Shabazan

Like many vanlifers, I found that the DIY path to a roof rack (and solar power) is far less expensive than purchasing a complete off the shelf system.

I was able to obtain 2 large solar panels from someone who sold their schoolie. Each is rated at XXX watts so I figured that even if only one will fit, I would be able to keep my battery charged enough to make a difference.

I purchased 8 roof clips from a vendor on ETSY. The quality is excellent and the delivery was super prompt. While is is possible to craft these clips, I highly recommend this purchase.

The rack is made with 1.5″ aluminum extrusion that I source from tnutz.com. The two side rails are split into two rails that are butt end joined with 2 4-hole connectors. While a single solid bar may be a bit stronger, the additional shipping cost of over size lengths is not worth the price.

I decided to start with one solar panel, as I can always add the second one at a later time. Because of this, I only needed two cross bars and two extrusions on either side of the panel.