[txcncman]

txcncman, please don't post if you are just going to be obnoxious.

Ok. I won't tell about the 4 different ways to accomplish this task then. Good luck.

[Mike4703]

I edited the original post below and included a drawing. Notice the lines the indicate the dimensions of a threaded rod sticking up and a scissors mechanism underneath. The rod would be over 60 inches! Is there some other way of placing it? That's too much unsupported rod sticking up. I'm back to a scissors mechanism. I may be able to get it down to a 4:1 disadvantage at the start and if needed put on some gas struts as helpers at the start of the lift. I guess an airbag would work as you could distribute the forces over a large area but I'd have to make a custom sized airbag and it wouldn't look so good up there.

[TomB]

I'd mount the panel frame to a pivot rod and have a 6" long bar sticking down and out front when the panel was down. With a small electric motor connected to the back support and piece of allthread extending to a swiveling nut on the extension bar I would be done. .....

Tom

I'm obviously not explaining myself clearly. (I wish I knew how to add a sketch to this note.) I was not suggesting anything that stood up like the current support post. I was imagining hooking the motor to the frame about where the current post connects but then laying the motor and allthread over so it was about parallel to the roof of the trailer and under the panel where it would remain. At the end where the panel pivots I would put two L shaped brackets, pivoted at the corner of the L. The long legs would hold each side of the panel and the short legs would stick down toward the trailer roof. Put a bar between the ends of the two short legs of the L and use the allthread to pull or release that bar.

I said the short leg of the L should point 20 degrees forward because the panel wants to point upward at about a 45 degree angle. If the L was made with a 130 degree rather than a 90 degree angle that would be the case. The downward facing leg of the L would swing from about 20 degrees behind vertical to about 25 degrees forward of vertical as the panel was rotated up 45 degrees. As the allthread pulled the panel up the end connected to the cross bar would follow a circular path so it would rock down from horizontal by about 5 degrees but it would never stick up.

Tom

[coolhand03]

i think i have an idea that hasnt been mentioned. in the picture in your first post it shows the solar panel with the single support rod holding it up. why not make another support rod with a hinge in the center? you could mount the linear actuator right near the hinge to pull it up and set it back down. mount the hinged support rod so it does not completly "close", when the panel is laid flat. that is, leave the hinge X degrees apart so the linear actuator doesnt bind up. i believe this design would reduce the amount of force needed to raise it as well, but i leave the load calculations to the experts.

[Mike4703]

Coolhand-Yes that is exactly what I initially designed and it has the initial lift problem. If the space between the folded flat panel and the roof were greater then the hinged arm (half of a scissors jack) could be left more open and everything would be easy
TomB-I wish I could picture your design a little better. It sounds like you are building an actuator which actually is a screw inside and usually mounted with rod ends to handle the angle changes as it moves instead of the hinged L brackets you suggest. But I'm still not sure I have your proposal right. After clicking post reply look down and there should be a more options window with an attachments option available. If not you may have to choose go advanced. If you step thru the attachments option a window opens and shows the upload menu and displays a list of acceptable file types. Make a drawing and upload it even if its just a paint document.

What I am going to have to do is make a lift with no play, no friction, and a lot of rigidity and enough strength to handle the initial lift. Which means careful design, machining, and more expense. I appreciate the suggestions but I don't think there is any way around this. I am leaning towards attaching the lift about 2/3 of the way out from the hinge which enough room for the actuator stroke without things sticking out and decreases the moment force (lift around the hinge axis) some. I'll have to find the right actuator(more money) or build it out of screw rod(more work). If I get something built anytime soon I'll post a picture of it here. Stay tuned and thanks.