New SOLAR ROOF? 5,320 WATTS Why Not RV: Ep 89

[@trickyrick8621]

One good windstorm and it will all be coming down using flat bar for vertical supports.

[@WhyNotRV]

70mph down the highway for a couple thousand miles. 80mph crosswinds in southern Wyoming … no shifting, not an issue whatsoever

[@2hotscottpro]

That’s unbelievable it holds up but yer cross supports must have stiffened it all up good n tight ! Seen an install with residential round vertical risers.I questioned that too but he has 14k miles no issues. Evidently pv doesn’t take much to hold them up.Krazy 😊

[@garygerard4290]

'tricky, I think the same thing - maybe they're being work hardened. I'd never use self taping screws for something like that. They sure keep the roof cool and the penetrations from getting sun baked.

[@2hotscottpro]

I used iron ridge rails and ladder racks with unistrut.Eight 525 watt Bifacial panels =4200 watts on a 36’ toy hauler.It’s solid as a rock so it seems.Glad yours is working great.Hey it’s a lot of work doing install.Installed a mini split and same as pv install .Time consuming!

[@WhyNotRV]

Definitely time consuming but definitely worth it if you use it!!!

[@DaveDrawing]

Great video, and awesome job on the solar roof! I mean this in no way to be critical, but have you imagined what it would look like with some sort of lightweight side panels? I look at your set-up, and after seeing a few motorhomes with raised sides to conceal the equipment on the roof, I can see the esthetic benefit, as well as possible aerodynamic improvement. Keep up the good work!

[@WhyNotRV]

I appreciate it. I take all criticism and appreciate all inputs. That definitely never crossed my mind mainly because my thought process was to have plenty of airflow underneath the panels so that I’m not trapping any heat as well as an airflow can just blow right underneath of them for crosswind situations.

[@samanthapowell5882]

That is the perfect setup for bi-facial panels ( on both sides ) as it has room for the reflection on bottom!

[@WhyNotRV]

Ya I’m actually wanting to order some and do some testing with them.

[@RavenRose88]

Wow! 600 lbs evenly distributed like that doesnt spund bad at all! Our 34 ft rig handled a 300lb+ pellet stove no problem, so this is a dream for me. We will probably copy cat your idea. Thankee!!

[@RavenRose88]

We removed the pellet stove...so time for solar!

[@WhyNotRV]

Glad I could inspire!!!

[@melc1008]

OMG! Love the install with all the panels. I have been watching your channel for awhile and appreciate your detail and explanation for all your videos. I am currently in the last stages of rebuilding from the axles up a 1979 Argosy by Airstream. With a curved roof, I have been toying with covering the center of my roof, front to back and now seeing your wonderful install and thousand of miles of testing, I feel comfortable with the proper bracing it is doable. Thank you

[@WhyNotRV]

Thank you so much!!! Good luck with your build!

[@eprohoda]

og!well picture.take care,👍

[@WhyNotRV]

Thank you

[@kathleenrutherford733]

Fabulous! Your definitely talented and knowledgeable! Bless you

[@WhyNotRV]

Thank you Kathleen!

[@guspaca494]

Chris, That is an incredible solar structure you have erected on your Montana. Love it ! Thanks for another great video.

[@WhyNotRV]

Thanks so much Gus. I appreciate it.

[@CamoGreg]

Great job! Those panels will likely help keep the rig cooler by providing some air space between them and the roof. I thought I had a big roof top array at 3kW.

[@WhyNotRV]

That was definitely one of the larger reasons why I did the elevated rack. Prevents UV rays from hitting the roof membrane as well as majority of roof impacts such as rain, tree debris, etc.

[@samanthapowell5882]

100%

[@stephenshovlin1303]

Impressive solar array, thanks for taking us along!

[@WhyNotRV]

Thank you, thanks for watching!

[@SuperSushidog]

Sweet. Great minds think alike.

[@WhyNotRV]

This was a fun build. I appreciate it!!!

[@timmysrvlife]

I know you can fit another 1k watt in that last 3 ft😂. Great job! Crazy amount of solar for an rv.

