Cleaning under Solar panels? (1 Viewer)

May 7, 2013
845
1,351
RUK
Funster No
25,884
MH
C Class
Exp
On our 2nd MH now a AutoTrail Savannah which we're absolutely delighted with
Hi.
Re-cleaned the MH roof yesterday and was surprised by the amount of dirt that has settled on the roof under the panels. Any clever ideas how to remove this muck given I can't remove the solar panels, and have like most people I think, only 50 mm clearance between panel and roof.
Look forward to your helpful suggestions
Ian
 
Nov 5, 2013
3,065
96,612
Shropshire
Funster No
28,900
MH
Carthago chic e-line
Exp
Since 2013
I use one of these,quite heavy when wet!(y) 2016-08-25-08-27-53--1700812302.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Jan 22, 2013
1,245
58,357
London SE
Funster No
24,385
MH
A class Adria vision I707
Exp
since 1971
that's another good reason for flexible panels bonded to the roof,
pop my head through the roof light and a quick wipe, job done:)

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Nov 3, 2013
3,165
9,290
Portugal
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28,868
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Fiat Ducato Auto Wildax
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C/van since '73 .M/h.2009
I use one of these,quite heavy when wet!(y)View attachment 121390
Hi.
So do i,first wife has not missed it yet....... "I do the dusting,ironing,get meals ready,hoover,sew buttons on and garden,and on our Jolly jaunts out play chauffeur "
"Sorry dearest,i must have been dreaming......":sleep:
Tea Bag
 

magicsurfbus

Free Member
Oct 11, 2010
4,673
10,127
NW England
Funster No
14,057
MH
Bessacarr Coachbuilt
Exp
Since 1997
You can never be sure when Her Majesty's Motorhome Roof Inspectors are going to pounce can you?

I hear rumours that they've started lurking an the stern promenade decks of cross channel ferries taking notes and photos - brushes at the ready Funsters :)

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Minxy

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 22, 2007
32,488
66,008
E Yorks
Funster No
149
MH
Carthago Compactline
Exp
Since 1996, had Elddis/Swift/Rapido/Rimor/Chausson MHs. Autocruise/Globecar PVCs/Compactline i-138
Just to add that the radiator brush can be used for other things to ... I'll let your imaginations run wild on that one! :confused:
 
Sep 16, 2010
2,994
2,848
Bungay Suffolk
Funster No
13,734
MH
Autotrail TrackerEKS
Exp
Since 2010
Did our roof last week.
It reminded me of "dancing on ice" as I got a lot of "wheelspin" up there, even barefoot !!!
Reference doing under the panel, I just let the Fenwicks do its job and rinsed off what came out.
Our neighbours are'nt "country folk" so they just wake up one morning and think, mmmm, I'll have a bonfire today !!
No thought of which way the wind is blowing !!
So I had a lot of black smuts to try and clean off..
Such fun !!
Mitch.

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scotjimland

LIFE MEMBER
Jul 25, 2007
2,077
8,980
Suffolk Coastal District, UK
Funster No
15
MH
Timberland
wash under solar panels..??? having a larff or it's a wind up..

It's a big enough job just washing the roof.. did this a couple of weeks ago..

I wash where I can reach by hand, who cares if it's dirty underneath

now the doom merchants will tell me the roof will rot away :ROFLMAO:
 

FJmike

Free Member
Jul 17, 2014
972
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Swindon
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32,455
MH
A Class
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over ten years
[QUOTE="scotjimland, post: 1992896, member: 15")

now the doom merchants will tell me the roof will rot away :ROFLMAO:[/QUOTE]
Maybe not rot away but major contributer to black streaks

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Aug 27, 2014
1,910
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Shropshire
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33,077
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McLouis Tandy 640+
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Since 2014
I cleaned under mine as part of a roof clean as typically somone had sited the panel exactly where the water ponds on the roof, so the muck underneath under was awful, which ran down the sides of the van when it rained.

Hi tech cleaning tool? A wooden stick with a washing up sponge stapled to the end with a staple gun. Worked a treat! The gunge underneath that came out was truly horrible, several years worth of decayed leaf mould and Lord knows what else!
 
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IanF
May 7, 2013
845
1,351
RUK
Funster No
25,884
MH
C Class
Exp
On our 2nd MH now a AutoTrail Savannah which we're absolutely delighted with
wash under solar panels..??? having a larff or it's a wind up..

It's a big enough job just washing the roof.. did this a couple of weeks ago..

I wash where I can reach by hand, who cares if it's dirty underneath

now the doom merchants will tell me the roof will rot away :ROFLMAO:

My only need to clean under them is because I continually get black streaks running off the roof wasting all my other cleaning efforts
 
Nov 3, 2013
3,165
9,290
Portugal
Funster No
28,868
MH
Fiat Ducato Auto Wildax
Exp
C/van since '73 .M/h.2009
wash under solar panels..??? having a larff or it's a wind up..

It's a big enough job just washing the roof.. did this a couple of weeks ago..

I wash where I can reach by hand, who cares if it's dirty underneath

now the doom merchants will tell me the roof will rot away :ROFLMAO:

"Yourrrr DOOMED...Yourrrrr DOOMED" Yourrrrr Rrrrroof will rrrrot away."Captain Manwarscotjimland" Plus,the Solar panels don't like it UP 'EM!!
Tea Bag:eek:

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Apr 29, 2014
459
253
Warwickshire, UK
Funster No
31,221
MH
Chieftain
Exp
Since 2004
Cleaned my roof yesterday as well and did exactly as you nicked the bosses feather duster did the job great left it in the sun for an hour and she still doesn't know that's until Twin Lakes errrr
 
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OP
IanF
May 7, 2013
845
1,351
RUK
Funster No
25,884
MH
C Class
Exp
On our 2nd MH now a AutoTrail Savannah which we're absolutely delighted with
Got my "radiator brush" now -back on the roof tomorrow-to get it clean before France next week. Thanks for all your kind help and digressions too!
Ian
 

smiffy502000

Free Member
Aug 5, 2012
249
124
sutton coldfield
Funster No
22,284
MH
coach built.
Exp
since 2008
just trim all around the edge of the frame with 45mm flat upvc trimbead, just stick on with sikaflex, neat mastic bead all around edge, now fully sealed onto foof,no more muck underneath. sorted

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Minxy

LIFE MEMBER
Aug 22, 2007
32,488
66,008
E Yorks
Funster No
149
MH
Carthago Compactline
Exp
Since 1996, had Elddis/Swift/Rapido/Rimor/Chausson MHs. Autocruise/Globecar PVCs/Compactline i-138
just trim all around the edge of the frame with 45mm flat upvc trimbead, just stick on with sikaflex, neat mastic bead all around edge, now fully sealed onto foof,no more muck underneath. sorted
Hmmm ... maybe ... but there is a consensus of opinion that rigid solar panels should have an air gap underneath to prevent excessive heat build up and for that to work the heat that gathers there would need to be able to get out ... sealing it all up would prevent it. Whether this is right or wrong I can't say but I've got a semi-flexible panel on our PVC which is stuck down directly onto the roof itself and some people don't like that either! :D
 

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