How to mount solar panels to Adrian Steel utility rack?

[gwave]

Here is an example of the rack I am trying to work with: https://www.adriansteel.com/item/cargo-vans/2039/3BARRFT-W

I have the rack because it came on the van when I purchased it.

I'm wondering how to go about securing solar panels to these? 

I am thinking I can run rails across the gaps to bolt my panels on, but I don't know how I would attach the rails. Example of the rails: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbil...in-Zinc-Plated-Slotted-Angle-800517/204225758

The Adrian Steel rack tubes are probably 2" thick top to bottom. Do I drill through the rack tubes and secure the above rails with nuts and bolts? Something else? Am I better off trying to sell this rack and getting something more basic? I'd like to avoid the latter.

Thanks

 

[MrNoodly]

Drill through them, paint the holes to prevent rust, use nuts ( the kind with the plastic inserts that prevent accidental loosening) and bolts.

Judging from the picture, it looks like the middle crossbar can be positioned in different places. There night be a spot that puts it close enough to an end crossbar that you can bolt the panel(s) directly to them without any other rails.

 

[Gypsy Freedom]

not sure what panels you will be mounting, so i dont know the bolts holes that they will have or their location. keep in mind, most if not all panel manufactures will not honor a warranty on a panel if you have drilled new mounting holes. so it might be good to make sure you use the existing holes. most panels have holes only on the back side, so an angle rail like you posted wont easily work for you.

the rack you linked to is an aluminum rack so no need to paint any holes, aluminum does not rust. one way i would go about mounting panels to that rack would be to get a couple strips of aluminum flat bar, say 2 inch by 3/16 or 1/4 inch thick. bolt that to the rack and bolt the panels to the aluminum flat bar.

when bolting to the tubing of the rack. be careful and mindful of how thick the material is. if the walls of the tubing are on the thin side, you could crush the tubing if you through bolt the flat bar. hopefully the wall is thick enough to hold up to the clamping pressure and not crush when you tighten the bolts. if the panel lays right on the flat bar, the bolt heads may be in the way so you might need to use a spacer to hold the panel just a bit higher than the bolt heads

 

[MrNoodly]

...most panels have holes only on the back side, so an angle rail like you posted wont easily work for you.

It can easily work with short bolts, like 1/2" long. Drop them through the panel lip into the holes in the angle rail.

 

[gwave]

Thank you, appreciate the response

Mine doesn't have the track so it's secured to the fixed points from the factory.

 

[Gypsy Freedom]

It can easily work with short bolts, like 1/2" long. Drop them through the panel lip into the holes in the angle rail.

from the OP's link, it seams the existing rails of the rack run side to side. i took the OP to be mounting the new rails front to back, bridging between the existing cross rails. perhaps i was mistaken,. maybe the OP could provide a bit more info on the size and orientation of the panels. i think the existing rack will work fine to mount some panels under many possible scenarios

i am just thinking if you bolt the angle rails to the panels with the short bolts like you said, then the other leg of the angle will be 90 degrees to the bottom of the panel, they would not line up to bolt to anything other than the vertical posts. a flat bar would line up, both with the back of the panel and the cross rails on the rack.

also, since the rack is aluminum, going with aluminum rails will forgo future rust problems. that entire angle rail would have to be painted to match and protect it from rust.

 

[gwave]

from the OP's link, it seams the existing rails of the rack run side to side. i took the OP to be mounting the new rails front to back, bridging between the existing cross rails. perhaps i was mistaken,. maybe the OP could provide a bit more info on the size and orientation of the panels. i think the existing rack will work fine to mount some panels under many possible scenarios  

i am just thinking if you bolt the angle rails to the panels with the short bolts like you said, then the other leg of the angle will be 90 degrees to the bottom of the panel, they would not line up to bolt to anything other than the vertical posts. a flat bar would line up, both with the back of the panel and the cross rails on the rack.

also, since the rack is aluminum, going with aluminum rails will forgo future rust problems. that entire angle rail would have to be painted to match and protect it from rust.

Good info all around! I hadn't considered flat rail, I will look into that and figure out how to attach the panels through their mounting holes so I don't have to make my own. I was hoping not to anyway.

It's a renogy 160w panel. Dimensions: 58.3X 26.5 X 1.4 In. I want to mount it width-wise, from side to side across the back and I'll probably get a second one. The angle rails or flat rails will have to hang over the roof rails, which is fine I think. I could mount either way, but my preference is width.

 

[MrNoodly]

i am just thinking if you bolt the angle rails to the panels with the short bolts like you said, then the other leg of the angle will be 90 degrees to the bottom of the panel, they would not line up to bolt to anything other than the vertical posts.

The way I've seen it done: 

<a href="https://ibb.co/D5wDwR4"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/m6hChcJ/Untitled-2.jpg" alt="Untitled-2" border="0" /></a>