Some liftgate manufacturers say supplemental solar is an effective way to help maintain charged liftgate batteries. One potential option is offered by a company called Go Power!, a wholly owned subsidiary of Valterra Products.
The Go Power Dual Charging System (No. GP-DCS-300), a dual charging system for pallet jack and liftgate charging, consists of the following:
- Three roof-mounted solar panels that generate 300 watts of power
- Harnessing to get the power from the solar panels to the Auto Switching Unit
- The Auto Switching Unit itself
- Harnessing to send the power to the liftgate batteries and a pallet jack
The panels can be mounted to the roof of a vehicle or trailer using either an adhesive backing or mechanical fasteners. The panels come complete with an industrial-grade adhesive already applied. “The simple peel-and-stick installation requires only removing the paper backing from the solar panels and pressing the panels firmly to the roof of the vehicle or trailer,” says Sean O'Connor, business development manager at Go Power!
The system's solar harnessing is either run into the back of the vehicle through the roof, or down the back rails of the liftgate and connecting to the Auto Switching Unit. The Auto Switching Unit is typically installed on the curb-side of the vehicle or trailer and is commonly located close to the top corner of the sliding door track.
The system also includes a short harness with quick connectors that plugs into the pallet jack when it is in the vehicle or trailer. There is another longer harness that passes through the floor and connects to the batteries on the vehicle or trailer.
Even on overcast days, O’Connor says the Go Power Dual Charging System uses power from the sun to charge batteries. It charges the liftgate batteries consistently, and switches to charge the pallet jack when it is connected. The key component to the system, the Auto Switching Unit, automatically adapts the charging power from 12V nominal DC (used for liftgate battery charging) to 24V nominal DC (used to charge pallet jacks).
The Go Power Dual Charging System will charge liftgate and pallet jack batteries any time it is light out. “The system does not require neither the vehicle to be running nor a truck to be connected to a trailer with the alternator running to accomplish its charging task,” O’Connor says. “A trailer or vehicle can sit idly in the yard and have its pallet jack and auxiliary batteries remain fully charged without using any fossil fuel."
