If you’re offgrid you know electric dehydration is impractical. Has anyone out there made their own solar dehydrator? If so, how about some specs and comments? I would like to have one but with a builder in the family the most discouraging part is scheduling! Anyone out there making some nice units for sale?

Hi Patricia, I was looking into this a week or so ago. My boyfriend can build about anything and I have been talking to him about making me one. So I’ll let you know if he starts building something- I’ll submit it to the site with a pic.

But I think that it’s an awesome idea for people to explore the idea and build one out of a cardboard box if possible. Ofek said to do it on the roof but where I live everyone has seriously steep roofs so that would be impossible- but it is a good idea. Here are a couple good links for anyone who’s interested.

http://www.planetsave.com/ps_mambo/The_News/Mot…

http://www.thefarm.org/charities/i4at/surv/sold…:

Aren’t you concerned about the temperature when sun-drying? I’m in northest NM right now, but I’m moving to Texas where it gets hot. I used to be a Phoenix area snowbird and had to leave in the summer because it got so hot. The temp out of the sun can be 120 degrees there sometimes, hotter in the sun. Do you leave things out only during the morning or what? I know you’re talking about a solar powered dehydrator, but sundried tomatoes have often concerned me. I don’t eat tomatoes anyway, so I guess it shouldn’t matter to me.

Hi I mentioned this to my boyfriend and he said when it gets to a certain temperature he could hook up a battery (solar would be best)powered fan that would kick on from a temperature gauge- or have a fan on all the time. That’s the thing that does seem complicated about it. It doesn’t get that hot here- but I’d need a fan because it’s pretty humid.