Motorized frame to lift panels

[RoamingKat]

I hear from people from time to time about someone who has installed electric motor to lift/tilt panels on the roof.    However, I have never met anyone who did this.   And, it turns out to be nearly a myth as no one I have ever met has ever met someone who did...only heard about it from a friend

So.... anyone have ever done this?   Please share pictures, parts lists, etc.    I want to try this.

As I have a fear of heights, I won’t ever be climbing up there.

[GotSmart]

All it takes is a linear actuator.  

And a lot of mathematics to place it in the right spot.

I had a system all finished except for the mounting of the lifts and the motor blew up. I believe the next owner finally finished it.

[RoamingKat]

How did you mount them? How did you ensure the motor housing was water proof?

I looked at a couple...seems that they do not rest with panels flat as they stand up quite a bit. The panels will rest flat at about 2” above the RV roof

[Scott7022]

The Everlanders. A Canadian couple built a ambostyle rig on a big 450. He posts to YouTube and is quite a techie. He designed a hydraulic system to slide panels out basically doubling his roof surface for panels.

Lots of videos by him on his build. I know it doesn’t answer your question directly but indirectly.

I think the issue, and why it’s a pink unicorn, is the complexity and potential for oh shittery. Lin actuators can be bought. They make them by certain lengths, power delivery (think HP not voltage), voltage, and IP rating. So getting the right ones are imperative. Further as they move up and down, in and out, there is an changing angle to deal with, as the base pin has to rotate as the ram gains height. I helped a friend instal two on the tailgate of his pickup truck and two more, smaller ones, on his canopy cap.
So he could park, push a button on his alarm and chirp the canopy would open and his tailgate would drop. Push the same button and it reverses the operation. Sounded simple enough. Five DPDT relays later and we had the timing correct, cap first, tailgate last on open and reversed for closed.

Now simply lifting a light weight panel isn’t nearly as difficult as a old ford tailgate. You could also simply wire the actuator, without a relay, push button it sees power and does its thing. Depending on the actuator type. Power; it goes all the way up and then all the way back. Built in reversing relay. Or non-reversing built in and two position switch. Up up and down is down. As you can see it can get complicated. Four panels just times it all by four. Yes you can gang them on a single circuit but the small differences in the actuators travel speed will have your panels looking like a set of British teeth. Then closing you have some hitting built in limiters. Again depending on the actual actuator purchased. We smoked two units designing the tailgate.

Now the oh shittery. Buddy parked too close to a pole. Damaged tailgate and one actuator mount ripped off the bed. Actuator survived. Circuit popped. Frozen tailgate in winter, smoked both actuators before the circuit blew. The force these things can make is pretty significant. If something was to block a panel, or the hinge froze, or Murphy loves you gives you a kiss. Something is going to break.

Personally I think people get the idea and think transformer rig and cool. Then start thinking yeah this would be cool until someone adds a dose of reality. Not saying it can’t be done. It totally can be accomplished with some significant engineering, and geometry. But at the end of the day we get to why? I get if you are frightened to climb up to adjust. Makes sense. Adding a 300watt folding unit to hang over your front window when parked with an Anderson plug to tie into the system would be cheaper. Probably more power gain too.

The Everlanders system adds almost twice the surface area to the roof, only a little more height, and provides an awning while parked. Simple hydraulic system using 80/20 aluminum with pressure units, they sell them on the website (search 80/20 aluminum) then some lightweight slides.

Hope this gets you thinking and helps a little.

For a resource search truck tailgate actuators and you’ll find a company in California, I think, that sells prewired kits for trucks. I am certain if you contacted them and told them what you wanted they could design and prewire, for plug and play, a system for you. They sell actuators primarily but have this side biz in addition.


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[rvpopeye]

I thought about this for a long time before I decided it was sooooo much cheaper AND easier,, to just get another panel to make up for any losses by not always being at the perfect angle to the orb.
Add in the need to move the rig as the orb arcs overhead to always be in optimum angle.....and the oops , I forgot to lower the panels before I drove under that branch moments....!

I suppose you could mount them on the side of the rig as I've seen some do , and use them as awnings .
But you still need to tilt them up and point the rig too....

[RoamingKat]

I have an aluminum frame on the side of my rig. It holds up to 6 100w panels, and provides some shade too. But, it is a pain to set up and take down each time I move. So, just thinking that most of the time if I could just get a decent angle to the sun I could avoid the hassle of setting up the awning.

From the sound of it...this could end up being an even bigger hassle, then add in the failure modes and it has pretty much put me off the idea.

Thank you everyone...great info.

[GotSmart]

It works just like an awning with a similar switch. If the frame, panels and hinges are already there it would not be that big of a problem.

[Scott7022]

If as Gotsmart suggests if you have a framed section already it might not be that hard. Weight to push and where you can anchor the weight for the push are the two main considerations. Without looking at and getting real weights it is near impossible to spitball this plan. The actuator mounts perhaps two inches square pushing how much weight up is pounds per square inch. Not really a forum DIY possible solution past things to consider and ask the person that says he can do. That many panels, plus frame...getting into old Chevy tailgate weight. Those were not cheap. Probably cheaper now but still. Foldable is less fuss and muss.


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[Blacktank]

in my thinking on the subject i hit the wall at a locking/unlocking system,if it's not securely locked it will rattle itself apart at highway speeds,strong winds a happening up there at 70mph

[tx2sturgis]

Why not just mount the panels on a normal frame with a hinge, and fab up an adjustable lifting pole.

You pull the frame locking pins, then you insert the pole in a hook or hole in the frame, and lift, then stab the pole base into a metal cup shaped receptacle on the ground (with a spike or heavy metal base) or in a frame mounted bar with a suitable receptacle.

Sure, it involves lifting so the weight needs to be kept reasonable. Or, break the lifting part of the array into two or three separate lifting units.

KISS simple, nothing to go wrong...no motor, no DC wiring for it, no nuttin. Just hook, lift, stabilize.

Pop open a beer....you're done!