Good video. I have a tip for you. If you have to use your finger on the Sika flex spray it with brake clean. That way it doesn't stick to your finger and the Sika flex rolls smoothly.

@aidanbasford7643

4 ай бұрын

Use soapy water, not a solvent based product. Ask a caulker, they would never use brake cleaner

Fantastic and informative video mate all the best on your travels 👍🏼

I’m glad you realised you tied the cables on the wrong side. I was watching you do it and yelling at my screen. Hehe

Hi Shaun, the way you connected you wiring back into the van was great & exactly how I will fit a solar panel to my little poptop van. Have been worried about going through roof with my wiring & you have solved my dilemma 🙂. Cheers

I enjoyed the video.Keep up the good work. Lots of information thank you

Great video mate. Very informative.

I used the same Sikaflex 252 adhesive to fix 2 panels on the roof of my van. Yesterday one of them flew off and hit the roof of a car following behind causing significant damage. When i got home I pulled on the 2nd panel and it came straight off in my hands. The Sika bonds well to the roof of the van but not to the plastic mounting blocks. Super important to use a sika ‘primer’ on the bonding surfaces to avoid what I just went through which narrowly missed their windscreen

@live2thrive249

2 жыл бұрын

Oh wow that's terrible! So lucky noone was hurt. Thanks for sharing, it's important to know what can go wrong before taking this avenue of installation. I guess the primer is the difference. I also added a redundency. A stainless steel cable that I drilled and fed through the sides of the solar panels and to eyelets that are mounted to the exterior shroud of the roof just in case the adhesive failed. I did this after making the video though which I regret. I checked the adhesive recently and it's still all bonded well to the roof and mounts alike.

@Adam-ox6zy

2 жыл бұрын

@@live2thrive249 thanks for the vid. Very informative as I’m going to add another panel to our roof of our second hand van that has 2 smaller panels already installed. The original install on our panels is glued and screwed, and I was wondering to repeat (not a fan of putting screws in the roof😬) and see you did secure them with something else as well, so I confirms what I was thinking. Will glue and screw. Wish me luck😂 Cheers.

@brettmate6806

2 жыл бұрын

Sadly we had similar experience. Mounted panel the same even with alcohol cleaned roof and sikaflex 252. Found panel came off across Nullabor. Luckily no one behind us at the time. Found sikaflex still on roof but did come off plastic legs. Very scary when you see panel in rear view camera

@carl8568

2 жыл бұрын

@@brettmate6806 Sounds like i'm going to be bolting in the roof.

@bbl8791

2 жыл бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/n2h-05izftXdeLw.html

I used T-rex by Soudal, made 2 trailers with composite sheeting and only used trex and a few screws to hold it on while it was curing. Used the trailers for a year and it didn't even budge the panels at all, I swear by the stuff.

Great video

Excellent video once more Shaun! I'll be fitting a couple of 215W panels to my old Jayco in the next few weeks, so this was very timely! The guy I'm helping to fit them uses a different method of packing. He actually get a length of welding wire and shapes it to the bead then runs the bead over this. Apparently that ensures the Sikaflex isn't pushed out and has the correct thickness. We're using 50mm right-angle aluminium for my panels in place of the individual mounts. I presume this gives the Sikaflex a greater surface area to adhere to. My panels are also a bit larger at 850mm x 1,550mm, so I guess the added support is a good idea.

@live2thrive249

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Dave. I like the welding wire packing trick. That's a new one. Good luck with your install

Great vid..just food for thought.. becareful water doesn't run down the outside of your conduit and leak into your fridge cavity othwise Nice install. Keep up the informative vids..Nice to see Ozzie content.

@live2thrive249

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Andy, it's a valid concern about the water on the conduit. The conduit enters the vent into an enclosed plastic inset that redirects rain/water outside the van... So no capillary effect into the cavity thankfully 🙂

Well done. Thanks.

Love the video! But NO WAY IN THE WORLD would i NOT bolt this down. Good luck to the drivers behind you! You could at least tie a tether to it 'just in case' your sika flex aint fully sika. Crazy... just using glue.... crazy af

@shaunduncan8747

Жыл бұрын

If you read the description of the video it describes exactly that. I threaded a stainless braided cable through the solar panel shrouds and bolting it to the aluminium skirt around the edge of the roof. A great redundancy device. Unfortunately I couldn't include it in the video once it was already uploaded.

