200 W solar mod

I posted pictures on my original removable single100 watt roof mounted solar panel, at “Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks - List Your Mods - Posted: 02 Aug 2015 (Page 39)”. But on 8 Apr 2016 johnmaci posted “Topic: Home depot Sale: 100-Watt Solar Panel $100”. I had been thinking about a second panel and this motivated me to get one. I checked at Amazon because a lot times they have the same item at the same price. I ordered another a Grape Solar “GS-Star-100W”, 100 watt panel for $100. I had to also order a 15 amp Bussmann panel mount circuit breaker, my original one was 10 amps, 2 Branch Connectors Solar MC4 Y Connectors and 2 more IRWIN Tools QUICK-GRIP Handi-Clamp, 2-Inch. I added an aluminum angle to attach the vertical C channels because I had to rotate the panels 90 from how I mounted the single panel. When I travel I carry one in the bathroom and the other one goes into a neoprene bag on the bed. I have installed foam strips to the frame of the panel so it won’t damage the roof or edge molding.





2 Camco Party Light Holders super glued together to so I could attach the cam from a “Parent Units 2 Pack Topple Stop Furniture Strap"




Branch Connectors Solar MC4 Y Connectors

Very nice installation.

Will the panels still work in dappled shade like that?

They do not do very well in the shade. I set the panels up late in the afternoon after arriving. If I had left them on the ground I could have moved them into to sun. I wanted to get pictures to post of them mounted on the trailer. Later that night it rained and was overcast the whole weekend, I was surprised the panel put 1/2 - 1 amp with the cloud cover. If they were in full sun it would be more like 8 -9 amps

When the picture was taken, with the shade on the panels, I was getting no output. The next day when it would stop raining and the cloud cover was not as thick, enough light was getting thru the clouds to charge the battery's at around 13.6-13.8 volts and when I checked with my amp meter I got between .5 to 1 amp. The voltage from the panel has to be high enough to force current back into the battery so voltage has to be taken into account.

"That's why I'm not a big fan of mounted solar panels on an RV, at least for us."

I installed my panels with clamps so when need I can remove them and place them on the ground and point them toward the sun. The cable is about 12' long so I can move it to any side. The big advantage of clamping them to the roof is I hope they are a little harder to keep from walking away