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Post Info TOPIC: Glued on solar panels


Senior Member

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Glued on solar panels


Hi all. I like many others don?t like putting holes in caravan roofs so I sikaflexed it on. A few people have spoken about seeing panels flying off. I came up with this solution. I have just done an over 10,000k trip with no movement. I am not saying that the sikaflex would not have held I look at it as insurance. There are two brackets with no holes through the top of the roof and about 1ml gap under. Cheers. ColB318C9C8-C4C6-4EDD-BC59-17379CD85547.jpeg



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Senior Member

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Sorry about the dirty roof. I did wash it after. The tape is Eternabond. No leaks after installing it four years ago. Cheers. Col

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Guru

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Great idea, anything as a secondary line of defence.

Personally I would have run the bracket to the top so it is pulling down to a slightly greater degree, & use some Allen bolts with Nyloc nuts through the frame instead of self tappers. Maybe a backing strip behind the frame to spread load along the frame to some degree.

There are a few places that sell clear anodised aluminium sections.

https://www.aluminiumwarehouse.com.au/index.php?route=product/product&path=1001_103&product_id=1030

For stainless bar, screws & bolts 304 & 316 & only one 1 bolt if that's all you need: http://brookvalestainless.com.au

 

Bracket-mod.jpg



-- Edited by Whenarewethere on Sunday 13th of October 2019 04:19:24 PM

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Guru

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What a great idea.



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Guru

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Great job Col.

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Guru

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On fibreglass or metal roofs, proper application of appropriate Sikaflex to bought expensive mountings or cheap homemade lengths of aluminium angle is all that is required to keep panels in place under the most severe conditions. For rubber applied over typical junk lauan ply as used in most American RVs, the same mountings/brackets with adhesive AND some coarse threaded screws seems to do the job - so far anyway. Most panel configurations wouldn't allow those extra straps to be fitted anyway.

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Senior Member

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Sorry mate I think my way is better as the final lip goes over the panel and stops any likely up and down movement. Col



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