Raised strut panel mounts

[andy69morris]

I am looking at adding additional panels onto my 2019 Cedar Creek 29RE Silverback 35' RV. New system will be four 400 watt panels separate from the current 400 watts already installed. Initially was going to space them out on the roof and not tilt them, Panels are 69X41, and was going to mount each panel cross-wise (69 with the width of the RV).

Thinking of raising them and mounting long ways (about 23 feet end to end just enough to clear vents tops and about 18" of the rear AC the rear (won't have any over the front AC which is my high point on the RV).

Looking at using aluminum struts to built and mount the structure to the roof by raising the strut off of the roof deck with 1/4" thick aluminum plates at roof connect points and then building a raise structure with strut material to clear the tops of the vents and rear AC) and running 2 parallel struts on the outside of each panel

Some concerns/advice

- Dissimilar metal corrosion, can't seem to find aluminum strut connectors, and brackets (zinc and galvanized are the only ones I have found.
- Hinges to mount each panel to the two struts running length wise (cross bracing in at least 5 spots, where panel meet and a start and end), with the possibility to be able to tilt each panel if needed. (a design a saw using hitch pins with a door hinge)
- 14 ga or 12 ga


See the attached PDF for my draft design so far.

 

[0truck0]

use the icon to the right of the smilie face icon to insert a pic. IDT people want to open attachments on their google computers.

I am not a big fan of mounting panels high up. Can you not mount them close to the roof (1 inch air gap) and go around all the roof clutter? Do you already have the panels and stuck with them so cannot get panels that fit?

The good about high mounts is that nothing like the AC unit or open vents will cast a shadow.
The bad is that highway speeds will be an issue. Low mounted panels typically are not affected by the wind like high panels are.

People do do it, but then they dont drive far.

I would say seek out an RV forum, but then you get a lot of dumb comments and knee-jerk responses on those forums it becomes almost unuseable.
Nobody knows what that RV you named is, sorry. A pic helps.
You prob know already that high panels in the wind on the highway will require a stout RV roof and stout mounts. I doubt your roof is that stout, but be careful there....

Flat works for most RV'ers. Flat means almost never getting 100% of the rated watts, but then you just over-watt your system to make up for what the panels will actually do - if you need 1,000 watts and panels will only provide 500 watts because of angle, then get 2,000 watt panes that will give you 1,000 watts in reality....

 

[justinm001]

I mounted mine on one side and angled them so they go above the ACs. I have girard awnings so the edge is already higher. Works great and the angle really helps capture more sun. At some point this spring ill do the other half

 

[AmyG]

0truck0 is right - you'll get more responses if you include your diagram as inline images so I'll paste them here for you.

I'm not clear on how the roof attachment points will work - are the 1/4" aluminum plates just to get longer pieces of strut off the roof so it doesn't affect water runoff as much? I think most people just use shorter pieces of strut for that, but maybe I'm not getting the purpose of the plates. I assume the actual roof attachments of the bottom pieces of strut will be by through bolts into the roof frame?

Personally having that much stuff up high off the roof would scare me, but I'm sure you'll find some differing opinions by searching the forum.

 

[RoadTurtle]

Mounting them right next to vents and/or AC units will create shadows on the panel and drastically cut your solar production