How I Added a Solar Panel to My New SUV! (Without Drilling into the Car) 

Thanks for watching! I just got back from a fantastic two-week trip to Colorado, and the videos from that trip will start next week. Stay tuned! -Tristan

Let me voice one concern about the routing of your cables. At the point where you bring the cables into the interior of your car, you have the cables sandwiched between the rubber molding and the metal of the body on which the molding normally sits. Each time you close the hatch, the cables will be pressed against that metal. At this point you may already have an indentation in the cable insulation. As time goes by, there is the potential for the insulation to be severed to the point where it will short out against the metal. My solution might be to drill and file the metal so that the wire insulation is not compressed between the molding and the metal. Just a thought.

Looking good. If I can make a suggestion. I would recommend a larger fender washer on the underside for maximum surface area so there is even less of a chance for rip out.

Good deal Tristan. Bit of advice if I may with using the Jackery 1000 with a solar panel in a car in the manner you’re using. Plug the solar panel into the Anderson input and reserve the 8mm input to receive power from a switched cigarette adapter. The way Jackery have wired the precedence of the inputs will allow you feed it from the alternator /starter battery when the engine is running and from solar at all other times automagically. That’s how I have mine (90W panel from Cascadia4x4) wired up. Pretty mind blowing, actually.

Actually you just need to turn the 4 brackets 90deg so that the narrower part of the bracket is along the slope of the box. If you want it’s also easier to bend the leg part of the bracket to match the slope of the box cover.

From an engineering perspective you really need to fit extra large flat washers either round or square with rounded corners on the inside of the panel mount's to distribute stress loads so the panel doesn't fly off and become a flying projectile.

When I installed my four Renogy panels on the roof of my fifth wheel, I used nothing but nye-lock stainless nuts. Haven't had any loosen up. If your not planning on installing any more than one panel, you could get away with a lot smaller wire size. Max output from a 100 watt panel is about 6.8 amps. Size 14 stranded wire would have worked great and takes up less room. Like always, you did a great job on your installation. Hope you don't get offended by my idea. Thanks for sharing.

Some low strength Loc Tite (242) on those threads for the wingnuts will keep them from backing off as you are driving down the road. Enjoy all your videos !

Thank you, Tristan! I have wanted to do this on my Expedition, but my son didn’t think that it would work. Now, we even have a “how to” video! ❤️

I did special electrical modifications for government armored Chevy suburbans . if you take off the plastic rear panel above brake light, there is an access point to the interior of the vehicle, giving you a clean factory look. we also used wire dressing and magnetic studs(amazon) to dress cabling along roof rack.

Thank you Tristan...I just bought a used Thule off Facebook marketplace and going back and forth on solar options. Still haven't decided 100% on either a portable powerstation or battery with inverter but have 100% decided to mount my panel on top of my cargo box after seeing this video. Thanks again...love your videos 😉

I will never be doing anything like this myself, but I enjoy watching you doing it none the less.

Thank you Tristan, I learn so much from you sharing your experiences.

I did a similar set-up with my Crosstrek. Bluetti/ICECO/Renogy100watt mounted on my expedition basket for an Arizona to Wisconsin and back camping roadtrip in September. Other than all the deer (omg) and mosquitos, my only issue for me was the dc cigarette car cord connecting the Bluetti and ICECO that was easily dislodged and had to be checked often. I will never travel or camp with ANY type of ice cooler ever again. I even made hot coffee with this system every morning. I do wish I had more headroom in the Crosstrek on those nights I didn't want to set up my tent. Love your videos!!!

I’m n Florida, always seal your holes!!! Water will find a way

thanks for your video. You are one of the first RU-vidrs that actually show the thought/mounting process for the install.

That’s exactly the set up I would chose. Already made up my mind on it over a yr ago. Renegy to Jackery.

Has your set up experienced any wet weather? Curious about water leakage through the back door. 😂 "Bolt" 😂. Thanks for another great tutorial.

Yukon looks awesome. Nice job on solar.

Thought about doing something similar but not attached solar panels to a Thule box. Looks good and now something else to consider for a future project. Cool! Thanks for the videos.

Well done, Tristan! Great tutorial video. I want to do the exact same thing on a Thule cargo box. That will leave one side of my roof top platform room for a canoe or fishing kayak. You made it easy to understand and provided information on the necessary parts to get the job done.

PERFECT. This helps me get a better idea for my solar configuration. Thank you for the update at the end of the video!

Thule has been out of a lot of their boxes for quite sometime now - so it's great that you were able to find a used one.

Good job! Jackery are VERY protective of their proprietry 8mm input and do not like MP4 adaptors being used, though of course it works. It just means you probably won't be getting free Jackery Solar Generators or gear as you did with Renogy who I also use for my 2 x 200W panels.

Now that I have redone my Sunurban build inside this is my next step. Thank you once again for a great video.

