Seeking the sun

 I recently partnered up with a friend to purchase a travel/utility/toy hauler trailer for motorcycle vacations.

We invested in a 30 amp power system including a large group 31 marine battery and 2000 watt inverter and installed it ourselves.

Job done right?

But what about those times we might end up somewhere without power and have to live on the battery?

Solar of course! 

And this brings us to my blog post today.

A few years ago i owned a smaller personal camper with all of the same features as the new one, but not motorcycle friendly.

I did purchase a 100 watt solar panel and a 400 watt solar battery from Anker and used it on several trips including a motorcycle trip when i had a pull behind trailer.

So the plan was to always incorporate it into the new trailer, but figuring out the best way was a challenge. 

Since it's supposed to be for keeping the new trailer battery charged, how do i get the power into it and also charge the electric brake battery as well?

I found a very simple solution on YouTube using a 7 pin connector from a vehicle to a solar charger connected to the panel.

Problem solved.. Right? 

Sort of ....

What about the panel?

I'm not keen on the idea of mounting it to the roof, and just laying it on the ground or propping it up against the trailer didn't seem like a good idea either.. Especially given that it's a flexible panel and doesn't stand up very well.

My solution was to build a stand that could be folded flat and carried like a briefcase yet unfolded and angled to maximize it's position relative to the position of the sun..

So i turned to home Depot for the parts, several websites for ideas and my longtime friend Jim for his expertise in precision fabricating... And voila!

I present to you the Moon Solar panel travel stand! 

Made out of lightweight aluminum and stainless steel it's folds flat with a carrying handle for travel, yet opens up to a max 60 degrees inclination with 5 adjustable stops.

It uses a  hitch pin for tool free setup and uses the same pins when closed to secure the panel for travel.

Jim has been a tool and die fabricator for over 50 years and you can see by the detail the quality of his work..

We have built a lot of crazy things I've conjured up over the years, but admittedly this is our best work yet !