Sliding Solar Panel Rack Systems

[Boxster1971]

A new product coming from Orion Design to add sliding solar panels to your van. Saw it on the Sprinter-Source Forum. Looks like a good way to get more solar on a crowded van roof.

https://oriondesigns.ca/our-products...-rack-systems/

[Boxster1971]

I messed up the link in above post. Try this one - it should work. . .

https://oriondesigns.ca/

[Rig Rat]

Great Idea, Thanks for sharing!

[wachuko]

I follow a couple on YouTube that made something similar...

https://youtu.be/3nKCH-whO2A

https://youtube.com/watch?v=3nKCH-wh...ature=youtu.be

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by wachuko

I follow a couple on YouTube that made something similar...

https://youtu.be/3nKCH-whO2A

Yes - I also follow Everlanders. But his sliders are DIY and he has said in the video comments that he has no intention of building and selling his sliders. Orion Design is the first company I've found that will be offering a kit to install sliding solar panels. It will still be a semi-DIY project on my next van. But I won't have to design and sources all the parts to make the sliders.

[Hein]

My prediction is that reliability will be the achilles heel of these systems. Thermal expansion, weathering, dirt/debris, twisting/racking, g-forces, lack of lubrication and component wear will be continual problems. I would do some accelerated product testing (500-1000 cycles in an environmental/dust chamber on a shaker table) before releasing this to unsuspecting customers. They are pretty renderings but I see some blatant design mistakes.

All the best,
Hein
DIYvan
541 490 5908

[InterBlog]

Can’t properly use the array while driving. That partially kills the idea for me. Maybe if it were 200 above and 200 below in the layer cake, it would be OK. But yeah - it’s not only moving parts, it’s moving parts with heavy wires attached. Moving parts that cannot be extended in high winds. Too many failure pathways for my taste.