[@WhyNotRV]

Between that and doing flexible panels on the tops of slides I could easily add more 😂

[@dwreed63]

Been waiting a long time for this one! Well done! 👍🍻 How much weight did that add?

[@WhyNotRV]

Thank you. Ya I wanted to have the towing experience with them to know my rack was good before posting it online lol. It added about 600lbs

[@campingalan]

Hi there! Wow…very impressive work, as always! I like that mounting technique; great for being able to reach under to do work on your roof. I have 1490w on our small 22 ft box. Some of my panels are just above the black and grey tank vents, but not up high like yours to the a/c top. Safe travels!

[@WhyNotRV]

Hey! Thank you. I appreciate it. And thanks for watching. Ya I wanted enough air gap to not “trap” heat. Free flow air underneath without the heat of the panels effecting anything

[@campingalan]

@@WhyNotRV Hi there! Great idea to set it up so as to keep plenty of space under the panels so that the heat doesn't transfer to the roof! Bleh...I'll have to put some thought into how I'll inspect our roof now. Our panels are about 2.5-3 inches above the roof, on the side edges of the roof. But, towards the center of the roof, they are only like an inch. I guess I'll have to just unscrew the panels from their mounts maybe once per year to check out the sealant quality? The benefit, of course, is only a very small portion of my roof is now exposed to the sun and rain. I live in Ouray CO; we just had a pretty large 18+ inch snow storm. As I went over to my rig at the storage area today to clear the snow off the roof as I tow it tomorrow, I learned that you have to sweep that snow off that first day. Otherwise, it will begin to melt, and then freeze.....and then is too hard to sweep off. Safe travels!

[@WhyNotRV]

Ya I was in Colorado with this rig a month ago ant every time it snowed. First thing in the morning I cleared the slides and the panels off. Even the next morning it already started. Ice forms on the bottom. It’s horrible lol.

[@kadachiman7234]

Great job and a RV that will never lack for power. Now that it has been installed for 9 months the one question that I have is ..... how has it gone when you travel? does the wind speed loosen your mountings? I have 2.25Kw on my mobile home roof and it is great, I do live in Western Australia though where I am fortunate to get a lot of good quality charging hours. The highest I have seen coming in via the panels is 1980 watts which is very good considering the panels are flat and the normal loses involved in solar systems, so normally by midday my batteries (800AH lithium) are back to 100% (lowest I have seen the batteries after an air-conditioned night has been 22%)

[@WhyNotRV]

Thank you. This has actually been on for over a year now and approximately 20,000 miles of travel. The only thing that ever loosened was my first trip out where the roof begins to curve. The aluminum square tubing I put on the roof needed a few extra mounting points as the pressure was just a bit too much at that curve. Other than that this has been perfectly flawless. Wind does not bother it, due to the height I mounted it and how flat it is, the wind just passes underneath. I have been in severe crosswinds exceeding 60+mph where I saw a semi overturned and I kept on moving along just fine. The 40’ wall known as the 5th wheel is much more the main problem when it comes to those crosswinds.

[@markseamans4682]

I'm in the early stages of setup, not even a test drive... I have a hard time trusting wood screws into the cheap lumber most RV's are made with. I drilled 1/2" holes with toggle bolts through the rafters. Now, I'm keeping mine closer to the roofline, but I also don't trust the clamp style panel mounts. I drilled and inserted a threaded rivet with an aluminum L bracket. I have wondered about mounting panels over the AC units. Looking forward to see more as you go!

[@WhyNotRV]

I can understand and relate to that concern lol. First time driving with this I was pretty nervous. Constantly looking up. But now 7000 miles and 60+mph crosswinds later. I’m extremely confident in the design and will continue to check on it and tighten up as needed.

[@markseamans4682]

@@WhyNotRV Well, your setup sure does give me more confidence! haha. I overbuild everything. I just wish I had more "weight room" on my current RV to add more, but oh well.

