Note from Matt, we tried but could not get room on the roof for these panels. But honestly, 600 watts has been plenty for us, given all of our methods of charging.
Curt & Snow Solar Layout
From Snow and Curt
1000 watts Tilting Solar -Van Build Tech Talk
When planning our van build, we knew we needed to maximize our solar power in order to be able to stay off the grid in our new van life. We needed enough power to run the appliances and such that would keep our van feeling like a home. It needed to run our Air Conditioner, Our Induction Cooktop, and our June Oven (plus all of the regular items like lights and refrigerator)… Traveling around the world for the next 10 years requires a little comfort.
So, Curt researched and planned the van build and he came up with a remote-controlled, adjustable, tilting solar system that gives us exactly what we need! Plus, it gives us extra storage on the roof… an area we like to call “The Attic”!
If you have any more questions after watching this video, feel free to leave us a comment and we will try to get you your answers or check out our van tour.
Disclaimer: Curt is not an expert in Solar Power or Electricity… he is just a guy that did tons of research and built our van. After 3 months in the van, the system is working great, so we thought we would share! We know that everyone has differing opinions on solar power in vans… this is just what works well for us!
Below you can find links to items we discussed in this van build video. If you click through these links and make a purchase, we will make a small commission. We will never recommend or suggest any item we do not truly believe in or use ourselves.
Victron SmartSolar MPPT 150/100 Solar Charge Controller:
80/20 1"x1" Extrusion 10 Series - used to build the frame:
Grape Solar 180 watt Solar Panels:
20’ Solar Extension Cables:
Solar Branch Connectors:
Amazon.com: Grape Solar GS-BCS-MC4 MC4 Branch Connector Set Male/Female : Patio, Lawn & Garden
Crimping Tool:
18" stroke linear actuator 12 volt:
EcoWorthy Wireless Motor Controller Linear Actuator Control Kit:
Attic Wind Deflector:
Amazon.com: ICON AeroShield Wind Deflector WD600, Black : Automotive
To see a lot of the items we use in our van daily or that we used when building our van, you can also visit our Amazon Store:
Please watch: “Ep 15 - OUR VANLIFE STORY”