John E Davies Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 I am a little confused because I have a factory pic from an unknown date showing them at 45 degrees, but I haven't seen any actual camping pics with them deployed like this. Is this just a "service position"? Will I be able to easily do this when camping with the use of my portable ladder? I live pretty far north and the sun can be low on the horizon some seasons. This would really help on marginal cloudy days. For those who may not know..... a 30 degree tilt will give up to 18% more output at my latitude (45 deg N) for a fixed residential installation. For a camper array that is easily adjusted, the numbers would be significantly higher in winter if the panels were raised more. Also a dead flat panel is not desireable because dust will accumulate and it will not "self clean" when it rains; a dirty array is very inefficient. This doesn't matter quite so much on a trailer compared to a building since it is so easy to reach them to get the grime off. But if you were parked long term, it would be very beneficial to position the panels at a small angle, three or four degrees at the very least, for good drainage. https://www.civicsolar.com/support/installer/articles/effect-array-tilt-angle-energy-output And his followup on azimuth (bearing) vs efficiency. https://www.civicsolar.com/support/installer/articles/effect-azimuth-angle-energy-output Oh yeah, I would install a red streamer on my steering wheel if I tilted my panels, as a reminder to not drive off with them raised! This will be my first solar experience and I am still learning. Thanks for any comments John Davies Spokane WA SOLD 07/23 "Mouse": 2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Try2Relax Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 The date on that photo is 2008. The mounts on Hull 69 are mounted flat on the roof, not on the curve as shown. All that said, it would be a simple mod to tilt them, a straight aluminum bar with holes on either end would do it. 1 Randy One Life Live It Enjoyably 2017 F350 6.7L SRW CC LB 2015 Oliver Elite II Hull #69 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted March 13, 2017 Moderators Share Posted March 13, 2017 John, mine don't tilt. They also collect dust and dirt, I always get on the ladder to clean them after a trip. Would be a good mod project. Mike Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzy Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 John, As Randy and Mike mentioned, the Zamp solar panel, as delivered, does not appear to be adjustable to facilitate tilting it to face the sun. However, I suspect you have both the skill and desire to make modifications to satisfy your need to improve the efficiency of the system. (By the way, the red streamer is a nice touch!) Although, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how well the solar gear works without any modifications! For the pending and potential owners who are more like myself, with no skills to make mechanical adjusts, the following may be helpful. I discovered getting acquainted with Ollie after delivery day takes a fair amount of time. I tried the approach of getting to fully understand each system and how it works prior to compiling my list of potential modifications. That required a series of varying field tests. Since my style of camping is boondocking, the solar system was tested extensively. (It is important to note, initially my solar gear needed minor adjustments since I was receiving inaccurate readings on the monitor. Our team, here on the Oliver Forum, got me up-and-running in no time and my field testing continued.) To make a long story short, let me cut to the chase with a few bullet points. • The solar gear as delivered with no modifications appears to be very efficient and meets all my needs for dry camping. • It will charge the batteries during overcast days. • You will need to think about your campsite and its effect on your solar panels if the panels are your only source of power. • I discovered a campsite with partial shade is OK, but one which is in deep shade due to conifers will inhibit the solar system. (I know that should have been obvious, but I like to test the obvious!) • A layer of snow on the panels will inhibit the system. (Here again, the obvious.) • I did not need to clean the panels at all during my first season of camping. I will add, I did not camp in dusty locations. When I did clean the panels, I removed a fair amount of seagull poop, which is a fact of life in my camping locations. Surprisingly, I did not notice any degradation in the efficiency of the system. • I live in New Hampshire where the sun is low during the winter months and yet the panels have been charging every day. Sweet! • With my field testing completed, I do not plan to make any modifications to the solar system. Buzzy PS – It is good to be back ???? 