell what's going on in that photo.  Is the idea to have the panels mounted inside the rack / between the rack bars (and a bit below its highest point), rather than on top of the rack?

Vagabound

 

[GotSmart]

Sorry, GS, can't quite tell what's going on in that photo.  Is the idea to have the panels mounted inside the rack / between the rack bars (and a bit below its highest point), rather than on top of the rack?

Vagabound

Try clicking on the picture.  It gets much larger.  

But~~~ You get the idea.  To 99% of people, the inset is invisible.

In re reading this thread, I already answered it. ~~~ Sorry, my mind still has blank spots, which is why I am posting less.

 

[Vagabound]

Try clicking on the picture.  It gets much larger.  

But~~~ You get the idea.  To 99% of people, the inset is invisible.

In re reading this thread, I already answered it.  ~~~ Sorry, my mind still has blank spots,  which is why I am posting less.

Yeah, the second photo from the front of the vehicle makes your method clearer.  Thanks.  I'd take your 99% statement a bit further -- the panels are invisible.  You seem to have only a rack.  There's still the problem of how to put things on the rack without squashing the panels, but the answer it seems is to never put anything up there that will sag below the level of the rack bars.

Vagabound

 

[GotSmart]

Yeah, the second photo from the front of the vehicle makes your method clearer.  Thanks.  I'd take your 99% statement a bit further -- the panels are invisible.  You seem to have only a rack.  There's still the problem of how to put things on the rack without squashing the panels, but the answer it seems is to never put anything up there that will sag below the level of the rack bars.

Vagabound

A easy method of raising the bar height to allow for rack use is to bolt a 2x2 directly to the rack. This can be permanent or removable with just a couple bolts.  Be careful loading it.