I will be doing this so , but I was thinking of using aluminium engel as a bracket bigger feet so more area for the adhesive, plus put the brackets front & back & sides with air gaps on sides so as travel in the wind can’t get under the panel & blow the panel off

@adamb1671

Жыл бұрын

I’m no aerodynamic expert but i think with wind speed the panels get ‘sucked’ out of the fixings not unlike a plane wing with fast moving air causing low pressure above the panel. I’m surprised they’re not legally bound to fix with nut & bolt attachments with these flying off more often and lobbying insurance companies paying out. There’s some clever ideas out there that have some underneath brackets so you can angle lift one side to improve sun angle once parked up. I have a photo somewhere if interested.

Hi Good job with this and the 12v upgrade video. I have same van and looking to do the same. I was wondering why you didn't use the same system as for the a/c with aluminiun bar across the roof and attaching the panels to that?

@live2thrive249

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Shane, thanks for the comment. In my experience of working on a variety of metal rooves of houses for many years I've found that penetrations have a tendency to eventually create leaks. And I've experienced too many unexpected leaks. My thoughts with a caravan which is dynamic (the whole structure twists and bends whilst driving) I wanted a solution that did not penetrate the roof. I must admit I also wanted to try something new 😊 In hindsight I would be equally happy with the solution with the aluminium angle. It's a great solution that gives you peace of mind! I guess the video is trying to show that solar panels CAN be fixed down with adhesive... But proper preparation and execution is paramount!

Good video but I have used aluminum angle and cut sections to use as mounting points for the panels. You mount the angle to the roof first then offer your panel to them and make sure the panel is level and then pop rivet or self tapped screw to the outer panel frame. The gap between the solar panel and roof will vary depending on how bowed your roof was to start with. Using the molded mounts that you have used relies on the roof to be dead flat in order to not introduced flexing of the panel.

@shaunduncan8747

2 жыл бұрын

I appreciate comments, especially if they are informative but it's advisable to watch the entirety of a video before sharing opinions. I agree that the aluminium angle mount is a good idea. I explain why I didn't go down that track and I also over come any flexing of the panels by scribing and planing the mounts to sit flat on the curved roof with no penetrations as the title suggests.

@frednurks8528

2 жыл бұрын

@@shaunduncan8747 sorry Shaun I was not judging your method , in fact I tip my hat to you for your resourcefulness in overcoming the challenges of an uneven roof. I was just offering up a different method for consideration by others. My wording could of been better composed. All the best to you on your travels and I’m sure with your skills, most challenges will be overcome. Oh yes on the no penetrations. The aluminum angle can be sized to give you the same adhesive area as the molded plastic mounts...no screws in roof.

@shaunduncan8747

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for clarifying Fred. Like I said I appreciate your feedback. Unfortunately I've recieved a lot of criticism from people who didn't bother watching the video which refutes their claims. Anyway happy travels ✌️

great one step by steps one doubt please clear how and from where i can do wiring inside car from top and how you sealed that hole

@live2thrive249

2 жыл бұрын

To be honest if I were to do it again I'd fork out the money and install an entry gland next to the ventilation grill rather than going through the grill itself. You live and you learn 🤣

Awesome video. Im just about to buy a pop top and wad wondering how i would mount panels on it. Only thing i think about this way is air getting underneath panel and lifting it. Would it be worth running a bead of sika around the edges you reacon?

@shaunduncan8747

10 ай бұрын

I was concerned about the same thing. Unfortunately I didn't include this in the video but, as a redundancy I drilled holes through the panel shrouds and thread a stainless steel cable through. The cable was swaged with eyelets and attached to the outside edge of the van roof. If the adhesive ever let go the cable would hold the panel on the roof. I would advise something similar since there have been many horror stories of solar panels flying off.