2 Buzzy 2016 Oliver Elite II - June 9, 2016 2016 F150 Lariat 3.5L EB, Max Towing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E Davies Posted March 14, 2017 Author Share Posted March 14, 2017 Hey Buzzy, I agree, it is good to have you back with us. Thanks for your comments. Here is a basic question. Assuming I start with a fully charged bank, I have a choice of partially treed sites, and I was planning on staying in one place for several days, would it be better to plan for clear sun exposure late each afternoon/ evening when it is strongest, or more diffused sunlight all day? In other words, how can I best park the Ollie to get the most charge when I am not in a "wide open" location like a bare hilltop or towing on the open road? I find it difficult to reconcile my habit of seeking heavy shade for comfort, vs seeking direct sun to keep the batteries charged. It gets darned hot in the sun in the west. I do understand that it is beneficial to do high current activities like making popcorn in the microwave while the sun is still shining! I just need some pointers on Solar Best Practices. If there are some web links, please post them Maybe a portable panel on a 50 ft cable would be a good invvestment.... John Davies spokane WA SOLD 07/23 "Mouse": 2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenLukens Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 We've only had one day where the Solar pannels didn't fully rejuvenate the batteries so far. We were parked in the open and also driving. It was a dark and cloudy day with lots of rain and the pannels really didn't do much of anything. We had gone down to 12.4 during the night and they only took it backup a tenth all day. We have the Zamp controller and it has no adjustments on it... I prefer being able to make whatever adjustments are needed and the Zamp doesn't match the capacity gauge exactly. My plan for today is to put the multimeter on the battery and see if either of them are right. We are finally parked for a day :) There's not much to say about this controller other then it's designed for beginners. It shows you the screens and that's it. There's no simple way that I know of yet, to make changes. So the 2 volt gauges in our trailer are 2 tenths different at times. Edit - actually there's more... The controller is supposed to switch over to a regulate mode after reaching 13.6volts and ours didn't. It just kept charging at full according to the lights on the pannel until it hit 14.7volts that afternoon... I'm really not impressed with this beginners model of controller that doesn't even give you an off switch. I've got to pull the bed apart to turn it off. Really it's not a controller because it's just telling you what it's doing. As far as I know, you have no control at all... Look at the pic and see the different battery levels, the first 3 lights on the left should have lit up together at 13.6vdc and that shows that it's working properly at full charge. On our gauge here, ours has never shown fully charged yet, it stops at the next one over to the right, the 3/4 charge light. And that's where it stayed when it was showing 14.7vdc, which according to their pamphlet, means it was still on full power charging, way after the capacity was met. The good news is that the containment meter still showed 13.7... Or is that good news when the 2 gauges are now showing 1 full volt of a difference between them? I'll watch it some more today and see if we need to take it back and get it fixed or maybe they have changed their idiot lights from their own written parameters. Reed 1 Happy Camping, Reed & Karen Lukens with Riffles our Miniature Poodle 2017 Oliver Legacy Elite II Standard, Hull #200 / 2017 Silverado High Country 1500 Short Bed 4x4 Past TV - 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 4Matic BlueTEC Diesel Click on our avatar pic above to find the videos on our Oliver Legacy Elite II Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenLukens Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Here's where it is right now,it should be on "Float Charge" , but as you can see, it's still charging because the little blue lightning bolt is still on. Now we're at 14.5vdc on the Zamp and 14.3 on the containment, so I will be heading outside in a few minutes with the meter. Happy Camping, Reed & Karen Lukens with Riffles our Miniature Poodle 2017 Oliver Legacy Elite II Standard, Hull #200 / 2017 Silverado High Country 1500 Short Bed 4x4 Past TV - 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 4Matic BlueTEC Diesel Click on our avatar pic above to find the videos on our Oliver Legacy Elite II Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzy Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 John, Over time you will collect a set of metrics which are uniquely your own and some which are assigned to the gear in your Ollie. For me, the key has been to use my Ollie for fun! (Remember, camping is all about fun! Right? ????) In answer to your question regarding how best to park your Ollie, “That depends”! Sometimes I would arrive in the late evening at my campsite and did not know how the sun would hit my array. I would carry a compass and attempt to get a good idea, but sometimes it was pure luck. Most of the time, my campsites in state parks were aimed toward tent campers. In other words, the