100W Renolgy on Rack

[titanpat57]

Thanks to @george_tlc and @Cruiserdrew for their sage advice and know ledge.

I started building anew aluminum rack for the 4RUNNER...and wanted to incorporate solar. This meant I could lose the extra weight of a second battery, wiring, etc.

I chose the latest 100w Renogy panel with the smallest footprint. I also used a 10 amp MPPT Controller. I was very pleased with the results today, with lots of sun until afternoon storms hit.

At first I put a 5 amp fuse in, and it blew that. The highest peak volts I saw was 14.2. I switched the fuse over to a 10 amp.

I'm actually considering hinging the front, and figure out an arm system for the back. Maybe further down the road. So far it's a keeper with $225 invested....less then anot extra battery, wiring, isolator, fuses, etc.

I'll keep one of those li-ion portable jump packs handy just in case.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Good looking, well integrated rack!

The solar thing is pretty cool and it sounds like you have a good install. With my 100 watt panel and MPPT controller I've seen 6.5 amps into the battery so not surprised you blew a 5 amp fuse.

A tip on fuses-fuse for your wires. So if it's all 10 gauge, 30 amp fuses, 12 gauge 20 amp fuses. It lowers your resistance losses in the fuse itself using one of the proper size. It's a small thing, but you may as well do it right.

Fusing Voltage Drop by Compass Marine How To

I saw a review of the EPEVER CC on Youtube and it sounds like a nice controller. Please post back you experience with it, what the charge profile looks like, settable parameters, etc.

 

[titanpat57]

Thanks for the great info.. as always @Cruiserdrew

 

[kbahus]

How did you run the wiring into the truck? Looks really nice, I may try and mount one of those panels on my Yakima rack.

 

[titanpat57]

Thanks!

I ran the wire back along the inside of the rack, inside the rear hatch harness, down along the trim on the inside, into the charge controller and into the Blue Sea 12 circuit panel.

In the picture you can see it running down the side.

 

[onemanarmy]

Why so far forward if you were gonna run the wires to the back? And over the sunroof?


Clean install either way.

 

[spressomon]

guessing future RTT

 

[titanpat57]

Why so far forward if you were gonna run the wires to the back? And over the sunroof?


Clean install either way.

Thank you!

My spare goes in the center, and 4 gallon Rotopax in the rear. An ARB 2500 on the passenger side, and my Hi Lift on the drivers.

I hope to finish up the the rest of the cross bars this weekend...supposed to be near 100 degrees.

guessing future RTT

No way buddy...my RTT days are behind me...

Besides, I think my fat ass and a RTT would max that out...

 

[JCruse]

Nice rack! What is it though? Like what were the original raw materials used? It almost looks like shower stall frames LOL.

I've got a 100W Renogy panel on the front of my Front Runner rack too but with the RTT up there also I want that panel rack space back. I'm trying to come up with a good way to mount the panel under the rack and have it roll out on drawer slides.