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03-13-2019, 03:32 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 261
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Solar panels on fiberglass roof
Does anyone have experience with attaching solar panels to a fiberglass roof with VHB tape or another alternative? I don't want to drill holes and am concerned about the issues with directly attaching flexible panels.
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Terry and Beth
2010 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH
2016 Ford Edge Sport
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03-13-2019, 03:59 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: San Diego
Posts: 103
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VHB tape
I attached my solar with these drill free panel holders.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I used VHB tape and they seem very well attached when done. It was my first experience with VHB tape and I am told it holds up. But for my own piece of mind after install I put 1 screw in the forward holders only, as a little extra security. 1 screw through the VHB should be a good seal anyway , plus I added some silicone sealant to the screw. No chance of a leak.
Gary
Minnie Winnie 26A
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03-13-2019, 04:37 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 15,749
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Mine are mounted with stainless screws to fiberglass roof.
Put down a puddle of Dicor, put the mounting bracket in the puddle, drive the screws, put some more Dicor over the top of the screws. Done. Won't leak.
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Vince and Susan
2011 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH (Cummins ISC/Freightliner)
Flat towing a modified 2005 Jeep (Rubicon Wrangler)
Previously a 2002 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37A and a 1995 Safari Trek 2830.
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03-13-2019, 04:45 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Desert Hot Springs Ca.
Posts: 947
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vsheetz
Mine are mounted with stainless screws to fiberglass roof.
Put down a puddle of Dicor, put the mounting bracket in the puddle, drive the screws, put some more Dicor over the top of the screws. Done. Won't leak.
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+1 
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Mike & Trish Romans 10:9
2011 Mobile Suites 36RSSB3
2014 F-350 6.7L CC DRW
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03-13-2019, 10:20 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Olympic Peninsula
Posts: 548
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Mounted my panels in 2015 with 2” wide 3M VHB tape #5952, then put a bead of dicor around each foot edge to keep out water intrusion...that’s it. I did drill a hole in each foot and filled it with dicor just in case down the road I felt it needed a screw to augment the tape...so far after 20K miles no screw needed and their still up there.
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03-13-2019, 10:48 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 2,812
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Attached unistrut to coach roof with VHB tape on several motorhomes, and then bolted the panels to the unistrut. No holes in the fiberglass. Added bonus, if you want to upgrade or add panels, just bolts to remove, and change out panels. If room, buy 10 or 12 ft sections to allow for future expansion.
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Foretravel tag axle 40 ft. 500 hp/1550 ft/lbs ism 1455 watts on the roof. 600 a/h's lithium down below.
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03-14-2019, 11:27 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Spartan Chassis
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Lake McClure, CA
Posts: 1,449
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3M makes a primer to help it stick. Primer 94
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2018 Dutch Star 4369 Spartan Chassis
2016 Jeep Cherokee, 1952 Willys CJ3A
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03-14-2019, 11:36 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 2,812
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 10 fan
3M makes a primer to help it stick. Primer 94
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Good to know, I used simple green and then alcohol, will try primer on my next install.
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Foretravel tag axle 40 ft. 500 hp/1550 ft/lbs ism 1455 watts on the roof. 600 a/h's lithium down below.
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05-23-2019, 08:10 AM
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#9
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Registered User
Newmar Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner Freightliner Owners Club Retired Fire Service RVer's
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Rosemary Farm, Northern Ca
Posts: 5,444
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Just a follow up question: is 5952 the accepted standard here or are there several other VHB products that have been used successfully? There are so many VHB products and I read somewhere here that 3M wont comment on adhering solar panels to a fiberglass RV roof, but after viewing the 3M videos about using it for trailer construction and side panels on busses, it seems like the right material. I really don't want to drill holes in my roof.
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05-23-2019, 09:54 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Spartan Chassis
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Lake McClure, CA
Posts: 1,449
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I called 3M and asked that. Was told it is not recommended because they have never tested it for that purpose. Also said that 5952 is the best one for fiberglass roofs with primer. There are 2 primers and 94 is the best so I only listed and remember that one.
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2018 Dutch Star 4369 Spartan Chassis
2016 Jeep Cherokee, 1952 Willys CJ3A
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05-23-2019, 11:03 PM
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#11
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Registered User
Newmar Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner Freightliner Owners Club Retired Fire Service RVer's
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Rosemary Farm, Northern Ca
Posts: 5,444
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Perfect, thanks!
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08-08-2019, 12:18 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Valley Springs, CA.
Posts: 166
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I'm in the same boat. I don't want to drill through the roof. I am planning on on use a 23" length of aluminium angle on each long side. I think 23" x 2" of eternabond double sided tape will do the trick. Anybody know the difference between the eternabond and 3M tape?
Cary
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Cary McHugh & Stacey Fairchild
Valley Springs , CA
1999 Rexhall Aerbus 3250BSL
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08-08-2019, 06:14 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club Spartan Chassis
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Lake McClure, CA
Posts: 1,449
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Eternabond is for sealing not sticking. Before I started my solar project I used 2 rolls of 4" X 50', 1 roll of 6" X 50', 2 cans of cleaner and 1 can of primer to seal every inch of dicor and factory 4" eternabond. It was a PIA but I don't think it will ever leak. I used the 3M tape with primer to stick aluminum brackets to the fiberglass roof.
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2018 Dutch Star 4369 Spartan Chassis
2016 Jeep Cherokee, 1952 Willys CJ3A
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08-29-2019, 01:17 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 102
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For JaminSamin
From your picture, I am really impressed. If that is a 2002, it is magnificently maintained. It is whiter than white. Well done
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