Adhesive holding YOUR solar panels on too??? Still there??

[JD GUMBEE]

I went with the new super sticky 3M pads to put the panels on my class A.
Four years on, I find myself nervous when @ highway speeds now.
I know Steve (steampunkbus I think) on YT lost one on the highway.

Anyone else lost one...or had issues with the sticky pads eroding?
They seem fine but that sure is a small contact patch to not have a bolt or screw in it.

 

[RVTravel]

Some add a line to keep from losing the panel?

 

[Cammalu]

We lost two on our way out here. No idea where they are and the other three were very loose so we took them down. Solar Bob will open on the 2d and we will be there looking for other options.

This time we will get the tilting frames for them.

We think - but can’t be sure - that we lost them some time after we went thru a truck wash. We now have been told that they use a mild acid or something like that to wash the rigs. It could have been that which loosened the tape.

 

[highdesertranger]

what I don't trust about the tape is you are actually attaching to the vehicle paint. I don't trust paint to hold anything beyond small light weight items. highdesertranger

 

[Van-Tramp]

I have three held on the roof of my van with 3M tape. Been there all of 2018 and so far no issues. I do worry about them though. I'd say if you can avoid using only tape, avoid it. If not it can work as long as you keep an eye on it from time to time.

 

[B and C]

I have two 100 watt flexible panels held on with industrial strength velcro. It's still holding up 3 years later. I do look when I wash the van (infrequently).

 

[Matlock]

I'm using 3M VHB dbl sided 1/16" thick super stick foam pads on 4 - 100 watt panels.
I looked for and found which tape to buy and the proper install on the 3M web site.

I need to say, my box van roof is unpainted aluminum and the install instructions asked that the contact surface be clean and scoured with 00 steel wool dipped in alcohol to remove any crud/contaminants/etc. before installation. That's both surfaces. About to end year 3 and everything still looks to be ok as of a couple weeks ago. I don't recall reading anything about what tape to use on a painted surface but do remember seeing it mentioned someplace on the site.

 

[Cammalu]

We went by solar Bobs here in Quartzsite. They have been putting solar on for 45 years they told me. I told them what happened and that the tape came loose after about a year or so and we lost the panels.

They said, “You used the tape?” And nodded their heads. Evidently they had heard the stories before.

They put down dicor then plant the feet in it then put screws and more dicor. They said they haven’t lost any that way yet.

 

[Groovy2]

3M VHB tape will work well if done properly -

The bond area has to be clean and the surface that the area
tape is attached to has to be of good strength -

attaching to poor quality paint job is Not good -

Also there is Tons of FAKE 3M VHB tape online-
I would Not purchase from amazon or similar -

VHB tape should be purchased from a Real 3M distributor
like -- RS Huges -- real VHB tape is expensive but worth it -

pretty much Every bit of VHB tape that comes with products from china
is FAKE and will fail

The difference between Real and Fake VHB tape is Giant -

 

[Cammalu]

Groovy, ours was put on properly and we did used genuine 3m tape.

Still lost two panels.

When I talked to solar bill about it they smiled and nodded. They have seen the tape fail many times.

 

[B and C]

My two 100 watt flexible panels are still on three years later and held on with industrial strength velcro. Mine is stuck to fiberglass. I don't think it would work well on a rubber roof though.

 

[[email protected]]

I used polyurethane adhesive with plastic mounts to hold my two 100W panels on the aluminum roof of my trailer several years ago, they are still firmly attached.

 

[Sam9Fender]

Better update the coverage

 

[mudbunny]

Mine are screwed to pvc blocks that are stuck to the roof of my hightop with 3m 5200. Still holding well but I really prepped both surfaces before I glued them together. Been pretty dormant this year so they haven't gotten much wind resistance in a while.

Sent from my SM-T560NU using Tapatalk

 

[user 423]

I'm wanting to mount a second panel and think I'll use Velcro for part of the install.

My van has a 2' x 4' luggage rack mounted on the fiberglass hightop where a 100W panel is already mounted.

The second panel will mount in front of that with the two rear mounting brackets bolted solidly to the rack.

For the front brackets I'll use the industrial Velcro so I don't have to drill into the fiberglass.

The second panel is an 80W that I had been using as a portable. I got tired of hoisting it in and out and hooking it up, so it will go up on top.