Morning Dave did you support between the roof ribs or leave open for wind flow. I have a distance between my roof ribs of just under 400m and not sure if best to leave open or fill with a piece of polycarbonate sheet, bonded to the roof and then bond sonar panel to this. Thanks Scott
Just bought a Reimo Poptop - Solar panel?!
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I bonded it onto the high ribs and with a bead right round the outside. I left gaps at the rear to let the air circulate in the low ribs but filled in about 90percent of the low ribs at the front to stop the wind getting under but left like a 10mm gap in order to let water escape if the van was parked facing down a hill
Great thanks for the info.
I'm ready to fit a solar panel on my Reimo Easyfit roof and am really looking at the best, most efficient and reliable flexible panel (whatever brand and model that is) simply so the height of the vehicle hardly changes.I'm on my 3rd solar panel on my Reimo Easyfit. The first one was the factory fitted option by Reimo, this was an un-branded chinese POS that lasted 18 months. The second one was a Carbest supplied by Reimo as a warranty replacement for the original one. That lasted a couple of years, both of these were flexible & had been fitted either in the factory, or in accordance with manufacturer's spec. When they fitted the second one, I got them to stick a piece of vinyl wrap to the roof & stick the panel to the wrap, this was to make removal of the panel easier in the future should it fail, it did! Anyway, I'm now on my 3rd panel & have given up on flexible panels & fitted a rigid one from PV Logic. Happy so far & I think it looks smart even though I say so myself. The black strips down the side of the panel are the remains of the vinyl wrap that covered where the original factory fitted panel sat.
Mono High Density Solar Panels - PV Logic | Solar Technology
Our quality Mono High Density solar panels in our PV Logic range deliver premium performance for off-grid living; perfect for boats, caravans & motorhomes.www.solartechnology.co.uk
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fort me reliability is of huge importance although I guess solar panels are getting better year on year so a new one fitted by Reimo would probably be more reliable than you have experienced? How long have you had the current rigid panel on?
Can you advise the height of your panel together with the wattage part No etc
Thanks
Yes, for me the thought of a hole that size in my Reimo roof is scary, and what if the panel fails and one chose to go for a different panel with different fixings?
All the info is here. Panel still going strong, no issues yet.
Another failed solar panel
After a second flexi solar panel failure, I'm going for a rigid type in the hope that it's a last time fit & forget job. The first flexi to fail was a generic chinese one factory fitted to the poptop by Reimo, that lasted around 2 years. The second one, which has just failed was a Carbest...
Panel and poptop being fitted as we speak on mine - expensive panel, but one the conversion boys use on all there vans. 150W Flexi Solar Panel Kit - Black Rear Exit | PV Logic
Say what nowTime to build a Raspberry Pi with venus OS on so you can remotely monitor it
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Did you use Sikaflex to bond? If so, which one?
Yeh it was sikaflex and I'm sure it was 521
The installation looks great. Looking at their website can you advise if this (155W Rigid Mono High Density Solar Panel Roof & Deck Top Kit) is what you've installed and whether you bought anything different to the parts listed?I'm on my 3rd solar panel on my Reimo Easyfit. The first one was the factory fitted option by Reimo, this was an un-branded chinese POS that lasted 18 months. The second one was a Carbest supplied by Reimo as a warranty replacement for the original one. That lasted a couple of years, both of these were flexible & had been fitted either in the factory, or in accordance with manufacturer's spec. When they fitted the second one, I got them to stick a piece of vinyl wrap to the roof & stick the panel to the wrap, this was to make removal of the panel easier in the future should it fail, it did! Anyway, I'm now on my 3rd panel & have given up on flexible panels & fitted a rigid one from PV Logic. Happy so far & I think it looks smart even though I say so myself. The black strips down the side of the panel are the remains of the vinyl wrap that covered where the original factory fitted panel sat.
Mono High Density Solar Panels - PV Logic | Solar Technology
Our quality Mono High Density solar panels in our PV Logic range deliver premium performance for off-grid living; perfect for boats, caravans & motorhomes.
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It'd be great if you could also show a photo of how you've fitted the cable/gland?
Thanks
Yup that’s the one. No cable gland. There’s a hole in the poptop that goes through the lid, but is on the out of the canvas. The cable goes through the canvas in the rear offside corner. The original panel was a factory fit Reimo, so all the cabling was already in place. I can get a photo when I get home. I’m away at the moment.
That'll be great, especially as my roof is also a Reimo
The cable comes straight through the roof to the outside of the canvas. The bracket for the rigid solar panel covers the existing hole, so I drilled a hole in the bracket to match the existing hole. I just Sika’d the cable as it passed through the bracket/roof. The cable is stuck to the underside of the roof & enters through the roof flange in the offside rear corner.That'll be great, especially as my roof is also a Reimo
Rear entry semi flexible panels, they fit fine on the REIMO roofs.
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