Rooftop Solar Installation on a 13' Scamp

[efawcett]

Hi,

I have been diligently scouring the forums for Solar Panel installation posts and have found some great info, but I still have some lingering questions. I'm this close to ordering a 50 Watt kit from RV Solar and I want to make sure i know what I'm doing before I pull the trigger. Any advice or opinions on the following would be greatly appreciated!

1) I'm almost positive that I want to mount to the roof with bolts, but I notice a lot of people don't. If I seal it up real well there shouldn't be a problem right? Is there something I'm not considering?

2) Those of you familiar with the Scamp (mine is a 13') know about the door side closet. My plan is to mount the panel on that side of the roof, bring the wiring down into the closet, mount the regulator/controller on the outside closet wall (facing to the rear) and then go through the closet floor and along the under-carriage to the battery on the tongue. It might be because my forum searching is lame, but I haven't seen this installation method mentioned. Is there a reason?

Thanks!
Eric

[Gina D.]

Your plan sounds OK except for two things.

You want to have your controller as close to the battery as possible. Thats what? 6 or 7 feet away? You will experience some power loss with that long a run. Consider routing the same way, but putting the controller closer to the battery.

The second is a matter of preference. I do not have my panels mounted. I don't want to limit my parking options by having to find spots that will get sun on the trailer roof. I also don't want to climb on my roof just to clean them.

With a short run from panel to controller (Mine is 15 feet) you can pretty much get sun anywhere in your site to hit them.

Others don't want the hassle of setting up the panels, and so they roof mount. Thats OK too. 6 of one, half a dozen of the other.

[peterh]

The panels on our Scamp are roof-mounts. I bought a bare panel that needed a new frame and built it a frame/skirt that hugs the roof of our trailer, which stops air from getting underneath while we're underway and trying to blow/suck the panel off our roof. I wrote a topic about my install a while back.

The two changes I've made to our solar panel installation is, first, I added a second panel to increase my capacity to 105 watts, and second I pulled the original panel up and put butyl tape between the panel cross members and the trailer roof in the places where the screws hold the panel to the roof.

If I were buying panels today, by the way, I'd take a close look at Gina's posts about her new solar panels. She got them at a really great price!

[efawcett]

The panels on our Scamp are roof-mounts. I bought a bare panel that needed a new frame and built it a frame/skirt that hugs the roof of our trailer, which stops air from getting underneath while we're underway and trying to blow/suck the panel off our roof. I wrote a topic about my install a while back.

The two changes I've made to our solar panel installation is, first, I added a second panel to increase my capacity to 105 watts, and second I pulled the original panel up and put butyl tape between the panel cross members and the trailer roof in the places where the screws hold the panel to the roof.

If I were buying panels today, by the way, I'd take a close look at Gina's posts about her new solar panels. She got them at a really great price!

Thanks Peter! I'm well aware of your install, read it many times! I always look forward to your modification posts, always infromative and the mods are very professionally done. I'll go find Gina's post now.

[kevin61]

You've probably already seen my post at

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/in...howtopic=33551

But, just in case you haven't here it is.

Should be pretty much the same for the Scamp. I had no problem bolting mine to the roof but you could fibreglass the mounts to the roof if you want to avoid the holes.

[efawcett]

You've probably already seen my post at

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/in...howtopic=33551

But, just in case you haven't here it is.

Should be pretty much the same for the Scamp. I had no problem bolting mine to the roof but you could fibreglass the mounts to the roof if you want to avoid the holes.

Hi Kevin,

I had seen your post, but went back and checked all your YouTube videos. Very nice! That is the exact route I want to take for cabling too, through the roof, through the closet and along the under carriage... now I know it can be done!

I liked the screw together adapter you used to go through the roof (rain barrel adapter?). Where can I get one of those?

Thanks,
Eric

[kevin61]

Home Depot may have them. I purchased mine at a local plumbing shop