Solar Panel Roof Installation

RetiredVagabond

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Montana
Will the roof warranty of my Reflectiin be voided if a Solar Panel is installed by a professional?
 
Gary, when we took the factory tour we had that discussion with Jeremiah who gave us the tour. He told us attaching Solar to the roof would void the roof warranty.
But we did not discuss who would be doing the install.

Marcy
 
I would imagine anything we add has the potential to void some sort of warranty and that's fair. We can't expect GD to warranty damage caused by changes we make. But unless the panel installation caused the problem, I don't see why it should have any more potential than anything else.
 
Thanks for the feedback. Rough decision, I would really like to do solar someday. Thinking about starting with a Honda 2000 first. Boon Docking intrigues me.
 
Think I'll go solar myself in the near future. The Honda EU2000 is a great little generator. Been using the same one for ten years. Like most small engines, don't let it sit with fuel in it for long periods or you will gum up the carburetor. I found out the hard way. If I know I am not going to use it for a while, I dump all the fuel out and run it till it quits. Yamaha is a good one as well.
 
Rather than draining the tank go to any marine store and get some sta-bil. That's what boat owners do for their boats and it works.
 
The roof warranty is only void if there is a failure that can be directly attributed to the installation of the solar panels.

Clay.
 
Rather than draining the tank go to any marine store and get some sta-bil. That's what boat owners do for their boats and it works.

I've had mixed results using fuel stabilizers in small engines so I always make sure there is no fuel in the carburetor before I store them. If there is a fuel shutoff, I will put stabilizer in the tank but run the engine until it quits with the fuel shut off. If they don't have a shutoff, I drain the tank and run it till it quits. I think stabilizers work better in larger fuel systems.
 
I've had mixed results using fuel stabilizers in small engines so I always make sure there is no fuel in the carburetor before I store them. If there is a fuel shutoff, I will put stabilizer in the tank but run the engine until it quits with the fuel shut off. If they don't have a shutoff, I drain the tank and run it till it quits. I think stabilizers work better in larger fuel systems.

Put in a little bit of "Marvel Mystery Oil" prior to running them dry. It will lubricate fuel system and upper cylinder without leaving a gummy residue.
 
I would suggest buying marine grade gasoline. Almost all gas now has ethanol additives and that's what gums things up if it sits too long. You can find that kind of gas if you are near a marina or coastal areas where folks fill their gas tanks for their boats. That should help a lot.
 
Thanks for the information from GD prospective Clay. It sounds reasonable and what I would expect.

Also thanks for the additional great information on the generators everyone.
 
When I talked to Jorden today I ask about Solar prep. GD is looking at making Solar easier to install which is a good thing. The first step is adding roof jacks so you can bring down the power leads. Same for other wiring such as antenna leads.

As far as mounting the panels I assume it's much like having it done on a house. You have to work with a professional at least when it comes to the physical mounting. If I wanted to do my own solar install, which except for the physical mounting of the roof brackets I'm totally qualified to do, I'd still work with a roofing contractor to get the brackets installed. The same for putting panels on a RV, I want someone that understands mounting on a rubber roof.

What I would suggest to GD is to put together a Solar Panel installation manual which covers what is necessary to be done when mounting to the roof. If you correctly follow the manual then you're covered. If you didn't then you're not.

Now what's needed is a good way to install panels so they can be easily tilted for maximum efficiency, don't cause a lot of drag across the top of the room and mount solid enough so the roof is not stresses. I'm trying to come up with a way do this and it's not an easy task but I think it's doable.
 
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If you look close enough, you can find 100% gasoline for about 40 cents higher than 90/10. Many of the premium brand 93 octanes are also 100% gasoline. I use 100% in my pontoon boat in the Fall with some fuel additives, and have not experienced any fuel aging problems that 90/10 will give.

My camper's always hooked up to electricity when we camp, and I prefer to watch the campground's cable television. I'm a low tech kind'a guy and solar panels are just too high tech for me.
 
I've go an idea but I need some information.

Since the roofs are not flat how much crown/pitch is there on the roofs and is it different between each series? So we're on the same page if you took a straight edge and ran it across the roof how much lower is the edge than the middle of the roof?

Thanks
 
I've go an idea but I need some information.

Since the roofs are not flat how much crown/pitch is there on the roofs and is it different between each series? So we're on the same page if you took a straight edge and ran it across the roof how much lower is the edge than the middle of the roof?

Thanks

Hi @Timon0x31,

We use 5" rafters with 1.5" ends leaving a 3.5" crown.

Best regards,
~ Janice
 
That's about a 1/12 pitch if you were talking in house roof pitch although the pitch is your case is curved not straight. I'm guessing it's less curved in the center so you can mount larger items such as A/C there. Anyway that answers my question so I can work the dimensions into an idea I have for mounting solar panels.

Thanks much

John
 
I'm thinking about solar also but I have a 303 and don't see a way to get the wires from the roof to the battery. Has anyone ran wires from the roof down and where did you go,without taking the trailer apart. thanks
 
I installed a solar charging system (200W) on my 337. Now, I just use the generator to run an appliance such as the microwave for a few minutes if needed. My solar panels keep the batteries at peak charge all the time. I elected to go with portable panels so I could move them throughout the day as needed to keep the panels in the sun. If anyone want's info on my system or how to install it, drop me a line.

Jim
 
I'm thinking about solar also but I have a 303 and don't see a way to get the wires from the roof to the battery. Has anyone ran wires from the roof down and where did you go,without taking the trailer apart. thanks

You might be able to run them down inside the same wall as the sewer vent pipe and get them to the basement that way.
 

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