Solar dehydrator with rmh boost build near river(!??)

Hello team,

On a scale from one to 10, how many face poles would you rate the idea of building a solar dehydrator within 500 feet of a river?  And follow up to that, how far away before it would be effective?  There's lichen growing on just about every tree around here, and last year we got mowed on the furniture on the first floor of the house, (though the basement was actually fine with the windows open).

I'm starting to think I need to just build it at someone else's house who's willing to host it, bring my food over there when I'm gonna dehydrate it, and then bring it back.

I'd like to figure out where this foundation is going to sit first before I start building a big thing that's hard to lug around.  

I'm about 50 feet above a floodplain, but that doesn't seem to change the fact that it's really really humid.


Thanks for any input.

I think you could have a working solar dehydrator anywhere there is enough sun, though it would take longer in a humid location. You would probably need to store your dehydrated food in sealed containers.

Thanks Glenn.  I will see if anyone in a humid climate has written anything about this.

I don't find raisins or dried apricots going bad here, and it was just one really wet summer that gave us the 1st floor mold, maybe we can just store things up in the barn hayloft.

Hello team,
I should maybe move this post to the dehydrator plans, but I'm framing it now and have a big question.  I'm using the "solar dehydrator with rocket assist" plan drawn by the Bernal Brothers.   It says the "roof" part of the frame is 85", but that would make the glass side be pretty much vertical.  In laying it out with a 60 degree angle for the glass front, it looks closer to 40".  Is the 85 supposed to be overhang for the roof so you can store wood there? you put your wood in there, man?  

Also, I messed up buying wood and didn't get 2x4 for the top but I have a piece of 2x3, would that be sufficient?  I can probably use 2x4 if it's only gotta be 40" but if it is indeed supposed to overhang a lot then that means another trip to the store.  Also, I think the drawing could be clarified.

One last thing, it seems that the dimensions are including the width of the wood, but it's not clear to a newby if that's the case.  121 1/2" for the front--is that a 10' piece of wood plus the 1 1/2" of the 2x?  is that piece of 2x supposed to be horizontal rather than vertical?  These are the things a novice carpenter wonders.  Thanks, team!

woopd double post

For reference, the plans I'm following are here:

https://permies.com/wiki/193722/Plans-Solar-Food-Dehydrator-Rocket#2830739