[@WhyNotRV]

Good to hear. It’s definitely ether to over do it than to under do it lol

[@markseamans4682]

@@WhyNotRV Yeah, I'm obsessing over the roof penetration of the cables (bulkhead) at the moment. Not happy with the products that are out there, I'm designing my own in CAD and 3D printing. Who knows, might be a sellable product in the future....

[@WhyNotRV]

There you go. Get creative with it

[@doughuber6860]

That looks like a nice job. Where did you get your solar panels? I'm going to do a 4000 watts and i have been talking to RV Solar and they get me your video. Thanks

[@WhyNotRV]

Thank you. I ordered the big panels through Caza at RV Solar Connections. I ordered the small Renogy ones through Amazon.

[@doughuber6860]

@@WhyNotRV Thanks

[@WhyNotRV]

Anytime!

[@timmyers3428]

is there a reason you abandoned the wellnuts you used on one of your previous builds? I am considering the wellnuts and unistrut for my build, and wondered what your opinion of that process was at this point.

[@WhyNotRV]

With this build I screwed directly into framing so no need for the well nuts.

[@markratliff7991]

What size MPPT smSolar Charge Controllers did you use? Any udea how much weight you added (panels, mounting, total) How do you service the AC units?

[@WhyNotRV]

Exact weight unsure. Roughly 500 lbs likely. I used a couple different sized mppt controllers. 2 150/60 and a 150/35

[@WhyNotRV]

The AC units are rarely used? To service you’d need to remove some panels

[@avianwashington7396]

Any updates on leaks to share?

[@WhyNotRV]

Nothing showing and signs at all. All has been well.

[@macwise7]

Hey, I saw this build last year, and am in the middle of my own 2kw solar build. I'm using unistrut, but I'm raising above everything on the roof (14" height). How is your build holding up? Those flat aluminum risers seem like they could bend/sway. Have you noticed any give or bending on those at all?

[@WhyNotRV]

None whatsoever. By themselves yes they could bend or sway. With the cross bracing I did this thing is rigid and doesn’t move at all

[@danielcj5]

Looks amazing! Did you hit any low tree branches yet? How did it hold up ?

[@WhyNotRV]

Thank you. No more than I would’ve without them. No damages. Has held up perfectly

[@danielcj5]

That’s great to hear. It’s a really really impressive set up. I’m in the process of installing a big system on my allegro bus. That’s been my biggest fear is accidentally going under a tree branches. My system won’t be as elaborate or high as yours. So if you are good, I should be safe 😁! Thanks for the videos. I’ve been enjoying them.

[@WhyNotRV]

Just like all things RVing. You just need to be aware and mindful of your height. I put about 20k miles on this rig with this setup. Cross country couple times and boondocked ALL over. Again. Awareness is key. Thanks for watching!!! I appreciate it!

[@simplyrobyn3887]

That is a LOT of weight on your axels! Awesome set-up! Happy Trails!

[@WhyNotRV]

So far so good. lol. I don’t disagree, it’s overkill for Most.

[@Mudford63]

Very impressive again! You have double the solar I have.

[@WhyNotRV]

Half the solar I have is all any normal person should need lol. I’m just insane

[@Mudford63]

@@WhyNotRV #whynot it’s a good thing. I only have the 3k multi. Want to go up to the 5k. Or add a second 3k. We are always running on the edge of our power management.

[@WhyNotRV]

Ya I believe 1 5k will serve you better and not take up as much standby power as 2 3k units. Just depends on your application

[@Mudford63]

@@WhyNotRV thanks!

[@WhyNotRV]

Absolutely!

[@carholic-sz3qv]

I have a question concerning those equipments on top of the RV trailer, what of those manufacturers could make those things more compact and make their exhaust/intake on the side of the trailer to have a flat top for easy solar panels installations.

[@WhyNotRV]

There are many options, from low profile units to advanced options that could eliminate the rooftop unit completely. Unfortunately they all cost money money and more money so the manufacturers do what they feel is best for the majority of campers while saving money

[@danieldunham9978]

Have you given any thought to how that is changing the center of gravity as far as the cornering of your trailer?