sites were tight and I did not have any options to reposition my Ollie. My recommendation, do not worry about it. Focus more on your power usage. That is the side of the equation which gives you more opportunities to alter the data. (Not sure if that is helpful, but that is all I got! ????) Each day while camping, I determined my power usage overnight. Since I am running a medical device for a family member which utilizes AC power, I need to run my inverter all night and part of each day. I can then determine my rate of replenishment during the day. As you can imagine, the medical device is a “must have”! When I was parked for four days under conifers with no replenishment of power, my metrics were critical. I discovered my power usage would allow me to go for 6 days as I bring my four AGM batteries down to 55% capacity. Every owner will have a different set of metrics and there is no right or wrong approach with the following exception. Never, and I mean never, run your refrigerator on DC power while boondocking. But of course, you knew that! I tested that hypothesis and it precipitated a whole series of events. Trust me, you do not want to go there! Reed, I noticed you have a Zamp monitor! I knew OTT was planning to migrate away from the Blue Sky controller and Blue Sky monitor. Their rational was that the Blue Sky gear was overly complex for the average owner. I suspect the Zamp gear is a step in the right direction. Do you happen to have two separate devices with the Zamp gear, one for the controller and one for the monitor? It looks good. Perhaps you will quickly become the resident expert on our Forum. Nice! ???? My Blue Sky gear is parameter driven. That allows me to adjust for the type of batteries which I am using. (As well as a number of other system adjustments.) In my case the AGMs. Since AGMs should never be “equalized”, my parameters make the adjustment in the controller. Over time you may acquire the knowledge you need to verify how your gear has been configured. On the other hand, that knowledge may not be necessary. Buzzy Buzzy 2016 Oliver Elite II - June 9, 2016 2016 F150 Lariat 3.5L EB, Max Towing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenLukens Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Looks like the Zamp controller wins as it's showing 14.8vdc along with the meter and the containment is only showing 14.6vdc. I called Jason at Oliver and he's looking into it right now. We're in the desert today and the Zamp just flashed 14.9,so we will see where it stops. Right now it's 8:50am. Wasn't I supposed to be retired today, hahaha, the life of an RV'er... Lol. Happy Camping, Reed & Karen Lukens with Riffles our Miniature Poodle 2017 Oliver Legacy Elite II Standard, Hull #200 / 2017 Silverado High Country 1500 Short Bed 4x4 Past TV - 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 4Matic BlueTEC Diesel Click on our avatar pic above to find the videos on our Oliver Legacy Elite II Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzy Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 I find it difficult to reconcile my habit of seeking heavy shade for comfort, vs seeking direct sun to keep the batteries charged. It gets darned hot in the sun in the west John, I forgot to add one more idea in answer to the quote above. Last year I was frequently asked, “Why the heck did you select the additional street side awning?” (There was a method to my madness.) I frequently book my camping trips well in advance and I cannot anticipate a stretch of hot sunny days. Since I like sunny campsite for my boondocking, and since most of the windows are on the street side, the additional awning gives me great relief during hot sunny days. Buzzy Buzzy 2016 Oliver Elite II - June 9, 2016 2016 F150 Lariat 3.5L EB, Max Towing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenLukens Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 ! Reed, I noticed you have a Zamp monitor! I knew OTT was planning to migrate away from the Blue Sky controller and Blue Sky monitor. Their rational was that the Blue Sky gear was overly complex for the average owner. I suspect the Zamp gear is a step in the right direction. Do you happen to have two separate devices with the Zamp gear, one for the controller and one for the monitor? It looks good. Perhaps you will quickly become the resident expert on our Forum. Nice! My Blue Sky gear is parameter driven. That allows me to adjust for the type of batteries which I am using. (As well as a number of other system adjustments.) In my case the AGMs. Since AGMs should never be “equalized”, my parameters make the adjustment in the controller. Over time you may acquire the knowledge you need to verify how your gear has been configured. On the other hand, that knowledge may not be necessary. Buzzy Hi Buzzy :) We only have the one controller and then the pannel beneath the bed like yours. I can only adjust the battery type and I did it myself after we picked it up. We have the 4 wet T105's. It's 10:30am now and it's been bouncing between 14.8 & 15 depending on what we're doing. The sun is cranking down hard, we