No worries
@Dellmassive how is your solar install coming along?
Its kinda stalled ATM @Ads_Essex,
all the gear is in, . . . . but rubbish weather, Busy working Van and no dry-garage to work in has delayed things a tad.
very soon hopefully, weather permitting.
im planning on having the rear-half of the van roof vinyl-wrapped/covered in clear so that the sikaflex stuff could possibly be removed if the panels failed or needed replacing or upgrading.
it looks like it may be easier to peel off the vinyl than to attempt to remove the sikaflex from bare paintwork.!
all the gear is in, . . . . but rubbish weather, Busy working Van and no dry-garage to work in has delayed things a tad.
very soon hopefully, weather permitting.
im planning on having the rear-half of the van roof vinyl-wrapped/covered in clear so that the sikaflex stuff could possibly be removed if the panels failed or needed replacing or upgrading.
it looks like it may be easier to peel off the vinyl than to attempt to remove the sikaflex from bare paintwork.!
Will the vinyl wrap definitely have enough adhesion to keep the panel in place, i.e. is there chance of the wrap plus panel all coming away together on the motorway?
Apparently so, something to do with surface area....
Though I would need to ensure that the front leading edge of the panel was sealed from wind and rain to stop any uplifting...... but leaving the rear edges unsealed for air circulation and water draining.
Though I would need to ensure that the front leading edge of the panel was sealed from wind and rain to stop any uplifting...... but leaving the rear edges unsealed for air circulation and water draining.
Sunstore recommends spots . . . . . .
150w Semi-Flexible 12v Solar Panel Kit For Pop Top VW. 2yr Warranty
PLEASE NOTE the panel in the The 150w Semi Flexible 12v Solar Panel Kit bonds directly to the roof surface. It is important to make sure that moisture and air beneath the panel can escape.
Sunstore recommends using “spots” of sealant rather than completely covering the underside of the panel. It is permissible to seal the leading edge of the panel to minimize lift and wind noise when driving.
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photonic universe
12V solar panels charging kits for caravans, motorhomes, boats, yachts, marine
an interesting read from PU with the install PDF:
http://www.photonicuniverse.com/upl...r-Panels-Handling-And-Installation-Manual.pdf
not to sure on the exact definition of:
"If the surface is uneven, it must be suitably prepared prior to installation, with all gaps being filled in For example, spaces between ridges on a vehicle roof must first be filled in before the solar panel is mounted."
ridge gaps filled with what exactly? . . . . . cream cheese? body filler? lump of wood? styro-foam? - im just gonna leave them open. the panel feels ridged enough i think.
my plan is to leave the ridge gaps open to the air . . . . . . or more than likley ill just run an additional bead of skilaflex down them lonways to give some additional support.
i think the main issue is when people fully-seal-all-round which causes air pockets and water ingress that can heat-up in extreme weather and bubble up the panel . . . . . . im hoping by leaving the lower ridges open, and at the rear that this will not be an issue. sealing all rounds seems to make sense . . . but there are loads of YT vids that shows water will 100% end up getting in there.
150w Semi-Flexible 12v Solar Panel Kit For Pop Top VW. 2yr Warranty
PLEASE NOTE the panel in the The 150w Semi Flexible 12v Solar Panel Kit bonds directly to the roof surface. It is important to make sure that moisture and air beneath the panel can escape.
Sunstore recommends using “spots” of sealant rather than completely covering the underside of the panel. It is permissible to seal the leading edge of the panel to minimize lift and wind noise when driving.
*****************************************************************************************
photonic universe
12V solar panels charging kits for caravans, motorhomes, boats, yachts, marine
an interesting read from PU with the install PDF:
http://www.photonicuniverse.com/upl...r-Panels-Handling-And-Installation-Manual.pdf
not to sure on the exact definition of:
"If the surface is uneven, it must be suitably prepared prior to installation, with all gaps being filled in For example, spaces between ridges on a vehicle roof must first be filled in before the solar panel is mounted."
ridge gaps filled with what exactly? . . . . . cream cheese? body filler? lump of wood? styro-foam? - im just gonna leave them open. the panel feels ridged enough i think.
my plan is to leave the ridge gaps open to the air . . . . . . or more than likley ill just run an additional bead of skilaflex down them lonways to give some additional support.
i think the main issue is when people fully-seal-all-round which causes air pockets and water ingress that can heat-up in extreme weather and bubble up the panel . . . . . . im hoping by leaving the lower ridges open, and at the rear that this will not be an issue. sealing all rounds seems to make sense . . . but there are loads of YT vids that shows water will 100% end up getting in there.
some other suppliers:
Lensun Solar Energy Store
giocosolutions
http://www.giocosolutions.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/manuale_installazione3_en-1.pdf
Lensun Solar Energy Store
giocosolutions
http://www.giocosolutions.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/manuale_installazione3_en-1.pdf
I just ran zig zag lines of sikaflex 521 in the ridge gaps. Didn't take it right to the sides in order to ensure no air was trapped anywhere. More than enough to support the panel. Along the leading edge, in the gap spaces, I used some Forch PU adhesive that was left over from my rear spoiler kit. Also used 7 metres of Sanojtape, which encompassed all edges, leaving small gaps on the rear edge to let air out.