Hi Shaun, great video. Very Detailed 👍👍 A couple of questions. What are the connectors you used to join the cables on top of the roof I have never seen them before. Could you perhaps include a link for them. Did you Mount your A/C Unit. Would love more info on how it was done. And one thought had you considered some sort of infill on the leading edge of the panel to illuminate any uplift perhaps from a passing semi trailer… thanks Keith

@shaunduncan8747

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Keith, cheers for the comment. The connectors I used to link the panels are called MC4 y-branch connectors. They essentially either split or join solar cables. The A/C unit was already installed when we bought the van... But it's mounted on a couple of gal steel 2x1" box section that extends to the outside edges of the pop-top which helps distribute the weight. As for the uplift question I calculated it would require several tonnes of uplift to rip the panel or mounts off but I did install a redundency system after I made this video just in case. Basically it's a stainless steel braided cable that's threaded through the solar panel shrouds and swaged over eyelets bolted into the outside edge of the roof. It's impossible for the panels to come off now 😊

@keithwhittaker8741

2 жыл бұрын

@@shaunduncan8747 thanks for your prompt 😊 reply. Where would one buy the connectors. Jaycar or specialist Solar mob

@shaunduncan8747

2 жыл бұрын

I think I bought mine from jaycar for convenience but shop around because i vaguely remember being unhappy with the price.

Great video mate I want to redo our solar panels , has it made it much harder to pop the roof up ? Thank you

@shaunduncan8747

Жыл бұрын

I definitely made it harder which forced my hand to replace the gas struts. I could have gassed up the original ones but they were 20 years old so opted for new and got them gassed to my requirements. With 2 solar panels and aircon ontop I found that 800N in each of the 4 struts made it relatively easy to pop up and easy to pull down.

@adamb1671

Жыл бұрын

I have the same kind van but without A/C. Was wondering how much strut pressure is required for two * 370 watt panels ?? They’re pretty heavy, btw the house panels in series supply around 50amp through a 100/50 Victron MPPT.

Hey mate how has your connection of the panels held up now that you’ve used it a bit ?

@shaunduncan8747

2 жыл бұрын

They've all held up fine except one corner came a bit loose. Tbh I would probably change my approach if I were to do it again and just use aluminium angles as supports. I'm glad I have the braided cable holding the panels down too (not shown in this video)

Hi,just watched both your vids, I have the same pop top with the old system, I also have twin battery set up but without the 240 inverter.is it possible to incorporate the inverter without changing the whole system.

@shaunduncan8747

Жыл бұрын

Hi, it is as simple as wiring the inverter to the battery. Make sure you use a fuse or circuit breaker and the correct gauge wiring... That's the most common mistake people make. For example. The wiring I used was as thick as my finger. Expensive but less expensive than the result of a fire.

I don't know. this doesn't look right. How is it holding up now?

Just one question. Do you run your fridge on gas at all?? Otherwise, great video.

@live2thrive249

2 жыл бұрын

In normal circumstances we would run the van 3 way fridge on gas when parked since its way more efficient than 12v. But in my ute I have an 80L 12/240v fridge that has been sufficient for our travels thus far and it's charged from the alternator and solar input so it will run indefinitely with free energy rather than using the vans gas. The trade-off is we have to walk to the Ute to get things from the fridge 😊

@kparker4894

2 жыл бұрын

No worries. Just that the heat outlet for the fridge will get hot where your wiring is ran through for your solar.

@live2thrive249

2 жыл бұрын

That's a good point. I did spend the extra money and got good quality UV and heat resistant cabling. One would hope it would endure in the cavity behind the fridge.

@bbl8791

2 жыл бұрын

@@live2thrive249 the cleanest route is to run it through existing ceiling light/speaker loom, which will eventually pass behind the fridge anyway

Panels are too close to the roof now after you plained them down. You wont be getting the best results out of them.

not happy about using just glue to secure these potential flying weapons, as stated in another comment, but with a pop top your a little buggered.

@shaunduncan8747

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your concern Geoff. Unfortunately I didn't include in this video the redundancy device I created to negate the chance of the panels flying off. It's a braided stainless steel cable drilled and threaded through the solar panel shrouds and swaged onto eyelets that are bolted onto the top outside aluminium edge of the caravan. The panels are still solid after a year. If everything is prepared properly this method works and can hold several tonnes of uplift... But I'd recommend a safety backup just in case

It was all looking good until you came up with that messy and lazy solution to run the cables into the van! If you did some research you'd actually find out that there are special gland housings specifically to run solar cables into vans through the roof. If you bothered to speak to professionals that fit them rather than hatch your own half baked idea you'd know that.