Glue on top of failed VW panel?

[mikefitz]

would lay metal frame PV panel on van roof flat and StiXall it in place over the entire frame

Not a practical or well thought out procedure. If you examine the roof in question , or most van roofs, you will notice they aren't flat, and have a curve form transverse.
A further point , assuming that this method was implemented, ( requiring lots of PU sealent) is that the back of the panel now has no cooling air flow, will overheat and suffer failure.
You identified delamination as a possible issue, you can also have paint layer detachment. No matter how effective the PU adhesive is, there can be issues bonding to contaminated vehicle surface.
Correctly engineered through bolting in conjunction with a suitable sealent is 100 % effective.

 

[SamDeleted]

Not a practical or well thought out procedure.

Yes but it works

 

[SamDeleted]

Correctly engineered through bolting in conjunction with a suitable sealent is 100 % effective.

Nothing is 100% effective

 

[mikefitz]

Some guy in Australia thought the panel was secure until it detached.

Fatal accident caused by loose panel on road

Just seen a post on another forum about a fatal road accident in Tasmania, Australia police believe was caused by a solar panel on the toad that had fallen from a caravan roof Here is a news article about the accident...

diysolarforum.com

 

[0truck0]

It depends what glue you use.
I would use 3M VHB tape and use 8-10 of those clips per panel at least. It will hold if you apply the tape correctly. See video if you do it incorrectly. I never mount to a roof using screws. Screws make holes, holes ruin RVs.
All the tape will not fail together, and my experience is tape will not fail, but do your due diligence and check the taped mounts and monitor them, which I would certainly do for a screwed up, err, I mean a screwed-in mount also.

On mine i typically use (for a 100 watt panel) two 20 inch strips of aluminum angle iron at each short end. I tape the entire length of angle iron to the roof and screw the panel to the angle iron. I do this because it is a lot more contact surface on the roof than the little brackets you have.
I say 20 inch, meaning whatever the width of the panel is, its about 20.





of course I have an ideal surface to use VHB tape on too...
As I stated, I have removed this set-up on other vehicles. Takes a lot of pulling, yanking, prying, use of a heat gun and some swearing to get it off, I am not worried about a little wind.

 

[Tomthumb62]

Typically last for 2 years but I have seen such panels fail within months.

Ours are going on 4 years strong, still producing very well. Just got 75W out of each of them the other day.

I think our secret is we have a wood roof on our trailer. It doesn’t get quite as hot as metal or fiberglass.

 

[MarkTwels]

I think that the added layer might offer some insulation benefits, especially if the old panel failed due to heat issues. Just be sure to use a strong adhesive and seal the edges properly to prevent any water leakage.

 

[grizzzman]

Many on here claim it works, and holds up.
There is no way I am mounting one with only glue holding z brackets on.
No manufacturer will approve the install. You will be liable if a panel comes off on the highway.

Two family members lost panels going down the highway with glued down panels on brackets.