Greg Bauman

Well I finally received the solar panel kit I mentioned above. I got back home from work over a month later than I expected, and finally had a look at the panels. The plan was to test run one in the truck cabin laying on the dash first, then get it mounted when I had time to get a roof rack installed. The problem is that the panel wiring connection was built terribly. It died on that panel before even being installed. I can see why the panel is no longer available on Amazon. I hope to get a refund from the manufacturer since those panels no longer seem to be available. And of course I now I have to look at other options.

OK, finally had some time to save up and plan toward this purpose. Long story short, while I was at a hotel on a job, truck was stolen and the nice big fat solar panel in the bed went bye bye permanently. However the truck was recovered within 2 hours of realizing it was gone. Now getting quite a bit more put into it to protect it and get it up to snuff. Big shout out One Apple Air Tag saved my truck. I had one casually hidden in the truck. Good thing too, because I had neither paid for the OnStar nor would it have worked had I paid for it - thieves took the fuses out when they stole the truck. So, I thought I was going to find an Air Tag alone on the ground but local PD found my truck instead. Best $30 I ever spent. Solar Panels This kit is what I intend on purchasing now. I intend on keeping the panels in the truck box when not in use for now, but eventually want to mount one to top of truck box or onto a roof rack. I am getting these because they're 600w each so I will have tons of juice to work with. Charge controller I already had purchased this charge controller to use for the 355W panel, but never set it up. So now I will have two controllers each capable of handling those panels separately or wire them through one controller longer term. Roof rack I am now leaning toward an interior light bar, so the roof rack can be dedicated to just the solar panels. I need to look at how to best secure them re: air flow since they are flexible & light. Security I can't be in my truck 24/7 even with my dog on duty. So I now have a Club steering wheel lock plus a Nexar One dash cam. Other more discreet improvements have also been made. Bad guys will have a bad day even if I am dead asleep at home.

Ya, my main issue is cooling for my dog. She's gotta have it cooler than we need. I just ordered the Platinum version of IcyBreeze so we'll be trying that out soon. I can power it now with my Anker 521 which should cover around 10h of my 12h shift. If my calculations are right it's a ~20Ah battery. But then it's not able to cover anything else and it will outlast the cooling I'll get from the ice. I currently have a 355W JASolar panel. I picked up a few of those a while back for home projects. I usually get over 300W from one. Texas has its advantages on sunshine for sure. Since I have the short bed, at just over 6ft the panel is a bit too big for the truck unless it was on a bed rail mount. I'd rather not limit my cargo with the bed rack plus it changes the aesthetics of the truck. The Anker 521 can charge via the DC-8 connector and it maxes out at 65w charging from that. However, the Anker unit can take another 60w from USB-C simultaneously. So I can look into a 12v to USB-C as well to use more output from any panel. I also have an older EverStart Maxx 35S 550CA lead acid car battery. So I plan to get that into the truck soon. But of course they're different chemistries so I will need to set them up completely separately. That's part of why I was leaning to the multiple panels. Here are the specs for my power station: Input: DC Input 11-28V⎓5.5A (65W Max); USB-C Input 5V⎓3A / 9V⎓3A / 15V⎓3A / 20V⎓3A (60W Max) Output: Car Charger Output 12V⎓10A; AC Output 110V~ 1.82A, 50Hz/60Hz, 200W; USB-A Output 5V⎓3.6A (2.4A Max Per Port); USB-C Output 5V⎓3A / 9V⎓3A / 15V⎓3A / 20V⎓3A (60W Max) The charge controller I have is a cheapo Walmart 10A CE CMP12 I used for a 5W trickle charger while experimenting. That JA panel is rated at 9.16A and short circuit is 9.69A. I confirmed the truck's two 110v outlets are shared at 400w - one in cabin and the other in bed. But it doesn't appear the power station can even get close using to a 20A charge rate. Am I missing something? As for the freezer that is the direction I was heading. If I can stay in sunshine, I should keep 300w available just using the panel I have now. I can then keep the icybreeze fed with frozen blocks. Which 12v freezer did you get? At 300w I should be able to power... - Power station @ 65w via DC and 60w USB-C - IcyBreeze @ 50w if needed that high - 12v freezer @ 60-100w - various chargers for flashlight, laptop etc still have at least 25w+ to spread among them That should keep me more than fully powered for a solid 5h of brightest sun every day when working 6a-6p without relying on batteries at all. The rest of the day becomes gravy by comparison, especially since the hottest part of the day is at the end, well after I have fully recharged. That won't work for night shifts, but the primary problem of heat is far reduced at that point.

That is a fantastic reply, and somehow I never got a notification about it. Digesting what you've got here.

Hey all Brand new to the board. Figured I would say hi while I do a bit of research here. I am looking for recommendations on a couple items for my daily driver which is a 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 crew cab short bed. I'm in central Texas and can make good use of solar panels for a variety of reasons. Cab Roof Rack I have not put a shell on the truck nor a bed rack, but thinking about a cab roof rack. I need to put some slim blue & reds on for work use toward the front, so my space is somewhat limited. I am out in the field a lot with my personal vehicle, and the purpose of the roof rack is primarily for solar panels but possibly light cargo too. Ideally I'd be able to add roof lights for off road. I'm looking for rack recommendations in particular. The roof mount would allow standard solar panel use but need some non DIY custom wiring to look good. Hood mount solar panel? I have seen very cool hood mounted magnetic panels from Cascadia 4x4 but I'm not in the PacNW nor is GMC/Chevy on their vehicle list. I'd love something that doesn't use up roof space nor add too much drag, but it doesn't appear there is an option from my quick research. Are there similar alternatives? Dashboard solar panel option A small panel being inside the windshield has its disadvantages, but also has the upside of security being the best it can be. Is charging the starter battery via the cigarette lighter socket a no go from a safety standpoint? I don't have perspective on how flimsy those connections might be. Truck box lid flexible panels The sunward facing square footage on my truck toolbox lid itself is currently wasted, but I can't have anything too big or heavy on it. I was thinking about two 100w flexible solar panels mounted with bolts through magnetic feet. Depending on an airflow test, I may even be able to drive freeway speeds with it mounted. I can put a power station inside the toolbox and have it be secure & charging while mobile. Easier than wiring to starter battery but I'd like that to be recharged too so I am looking at all my options. Interior The main reason I need power is mostly for cooling. I can't run my POV perpetually idling for mostly fuel but also wear reasons, but having a doggo in the back and not knowing how long we may be on site is what I am trying to solve. Right now I do 12h at a pop. Getting an A/C that runs on ice and elec is the plan. Maybe the icybreeze or something similar so I don't have a swamp inside the cab. Ice is a lot cheaper than gas and will keep dog doing great. Thanks, Greg