10-18-2021, 05:27 AM
I spent the weekend reconfiguring the trailer for use in snow country. The trailer was obviously designed by someone who does not live in snow country. With the panels horizontal there is 1 foot wide gap in between the panels that would bury the diesel and the batteries. The panels could be rotated at an angle to the sides of the trailer to shed snow but that would open up the gap further. So the modification was to fabricate and install new support posts for one array and move them in from the edge of the trailer. I could have just welded onto the trailer frame but the electronics box mount would need to be messed with. By using bolted in parts, they could be removed in the future if someone wants to put it back in stock configuration. So the stock mounting rail gets lifted up (with the panels removed) and set on the new columns. The stock brackets for changing the array angle were left in place but the locking pin base was left at the old location as its welded on. With snow load they would not hold anyhow. So once rotated into place I installed 1/4" aluminum strip on the sides of the panels bridging the upper and lower array. It was still bulging in the middle when the picture was taken so I added aluminum angles behind all the panels. That stiffened things up considerably. If I needed to go on the road again I would have to remove the bridge pieces and rig up a lock to keep the upper rain from rotating but for my use, that may happen once in the future.

The angle is not optimal for winter in my area (close to 45 degrees latitude) but I end up raking my arrays anyhow. I moved the array once working on it to another location in the yard and made sure to leave enough room to run my snowblower to keep the snowpile up front manageable.

The diesel and batteries now sit under a the upper panels with some overhang, sure snow will drift in but a lot less than open to the air. The seam between the panels is about 1/4" and it drips down in front of the generator. I may install a temporary gutter or squirt some goop between the panels in that area to redirect any drips.

I had noted the improper use of THHN on the home runs in a prior post. I rewired the panels I had removed with PV USE2 wire, I also discovered that whoever wired it didnt understand polarized plugs. Normally a PV wire is extended with a male female extension cord, in this case they made up a two extensions, one male male and one female female.

I need to add in two new screw jacks to take the loads off the tires for the winter. I have already touched up the paint on the columns.


Source: https://www.solarpaneltalk.com/forum/off-grid-solar/off-grid-solar-panel-systems/428225-dc-solar-trailer-questions/page2