Solar Panel Dolly

The day has finally come where we are able to add permanent solar power to our off-grid camp in the mountains. I am excited to not be lugging the portable solar generators around every time we need lights or water pump in the cabin. This new system should provide plenty of power for us to power our lights and run other small devices. It will even run our microwave!

While the system is permanently fixed inside the cabin, the solar panels still need to be mobile. One issue with building a cabin in the woods is the woods create a lot of shade. Our small opening in the canopy is enough to give us direct sunlight for about 8 hours but to maximize that, we have to move the panels around from facing east in the morning to facing west in the evening. The later the evening gets, the more the panels need to be moved out of the shade.

Since we have 4 100 watt panels that are almost 2×4 feet each, the solar rack needed to be big enough to handle those panel dimensions but light enough to still be able to move. It also had to be adjustable so we could alter the angle of the panels for a winter setup and a summer setup (and options in between).

Dad and I worked to come up with a design using dimensional lumber and a set of leftover dolly wheels that he had in his garage. We drew out our plans first, but when it came time to build we made a few modifications. Professionals call that Design-build, we call it fly by the seat of our pants.

After building the dolly and testing it, I decided to come back to my drawing and modify it. I also included instructions that improve the design above what we built. I also included details on how to make your wheel axles since most people don’t have all the cool stuff lying around like we do (this is supplies Kelly refers to as junk).

You can watch the entire build process on our Youtube channel in one video by clicking here.

I also want to share the plans with anyone who might find them helpful. While they are not details blueprints with every measurement identified, they are, I think, appropriate for building your own panel dolly dependent on the size of your panel array. To download the plans, simply drop in your name and email, click submit, and the file link will appear. Don’t worry, I won’t sell your email or give it to anyone else. We will only use it to send you news about Red Tool House from time to time. You can unsubscribe any time you like.