Solar install

[Squiffy]

lf you had two smooth and flat plates, say with a 12" square surface area. (not like Dave's square wire which is in fact round ) Water placed between them. Then pressed together to expel most of the are and water. Seal the edges to stop air leaking back in. Now anchor each plate from the middle and try and pull them apart. That will prove how strong water is as a adhesive? The video is enough to put you of a good product. I hate the way advertising people sell products assuming the worlds population is stupid!

Just goes to show how strong adhesive is if all air is expelled between two surfaces. Then sets and noway can air then reenter the joint

 

[ScoTTyBEEE]

lf you had two smooth and flat plates, say with a 12" square surface area. (not like Dave's square wire which is in fact round ) Water placed between them. Then pressed together to expel most of the are and water. Seal the edges to stop air leaking back in. Now anchor each plate from the middle and try and pull them apart. That will prove how strong water is as a adhesive? The video is enough to put you of a good product. I hate the way advertising people sell products assuming the worlds population is stupid!

It would show you how strong the sealant you used to seal the edges is?
It may not be scientific but that glue held 500kg of weight and they didn't use a lot of it, end of. The scientific parts are the datasheets, which are where laboratory lab tests reveal the adhesive properties.
How about 3M and an 8T forklift with far less glue and a more scientific approach? With that sort of performance you don't even have to worry about your van detaching from the solar panels lol!

 

[Squiffy]

I think what is needed here is knowledge in the fact that modern glues far surpasses the requirement to keep the solar panel onto of a van roof at 100 mph. The major conclusion is are you adept at deciding if your paint work is up to the challenge. If you have no idea then glue and screw, if you have the courage to believe then like me just glue I've been doing it for 20 odd years and have yet to have a failure, I have lost count of how many panels and sat dishes that I have put up on vehicles I'm sure that if any had become airborne I would have been informed well before now as most have been family members or friends. The only time I have screwed domes and panels down was on motorhome and caravans where the roof has been a loose sheet of aluminium and the possibility of the equipment bouncing up and down is possible. How ever this was only on British built flimsies as continental motorhome especially German built ones have the aluminium roof panel safely and permanently glued to a solid plywood roof unlike most British built that only have foam structures with flimsy roof struts and the aluminium covering is only held down by the side wall fixings. Phil

 

[Squiffy]

Oh and by the way lads, do not foster the idea of re using your old stuck on panel mounting if you decide to upgrade your panel as most panels are of a different size and will not fit your old panel mounts and you will have to use a multitool or copious amounts of cheese wire to remove them and will most certainly destroy them and damage your roof in the process, because they are unbelievably difficult to remove believe me I've tried that and got the T shirt. Phil

 

[SquirrellCook]

Glue, screw or both? Sounds like something that would result in a teenage marriage

Well being an engineer, paranoia is my best friend. Despite it shortens your life expectancy and often takes your sanity. But it's better than messing up.

So glue and screw it will be, well glue, nut and bolt.
I think I have some tiny nuts and bolts, so not only will I sick these down with elastic PU mastic. I'll put a couple of bolts though the flange.
That way when my sick down panels let go, they can flap by their cables.

 

[wildebus]

Oh and by the way lads, do not foster the idea of re using your old stuck on panel mounting if you decide to upgrade your panel as most panels are of a different size and will not fit your old panel mounts and you will have to use a multitool or copious amounts of cheese wire to remove them and will most certainly destroy them and damage your roof in the process, because they are unbelievably difficult to remove believe me I've tried that and got the T shirt. Phil

Another reason to not glue Attaching panels mechanically to fixed roof rails is still - IMHO - by far the best option if it is doable. Change the panels in minutes and a difference size does not matter and there is no cleaning up to do.

 

[Squiffy]

Another reason to not glue Attaching panels mechanically to fixed roof rails is still - IMHO - by far the best option if it is doable. Change the panels in minutes and a difference size does not matter and there is no cleaning up to do.

Dave you guys screw and glue anyway apparently so double jeopardy if you wish to upgrade your panels.Phil

P.s
There are only 60 minutes in an hour Dave so shall we say an hour or so not in minutes , that's if you take prep time in to account

 

[Squiffy]

Glue, screw or both? Sounds like something that would result in a teenage marriage

Well being an engineer, paranoia is my best friend. Despite it shortens your life expectancy and often takes your sanity. But it's better than messing up.

So glue and screw it will be, well glue, nut and bolt.
I think I have some tiny nuts and bolts, so not only will I sick these down with elastic PU mastic. I'll put a couple of bolts though the flange.
That way when my sick down panels let go, they can flap by their cables.


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I found six inch nails to be a great paranoia guard squirrel. Phil

Bent flat after inserting that is, too much chance of them slipping out of the roof otherwise

 

[wildebus]

Dave you guys screw and glue anyway apparently so double jeopardy if you wish to upgrade your panels.Phil

P.s
There are only 60 minutes in an hour Dave so shall we say an hour or so not in minutes , that's if you take prep time in to account

I don't glue the panels as standard actually.
Maybe could take an hour tops from start to finish to do a full panel swap including getting ladder out and putting away again if you want to include the time to drill 4 custom holes in the panels.
After tweaking my setup recently, taking off the existing 4 panels and then refitting those 4 panels in different positions, plus adding another two panels, I really do have a very good and recent view on just how long it takes per panel when fitted mechanically to roof rails, and just how much cleanup is needed in the process (none).