Rooftop solar on Bigfoot travel trailer

[Rushin]

Hey all! About to become a proud owner of a 21rb. Been looking for one for a long time and finally a good deal came up.

I want to install rooftop solar but don't particularly want to make anymore holes in the roof. With my current Casita I was able to repurposed the hole for the TV antenna and run cables inside the cabinets.

Anybody here installed solar on their bigfoots? I would think it's probably the same process with truly campers.

[Gilles]

I used this method for our Bigfoot 17G, in my case I was able to get the cables down the fan of the bathroom, and then redirect them to the controller that is under the left front seat, through the cabinets.
I do not know for the 21RB, for the cables, but to fix the solar panels in our 17G, I used the method shown in the video, with VHB Tape.
They have been in place for 3 years, we have done a lot of things and everything has stayed in place.
On this site I read other testimonials similar to mine, and in place for 5 years without problem.
Follow the instructions of the videos:

( https://www.youtube.com/user/AMSolar4RVs )

[Rushin]

Going through the fan might be a good idea. I just noticed that northern lite truck( same fibergalss mold as Bigfoot) campers from the factory go through the fridge vent. I saw it right on their dealership flyer. So maybe that's a good option.

As far as mounting the panels I have done it with vhb tape and flexible panels and I tell you it was a bit of a mistake not because they didn't hold but because when panels cooked without any ventilation I had to remove them. Removing panels was an absolute nightmare. This vhb tape might as well be permanent as it was absolutely imposible to remove the panels.

So next time I am actually going to go with glass panels and mount them on renogy plastic stick on mounts. They mount to the roof with vhb tabe and solar panels bolt to them.

[Gilles]

I understand you very well if you used the VHB adhesive for a flexible solar panel and if you fixed all along the panel.
But looking at the next video to remove the solar panel mounts, it's not a cinecure ...
One member of the group told me that they had removed the brackets after 5 years of use and that it was as the video shows, without leaving any marks on the roof.
The choice is in your hands.

(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzlNKyDUK94&t=25s

)

[Rushin]

I am pretty sure 3m even makes a solution specificly made to remvoe vhb tabe.

[Gilles]

Yes, a lot of method to pull out 3M tape.
We have to choose the best method :

( https://www.google.com/search?q=vhb+...hrome&ie=UTF-8 )

[Alex Adams]

Originally Posted by Rushin

As far as mounting the panels I have done it with vhb tape and flexible panels and I tell you it was a bit of a mistake not because they didn't hold but because when panels cooked without any ventilation I had to remove them.

I have been thinking about this very scenario since I wanted to use flexible panels on the roof of my boler. I was thinking I would be OK if I permanently mounted the flexible panel to a piece of corrugated plastic and then used VHB tape to mount the assembly onto the roof.

[Rushin]

Originally Posted by Alex Adams

I have been thinking about this very scenario since I wanted to use flexible panels on the roof of my boler. I was thinking I would be OK if I permanently mounted the flexible panel to a piece of corrugated plastic and then used VHB tape to mount the assembly onto the roof.

That could work. I did want to do that myself. And probably should have done that. There is a company out of UK that makes a special mount specifically for flex panels. I contacted that guy that makes them and he said he can mail them to US. I'll see if I can find the link to the website.

[Rushin]

Originally Posted by Alex Adams

I have been thinking about this very scenario since I wanted to use flexible panels on the roof of my boler. I was thinking I would be OK if I permanently mounted the flexible panel to a piece of corrugated plastic and then used VHB tape to mount the assembly onto the roof.

That could work. I did want to do that myself. And probably should have done that. There is a company out of UK that makes a special mount specifically for flex panels. I contacted that guy that makes them and he said he can mail it to US. I'll see if I can find his website.

[Rushin]

Semi Flexible Solar Panel Mounting Kit

There it is. He said 27 pounds plus 10 pounds for shipping per kit.

[Rushin]

Shoot I can't post a link. Why?

Search "friendly Green giant solar mounts" on Google.

[Gilles]

[QUOTE = Rushin; 731869] Shoot Je ne peux pas publier de lien. Pourquoi?

Recherchez "sympathiques montures solaires géantes vertes" sur Google. [/ QUOTE]

The link appears correctly for me ...

[Alex Adams]

I see a proper link also but do not see what Gilles sees.

[Rushin]

Originally Posted by Gilles

[QUOTE = Rushin; 731869] Shoot Je ne peux pas publier de lien. Pourquoi?

Recherchez "sympathiques montures solaires géantes vertes" sur Google. [/ QUOTE]

The link appears correctly for me ...

Haha, I speak French now?

[Gerry]

Also thinking of mounting my panels on roof, on my Casita, and watched the video's and can do it, But a few questions.
I had a panel once that went on my Boler with suction cups, never traveling with them on roof, but my problem was, the panel was so close to the fiberglass that it discolored it.
Now I am going to mount one on Casita with brackets, will this also discolor if kept off roof an inch or so?
How do you keep this panel clean? Do you carry a ladder around with you?

[Gilles]

Originally Posted by Alex Adams

I see a proper link also but do not see what Gilles sees.

A capture of what I see with the link :

[Gilles]

Originally Posted by Rushin

Haha, I speak French now?

Excuse me, I forgot to disable the translator before giving my answer ...

[Alex Adams]

Originally Posted by Gilles

Excuse me, I forgot to disable the translator before giving my answer ...

That was what I was referring to. I thought maybe you had been infected by the dreaded Marceau virus!

[btroxell]

I have a 2018 21RB and it was pre-wired for solar by having wires coiled up at the top of the fridge vent on top. It did a squirrel path and the other end was coiled up underneath. I mounted 2 100W flexible panels on each side of the skylight using VHB tape. After 1 season, no problems. A friend has an Airstream and his panels are taped on too.

Ben

[Rushin]

Originally Posted by btroxell

I have a 2018 21RB and it was pre-wired for solar by having wires coiled up at the top of the fridge vent on top. It did a squirrel path and the other end was coiled up underneath. I mounted 2 100W flexible panels on each side of the skylight using VHB tape. After 1 season, no problems. A friend has an Airstream and his panels are taped on too.

Ben

Ben, that's great! Can you tell what path the cables make when they enter the vent? Also does your 21rb has the battery inside or outside the camper?