The renogy installation manual calls for a 3 8 well nut expansion nut to be used for mounting the panels which can be purchased directly from the home depot.
Mounting flexible solar panels to van roof.
We found it easier to work with if we install the glands at approximately 12 inches from the panels.
Dry fit the solar panels on the van roof.
There are various ways disguise this with roof racks and flush mounted flexible panels.
What we used to mount our solar panels.
Cutting holes in the roof of your vehicle is one of the most emotionally freaky things to do.
But if you do it right it s not a problem.
Attach brackets to the solar panels.
Flexible solar panels generally a 3 5mm bank of solar cells on some form of flexible backing material are only partially flexible.
Clean roof and apply loctite pl adhesive.
I drilled through it made aluminum brackets for the panels and bolted them to the rack.
Using flexible solar panels on a stealth camper van.
7 remove solar panels and drill holes for the.
I have not seen a diy for flexible panels though only for glass ones.
6 pre fit solar panels on the roof to define location of cable glands.
They can be carefully fitted with the right adhesives around very gentle curves.
Mark the location of the solar panel to avoid having the measure again afterward.
Mark and drill holes in the van roof.
If you re looking to diy install your rv solar system you ll need to know how to mount solar panels to your rv roof.
We drilled 3 8 holes through the van metal roof for the expansion nuts.
You have to get the wires into the van somehow so you ll need at least the holes for that.
That also means you ll use a 3 8 drill bit but again you re drilling holes in your roof.
Make sure the drill bit really is the right size for the expansion well nut.
Bolt solar panels to roof and plywood strips.
Hey i m wondering how many panels would you have fit if you had put them one perpendicular to the van and the other parallel.
That way i can make longer but narrower panels.
One thing might do is a diy custom panel.
We ll assume you are mounting on a caravan although similar thoughts apply for mounting on boats boxes campers etc.
This extension cable is not very flexible.
Mounting solar panels to the roof of a van most solar panels are designed to sit on the roof of a house not to be driving down the road at 70 miles per hour.
Cut plywood reinforcement strips and drill holes.
Attaching solar panels to van roof to determine where our bracket holes would be we brought the panels up to the roof with the brackets already attached and laid out the panels and marked the holes in the brackets.
The panels themselves can take much higher wind speeds but it s all in how you mount them to the roof.