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Mounting residential-sized panels on curved trailer roof

BTOdell

New Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2024
Messages
29
Location
Portland, OR, USA
I'm looking to install 6 residential-sized solar panels on top of my 38' travel trailer. The panels are around 77x39". I have cleared off enough space on the roof for all 6. However, the roof itself is significantly curved making it non-trivial to mount large panels. I measured that the roof drops off by 6" on each side from the center.

In addition to mounting, I'd like the panels to be able to tilt. I have some mock up diagrams that I can attach later when I get home.

Does anyone have any videos, links, or products that could help with this mounting project?

EDIT

Looking from the front of trailer, panels are aligned toward the curb side of the trailer instead of being centered:
trailer-sideview.jpg

Top view:
trailer-w-panels.jpg

The first picture illustrates mounting superstrut/unistrut to the roof and then attaching L brackets with holes on the end. By linking the two holes, you form a flat surface that can be built from. The diagram doesn't include any kind of tilting structure, which is where I'm stuck.

Based on initial feedback from @OffGridInTheCity, I suppose I don't need to use superstrut to mount to the roof, I can directly mount the L brackets to the roof ribs/rafters. Just wondering if there would be enough stability/support if the panels are being held up by several L brackets that concentrate all of their downward force to a small contact area of the roof.
 
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My 300w panels are aprox the size you're talking about. I bolted vertical Ls to the ribs holding up the roof (of my 7 x 14 cargo -> camper) where the long part of the L stuck up enough to run regular solar panel mounting rails across horizontally. Then mounted the panels to the rails in the normal fashion. Here's some pics to try to illustrate things
1735006450418.png1735006319273.png1735006241824.png

Have traveled ~8,000miles (couple of hundred on wash-board gravel roads, lots of shaking) and only 1 screw has come loose - maybe I missed tightening that one during install.

Tilt? or Fold out or Slide out - all bridges too far for me :)

We do week-long boondocking/camping (as apposed to living) but the PV production is no good with any kind of trees/shade - which is common at many spots. Also, 'spots' are not oriented to the sun even if we did have tilt. We get the best power driving (no shade for many hours) but parked, it's not been the *wonderful PV* experience I was thinking when building the trailer.
 
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I'm looking to install 6 residential-sized solar panels on top of my 38' travel trailer. The panels are around 77x39". I have cleared off enough space on the roof for all 6. However, the roof itself is significantly curved making it non-trivial to mount large panels. I measured that the roof drops off by 6" on each side from the center.

In addition to mounting, I'd like the panels to be able to tilt. I have some mock up diagrams that I can attach later when I get home.

Does anyone have any videos, links, or products that could help with this mounting project?

EDIT

Looking from the front of trailer, panels are aligned toward the curb side of the trailer instead of being centered:
View attachment 265206

Top view:
View attachment 265208

The first picture illustrates mounting superstrut/unistrut to the roof and then attaching L brackets with holes on the end. By linking the two holes, you form a flat surface that can be built from. The diagram doesn't include any kind of tilting structure, which is where I'm stuck.

Based on initial feedback from @OffGridInTheCity, I suppose I don't need to use superstrut to mount to the roof, I can directly mount the L brackets to the roof ribs/rafters. Just wondering if there would be enough stability/support if the panels are being held up by several L brackets that concentrate all of their downward force to a small contact area of the roof.
I installed four residential panels on my fifth wheel and the roof has a crown, I don’t think it’s 6” but i used the standard brackets mounted on unistut attached to the roof and it has worked great, I then added some aluminum tilt brackets from renogy
I think 48” Long. I believe the panels are 70”x42 or something. 325w jinco used residential panels.
 

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My camper has about a 6" crown. I modeled that on CAD, just to get a feel for where the strut rails needed to be on the curve. I have vents that I have to clear, which made the install a lot more complicated. Your layout has the panels perpendicular to the camper. I chose to put my panels parallel to the camper, with a row on each side. Oriented like in Sportzfann's second picture of the panels in the foreground.

The benefit of using strut is that you can put fasteners into ever roof truss, which ensures the strut (and panels) stay where you put them. My panels are bolted through the panel frame and then to the strut. That is a PITA and requires a lot of time. You could use standard residential hold downs, which will be a lot faster to install.

Check the datasheet for your panels. They may require more than four points of contact. QCells have instructions for up to eight points of contact with the numbers for how much wind load they can handle for four, six and eight points of contact.

Tilting on an RV is complicated and expensive. I looked into it for my first install. What I found on the internet was that a manual tilt system gets used a few times and then never again because of the amount of time and effort it takes for setup/takedown. If you're in a location for many days, the setup/takedown time isn't so bad. If you're in a different location every three days, you're less likely to make use of the tilt.

If possible, I would set your panels to be perfectly horizontal. If you angle them like in your first picture, you'll be at a disadvantage if you have to park the RV with the panel tilted away from the sun.
 
I used 370w panels ............ just followed the natural curve of the roof
but made sure panels did not touch the roof in the center

2 panels one each side with a small walkway
added an extra Z bracket on each side of the panels = 4 x Z brackets each side of panels

4000miles so far ... still up there
the natural "tilt" I got on the panels stops water pooling on the panel ....... and keeps them CLEANER

I used a straight edge to test if Z brackets were big enough... before ordering them
screwed them straight to the RV roof 1/4 inch coach bolts


Tilting... it would work if you go to BLM lands and you can pick the camping spot orientation
in formal campgrounds doubt it is worth tilting cause you may not get a site to orientate the RV / Camper so panels face south

Laying flat my 2 x 370w panels replace my daily 12v usage 12v fridge + furnace usage BUT no Inverter
 

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