Check your solar panels are secure on your roof.

[Lenny HB]

Apparently some people think that Silkaflex is a multi-use product and use the sealant version as an adhesive.

I always use depending on the application, the marine versions either 291i which is a sealant adhesive with around twice the holding power of the standard Sikaflex's or 292i which is an adhesive with twice the holding power of the 291i.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Apparently some people think that Silkaflex is a multi-use product and use the sealant version as an adhesive.

I think most is sealant and adhesive .

 

[Lenny HB]

I had to use screws as the thin aluminium skin isn't stuck to the plywood underneath, they're all sealed in with Sikaflex though so can't come undone and they're into the plywood so galvanic corrosion doesn't matter.

Unusual construction with ply under the aluminum, normally the skin is bonded directly to the insulation.

 

[Two on Tour]

I had to use screws as the thin aluminium skin isn't stuck to the plywood underneath, they're all sealed in with Sikaflex though so can't come undone and they're into the plywood so galvanic corrosion doesn't matter.

Same as above as we have the same roof construction.

 

[Herbyventures]

I find it interesting that everyone wants to defend their method of fixing, but whatever method you use, surely we should all check them periodically to make sure everything is secure?

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[34127]

Apparently some people think that Silkaflex is a multi-use product and use the sealant version as an adhesive.

As said in post #8.

 

[Dorwyn]

I find it interesting that everyone wants to defend their method of fixing, but whatever method you use, surely we should all check them periodically to make sure everything is secure?

It's a nice day today, I might go up and check mine s'arter. Mind you, it is screwed as well (but not bolted). I had an awning (professionally) installed on my first pop top campervan some years ago. I watched him drill larger hole in the side, squirt some PU into it, insert the bolts, left a few minutes it for the PU to cure, then attach the awning. I expressed surprise, and he said he'd done it many times with no problems. I had the van for 5 years, and it still seemed ok when I sold it.

 

[34127]

I think most is sealant and adhesive .

Silkaflex do say that some adhesives can be used as a sealant but a sealant must not be used as an adhesive.

 

[Dorwyn]

As said in post #8.

Yes, that is what I was referring to.

 

[ambulancekidd]

Ours were put on by the Motorhome dealer we bought it from ( large-ish dealership) should we be worried and check ?

Yes you should check, vehicle condition & security of the parts are at all time the drivers responsibility.

That said, the chances are that your dealership is used to fitting solar panels & should use the correct methods.

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[Garry - June]

Im a great believer in the full width aero brackets, both our roof panels are secured with them..
...they are great for 3 reasons....1 they obviously stop wind from getting under the panel whilst on the move....2nd there is a greater contact area so with a layer of mastic/adhesive wont be coming off..and 3rd you also have the advantage of being able to slide the panel out from the brackets by simply removing a couple of screws,,

 

[Raul]

Wind up lift can happen also by creating vacuum pull. It sweeps at the top and pulls the surface. The best defence is a spoiler at the front to create turbulence above the panel. A maxx fan in front of the panels works well.
I have seen felt cleared of two story building in a exposed area. A chimney can counter that. It lifted and ripped all the perimeter drip flashings and landed in the garden. A spoiler in front of the panels or a deflector like fan or skylight it will deflect the airflow above. If you want to see for real, tape a sheet of paper at front on the table. Then blow some air parallel above the paper. The back untapped will lift without air getting underneath.

 

[TheBig1]

Far too many people amatures and professional alike think they can fit solar panels and other roof mounted items quickly. They, sometimes unknowingly, cut corners and just give the clean looking roof a wipe and add sikaflex or other Pu adhesive direct to that. You need to clean off any wax or other treatment from the contact area. Then mask it up and sand the surface to give a proper key. The same goes for the feet you use, especially the rubbish plastic ones. Clean it, sand it and clean again, followed by using sika activator or at minimum alcohol. Then and only then can you add the adhesive, but add spacers to prevent all the adhesive being extruded by the weight. You need a minimum of 2mm of adhesive when finished compressing and setting but better to use 4mm. I use tile spacers and plenty of adhesive, never scrimp on safety

