Most people charging an EV with solar bolt panels to a garage roof and leave the truck parked. This build flips that around: CoDream and a cousin put a rolling solar array on the truck itself, so the vehicle carries its power station everywhere it goes. It is described as the first rack of this kind made for the F-150 Lightning, and the ambition shows.
The structure is a big multi-panel frame over the truck bed, made from stainless steel tubing. Neither maker had welded before, so they learned during the project, working with a welding machine and an angle grinder while wearing helmets, gloves and respirators. Moving the heavy frame involved skateboards, and getting it mounted took a come-along winch plus pulleys and ropes tied off to palm trees so the truck could back underneath. Seven panels at 330 watts each give more than 2,300 watts of output, wired into a Goal Zero Yeti Pro 4000 in the bed, which feeds a hardwire charger plugged into the truck's charging port.
Several details stand out. The legs telescope upward to create standing room below the rack, and the side panels fold up or down to track the sun better. Beyond charging, the rack doubles as shade, a hammock mount and a surfboard rack, and it runs a portable fridge.
It is not all upside, and the maker is upfront about that. The DC to AC to DC chain wastes 35% of the harvested power, and the drag from the rack costs another 15% of driving range. Realistic daily gain sits around 20 to 27 miles in good conditions. A Version 2 is planned with more efficient panels and better aerodynamics, aiming at 60 to 78 miles a day. Direct DC charging without the AC detour remains an unsolved question, and the maker has openly asked for improvement ideas.
Project by CoDream. Watch it on their YouTube channel: