RPod roof edge construction?
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Topic: RPod roof edge construction?
Posted By: offgrid
Subject: RPod roof edge construction?
Date Posted: 20 Aug 2018 at 11:37am
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Hi all, I'm planning a pretty large solar installation on my rPod, mounting large scale 350 watt panels that will extend the full width of the roof. I'd prefer to mount them at the roof edges where I can pick up the structure of the wall to roof joint. But I don't have a clear enough idea how the rPod is constructed to know how to attach at that joint. There will at times be some pretty large wind loads imposed by these big modules, so I want to proceed cautiously. Does anyone, perhaps someone who has been to the factory, know how the roof to wall connection is made and have any suggestions about how to attach there? Thanks! ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Replies:
Posted By: onesojourner
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2018 at 4:57pm
| have you considered the flexible panels? |
Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2018 at 5:56pm
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In looking at the flexible 100w panel I have, it looks like you could glue it to the roof. But the problem would be how to get it off if it needed replacement and whether there is a glue that is compatible with the panel plastic and the gelcoat on the roof. The panels conform nicely to the roof and if you could get them well fastened to the roof frame members with metal fasteners and come up with an adequate seal, that may work about as well as anything. For a project that big and the forces that will get exerted on the fasteners to frame connection, seems to me it'd be worth taking a tour of the factory in Goshen, to see how it's really constructed. I watched the video and it looks like they have a 1x2 face plate on the wall at the roof line to which they connect the 2x2's of the roof frame; probably with their famous staples. How the face plate is connected, maybe their typical screws into the interior side of the aluminum frame wall? Someone on the board mentioned that the frame aluminum is only about 1/16" thick. That's not much to fasten to for the forces that the panels will be exerting when hurtling down the highway at 55 mph into a 30 mph headwind. I suppose you could do some kind of compression sleeve and run the screws through the interior part of the aluminum frame and on into the wood, but then you may end up with leaks as the stuff works under pressure. I'm glad you're going to be the one to take it for the team instead of me. If it works, I have no pride, I'lll just copy your good ideas.  ------------- Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |