Advice About Solar Panels And Fixing
- Thread starter Skyliner33
- Start date
Can I just ask for clarification, what did you put in the roof bar channels to screw your brackets to?
Excellent, thanks for posting the pic's. That was just what I was planning on doing so can now see how it would look. Still not sure if mobile panel would be better though? With a pop top I could be limited by the direction of sun and campsite pitch orientation??
From memory i used some 5mm thick stainless plate with two threaded holes which slides snugly into the rubber channel.
I also attached the outer ends of the panel into the cross bars using riv nuts
Thanks again, 1 last question, where did you feed the wire in?
Mine is a barn door van so i used the tailgate wiring harness hole which is blanked off on the barndoor equipped van.
If you have a barndoor van, look at the top of the left door jamb and you will see some rubber plugs, i route mine through one of those using a rubber boot from a tailgate model
If you have a barndoor van, look at the top of the left door jamb and you will see some rubber plugs, i route mine through one of those using a rubber boot from a tailgate model
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Thanks again, mine is a tailgate.
Info from my installation here Recommend Which Semi Flexible Solar Panel
I've just been out looking at my roof rails. Either they have changed the design or mine are not OEM. They look very similar to yours except mine are symmetrical. Either bar will fit in the connection pieces either ay round. And they are not flat like the panel, they have an obvious curve that follows the roof.
I think we may be getting crossed wires.
Your bars certainly look asymmetrical in this pic (more bar infront of the channel than behind), mine are perfectly symmetrical:
Also your bars look flat, my bars are curved like the red line.
They are curved as you suggest by your redline.
Not sure the previous pics showed that well.
I wanted to bolt through the panel into the cross bar in 4 places but that curve prevented me doing that, this is the reason the ends of the panel are bolted into the side of the cross bars and i have used z brackets in the middle.
I have also ensured i have power lead connectors nr the panel so it can be removed easily
Not sure the previous pics showed that well.
I wanted to bolt through the panel into the cross bar in 4 places but that curve prevented me doing that, this is the reason the ends of the panel are bolted into the side of the cross bars and i have used z brackets in the middle.
I have also ensured i have power lead connectors nr the panel so it can be removed easily
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I have a 140W panel on my pop top, I’ve never noticed any issue caused be orientation to the sun. Obviously there is a difference but not enough to worry about.
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