About to drill through the roof to mount solar panels- tips?

[Sentinelist]

Just that. 🙂 I've got 200W of solar I'm planning on wiring up today.

[gpascazio]

Make sure when you drill through the roof that there are no wires underneath. I found out the hard way. My TC does not have a fridge vent so had to find an alternate location for the combiner box I found a spot above the plumbing chase to drill through except that I was unlucky enough to hit a pack of about a dozen wires. Knocked out my AC the speakers and cable lead. Wasted about 4 hours splicing the wires back together again. It has been over a year and there have been no leaks.

[LanceDuyen]

This is why I purchased uni-solar flexible solar panels that stick to the roof. I was able to position one 68 watt panel down each side for 136 watts total with no holes through the one piece aluminum roof on my Lance Squire Lite. No worry about leaks or flying solar panels going down the road.

[Sentinelist]

805gregg wrote:
You have a Lance get in touch with the factory and they can send you a roof framing plan so you can hit structural members

Good plan- I could use a wiring diagram as well. I've postponed my install until later this week anyhow- dang allergies.

Great ideas in here, folks- duly noted and many thanks!

[bka0721]

Golden_HVAC wrote:

Nice to see someone else that uses security bolts, like I do. With my remote boondocking and leaving my truck and camper for 10 to 12 hours, at times, I like creating more problems for people taking off with my things that are left out in the open. Solar panels are very popular and might prove tempting for some.

b

[Ski_Pro_3]

MontanaCamper wrote:


am looking into solar panels, I really don't want to void my warranty, this seems less voidable....but I guess anything you do is voidable...

thanks for the pics and link

You are welcome! It just seems to make sense; if there is a way to mount solar panels to a roof without punching holes in a membrane that the manufacturer took great pains to keep from punching holes in, then that would be the way to go. Mine have been installed for over a year now and do not seem to have any problems with the adhesive holding this down.

[805gregg]

You have a Lance get in touch with the factory and they can send you a roof framing plan so you can hit structural members

[Geewizard]

I mounted my 120W solar panel with Z-brackets and rivet nuts into the aluminum box tubing under the skin. The wiring went into a PVC LB fitting inserted into a hole drilled through the roof. There was no refrigerator vent on my TC since it's a pop-up.
Everything was liberally coated with Dicor afterwords and the LB fitting completely filled with Dicor.

I haven't had a leak since installed in 2005.

[MontanaCamper]

skipro3 wrote:
I used drill free mounts;

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008LMIHNQ/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They glue down using the same stuff you would patch a hole in the roof with.



Here is a photo of them on my camper;

am looking into solar panels, I really don't want to void my warranty, this seems less voidable....but I guess anything you do is voidable...

thanks for the pics and link

[Golden_HVAC]

Golden_HVAC wrote:
Here is a picture of my roof, after coating it with a roof coating.

It shows the solar panels tilted while I am applying the roof coating. To get the wiring from the roof to controller, I used a coat hanger and pulled in grey #10-2 wire (home Depot) to run the power through. I have about 12 amps going through each of the #10 wires to the controller, and then #8 wire to the battery.

Good luck with your project.

Golden_HVAC wrote:

rickthescot wrote:
Sounds like a great idea. I guess asking for pictures again is not going to persuade you though. We are visual creatures and I don't think 1000 words will accomplish what one image will. You can do it, just one pic.

More pictures that I took a few days ago to post pictures of my solar panels, and their mounts. Some pictures are really close up pictures of the solar panel mounts, and give a clear picture of howrough the surface is.

Golden_HVAC wrote:
Hi,

This is my front pair of panels. 120 watt mounted on a curved roof, 102" wide.



This is the mount it is held on with three rivets into the frame, and then the bottom half is 6" long aluminum, with nutsert in the upper piece, bolt you can not see from the outside edge pointing inward.









This picture shows the bigfoot panel mount sold by RvSolarElectric for $35 a set back in 1994. I wonder what they cost today?


This picture shows the panels tilted while I was working on the roof.

Fred.

[Golden_HVAC]

Hi,

I have installed solar panels both ways. Twice through the refrigerator vent, use a metal coat hanger to help pull the wire from the roof to the area behind the refrigerator, then to the closet where the first controller was mounted, and to the battery in the basement storage compartments.

The other was a Holiday Rambler, with a factory installed solar wiring harness consisiting of 15 feet of #8 wire starting at the battery box and ending 2' from the sidewall and 3 feet behind the antenna on the roof. So I measured this distance, expecting to find a buried electrical box or SOMETHING!. All I found was directions to drill a hole into the roof, reach in and pull out the wire! I drilled a 1" diameter hole into the roof, and was able to locate and draw out the wire through that hole. Then I used some rubber roof sealant and a watertight handy box (like to mount a outdoor receptacle on a house) with a blank cover. The wires are connected with a two screw connector to the back of the box, another connector to the wires coming from the solar panel. Wire nuts inside with black tape. Then I mounted a solar panel OVER the top of this box, so no rain will ever get on top of it.

My brackets are under the corners of the solar panel, made from 6" of 2" angle aluminum. I drilled 3 - 3/16" holes for #10 screws into the roof and a single 5/16" hole for a 1/4-20 bolt into the side of the solar panel. I also used a tamper resistant 1/4-20 bolt to hold it onto the bracket, so it is difficult to remove.

Fred.

[Ski_Pro_3]

I used drill free mounts;

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008LMIHNQ/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They glue down using the same stuff you would patch a hole in the roof with.



Here is a photo of them on my camper;

[2oldman]

Even if I had to drill completely through it wouldn't bother me at all. Just use the proper drilling technique for the material, and seal it up tight.

The only thing I get a bit uneasy about is drilling into wires or ducts.

[Sentinelist]

Thanks, if the run is too long or I have to pull the fridge, I may drill into a cabinet. It has an aluminum roof, no rack (yet).

I'm noting Dicor and that adhesive!

[bka0721]

Did your TC come with a rack on the roof? (Maggie Rack)

b

[cewillis]

What is your roof made of? Mine's aluminum framed, so I drilled into (not through) the aluminum bars. Sealed with Dicor.