drilling holes in bigfoot roof for solar panels

[minke]

Originally Posted by Nealster

Has anyone thought about heat transfer? If I glue a black panel to my white roof the the sun's heat will warm up the trailer. On the other hand if the panel is elevated with brackets wind will push any heat away that is absorbed by the panels from the sun. For this simple reason I would go with the bolted on brackets.

I think you've made a valid case for brackets. You haven't yet made a case for how to fasten the brackets.

[Nealster]

I like the idea of the bolts from the inside with fender washers. If you tape the brackets that's a lot of shear while traveling down the highway at possibly 100 mph wind speed and very little adhesion surface.

[Defenestrator]

Originally Posted by minke

I thought that Bigfeet were constructed that way. Am I mistaken?

Maybe in the 3000-series class Cs they briefly made, but the TTs and campers are just wood-reinforced chopped-strand-mat fiberglass (albeit a bit thicker fiberglass than most others)

[honda03842]

We used Scotch Permanent Exterior Tape to attach 2 flexible Solar Panels to the roofs of two Scamps about a decade ago. Our Scamp 16 has had one taped to the roof and has been in all kinds of weather on all kinds of roads without a single issue.

The advantages are no mounting holes, low weight just a couple of pounds, low air resistance, the panels are less than a 1/4 inch thick, and no one except you knows they are there.

The tape is also good for attaching other things in the Scamp. We have a few plastic trays that are held to the Scamp's wall by this tape. $50 inches of the tape is only $15.

I have never noticed the heat loading inside the trailer.


https://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Perman...1478356&sr=8-5

[honda03842]

Before we bought our Scamp we had a Sunline 15.5 and mounted tray solar panels to the roof. Driving down the Labrador Highway, a dirt road at the time, those thru bolts eventually leaked. Vibration is a killer and water can sneak thru.