have the awning out for the first time. I'll give it another hour and see if it ever shuts off. 14.8/ 6.6amps Happy Camping, Reed & Karen Lukens with Riffles our Miniature Poodle 2017 Oliver Legacy Elite II Standard, Hull #200 / 2017 Silverado High Country 1500 Short Bed 4x4 Past TV - 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 4Matic BlueTEC Diesel Click on our avatar pic above to find the videos on our Oliver Legacy Elite II Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzy Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Reed, For what it is worth, this past summer I placed a voltmeter on the line coming from the array to the controller and registered 18.5V. (The array is very efficient!) The line from the controller to the batteries was reading 14.1V and excess power was being "diverted" away at the time. That process was controlled via the parameters on my monitor. One interesting approach you might try is to hook up to shore power. If memory serves me, the inverter functions to keep the shore power coming in at 13.5V. Buzzy Buzzy 2016 Oliver Elite II - June 9, 2016 2016 F150 Lariat 3.5L EB, Max Towing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzy Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Reed, Sorry, more thoughts based on a review of your photo showing the LED indicator light chart. Based on the chart, it looks like your system may be in the absorption phase. In my system, it would progress to equilization at 15.1V unless turn off at either the controller settings of via the parameters. Where you do not have AGM, it is possible your system is set to progress into the equalization phase. I should think that is OK. One thing I discovered with my system was the value in locating a very knowledgeable technician at Blue Sky. Sometimes multiple sources of knowledge can be helpful in understanding systems that are new to you. Just a thought. Buzzy Buzzy 2016 Oliver Elite II - June 9, 2016 2016 F150 Lariat 3.5L EB, Max Towing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenLukens Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 It's 1pm now, it's still charging at 15.5vdc/11.2a/31.8ah and it's still bouncing from 3 to 4 bars on the charge meter on top. 14.8 is max so, I'll await for Jason's call back and then talk to Zamp after Jason turns it back over to me. I am on shore power right now, so I will unplug later and get another full set of readings. Happy Camping, Reed & Karen Lukens with Riffles our Miniature Poodle 2017 Oliver Legacy Elite II Standard, Hull #200 / 2017 Silverado High Country 1500 Short Bed 4x4 Past TV - 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 4Matic BlueTEC Diesel Click on our avatar pic above to find the videos on our Oliver Legacy Elite II Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenLukens Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 2:30pm it just kicked off. It was at 15.5 and now shows the battery back at 13.7/ 46.1ah. So it does kick off eventually. Still 14.88 should be the max so we will see what they say. You can see that the blue light above the lightning bolt is off now. Happy Camping, Reed & Karen Lukens with Riffles our Miniature Poodle 2017 Oliver Legacy Elite II Standard, Hull #200 / 2017 Silverado High Country 1500 Short Bed 4x4 Past TV - 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 4Matic BlueTEC Diesel Click on our avatar pic above to find the videos on our Oliver Legacy Elite II Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzy Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Reed, Two suggestions: 1. You might try to locate an electronic version of the Zamp controller technical manual. My Blue Sky technical manual is very specific regarding the progression from one phase to the next. You seem to have progressed from absorption to float and maybe you also entered equalization prior to float. The technical manual should tell you at what volt level you enter each phase and how long you remain in the phase prior to moving to the next. 2. If you obtain the manual and a contact at Zamp, you might consider initiating a new thread devoted to the Zamp Controller? You seem to be on the cutting edge (Some might say the bleeding edge) of discovery. How exciting! Keep up the great work and the pics are outstanding! Buzzy Buzzy 2016 Oliver Elite II - June 9, 2016 2016 F150 Lariat 3.5L EB, Max Towing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenLukens Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 I tried the online manual a couple of weeks ago after I saw that ours was set for AGM's. I read the printed manual again today and then called Jason back after it went off. Zamp told him that we are seeing the actual charging voltage and can't see the actual battery voltage unless I disconnect the main terminal. They said that on the brightest of days, that we might see up to 18volts registering on the meter and that today at 15.5 was within the normal parameters. So all is good, it did shut off on its own, and I will continue with my research on it for now. We've had the trailer for a month today, and this is the first time