22MLE Solar Panels

[zygmunt]

Hello,

I am in the process of getting solar panels for my 22MLE. I notice that roof is made or covered with TPO Roof Covering. If I purchase the flex panels, would the 3m adhesive stick to it? Or, should I think about getting a non-flex panel? If I get a non-flex panel, then what type of mount system should I get? And what would be the best type of screws to use on the mounting brackets? It looks like the roof is made of wood. If I am lucky to find a support beam, then that would be great.

Thanks!

Zigman Z.

[MoonShadow_1911]

Hello,

I am in the process of getting solar panels for my 22MLE. I notice that roof is made or covered with TPO Roof Covering. If I purchase the flex panels, would the 3m adhesive stick to it? Or, should I think about getting a non-flex panel? If I get a non-flex panel, then what type of mount system should I get? And what would be the best type of screws to use on the mounting brackets? It looks like the roof is made of wood. If I am lucky to find a support beam, then that would be great.

Thanks!

Zigman Z.

First, don't get the flexible panels! They will fail within 1-2 years, if not sooner. You will want the traditional, aluminum framed ridged panels.

If you can find the joists, that is the best bet to screw them into. Otherwise, I've used toggle bolts to bolt them down to the roof. Just make sure you put down caulk before you place the bracket, and after you have secured it.

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[zygmunt]

Hello Mark & Mary

Do you know what size toggle bolts would be the best to use? How thick is wood on top of the roof? I might be able to find a joist and screw one side down. From a video of replacing the roof on the Grand Design, if the front is North, then it seem that the joist runs east to west.

Thanks for the update and quick response. I plan to stay away for the flexible type of mount. Thanks again!

Zigman

[SolarPoweredRV]

Hello,

I am in the process of getting solar panels for my 22MLE. I notice that roof is made or covered with TPO Roof Covering. If I purchase the flex panels, would the 3m adhesive stick to it? Or, should I think about getting a non-flex panel? If I get a non-flex panel, then what type of mount system should I get? And what would be the best type of screws to use on the mounting brackets? It looks like the roof is made of wood. If I am lucky to find a support beam, then that would be great.

Thanks!

Zigman Z.

We installed Residential Solar Panels, they are lower cost and more efficient than the Renogy, Zamp or other panels you find on sites like Amazon.

The best way to find that you are getting a good deal is to price your panels on a $ per Watt basis. The last time I checked I could get ~ 325 Watt panels for $0.54 cents per watt (now that's a good deal).

I would also recommend you stay away from the flexible panels, for two reasons; one, they attach directly to your roof and the heat gets transferred directly into your camper, two, ironically, Solar panels perform better if they are cooler. With the flexible panels there is no way to vent the heat generated by the Sun. Residential panels mitigate both of these issues by shading your roof and by allowing air to flow across the backing which cools the panels for better energy production.

As far as mounting them, I used the Renogy "Z" brackets which come with screws that have a washer on top to minimize water intrusion. I used 6 "Z" brackets per panel and two layers of butyl tape under the brackets before I screwed them down. I also placed a 6" strip of Eternabond tape under each "Z" bracket before I screwed the brackets to the roof. After all that, I used the Alpha Systems self leveling caulk over each screw, around each bracket and around each piece of Eternabond tape.

To manage my wires, I simply used EternaBond tape to attach the wires directly to the roof.

I have traveled 75 MPH on the Texas highways and traveled 65 MPH on a very windy New Mexico highway and have not had any issues with the panels not staying where they are supposed to.

PS: with 6 brackets and 12 screws per panel, I did not worry about trying to find a support beam.

PPS: your roof is probably not TPO, but, a product from Alpha Systems that requires the Alpha Systems self-leveling caulk and not the more popular Dicor brand (check your roof warranty for specifics).

[MoonShadow_1911]

Hello Mark & Mary

Do you know what size toggle bolts would be the best to use? How thick is wood on top of the roof? I might be able to find a joist and screw one side down. From a video of replacing the roof on the Grand Design, if the front is North, then it seem that the joist runs east to west.

Thanks for the update and quick response. I plan to stay away for the flexible type of mount. Thanks again!

Zigman

I THINK the roof is 3/4" plywood... It might be 5/8. Just be cognizant of where the AC duct is run if you use the toggle bolts. When I do mine (saving up for it now), I'll use stainless steel screw and probably C-channel running the length of the trailer, or panel installation, since I have a curved roof. I have to do some cardboard cutouts and lay it out so I know where I want them.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

[SolarPoweredRV]

I THINK the roof is 3/4" plywood... It might be 5/8. Just be cognizant of where the AC duct is run if you use the toggle bolts. When I do mine (saving up for it now), I'll use stainless steel screw and probably C-channel running the length of the trailer, or panel installation, since I have a curved roof. I have to do some cardboard cutouts and lay it out so I know where I want them.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

I would strongly recommend using the Renogy "Z" brackets for mounting (6 per panel for Residential panels). You want to minimize adding any weight to your camper, "C" channels are heavy and not necessary.

[MoonShadow_1911]

I would strongly recommend using the Renogy "Z" brackets for mounting (6 per panel for Residential panels). You want to minimize adding any weight to your camper, "C" channels are heavy and not necessary.

The Z brackets are good, but with the curve of the roof, I don't think I can get the brackets for the sides of the panels, closest to the edge, to be flat. If I go with the non-residential panels, they will lay essentially flat (with the air gap).

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[SolarPoweredRV]

The Z brackets are good, but with the curve of the roof, I don't think I can get the brackets for the sides of the panels, closest to the edge, to be flat. If I go with the non-residential panels, they will lay essentially flat (with the air gap).

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

First, I recommend you try to avoid mounting your panels across the curve of the roof. However, if you must mount the panels across the curve of the roof, all you have to do is shim up under the mounting brackets on each side of the curve. As I recall, I only needed to shim up each side about 1/2 inch on the panel I mounted across the curve. What I did was place a length of Eternabond on the roof under the mounting point, and then shim up the mounting point and cover the shims with Eternabond. If I had not used 6 sets of "Z" brackets (two in the center of the panel) I probably could have avoided using shims altogether on that cross mounted panel.

Two things you may not realize...

One, the brackets are mounted several inches in from each end of the panel.

Two, the curvature of the roof is less than it appears from the ground. That is why I only had to shim up about 1/2 inch on each side of the curve.

PS: I used the composite shims from HD/Lowes so If I had water intrusion, the shims would not rot. I also used caulk to glue the shims together once I got the proper height to keep them from sliding.

[zygmunt]

Hello David,

You are right, we have a SuperFlex Roof. I will check the warranty for roof. I appreciate the information.

Thanks!

Zigman

[zygmunt]

Hello Mark

I appreciate the input and suggestion. Thanks!

Zigman