adhesive for solar panel to rubber roof

[Terrick_down_Un]

G'day everyone. I have a 2002 Summerwind 911S. I have just bought a 250w solar panel and the white mounting blocks to hold it to the rubber roof.
My questions are....
What would you recommend that I use as an adhesive to bond the white plastic mounting blocks to the rubber roof?
Would you still use screws as well as the adhesive?
What would you clean the roof with before hand?
Thanks in advance.

[Bumpyroad]

If you have ever seen a rubber roof RV going down the highway with one of those "bubbles" pulled up by vacuum, you would change your mind about only gluing them down.
bumy

[DWeikert]

thedavidzoo wrote:
Check out AMSolar's video on sticking panels to a roof with VHB tape:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXiNLCWPPkA

Note the caveat starting around 30 seconds in. "If you have a fiberglass or metal roof..."

[tmartin000]

work2much wrote:
I screwed mine in with ample dicor covering the screw heads but I believe that if you used a combo of adhesive and covered them with a good swath of eternabond tape over the feet and down to a clean roof that they would stay in place. Any one that has tried to remove eternabond tape knows that stuff is tenacious to say the least.

I think the staying down is the easy part. The problem is the occasional truck passing by at 55-70MPH and the wind. That wind may cause a lift and tear the rubber membrane as it (the membrane) is simply NOT adhered to the roof!

Honestly, why would anyone not just screw it won and use dicor to make it permanent AND SAFE FOREVER?

Doing some goofy other attachment is a recipe for disaster.

We pay so much money for our trailers, to have a leak and render them near worthless is just kinda dumb.

[DWeikert]

work2much wrote:
...I believe that if you used a combo of adhesive and covered them with a good swath of eternabond tape over the feet and down to a clean roof that they would stay in place. Any one that has tried to remove eternabond tape knows that stuff is tenacious to say the least.

That would firmly attach the panel to the roof, but do you know how firmly the rubber roof is attached to the structure underneath? A lot easier to seal a few screw heads firmly attaching the feet than replace a rubber roof that the panels peeled off the camper at 70 mph.

I ran screws through the feet firmly attaching the panel to the roof. Some eternabond tape under the feet and screw head with Dicor liberally applied above. I have doubts the typical rubber roof installation is meant to survive the lifting force the panel could apply to the roof.

[work2much]

I screwed mine in with ample dicor covering the screw heads but I believe that if you used a combo of adhesive and covered them with a good swath of eternabond tape over the feet and down to a clean roof that they would stay in place. Any one that has tried to remove eternabond tape knows that stuff is tenacious to say the least.

[Colo_Native]

screws and lots of Dicor and metal brackets here is what I made

[jmckelvy]

SCVJeff wrote:
The AM Solar mounts are VHB and they are meant to attach to a SOLID roof, not rubber. It matters just as much what adhesive was used on the rubber membrane itself. If you don't screw those mounts into the roof you'll find the panels and likely a large piece of roof itself on the side of the road

Agree ^^. Screw them down and seal real good.

[SCVJeff]

The AM Solar mounts are VHB and they are meant to attach to a SOLID roof, not rubber. It matters just as much what adhesive was used on the rubber membrane itself. If you don't screw those mounts into the roof you'll find the panels and likely a large piece of roof itself on the side of the road

[thedavidzoo]

Check out AMSolar's video on sticking panels to a roof with VHB tape:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXiNLCWPPkA

[Bumpyroad]

if you are going to glue down solar panels, I hope they are cheap.
bumpy