SomebodyInGNV
New Member
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2020
- Messages
- 183
I mounted 4 Newpowa solar panels on the roof of my travel trailer using these Renogy Z-brackets (Amazon). I attached them to the panels first, then screwed those to the plywood roof using rivet nuts, waterproofing those with self-leveling sealant. The result is close to the roof with the attachment screws being under roof sealant or hidden inside the frame of the panel. I can disconnect the panels by reaching under them but, if I do, I can't reattach them without scraping off the sealant and doing that again. That makes cleaning the roof membrane impractical.
Unrelated to that, I moved some hardware around on the roof and now have room to rearrange the panels to use the roof space more efficiently. I'm considering moving one panel from the center to the edge, where the outboard side will be secured with screws going into the 1" square aluminum tubing that forms the frame of the roof. The inboard side will use rivet nuts.
If I move the panel, I want to use a different bracket that I can remove and replace without disturbing the roof sealant. Can anyone suggest an inexpensive alternative? Being hinged would be nice, so I can clean under them, but I have no plans to use the hinge to tilt the panels toward the sun. I consider them fixed. My use of the hinges would be for accessibility, only.
Thanks in advance for suggestions.
Edit: if the brackets involve mounting rails, the rails have to be parallel to the frame, not perpendicular. That's because the panels are mounted with their length parallel to the roof frame they're attached to.
Unrelated to that, I moved some hardware around on the roof and now have room to rearrange the panels to use the roof space more efficiently. I'm considering moving one panel from the center to the edge, where the outboard side will be secured with screws going into the 1" square aluminum tubing that forms the frame of the roof. The inboard side will use rivet nuts.
If I move the panel, I want to use a different bracket that I can remove and replace without disturbing the roof sealant. Can anyone suggest an inexpensive alternative? Being hinged would be nice, so I can clean under them, but I have no plans to use the hinge to tilt the panels toward the sun. I consider them fixed. My use of the hinges would be for accessibility, only.
Thanks in advance for suggestions.
Edit: if the brackets involve mounting rails, the rails have to be parallel to the frame, not perpendicular. That's because the panels are mounted with their length parallel to the roof frame they're attached to.
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