Forum Discussion

Lovestotravel19's avatar
Apr 25, 2016

Solar on the roof of a 117dbl Okanagan?

Long time reader, first time posting. Before I get to my question, Thanks for all the great information that has helped me in the past!! I love this forum!!!

I jumped on the HD solar deal and now am ready to install. As you know Okanagan isn't around and I find locating info is very hard. I am wanting to know if I can mount the panel were ever I have room on the roof. From what I see in old brochures it looks like a panelized roof with a rubber skin glued to a foam core. I don't want to mount the panel and have it blow off the first time I go down the road due to not attaching to anything other than a foam core. That would be heart breaking!!

Any help would be much appreciated!!
  • Found that the foam core is sandwiched between plywood so that should hold screws / lags. Almost done if I can find where the prewires come thru the roof!!!!!
  • Thanks for the responses! I will attempt to start opening things up from the inside and try see what I have to work with.
  • Itchey, The solar deal was a one day sale from Home Depot brought to our attention on 4/08 by Boatycall. Wish I would have bought 2 as this was a great deal!!!
  • I had a Okanagan 96db , when I put solar on called them and they sent me a framing diagram , of coarse that was when they existed still.
    The guys that owned the co and his brother are both at Adverturer now and , I hear rumors of them starting Okanagan up again once in awhile
    You might call them and see if they have any info or drawings still.
    Failing that , or maybe before that , I`d pull out the ducted AC registers , or speakers and look up in the ceiling , I believe its a wood truss frame ,with 3/8 on top and 1/4 on the inside or something like that, push up on the interior ceiling and see if you can tell where the framing is, its carpeted right? so you cant use a stud finder
    Instead of using store bought Z brackets to mt the panels , use one foot long pieces of alum angle back to back to form a Z , that way you have more chance to cross a truss at a perpendicular angle , if you cant find the truss use a 1/32 drill bit under where the angle will lay to find the truss , lay dicor under the angle to cover the small holes and seal the whole thing down when you screw it down .
    The other good thing about back to back angle is you can bolt them together , and un bolt them leaving the half that's mounted to the roof , and remove the panel if you have to later
  • If 'rubber on foam core'- that likey wouldnt hold it, so at minimum leading edge needs to be anchored. Must be (I would think) some kind of structure? Holds AC etc?
    Details.. but I cant help. Did a brief google and seen at least one for sale that had solar.
  • Cannot help with the installation, but tell us about the solar panels, we are always interested in great deals!