that I've seen it actually turn off. On another note though, if I could set the parameters myself, I would have it shut off when it reaches 13.5 just because it would be nice to have some control, but the 13.7volts will do for today being that we have no choice with this box. Feeling out of control today :) Happy Camping, Reed & Karen Lukens with Riffles our Miniature Poodle 2017 Oliver Legacy Elite II Standard, Hull #200 / 2017 Silverado High Country 1500 Short Bed 4x4 Past TV - 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 4Matic BlueTEC Diesel Click on our avatar pic above to find the videos on our Oliver Legacy Elite II Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Try2Relax Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 So if the Zamp controller only shows the charge voltage, does the SeaLevel II possibly show the battery voltage? Your meter on the battery terminals would still reflect the incoming charge from the panels as it would be higher. Randy One Life Live It Enjoyably 2017 F350 6.7L SRW CC LB 2015 Oliver Elite II Hull #69 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenLukens Posted March 14, 2017 Share Posted March 14, 2017 Nope, the SeaLevel II shows basically the same. Just 2/10ths lower,so when the Zamp shows 13.6, the SeaLevel shows 13.4 which makes me think that it is less accurate being that it was 2/10 off on almost every take. So we don't have any way of seeing the actual voltages unless the batteries are isolated. Happy Camping, Reed & Karen Lukens with Riffles our Miniature Poodle 2017 Oliver Legacy Elite II Standard, Hull #200 / 2017 Silverado High Country 1500 Short Bed 4x4 Past TV - 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 4Matic BlueTEC Diesel Click on our avatar pic above to find the videos on our Oliver Legacy Elite II Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzy Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Reed, Let me throw out a few comments/ideas to chew on. 1. Learning how to operate and interpret data from new solar equipment can be daunting at first. Feel free to lean-on our Forum membership for help. Steve (ScubaRX) was the one who helped me. 2. If you could post a link to your on-line technical manual, additional pairs of eyes can analyze the information. Matt, our webmaster, guided me with providing the Dropbox link. 3. I suspect your goal will be to arrive at locating two valuable pieces of data. A. The amount of charge in amps currently on your bank of batteries. B. The number of amps from full. I have access to that data and they are the most valuable. 4. Although I have a reading of volts from my controller to my batteries on the SeaLevel II monitor as well, that data is of no use to me. 5. It does seem as though your system is operating as designed. I would not be too concerned regarding the readings from your array to your controller. The technician is correct that you could see a reading of 18 plus volts coming from your array on a sunny day. I agree with the technician’s comment that the reading of volts from your array is not a meaningful piece of data in your daily operation of your system. 6. It is possible that your controller uses the LED lights within the “Battery Condition” display to communicate the battery amps. I would dig into the manual to determine if a more precise numerical reading is possible. I should think it is! This is an amazingly enjoyable period of discovery! Thank you for your posts! Buzzy 1 Buzzy 2016 Oliver Elite II - June 9, 2016 2016 F150 Lariat 3.5L EB, Max Towing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzy Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Reed, I looked at your controller pics and it appears you have the 30amp 5-Stage Deluxe Digital PWM controller (ZS-30A). Nice! The Zamp website provides a link to a pdf file which contains the controller manual. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5887872dd482e9581cc508e1/t/589d07dd03596e50dac128ed/1486686176698/ZS-30A.pdf Is this the technical document you have been using? By the way, although YouTube does have a variety of video regarding the “Zamping Lifestyle” (Their term, not mine!) I did not see one which is a step-by-step guide for the new owner. Will continue the search. Buzzy Buzzy 2016 Oliver Elite II - June 9, 2016 2016 F150 Lariat 3.5L EB, Max Towing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzy Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Sorry! Duplicate. Buzzy Buzzy 2016 Oliver Elite II - June 9, 2016 2016 F150 Lariat 3.5L EB, Max Towing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzy Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Reed, Take a look at the article in the link below. Helpful? http://truckcamperadventure.com/2016/10/review-of-the-zamp-zs-30a-solar-charge-controller/ Also, the following YouTube video was interesting. Very brief, yet it describes what I have seen in my panels. Buzzy 1 Buzzy 2016 Oliver Elite II - June 9, 2016 2016 F150 Lariat 3.5L EB, Max Towing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenLukens Posted March 15, 2017 Share Posted March 15, 2017 Yup, that's