Going Solar on the GU wagon

[altech]

All Good , I'm hear your concern's and are going to put a pack rack bars on each end and bolt on to bars, just going to find something to suit the same profile height as the solar panel because I still want to get the patrol in the doorway of garage. this is why I haven't gone for a luggage type rack system that I wouldn't have the need for one in the first place. p.s. Car not moving on any trip in near future. the Solar system was to keep it alive. cheers Alex

[PeeBee]

Good news Alex, glad we could help. Phil

[the evil twin]

snip...while we were on our trip earlier in the year I heard there was a fatality near Cairns? From a solar panel coming adrift and going through a car window .

Yes, you are correct.

Happened around the middle of the year on the Bruce Hwy in FNQ.
Solar Panel flew off a Caravan and went thru the Windscreen of a Car.

[MB]

Crikey, that’s truly horrible to hear gents!
Slightly off track but an old surfer mate and I as ‘P’ platers accidentally speared a following cars windscreen with his lightweight fiberglass board on a 100kmph freeway in our 20’s. Have never used ‘Octopus Straps’ ever again and thankfully she was tailing us passenger less as it penetrated through to near the head rest position, scary scary lucky stuff for all involved that day :-(


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bidja]

All Good , I'm hear your concern's and are going to put a pack rack bars on each end and bolt on to bars, just going to find something to suit the same profile height as the solar panel because I still want to get the patrol in the doorway of garage. this is why I haven't gone for a luggage type rack system that I wouldn't have the need for one in the first place. p.s. Car not moving on any trip in near future. the Solar system was to keep it alive. cheers Alex

Alex, as you have glued the module down, guess it will stay (no air gap), not the best for cooling but they also can get pretty hot mounted to an iron roof (shed or house).

Think of maybe getting 4 gutter mount bracket (steel) similar to those used to mount/attach(bolt) to the ARB roof rack and modify them by under slinging a 2 lengths of aluminium hollow box section (say 40mm sq X 2.5mm), with spacers if req'd, going from the L-R hand side BRKTs (one both front and rear), passing over the top (each ends) of the aluminium panel frame extrusion and dropping down angle corner locating tabs that are attached to the aluminium rack hollow box section. This will prevent the panel from going Fwd, AFT, lifting and moving sideways. Use some rubber strip to protect frame/rack interface (no need to mechanically attach panel frame to rack box rail section).

Gosh mate, should have read your post a bit closer as U covered most of this.. b. glasses. All good.

[Bidja]

Crikey, that’s truly horrible to hear gents!
Slightly off track but an old surfer mate and I as ‘P’ platers accidentally speared a following cars windscreen with his lightweight fiberglass board on a 100kmph freeway in our 20’s. Have never used ‘Octopus Straps’ ever again and thankfully she was tailing us passenger less as it penetrated through to near the head rest position, scary scary lucky stuff for all involved that day :-(


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

In the time back in mid 70's had 6 sticks (3 each side) on the 74 combi roof rack with single ockies F/R each side. Things U do haha

[Brissieboy]

Bottom line: IF it should come loose (or when if you prefer) and injure someone, insurance will wipe you and you would almost certainly end up in court. No different from an unsecured load and there are a few examples of that available.
It is really worth the risk - when the alternative is so simple and not very expensive.

[PeeBee]

There is a low profile Unistrut avail that is 41mm wide x 22mm high. Brackets can be sourced from a number of roofrack places, and all you need is an adapter to tie the two together - a bit lower profile than Bidja's shot, sits maybe 20mm off the top of the roof in the centre of the vehicle. Just another possibility perhaps?

[altech]

Thanks Guys for all your input , not in a hurry at moment, I think of something cheers Alex

[Cuppa]

Look at that video again. The adhesive used is not silicone, it's Sikaflex 11fc. Although sika recommend using their 252 product in conjunction with their primer, most folk find 11fc is fine for the job & much easier to use. The panels fitted to the roof of the canopy on our Patrol have no mechanical fixing, they were bolted to aluminium angle & the angle (along the 2 long sides of each panel) was glued to the roof with 11fc, with the areas of gluing having had the paint removed & pre-cleaned with isopropyl alcohol after having been taken back to bare aluminium. Most importantly (for strength/flexibility) the correct thickness of adhesive was maintained by using 3mm spacers. After 24 hours curing there is no way these would come off without the set adhesive being cut - and that would be a pretty tough assignment. Over the past 18 months they have travelled in Australia’s full range of temperatures & over plenty of rough kilometres, have been checked regularly & remain rock solid.

I'm sorry but I have to agree with others about the use of silicon & mounting on to paint. I wouldn't want to be travelling behind your car! I know it’s a pain, but the only safe thing to do is to remove the panel & start again. Live & learn!

When you do, I'd suggest that in the interests of solar panel efficiency, & the chance to kill two birds with one stone, that you increase the gap between panel & roof a little (25mm'ish). It will help to keep the panel cooler (& thus work better - probably only important if you will use the battery for anything else other than starting) & in a small way will help to keep the vehicle a tad cooler inside by creating a 'tropical roof '.