Sport Hood Mounted Vehicle Specific Solar System™ - Jeep JL & Gladiator

[addicted_to_modding]

This is a great product ! My concern is the pockets where the hood tie downs are, in freezing weather these will be ice pockets . Are you considering having the solar pad solid, no cut outs, the tie downs could mount on/ through the pad ? Or having the cut outs fit snug to the tie downs, seal any slight gap with sealant ?Also the flat wire suggestion for the transition section..
No more drained batteries !

Thats a good point about the pockets freezing, I wonder if the possible water expansion could effect the panel negatively. I will be sure to cover the hood in snow just in case.

I wished it mount through the solar as well so that the sprayers wound not have an issue of needing to clear the panel. Only obstacle I see to this is needing to disconnect and reconnect the hoses.

@Cascadia4x4 if you do eventually opt for this be sure to create filler pieces for us guys who bought in early on!

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[Cascadia4x4]

This is a great product ! My concern is the pockets where the hood tie downs are, in freezing weather these will be ice pockets . Are you considering having the solar pad solid, no cut outs, the tie downs could mount on/ through the pad ? Or having the cut outs fit snug to the tie downs, seal any slight gap with sealant ?Also the flat wire suggestion for the transition section..
No more drained batteries !

Fair concern, however we have been testing these for the past couple years in Canadian winters and ice buildup has never been an issue on the JL panels! If anything were to freeze in there it would melt off with the heat of the engine. But like I said we've had many panels survive the winters with no issue.

 

[iboostgti335]

Does the solar panel come with 3M tape on the underside around the cutouts for the hood mounted windshield sprayers (im sure there is an actual name for them), or does the panel only stick to the hood of the Jeep around the edges? If not, I am curious if dust and very small debris will get in and build up underneath the panel over time. This is the only reason I can think of for the optional protective film that is offered as part of the kit.

 

[Cascadia4x4]

Does the solar panel come with 3M tape on the underside around the cutouts for the hood mounted windshield sprayers (im sure there is an actual name for them), or does the panel only stick to the hood of the Jeep around the edges? If not, I am curious if dust and very small debris will get in and build up underneath the panel over time. This is the only reason I can think of for the optional protective film that is offered as part of the kit.

Great question! The cutouts are surrounded by foam weather stripping to help keep debris out. There is also an additional piece of weather stripping lower down on the panel to prevent contact with the vehicle hood.

We do recommend adding the optional vehicle vinyl as an extra layer of protection for the vehicle paint.

 

[Hayseed_JLUR]

How is heat build up on the hood?
Do these insulate the hood and keep excess heat in the engine?
Does a hot hood reduce performance of the panel?

 

[JimLee]

How is heat build up on the hood?
Do these insulate the hood and keep excess heat in the engine?
Does a hot hood reduce performance of the panel?

Oh it gets hot, both the hood and the panel, but I haven't seen any detrimental effects in either my running temps or output of the panel. But the hood was already always hot here. Im getting a consistant 12.9 to 13.1 measured at the battery with the vehicle off and nothing turned on (and its been hazy with smoke here for weeks), but keep in mind that I have a dual battery system that when connected (always now with the panel charging all day long) has a small parasitic draw across the isolator relay, so that may throw my measurements off a little bit. Its been very hot here the last couple of weeks with highs well above 100f and up to 117f and I haven't seen any negative effects, im actually very happy with this product. Not scientific but some every day use feedback.

 

[Cascadia4x4]

Thanks for the feedback @JimLee ! Glad to hear everything is working well for you

How is heat build up on the hood?
Do these insulate the hood and keep excess heat in the engine?
Does a hot hood reduce performance of the panel?

@Hayseed_JLUR We have these systems in use in some of the hottest parts of the world (Australia, Middle East and AZ, NV etc) and there have been no reports of any negative effects caused by heat build up.

We have designed these systems to withstand the high heats that occur in the engine bay.

The panels will certainly get hot and by the nature of any solar panel the efficiency of solar cells drop as they get hotter. However, keep in mind that the biggest benefit of our solar systems is keeping the vehicle charged while the engine is off (and the alternator is no longer charging the battery).

 

[Hayseed_JLUR]

@Cascadia4x4 Thanks. I know they say that efficiency drops as heat rises and being no expert in solar, I was curious if it is really an issue with this set-up.

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