the same manual, and I have read the article before we picked up our Lil' Nugget. This is around my 4th or 5th set of solar pannels counting the 100watt Solar Suitcase that we used on the Casita but it also is my first set of stationary pannels. So having not been set up to point at the sun has been a new experience along with numbers that don't change much. The controller is nice but personally, it could of all been hidden with just a power light showing that it is working like the inverter. I agree that the numbers are meaningless right now with the pannels being fixed, and it would serve a purpose if the pannels moved, but as is, it could be mounted inside the cabinet. Thanks for doing the research Buzzy :) As is, I would like to be able to position the pannels also John, because yesterday was the first day in a month of use that our batteries were fully charged. We had been starting around 12.6 to 13.2 at night before last night and 12.3 was the lowest voltage we ended up with in the morning. And that's running Karen's CPAP all night. She has the Resmed Airsense 10, 24volt system, which uses a lot more power then like the Phillips Respironics that runs for days on it's 12vdc system using around 75% less of the power that is needed for the Airsense 10. Right now, I don't think that there's enough charging capability to run a second one on Solar alone as it's set up. But movable pannels would fix that. Plus, we've been parked pretty much in direct sunlight for the entire month, and though it has drawn down to 12.3 during the night, it has still been enough power to run her favorite CPAP machine even after charging the batteries just a little on those rainy days. Happy Camping, Reed & Karen Lukens with Riffles our Miniature Poodle 2017 Oliver Legacy Elite II Standard, Hull #200 / 2017 Silverado High Country 1500 Short Bed 4x4 Past TV - 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 4Matic BlueTEC Diesel Click on our avatar pic above to find the videos on our Oliver Legacy Elite II Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator+ ScubaRx Posted March 15, 2017 Moderator+ Share Posted March 15, 2017 I am a little confused because I have a factory pic from an unknown date showing them at 45 degrees, but I haven’t seen any actual camping pics with them deployed like this. Is this just a “service position”? Will I be able to easily do this when camping with the use of my portable ladder? I live pretty far north and the sun can be low on the horizon some seasons. This would really help on marginal cloudy days. For those who may not know….. a 30 degree tilt will give up to 18% more output at my latitude (45 deg N) for a fixed residential installation. For a camper array that is easily adjusted, the numbers would be significantly higher in winter if the panels were raised more. Also a dead flat panel is not desireable because dust will accumulate and it will not “self clean” when it rains; a dirty array is very inefficient. This doesn’t matter quite so much on a trailer compared to a building since it is so easy to reach them to get the grime off. But if you were parked long term, it would be very beneficial to position the panels at a small angle, three or four degrees at the very least, for good drainage. https://www.civicsolar.com/support/installer/articles/effect-array-tilt-angle-energy-output And his followup on azimuth (bearing) vs efficiency. https://www.civicsolar.com/support/installer/articles/effect-azimuth-angle-energy-output Oh yeah, I would install a red streamer on my steering wheel if I tilted my panels, as a reminder to not drive off with them raised! This will be my first solar experience and I am still learning. Thanks for any comments John Davies Spokane WA John, the mounting system is still basically the same as is shown in your old photo. The panels will still tilt in either direction just as is shown (albeit, perhaps not to the same degree of angle as could be achieved with that setup.) Don't worry, if you desire to get up there and tilt them, they will have the ability to do so. Since Oliver does not include any provision for holding them up, you will have to fab up some kind of support struts. When you see the way it is all mounted you'll see how easy this will be. During our build back in late 2013, I designed the way our panels are mounted in anticipation of tilting them easily. I really believe that the reason that you've never seen a camping photo with them tilted is that they works so well in the flat position that nobody has ever found the energy to get up there and tilt them. I know I haven't and you may find it to be the same. They are still mounting them in the same manner as mine. 2 Steve, Tali and our dog Rocky plus our beloved Storm, Lucy, Maggie and Reacher (all waiting at the Rainbow Bridge) 2008 Legacy Elite I - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #026 | 2014 Legacy Elite II - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #050 | 2022 Silverado High Country 3500HD SRW Diesel 4x4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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