Fastening Flexible Solar Panels to a trailer-what adhesive to use ?

[[email protected]]

Looking to add solar charging to my trailer by using flexible solar panels.
Would rather not drill through the Aluminum top.
Any experience with adhesives to use ?
Dan

[TravisBrown73[_2_]]

There are no adhesives that I know of that would be road-reliable (read, "Not going to kill someone by having a panel blow off at freeway speed")for any amount of time. You would be opening yourself up to a lot of liability there. I wouldn't even try it.

[Mark Morwood]

On Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at 1:08:59 AM UTC+10, wrote:
> Looking to add solar charging to my trailer by using flexible solar panels.
> Would rather not drill through the Aluminum top.
> Any experience with adhesives to use ?
> Dan

Here are a couple of different approaches used for RV's and caravans:
https://www.solar4rvs.com.au/solar-installation-accessories/adhesive-tapes/
https://www.batterybusiness.com.au/blog/mounting-flexible-solar-panels

[[email protected]]

On Monday, June 10, 2019 at 5:31:54 PM UTC-6, TravisBrown73 wrote:
> There are no adhesives that I know of that would be road-reliable (read, "Not going to kill someone by having a panel blow off at freeway speed")for any amount of time. You would be opening yourself up to a lot of liability there. I wouldn't even try it.

Don't think a trailer mounted solar panel is going to "kill" anyone if it blows off, even at freeway speeds. Think of something like a 18" by 18" piece of corrugated cardboard. It's not like a piece of foam breaking off the Shuttle external tank and hitting at 545 mph (877 kmh).

[[email protected]]

Plus, I can highly recommend 3M VHB tape. I know of several trailer manufacturers that bond entire sheets of aluminum siding to the internal frame using nothing but VHB tape. You cannot separate (peel) a 1"x1" sample piece bonded to two pieces of Mylar using all your strength. Try it. Tough stuff!

[bumper[_4_]]

VHB will work.

I installed four 100 watt panels on my motorhome using polyurethane caulk to mount 1-1/2" aluminum angle on the short dimension. Panels are bolted to that so there is no roof penetration. That was 13 years ago and they are still solid.

Used the same method for mounting a panel on my Cobra aluminum top. Note this is a rigid, glass glazed panel which would be exposed to far more stress than a flexible panel. The mount is quite permanent, so I prefer not to mount the panel directly in case it needs to be replaced at some point.

[[email protected]]

Bumper,
On the Cobra trailer, what did you do with the wires coming out of the panel ?
Dan
On Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at 10:57:33 AM UTC-4, bumper wrote:
> VHB will work.
>
> I installed four 100 watt panels on my motorhome using polyurethane caulk to mount 1-1/2" aluminum angle on the short dimension. Panels are bolted to that so there is no roof penetration. That was 13 years ago and they are still solid.
>
> Used the same method for mounting a panel on my Cobra aluminum top. Note this is a rigid, glass glazed panel which would be exposed to far more stress than a flexible panel. The mount is quite permanent, so I prefer not to mount the panel directly in case it needs to be replaced at some point.

[[email protected]]

Thank you all for the great advice.
Looks like 3M VHB #4991 is the way to go. Also, I was advised to add a twinwall polycarbonate pieces undeneath the panel, to keep the panel cool.
On Monday, June 10, 2019 at 11:08:59 AM UTC-4, wrote:
> Looking to add solar charging to my trailer by using flexible solar panels.
> Would rather not drill through the Aluminum top.
> Any experience with adhesives to use ?
> Dan

[Papa3[_2_]]

On Monday, June 10, 2019 at 7:31:54 PM UTC-4, TravisBrown73 wrote:
> There are no adhesives that I know of that would be road-reliable (read, "Not going to kill someone by having a panel blow off at freeway speed")for any amount of time. You would be opening yourself up to a lot of liability there. I wouldn't even try it.

Spaceships and aircraft yes. Trailer at highway speeds, no?? :-)

There's a whole world of adhesives out there that don't come from Home Depot...

https://www.masterbond.com/industries/structural-adhesives-aerospace-industry

Above is tongue-in-cheek. As others have said, 3M VHB is widely available and has peel strengths way in excess of any mechanical or aerodynamic load you could put on the panels.

P3

[[email protected]]

Should the paint be stripped off of the surface before using the adhesive? I've seen very impressive adhesive mounts fail - not due to issues with the adhesive but with the paint that the adhesive was sitting upon debonding from the base metal. I assume that would be in play in this scenario as well, no?

Robert

On Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at 11:35:24 AM UTC-5, Papa3 wrote:
> On Monday, June 10, 2019 at 7:31:54 PM UTC-4, TravisBrown73 wrote:
> > There are no adhesives that I know of that would be road-reliable (read, "Not going to kill someone by having a panel blow off at freeway speed")for any amount of time. You would be opening yourself up to a lot of liability there. I wouldn't even try it.
>
> Spaceships and aircraft yes. Trailer at highway speeds, no?? :-)
>
> There's a whole world of adhesives out there that don't come from Home Depot...
>
> https://www.masterbond.com/industries/structural-adhesives-aerospace-industry
>
> Above is tongue-in-cheek. As others have said, 3M VHB is widely available and has peel strengths way in excess of any mechanical or aerodynamic load you could put on the panels.
>
> P3

[RR]

On Monday, June 10, 2019 at 11:08:59 AM UTC-4, wrote:
> Looking to add solar charging to my trailer by using flexible solar panels.
> Would rather not drill through the Aluminum top.
> Any experience with adhesives to use ?
> Dan

I have this very setup, and I used the VHB tape, but I just could not trust it so I also attached it with screws as well (belt and braces as the english say). I am a "firm" believer in adhesives, but it just seemed that if the leading edge got loose it would have a lot of peel and lift generated to help remove it, or even just enough to fold it back on itself and damage the panel. I made small mounting "washers" that fit in the grommets of the flex panel and sealed them with rtv when I bolted everything together. I was going to put two much bigger holes in for the wires to the panel, so what the hey...

Anyway it works great, no leaks, and the "trailer battery" is always full and ready to charge the glider batteries that cant come out (ASH 31)

Rick

[John Wells]

Interesting. Has anyone used such a setup to power a (small) dehumidifier over the winter?

Surprised people charge their batteries in their trailer... any worries about fire?