As for the rubbish cheap plastic feet, they get brittle in the sunshine from UV damage, crack and split around any screw holes. I would only ever use aluminium angle and cut 6 6inch lengths. 2 for each end and 2 in the middle of each side. This stabilises the panel limiting vibration, which is another major cause of failure

Doing it right takes twice the time and more resources, but gives a substantial and long lasting bond. The inclusion of a thicker bonding layer of adhesive also allows for future removal without damage, but cutting through the adhesive

 

[TheBig1]

Oh and forgot to add, a wind deflector in front of at least the front panel reduces wind turbulence and shear

 

[Grianan]

Ours were put on by the Motorhome dealer we bought it from ( large-ish dealership) should we be worried and check ?

Yes. Ours was dealer fitted and came off. They have replaced it with my husband watching to ensure it was done correctly.

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[CazPaul]

Wind up lift can happen also by creating vacuum pull. It sweeps at the top and pulls the surface. The best defence is a spoiler at the front to create turbulence above the panel. A maxx fan in front of the panels works well.
I have seen felt cleared of two story building in a exposed area. A chimney can counter that. It lifted and ripped all the perimeter drip flashings and landed in the garden. A spoiler in front of the panels or a deflector like fan or skylight it will deflect the airflow above. If you want to see for real, tape a sheet of paper at front on the table. Then blow some air parallel above the paper. The back untapped will lift without air getting underneath.

2015 storm Desmond took most of our house roof off, heavy tiles nailed down, that's how bad wind can be.

 

[tonyidle]

If it happens and causes an accident then blame, if any, has to be attached to someone. If negligent in the way the panel was fitted then the person fitting it is to blame. How many of those who have only glued them on can prove they were not negligent by failing to fit mechanical fixing such as a bolt when there have been reported cases of glued panels coming loose.

Other than completely drilling through the ceiling there is no possible way to fit them using bolts!

 

[tonyidle]

You are of course having a laugh, irrelevant that people have been killed and injured.

Totally irrelevant to the point I was trying to make. Just as it is irrelevant to my continued use of a motor vehicle that there have been fatalities involving motor vehicles. In any case where an incident occurs that involves an activity that I enjoy I take note that it happened and if possible learn from it. In this case there's no information and it is irrelevant to my use and fastening of panels.

 

[tonyidle]

I had to use screws as the thin aluminium skin isn't stuck to the plywood underneath, they're all sealed in with Sikaflex though so can't come undone and they're into the plywood so galvanic corrosion doesn't matter.

The plywood is 3mm thick. The aluminium skin is still the main fixing for the screws.

 

[tonyidle]

I have attended some roof and panels repairs on houses and warehouses due to wind uplift. These installations have structural engineering plans and installed by accredited qualified companies. Mistakes happens and wind can be very unpredictable. I was amassed at a installation on flat roof with a parapet wall shielding and a fair amount of ballast to weigh down the supports. It lifted anyway. Some fixings have failed due to repeat lift and fatigue was the nail on the coffin. These are fixed installations.
Now we are on a mobile installation scenario, with various ever changing locations and conditions, 70mph on the motorway and passing fast traffic on single carriage ways. There will be lots of vibrations at different frequencies and eventually something will let go. The fatigue on a mobile installation will be far greater than fixed ones. If any mass is behind a screw, under constant vibrations, that screw stands a chance of fail.
I have bolted mine with 6x m6 bolts per each panel with rubber cushion to the matting surface, and plate washer and lock nut inside. Periodically I check the panel clamps for play due to thermal expansion and contraction. In almost a year, I had to re tight couple of bolts by less than a 1/4 turn. I put that to uneven torque at initial installation, and still checking for any loose clamp periodically. It will not fling of but rattle like hell if is loose and I’m aware of any noise, even loose items in the cupboards can unsettle me. My worse fear was losing a panel in traffic, so for peace of mind and reliability I opted for bolt thru with lock nut.

Where are the inner ends of the bolts?