Tristan thank you for answering my questions about finding camp sites. In reference to the video about installing a solar panel, I think the wiring install could use some improvement. Time 10 minute 29 seconds on the video. May I make a suggestion or two. The routing under the weather stripping, across what may be scarp metal may not be wise. You may find that under the large piece of plastic that is above the tail light may be a hole that is meant the vent the body to the outside. Wires fed into such a hole would be accessible be pulling them under the inside body panel (yes the big plastic one). Routing them this way they could exit the panel inches from the Jackery. This way require cutting two holes in plastic. If correctly placed they will not be very noticeable, detracting from appearance and resale value of the vehicle. What if there is no hole under the plastic piece? A hole drilled in the body where the lift gate meets the body will lead to the same place. A large grommet would be required to protect the wiring as it went through the body. If I were there I would know more and even help you which the install. If you are ever in norther California near Yosemite let me know.

Using composite shims like when you're installing doors would level out those panels

Great tutorial! I need to do this project on my SUV. We're gonna see lot more solar panel on cargo box on SUVs on the road now on. 👍🚙👍

Coool... while I'm recovering from hip injuries, getting so much out of your trips..thank you! Geoff Marsh

Gracias por tu alluda nos sirbe. Mucho felizidades por tus ensenansas

That looked so easy lol. It will be nice to have the solar on the jackets all the time no worries for power. Can't wait to see what you got into im Colorado! Thanks for sharing your adventures!

Great Solar set-Up!❤️😀

Cool👍😊glad this set up for your solar panel & Jackery work well. Looking forward to seeing your continued travels👍😊

Thanks for this video. You did such a neat job and I appreciate you showing the details of how you did it.

What a fantastic idea! I have the same cargo carrier for my Subaru Outback, makes great use of space and function!

Thanks, Tristan. This is not something I will be doing but it is great to share ideas with those will. Take care.👍🎶🤗

I would have loved to hear how often the solar panel topped off your Jackery 1000 based on normal usage. and how it performed on various weather conditions.

You earned my subscription because this is so helpful how to shine bright in dark places well done

Anytime you add things to the roof you should measure the new height so you know when driving around.

A word of warning, I do not recommend running the thick wires through the rear door seal. It can cause exhause gases to leak into the cabin. Also, as others have noted, larger fender washers on the inside of the carrier.

Excellent! Now I know I can mount solar panel on my Outback. Thank you!

I'm so glad to see someone actually get solar straight to a power bank I couldn't find many videos of people doing that so I'm glad you did because I don't have the room for a battery and inverter and all those extra cables I just want to hook straight to my power bank

That's about what I did with the cables on my SUV. Gorilla tape is good for holding wires in place. In a couple of places I used sticky backed velcro if I thought I might need to move it out of the way in the future.

Thank you for sharing. Awesome 👍😊

Great idea. You have a natural tilt for the panel when the Thule is open. I too see future problems where the wiring is routed through the weather stripping. Maybe with a grinder you could cut a small piece out of the metal to allow the wiring to pass without chaffing?

As to routing the cable into the SUV, I've had a Goal Zero panel on top of my 2004 Grand Cherokee for about 3 years now. Just fed the cable in through the rear driver side door, which I don't use much, and let the door gasket deal with it. It's worked fine with no water leakage so far with no hole in the Jeep and minimal work to install. I did use two aluminum angle bars to make a frame on the roof that connects to the pre-existing roof channels, then I bolted the panel into that frame.

You are brave to drill holes into the cargo box. I’m afraid to do that because I really don’t want leakage or the stress of always wondering if leaking occurred.

Great setup. I wish I would've put a set up like that on my Subaru, "Adventure Wagon". I noticed you called your rig "The Adventure Mobile". I'd been calling my camper Modified Subaru Forester, "The Adventure Wagon", for quite a while.

Good job on your solar panel. Can't wait to see your trip to my state of BEAUTIFUL COLORADO.

.... lovin' the attentions given to detail ✨

Thanks for the great tips.nice build

I have exact cargo box. Love it

I think I would have gone ahead and just used an Anderson cable (with adapter) instead of those bulky MC4 cables. With one 100 watt panel, that should work fine. Also, I'm concerned about how you routed the cables behind the weatherstripping. Your wire is pushed up against that metal edge and is probably going to wear over time. At the very least, you need something to keep that wire off of the metal. But I'm sure other commenters would have better ideas for routing that wire.

Well done. Seems like an awesome setup. Enjoy!

Great execution. You have addressed my issue and provided a great solution. Thx. for sharing.

Keep a watch on where your cables enter the vehicle at the bottom of your lift gate. There could be chaffing where the cables rub against that metal edge . I would have ground out a section for the cables to go in further and added some more protection around the cables. Just an idea...

You could even place wood on Thule's bottom side and drill through it to make it more secure.

Nice solution. You might consider putting a small air damn around the leading exposed edge of the panel to prevent bugs and road debris from damaging the panel's underside.

Very thoughtful installation.

Pretty cool. Can't wait to see your adventures.

Your new starship is looking real good sir:)

Great job, Tristan. Can't wait to see the footage from this trip. 👍

Does the weight of the solar panel make it difficult to lift the cargo box lid?