That sounds great, any chance of some close up pics for us all to see? And a few overall shots.?
Afraid I didn't take photos of everything underneath the panel @Dellmassive. But here's a photo of it in place. Will take some more pics close up when I get the chance.
I drilled the hole in the roof for the junction box. Then taped around the edges of the panel, with the sides having two rows of tape. The inner raised ribs had tape applied across the way rather fore and aft. Panel location was marked with masking tape. 4 baked bean tins were used to hold the panel a few inches above the roof. This gave enough space to apply the sikaflex then removed the back paper from the Sanoj tape. When everything was ready to put in place, I removed the two rear tins. This allows adjustment when positioning the back of the panel, but keeps the front aloft so that the whole thing doesnt stick down. Once it's down, it's down. When I was happy the back was squarely lined up, took the front tins out. Viola, beans on toast.
I drilled the hole in the roof for the junction box. Then taped around the edges of the panel, with the sides having two rows of tape. The inner raised ribs had tape applied across the way rather fore and aft. Panel location was marked with masking tape. 4 baked bean tins were used to hold the panel a few inches above the roof. This gave enough space to apply the sikaflex then removed the back paper from the Sanoj tape. When everything was ready to put in place, I removed the two rear tins. This allows adjustment when positioning the back of the panel, but keeps the front aloft so that the whole thing doesnt stick down. Once it's down, it's down. When I was happy the back was squarely lined up, took the front tins out. Viola, beans on toast.
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Just a word on curing time for 521. Note from the graph that it's dependent on temperature and bead thickness, along with exposure to moisture. I was confident the Sanoj tape was more than adequate to hold the panel firm, while the Sikaflex cured. However as a precaution, I kept my speed to a maximum of 50 mph just for the following week after fitting.
Pic of leading edge of panel. The chrome strips are added as a sacrificial safety net. God forbid some sort of roof strike happens in a multi storey, then it's somewhere between £5 and £10 to replace the strip. Rather than £300 on a paint job or worse.
thats great, so the bulk of the panel is held down with Sanjo tape on the high ridges?
Sikaflex521 zigzags on the low ridges,?
and 521 on the leading edge, to stop water/air getting in?
what tape did you use? -- The retail tapes from the tape experts - Sanoj Tape
Sikaflex521 zigzags on the low ridges,?
and 521 on the leading edge, to stop water/air getting in?
what tape did you use? -- The retail tapes from the tape experts - Sanoj Tape
PE-foam tape - Sanoj Tape
It's available on Ebay.
Yip. That's pretty much what I did. There is obviously instructions in the box from the supplier (as in your above post). I just added a bit more to the PU adhesive. The reasons for the tape was it gives a neat edge. It also gives a 1mm air gap to reduce heat transfer to the carbon composite roof and gel coat. Plus it held everything down tight while the sikaflex set. I used the Forch PU adhesive at the leading and trailing edges.
So 3 separate fixing processes. 4 if you include the mechanical strength of the cable at the junction box, albeit, it's at the rear of the panel. Hopefully been belt and braces, short of drilling screw holes and using mechanical fixings. Or just paranoia.
Drove 500 miles of mainly motorway miles at the weekend and returned home with the panel still in the same place that I'd left it. Although granted, without any extreme in ambient temperature, or midday summer sun.
It's available on Ebay.
Yip. That's pretty much what I did. There is obviously instructions in the box from the supplier (as in your above post). I just added a bit more to the PU adhesive. The reasons for the tape was it gives a neat edge. It also gives a 1mm air gap to reduce heat transfer to the carbon composite roof and gel coat. Plus it held everything down tight while the sikaflex set. I used the Forch PU adhesive at the leading and trailing edges.
So 3 separate fixing processes. 4 if you include the mechanical strength of the cable at the junction box, albeit, it's at the rear of the panel. Hopefully been belt and braces, short of drilling screw holes and using mechanical fixings. Or just paranoia.
Drove 500 miles of mainly motorway miles at the weekend and returned home with the panel still in the same place that I'd left it. Although granted, without any extreme in ambient temperature, or midday summer sun.
Sweet, just grabbed some from Amazon . . . . . . . .
25mmx10mtrs & some blue 50mm masking tape
25mmx10mtrs & some blue 50mm masking tape
Removing an old stuck down panel.
.
.
Since this post has been the one source of help for my own panel fitting that I finally got to do today, I thought I'd share my work.
I kept some gaps front and back for water and air to circulate, and given the ridges on my roof, I'll have to go back to do a bit more work on the edges once the first glue is set.
You were right, the tape grabs HARD! And I almost F* it up at the first attempt. But I'm glad I did it that way, with the cable entry internal to the roof, so I don't have to try and feed anything through a grommet on the outside of the van.
Thanks a lot for the info @Dieseldonkey !!
I kept some gaps front and back for water and air to circulate, and given the ridges on my roof, I'll have to go back to do a bit more work on the edges once the first glue is set.
You were right, the tape grabs HARD! And I almost F* it up at the first attempt. But I'm glad I did it that way, with the cable entry internal to the roof, so I don't have to try and feed anything through a grommet on the outside of the van.
Thanks a lot for the info @Dieseldonkey !!
Thanks for the reassurance! If anything, it will have plenty of time to dry before I go anywhere fast!
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