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[Lenny HB]

Im a great believer in the full width aero brackets, both our roof panels are secured with them..
...they are great for 3 reasons....1 they obviously stop wind from getting under the panel whilst on the move....2nd there is a greater contact area so with a layer of mastic/adhesive wont be coming off..and 3rd you also have the advantage of being able to slide the panel out from the brackets by simply removing a couple of screws,,

Great if they are aluminum ones but no way would I use plastic ones.

 

[34127]

Other than completely drilling through the ceiling there is no possible way to fit them using bolts!

"mechanical fixing such as a bolt " - there will be other options of mechanical fixing if not able to use bolt.

 

[Raul]

Where are the inner ends of the bolts?

inside the van under the insulation. I have fitted the brackets at the start of the conversion, crafter. I have used the ribs preformed for the roof rack, and bolted “ renusol metal Sol” specific mounting hardware designed for tin roofs, straight thru as you would fit a roof rack with plate washer before the lock nut. I could attach a roof rack to those points if I wanted to.

 

[CazPaul]

inside the van under the insulation. I have fitted the brackets at the start of the conversion, crafter. I have used the ribs preformed for the roof rack, and bolted “ renusol metal Sol” specific mounting hardware designed for tin roofs, straight thru as you would fit a roof rack with plate washer before the lock nut. I could attach a roof rack to those points if I wanted to.

Now that is excellent planning of a build.

 

[tonyidle]

"mechanical fixing such as a bolt " - there will be other options of mechanical fixing if not able to use bolt.

Basically - their isn't. It would be possible to fabricate roof rails, bolt them through the roof where hidden by internal lockers, then use them to attach panels. That would assume the lockers position would allow for panels that didn't cover rooflights or any other roof mounted equipment. On a coachbuilt or A class van the roof is of sandwich construction often capped by a final sheet of GRP or aluminium. The sandwich is often foam between two sheets of 3mm plywood, GRP, or aluminium. There is in general no provision for any fasteners on the roof leaving the best (not least worst!) option of adhesive. Provided the mountings have adequate surface area and the adhesive is used as instructed it will offer the best possible mounting, will be operating well within the manufacturers specifications, and will be the safest and most secure mounting option. If you ever have to release something that has been correctly bonded using PU adhesive you will no longer doubt its bond strength.

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[34127]

Basically - their isn't. It would be possible to fabricate roof rails, bolt them through the roof where hidden by internal lockers, then use them to attach panels. That would assume the lockers position would allow for panels that didn't cover rooflights or any other roof mounted equipment. On a coachbuilt or A class van the roof is of sandwich construction often capped by a final sheet of GRP or aluminium. The sandwich is often foam between two sheets of 3mm plywood, GRP, or aluminium. There is in general no provision for any fasteners on the roof leaving the best (not least worst!) option of adhesive. Provided the mountings have adequate surface area and the adhesive is used as instructed it will offer the best possible mounting, will be operating well within the manufacturers specifications, and will be the safest and most secure mounting option. If you ever have to release something that has been correctly bonded using PU adhesive you will no longer doubt its bond strength.

Easy enough on a PVC but agree not easy otherwise.

 

[tonyidle]

Easy enough on a PVC but agree not easy otherwise.

Agreed. TBH I'd fit roof bars to a PVC to avoid any problems with matching size if the panel ever needed replacing and to avoid strengthening ribs. Or a flexible panel as a last resort.

 

[uzsnowdrop]

Agreed. TBH I'd fit roof bars to a PVC to avoid any problems with matching size if the panel ever needed replacing and to avoid strengthening ribs. Or a flexible panel as a last resort.

Great idea, this is definitely the approach for my next van, I had never thought about the effects of self tappers through thin alloy, not that I would ever do that, I can’t imagine drilling through the bodywork , scares the hell out of me!!

 

[68c]

Unusual construction with ply under the aluminum, normally the skin is bonded directly to the insulation.

Most older Swifts are alloy, ply, foam,wallboard(ceilingboard). Alloy can come loose from ply what with the hot, cold cycling and pounding from rain and wind. Not a big problem until alloy gets holed perhaps by corrosive bird poo.