This is a very nice way to do the solar panel. I like this idea a lot. Thanks for sharing.

Those brackets are guaranteed to punch holes in the ski box. You should start the Kluge Wiring Co mpany.

I think you were only seeing 50w because the battery was at 96%, I expect the internal solar controller was limiting the current. Would be good to see what you achieve in full sunlight with a half full battery 🙂 thanks for the vid 👍

Im a bit worried that the cables might chafe against the zip ties overtime due to road vibrations etc

Thanks B

New roof boxes should be designed for solar panel add-ones. Same applies for the pop-top.

Hack of the year! Love it! 👍😎🇨🇦🌞

Are you aware Yakima sells a cargo carrier with a solar panel attached. It is the CBX 16 Roof Box starting at $1200.00. Great video and ingenuity build.

Impressive. Not a simple thing to get right and not have leaks or hear minor rattling from the wires.

There is a major problem with how you routed the solar wires by the weather stripping. Basically the edge that it is secured against is going to act like a knife and cut through the jacket. That is bad news. Especially since vehicles use the chassis as ground. It would be much better to pinch it between the tail gate and the weather stripping.

I love how you think these things through!

Great videos. I've always enjoyed watching your travels. Please be careful with the seals on your vehicles. Carbon monoxide might become an issue 🤔. I'm not an expert, but just a thought 👍

Great explanation on installing the solar panel. Looking forward to your Colorado videos. We were in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area north of Glenwood Springs over Labor Day; we love that area.

NOTES TO SELF: 1) Turn the brackets (and possibly bend) so they lay flat on the Thule box. 2) Use 4 nylon lock washers inside. 3) Use 4 large fender washers inside the box.

Your very creative

Hiw r u finding about using that jackrey input to charge it? I find u hv to check that connection periodically, it can come loose. U can change the connection to an Anderson connect. 😉

Very nice setup with one exception. The wires entering the vehicle may short against the body and perhaps cause a fire. I would do that part differently to make it safer. Greetings from sunny Jamaica.

I'm a firm believer in Locktite. I was a trip when my spare gas tanks worked their way loose on my roof rack. Luckily none fell off.

T I do apologize for snorting at screw when it was a bolt, which you corrected on edit. Also to level, maybe keep some plastic shims on hand. They might have more give than metal washers. Neoprene washers great

Should you use longer bolts and add backing plates (wood or metal) inside in cargo box for an added measure of sturdy securing?

Like, as usual. :) Thank you, Sir!

The sturdy frame of the solar panel is more rigid than the plastic,with wind and shock, is there a risk of the bolt holes into the plastic cracking? Maybe a plate of some sort underneath to spread the load so it’s not pulling on the plastic edge? Great vid! Just wondering how it’s held up two years later-no cracks? Setup looks ideal! Thanks for making the vid!

What about using composite shims,(HD, Lowe's), cut to size, to stabilize connections on the curves ?

Nice video! Is it possible for you to review Xtar SP100 portable solar panel?

I would have never thought of using rubber washers to water tight my solar panel mounts. Such an easy and no mess solution. I don't know why the easiest solutions are always the most illusive to me. Perhaps I over think things? Thank you. Now a question if I may. Can you use the Jackery to run your refrigerator while it's charging or do you have to disconnect the refrigerator while you charge the Jackery?

Got a Jackery 300 for my two rigs and move it between the two. I just use my solar panels when camped otherwise I directly connected the Jackery to my battery to get charging voltage. Once home I always give the Jackery a good charge off the 110V ... never used a fridge or a cooler .. take up too much room. My rigs are a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport 2dr and a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek that I lifted and put on all terrain tires.

Did you experience more wind noise? Thank you for your inspiring video!

Hey, uh, would it not be easier to have the box on the ground when you mount the panel?

love it thanks

Hi I'm thinking of doing this I'm just worried about the lid and panel flying off at 75 !! Have you had any issues ? Thanks Great Video

Fun Idea ! im thinkin about doing the same thing ! ive got a question tough , why dont you use some sort of buffer for the mounts on the solarpanel to the cargo box ? id figure it would be more durable with somekind of larger rubber washer a couple of millimeters atleast just to make it snug and damped for the bumpy roads out there ? . Yes i hate when equipment break down on me . Regards Paul Roger Nilsson

I have a van the size of the NV200 and found that I can put a folding 100w solar panel out on the long sloping dashboard under the windscreen and leave it there permanently - an indoor solar panel that clearly doesn't need holes to wire into the battery.

Why didnt you use the air vent at the back of the car to put the cables threw.👍👍

If I do this, or should I say, when I do this, I will be using cable, routing clips and adhesive to guide around yet give it movement at the bottom, so it’s more flush to the surface of the cargo box

while i applaud the effort, the shells on cargobox's crack very very often. Wouldnt be surprised if it broke the box and flew off during highway speeds. The flexible panels glued/epoxy onto the top of the box is a much better setup without being compromised.

You should put a small metal plate on the inside of the roof box.👍👍

H depot has nylon spacers 1/4 to 5/15 “ THAT MAKE GREAT SPACERS .