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Flexible Solar Panel, mounting using Sikaflex advice needed

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Flexible Solar Panel, mounting using Sikaflex advice needed

Postby paulrichardson » Fri Mar 13, 2020 5:25 pm

Hi Guys,

I finally got around to buying myself a Flexible Solar Panel for my Camper Conversion.

I plan on sticking it onto the roof using Sikaflex 512, which I have successfully used for sticking all sorts onto the van (Including the roof box I made).

The question I have involves the Solar Panel mounting holes, which have reinforcing rings around them.

I am not using any screws, but wondered what to do with these reinforcing rings, they lift an area of the panel a couple of millimetres off the roof of the van and I'm not sure what to do about it.

Do we think it will be OK to just ignore them (6 in total), or should I try and flatten them off on the underside of the panel. This would give me a flat surface to bond straight to the van.

Looking forward to your advice,

Regards,

Paul
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Re: Flexible Solar Panel, mounting using Sikaflex advice nee

Postby ant62 » Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:13 pm

hi I don't think I would the bond the panel to the roof because if it stopped working you wouldn't be able to remove it .
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Re: Flexible Solar Panel, mounting using Sikaflex advice nee

Postby paulrichardson » Sat Mar 28, 2020 7:55 pm

Hi,
I'm testing the panel now (through the front window) and it's working fine, I'm hoping that a modern Solar Panel is fairly reliable, as I really don't want to drill half a dozen holes in the GRP roof of my fan.
Regards,
Paul
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Re: Flexible Solar Panel, mounting using Sikaflex advice nee

Postby ant62 » Sat Mar 28, 2020 10:19 pm

don't blame you I have a ford transit duetto i was thinking of putting a solar panel on the roof how about clueing some small blocks on the roof and using the holes in the solar panel to mount it.
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Re: Flexible Solar Panel, mounting using Sikaflex advice nee

Postby imageoven » Sun Mar 29, 2020 1:57 am

paulrichardson wrote:I plan on sticking it onto the roof using Sikaflex 512,
....... these reinforcing rings lift an area of the panel a couple of millimetres off the roof of the van ........ This would give me a flat surface to bond straight to the van.
l


From the sika site;
"For a good bond you should not squeeze all the Sikaflex-512 out of the joint. Optimum thickness is 2mm."

A few extra mm thickness in a couple of small areas will not cause any issues.
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Re: Flexible Solar Panel, mounting using Sikaflex advice nee

Postby ShellOtta » Fri Jun 12, 2020 11:27 am

We are also trying to decide how to fit out solar panel. Bought 200w which is quite large, covers about 1/3 of the roof surface. We have MWB, Medium roof mk7, have been thinking about whether to fit the panel to a roof rack, or trying to adapt roof bars off our car to make our own mounts then bond with Bostik Simson STR 360 Structural adhesive. Anyone got any images of how they fitted a solar panel to a mk7 transit?

I want to avoid drilling into the roof as much as possible, but am equally worried about uplift driving down a motorway tearing the whole panel off! A friend told me it happened to their work vehicle.

The channels down the length of the roof might limit our options for using a bonding adhesive, but will at least allow air underneath to keep the panel cool.
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Re: Flexible Solar Panel, mounting using Sikaflex advice nee

Postby LlewejB » Wed Jul 15, 2020 2:39 pm

I agree with others that the rings shouldn't be a problem in terms of strength as Sikaflex should have a good 2-3mm layer for bonding to something like the roof, however with a flexible panel you might not get good efficiency without an air gap. That being said opinion differs on that and a lot of people are happy with them bonded directly. I like ant62's idea of gluing battens down then securing panel to that?
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Re: Flexible Solar Panel, mounting using Sikaflex advice nee

Postby 2tall » Sun Jul 19, 2020 2:00 pm

I’ve had a flexible panel mounted on the roof with industrial velcro since spring and it seems to be still there :o
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Re: Flexible Solar Panel, mounting using Sikaflex advice nee

Postby Heskie » Mon Oct 05, 2020 10:42 pm

I used sikaflex and machine screws/washers on mine. Sealed them all now too after finding a lake in the van.
Done a few miles at speed and no problems.
If you’re not going to screw it down though I’d leave the rings, you could put a bit of extra sealant beneath them so it squashes up through the holes and sort of mushrooms over the top to give it a bit of extra hold.
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Re: Flexible Solar Panel, mounting using Sikaflex advice nee

Postby frozentea725 » Mon Apr 05, 2021 10:10 pm

i ended up finding thesehttps://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-6-x-Corn ... 4600513148
and gluing them to the roof with silkaflex. they have bolts to screw to the rivated rings
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Re: Flexible Solar Panel, mounting using Sikaflex advice nee

Postby paulrichardson » Thu Apr 08, 2021 7:55 pm

frozentea725 wrote:i ended up finding thesehttps://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-6-x-Corn ... 4600513148
and gluing them to the roof with silkaflex. they have bolts to screw to the rivated rings


Hi there,
They look a great idea, with the lockdown (and some personal stuff) I've not got around to fitting my panel yet, so I'll give these a go.
How long has your panel been on?
Paul
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Re: Flexible Solar Panel, mounting using Sikaflex advice nee

Postby MinorMatt » Fri Apr 09, 2021 8:24 am

On my mk5 with a fibreglass roof I used Sikaflex 522 (which is especially for fibreglass) to bond 2 lengths of unistrut to the roof. I then bolted my (rigid) panel to the roof using proprietary fixings to hold panels on to the unistrut.

If at some point the panel gets cracked/fails or I just want to do something different - I can easily unbolt and replace with a different sized panel or something else entirely
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Re: Flexible Solar Panel, mounting using Sikaflex advice nee

Postby paulrichardson » Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:19 pm

MinorMatt wrote:On my mk5 with a fibreglass roof I used Sikaflex 522 (which is especially for fibreglass) to bond 2 lengths of unistrut to the roof. I then bolted my (rigid) panel to the roof using proprietary fixings to hold panels on to the unistrut.

If at some point the panel gets cracked/fails or I just want to do something different - I can easily unbolt and replace with a different sized panel or something else entirely


Hi Matt,
Thanks for the advice on the Sikaflex 522.
I can't copy your idea of using Unistrut, because I've got a big curve on the roof.
So I've got a Flexible Panel and am planning to try the fixings suggested by frozentea725.
Regards,
Paul
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