[@WhyNotRV]

I gave it a lot of thought. End of the day I just had to put it to use. I have now travelled over 15,000 miles. Through 60+ mph crosswinds in Wyoming, tornado warnings in Michigan... All is well, the rack has been great and has no issues. Does not appear to effect the rig at all.

[@wolfie26]

Awesome install! What if the side panels where also tilted at an angle towards the edge of the roof? Or on a tilt bracket?

[@WhyNotRV]

It’s a good question. I did t do it that way for many reasons. If you could make it tilt and could change the setup it has TONS of benefits. But for my needs and methods of camping, The flat method works best

[@simplyblessedrvlife9067]

I’m just about to do solar on my 2021 Montana 3813MS . Just so happens that’s pretty much what I had in mind . I may use more of the square tubing at the top I think . But I hadn’t thought about putting pitch on the ones in the front . Seems like a great idea .

[@WhyNotRV]

That’s great to hear!!! Let me know what I can help you with or any questions you may have! Good luck with the project.

[@simplyblessedrvlife9067]

@@WhyNotRV Thank you so very much . I may just take you up on that . Trying to think outside the box on this massive ordeal from every aspect .

[@WhyNotRV]

That’s what I did to build this lol. There’s no box to stay inside of on this scale.

[@simplyblessedrvlife9067]

@@WhyNotRV if I’ve got it figured correctly there’ll be between 8000-9000 watts of solar . But I’ve got to go back and check my numbers again to make sure that’s correct . I’ve figured this thing so many times already that my head hurts from it . I full time and usually in one spot most of the year . So I don’t tow it a lot .

[@WhyNotRV]

I’ll say that’s a ridiculous amount of solar. As technology continues to advance they’ll keep marking higher wattage panels on smaller footprints and that’s what’s really needed to continue making fully offgrid possible

[@gorillasapiens9809]

needs crossbracing in the center, and front/rear crossbracing.

[@WhyNotRV]

Did you watch the entire video? I added sufficient cross braces and have now traveled 7000 mile’s without issue

[@gorillasapiens9809]

​@@WhyNotRV "it hasn't failed yet, therefore it never will"

[@WhyNotRV]

That’s the dream right ? 😂 I do think I’m going to add some front to rear bracing like you suggested and will do follow up videos down the road as I continue to travel and make changes.

[@thatonenerd]

how did that affect you mpg towing down the road? this is my dream to do with solar

[@thatonenerd]

get a Tesla truck and you'll never need to stop 😆

[@WhyNotRV]

It didn’t make a noticeable difference in towing performance.

[@WhyNotRV]

One day….

[@OffGridSolar]

What 360 watt panels did you install? Can you give a link for the 360 watts? Also can you give the link for the MC4 Connectors you used in the combiner box? What RV was this? What were the dimensions of the roof? I know, lots of questions. LOL

[@WhyNotRV]

I got the panels from RV Solar Connections. The link for that website and my discount code is in the description. These are the connectors… amzn.to/3pRj2eI The RV is a 2022 keystone Montana 3931fb. 42’rig. About 38’ of useable roof I belief my design came to 36’.

[@willbillyheaven]

Why not use higher output panels?

[@WhyNotRV]

You should watch my solar Saturday series

[@willbillyheaven]

@@WhyNotRV thanks but I've watched tons of video on solar and RV's including a couple of yours. I would have used higher output panels and less off them and cut the weight down that was added to the RV. There are limits to what the RV is designed to carry and every pound you add to it is a pound less of your own stuff it can carry.

[@WhyNotRV]

Do you have some links to some higher output panels you’re referencing? At the time I purchased all this I felt I was getting good panels.

[@willbillyheaven]

@@WhyNotRV 450 watt panels have been around for several years now, and today you can get 530 watt panels. Google it and compare the price and weight per watt. I think you will find it more economical to spend more per panel and save on weight plus get more watts per SF of roof space. Your system works for you and that is all that matters, I was just curious why you didn't use panels with a higher output.

[@NTM2009]

Looks like quite a bit of overhang on the panels. What's the overall width of panels?

[@WhyNotRV]

Great question. It’s about 4” on both sides which is 104” total. It’s actually about the same as having the slide toppers so it doesn’t really cause issue at all.

