Solar panels to fit ribbed roof

you can see what other people have here:



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SOLAR:


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the 160W rear junction box semi flexible version is popular



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you can see what other people have here:



*****************************************************

SOLAR:


*****************************************************

the 160W rear junction box semi flexible version is popular



.
But can it be used in my T6 kombi roof as it is not a flat roof
 
Yes. Mobile panels can be used as needed, then packed away.

Semi flexible panels can be stuck on the roof.

And rigid panels can be fixed with brackets.
 
It can be beneficial to have gaps under the panels to allow for cooling, so long as they are securely fixed where they do touch, and are not likely to come loose.IMG20201006154945.jpg
 

View attachment 106097
View attachment 106098
Flexible panel attached to aluminium angle and attached to roof rail runners. Connected to C-tek 250SE so tops up starter battery when leisure battery is full.
Do you leave it on permanent.and did the cross bars come with it
 
It stays on most of the time but can be removed if required. I just didn’t want to bond it to the roof, personal choice. All the materials were purchased separately, due to lockdowns etc all the bits came from ebay, cost around £45.
 
It stays on most of the time but can be removed if required. I just didn’t want to bond it to the roof, personal choice. All the materials were purchased separately, due to lockdowns etc all the bits came from ebay, cost around £45.
Would you have a link or what the items were .also did you have to drill a hole in the van for the cables from the panels (ie)the roof
 
I can sort out a list of parts, no problem. I can also provide some photos of the process. The cables run through the existing cable access that goes from the van to the tailgate.
 
Lensun 120w flexible solar panel to provide additional power mainly for fridge during days out, connected to C-tek 250 which also provides top up to starter battery when leisure battery is full. As I don’t intend fitting a pop top and didn’t want to bond a panel to the roof I decided to fit it to the roof rail runners. Because of Covid all the parts were ordered from various suppliers on eBay and cost approx £45. These are the quantities I used

4 x M5 x 12mm CSK S/S Allen bolt
4 x M6 x 19mm Black nylon washers
4 x M6 x 16mm Flanged button head Allen bolt
4 x M6 x 20mm (O/D) x 5mm (L) Black nylon stand-off washer
2 x 1.5m x 20mm x 10mm x 2mm Aluminium angle
1 x 3m x 19mm x 3mm Single sided foam tape
4 x M5 x 15mm Black nylon washers
4 x M5 x 20mm Black nylon washers
4 x M5 Black domed cover cap
4 x M5 Nyloc nuts
4 x M6 Thread for 4040 series Alu extension (T-nut)
1 x 3m x 12mm 3M VHB double sided acrylic foam mounting tape

The following is how I did I it to suit my requirements, you will need to take your own measurements to suit your needs for the aluminium cross rails fixing points

1. Cut the aluminium cross rails to a length to suit. In my case I drilled a 6mm hole approx 10mm from one end of each of the cross rails. I then loosely bolted each piece roughly in place on the van and using the white packing foam that came with the solar panel placed in the middle of the roof under the rails, carefully pressed down the unbolted end, marked it to length to suit the curve and roof rail position and cut to length
2. Drill a 6mm hole at the newly cut end approx 10mm from the end
3. Stick the 3M tape to the back of the solar panel
4. Centralise the panel on the aluminium cross rails and stick down
5. Drill a 5mm hole through the solar panel fixing point in each corner. Countersink the holes in order to fully recess the heads.
6. Once all the bolts are fitted, cover the bottom of the aluminium cross rails with the foam tape
7. Insert 2 of the t-nuts to each roof rail runner
8. Loosely fit the aluminium cross bars to one of the roof rail runners using the stand-off washers and 20mm washers. This gave me the spacing I needed as I intended to fit roof bars so needed to keep the rails as low as possible. Using a bigger spacer (maybe 10mm) would keep the aluminium away from the van roof at each end over the ribs
9. In order to get the curve over the roof of the van I used a piece of the white foam packing that came with the solar panel and placed it under the aluminium rails/solar panel in the centre of the van roof. Then carefully press down the unbolted ends of the aluminium cross rails and loosely bolt into the t-nuts. Once the bolts are in the foam should slide out.
10. Make sure everything is positioned and straight and tighten down the bolts into the t-nuts. On my van the foam tape is lightly compressed at each end over the outer ribs of the roof
11. The cables can be fed through the flexible rubber duct between the van and the tailgate. A hole will be required in the bottom to fish out the cables which can then run up the side of the hinge onto the roof. (If the solar panel is taken off for any reason the cables will hang down into the van over the door seal and the door will close onto them)
 
@MarkW-T6 , I have been planning something very similar. Just one question - does it create any noise or whistling at say 50mph? I think it would be low profile enough to avoid any noise but just wanted to check if you have noticed anything.
 
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