[@NTM2009]

@@WhyNotRV thought it looked wide. Ever had any issues with being over width or no one noticed yet?

[@WhyNotRV]

No issue. Like I said the same 5th wheel with slide toppers is the same width.

[@RichNel1]

What about travel, any issues while driving?

[@WhyNotRV]

Zero. I’ve had this on for almost a year now. Have driven from Florida alllllll the way out to Washington state and back, then to michigan and all over in between. I think I’m over 15k miles now. Have been in all sorts of situations with extreme crosswinds to heavy rains. No issues at all.

[@kevinvey9474]

1st was that dad? Last video we got a sneak peek and I've been wondering. I can see now from your last response the need. You did answer all of my obvious ? and the design took care of the rest. It's awesome outstanding, this is a traveler's rig. Looking forward to see how you handle the blkwater potable water transfer thanx

[@WhyNotRV]

Yup that’s my dad. Thank you! And thanks for watching!

[@TP-xi7ri]

Those vertical L brackets are pretty flimsy. TP

[@WhyNotRV]

The initial 8th inch thick ones were definitely a bit flimsy. If you watch the whole video UCI added quarter inch ones as well as some cross braces and everything has secured up nice and tight. Driven over 7000 miles now and nothing has moved up top

[@alax8985]

What does this make the height of your rv when driving under bridges?

[@WhyNotRV]

The height of the RV is 13’5” at its highest point. Still under the limit of 13’6”

[@diamondhandz1989]

What do you have for a battery bank?

[@WhyNotRV]

Stay tuned for a few weeks and you’ll see. It’s 36KWH worth of lithium cells.

[@grumpyshorts1056]

😮😮😮

[@WhyNotRV]

Thank you lol 😆

[@active4delta]

Wow! Do you know about how much weight you added on the roof?

[@WhyNotRV]

I believe it’s close to about 600lbs.

[@active4delta]

@@WhyNotRV that’s not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Have you weighed your rig? And if so, where is it coming in with respect to your GVWR? Curious since your rig is a dual axle (and not a triple axle like some toy haulers). Thanks for your response! Cheers! 🍻

[@WhyNotRV]

I haven’t weighed it yet. But either way I want to upgrade to the independent suspension

[@rondelrosario3329]

Wow! That’s massive! Looks to me that it’ll be a hassle to do maintenance on your AC’s having to remove the panels to get access.

[@WhyNotRV]

You’re absolutely correct Ron. If you stay tune to the channel you’ll see that I installed a ducted mini split to the unit and I’m using that as a primary air-conditioning so the rooftop air conditioners are literally just for back up and extreme conditions. But yes the horrible day that some form of maintenance is needed on those I will be adding several hours to what could’ve been a one hour job

[@rondelrosario3329]

@@WhyNotRV envious for sure. How much more batteries are you getting for your bank? Definitely going to stay tuned for more update vids.

[@WhyNotRV]

I’m effectively tripling my battery storage capacity but using the same footprint. Just a bit taller.

[@larryphillips4164]

I gotta applaud the effort happening here sir. If only rv manufacturers had some goddamn imagination and know how to take risks and get shit done. Every rv should have 5500 watts of solar and its own inverters etc. It’s ridiculous that so many people with so much money want to continue to hold society and technological progressing just so they have have a few more dollars in their yachts safe…. Gj sir. Keep up the good work.

[@WhyNotRV]

Yeah, there is definitely a major difference between what I did and how old are becomes lol it really isn’t that expensive to put just a single inverter and say 1200 W solar, and a semi-decent battery bank. Also, more efficient air conditioners. Built-in EMS systems. It’s all minimal stuff. I could head up to such a huge difference in a rig. Honestly, the biggest thing that I get upset about is the frames that are built on. Manufactures order frames for different size RVs and then end up having 81200 pounds of cargo capacity. If they are just spent a little bit more upfront and change the specs they requested, these trailers could have easily 3 to 4000 pounds of cargo capacity and people wouldn’t be breaking frames and having frame issues like they are. It’s absolutely disgusting.