How to remove satellite and solar panels? (1 Viewer)

Mar 21, 2010
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We are about to swap our MH for a new one. How is the best way to remove the satellite and the two solar panels.

ANY ideas who would be willing to fit these to my new van, south west area.

Colyboy
 
D

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If they're Silkaflexed on then I think you need to be using a cheese wire type method - drawing a thin wire very gently under the mountings until they lift off. Leave all the cables in place, you will need to get new ones for your new van.

If they're screwed down then you have to be sure you can make every single screw hole 100% water tight. In that situation I would give very careful consideration to leaving it all in place and investing in new for the new van.

As for refitting you might struggle to find a pro to do it because of the usual issue that they will be unable to warranty your "second hand" kit and they won't want to risk you trying to blame them if any of it fails a month after it's fitted to your new van.
 
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gerry mcg

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are solar panels not usually screwed / bolted onto frames (corner mounts or aluminium brackets)? Yes some are sikaflexed directly to the roof, but are not the majority elevated on mounts to aid cooling?
if so, surely its a case of removing the panel (by unscrewing / unbolting) from the mount and leaving the mount?
otherwise how would you swap out a broken panel?
or am I missing something?
 

Geo

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No your not missing anything
Re fitting was mentioned so it was fair to assume he wanted the brackets as well
Like you I would, if so inclined leave the cables and brackets in place
The Sat system is another matter as that will probably require the cheese cutter
Although personally I would go for the windscreen removal tool HERE cheap as chips
Geo
 

MikeD

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There was recently a post about removing sikaflex from the roof and silicon sealer remover was mentioned as being effective in softening the stuff allowing the cheese wire to cut easier.

http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/sikaflex-removale-tip.141820/

But when we changed our van I took the satellite system out but left the feet in place. They are only around £50 for a new set and I did not want to take a chance of damaging the roof.

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Bobby22

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We are about to swap our MH for a new one. How is the best way to remove the satellite and the two solar panels.

ANY ideas who would be willing to fit these to my new van, south west area.

Colyboy
Ask the dealer you are buying your new van from to do it as part of the trade in........ Worth a try.
 

hilldweller

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Although personally I would go for the windscreen removal tool HERE cheap as chips
Geo

I remember being a bit gobsmacked when we had our screen changed and they had a motorised version, it made light work of the screen glue.
 
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Jan 27, 2013
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No your not missing anything
Re fitting was mentioned so it was fair to assume he wanted the brackets as well
Like you I would, if so inclined leave the cables and brackets in place
The Sat system is another matter as that will probably require the cheese cutter
Although personally I would go for the windscreen removal tool HERE cheap as chips
Geo
Oh my I didn't know they existed. Clever, but I'm not so sure it would have taken the Oyster mounting plate off my roof - I did use sikaflex all over the plate and there wasn't much by way of a gap.
Yes it was overkill on my part :rolleyes:

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magicsurfbus

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I left the solar panel and sat dish on our old MH when we traded it in for a new one. I was just grateful the roof hadn't leaked before we parted with it. The sat dish already sits in a puddle, so why tempt fate by opening up holes? I asked the dealer for a bit more on the trade in value in return for the rooftop kit, and he'll fit any new dish we buy for the new MH free of charge as part of the deal.
 

Kool Kroozer

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Colyboy if i were you i would bite the bullet and leave them be, the damage that you may end up doing to either the panels or your van wont be worth the hassle IMO, it depends on how handy/capable you think your DIY skills are, taking panels off with a cheesewire is unbelievably easy though, but if you do get a cheeswire for the job i would buy a couple at least, my last one snapped half way through the job, you can pick em up for a few £ on Amazon/eBay... Only you can decide on capabilities - I hate to say it but some fellas wont even pick a screwdriver up to do a job, would rather pay someone else £ to do it.. I speak from first hand experience of paying so called experts to do jobs on our van - for instance within the last month our van has had more damage done to it by "experts" than what we have done to it in 12 months of owning it...Been into the main dealer (Renault) and came back with a broken seat handle, it also went into our local Hobby dealer for a hab check, it came back with a broken 240v mains plug flap, a chip on the oven glass, a mark on the cieling and a mark on the Thule awning, plus something else which i cant remember off the top of my head - so called experts !
All i can advise is, if you fitted them you must be capable of taking them off, i certainly wouldnt be paying anyone to do it..

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Bart

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im just after fitting 3 x solar panels to our MH and the brackets are angle aluminium sikaflexed to the roof then the panels screwed to the brackets , so if i ever need to remove them i can just unscrew them from the brackets and get new brackets made for < £30 .
 

Sundowners

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I used piano wire as cheese wire, it worked really well with a drilled dowel at each end for a handle-----------IF I ever do it again I will look for the windscreen kit that Geo mentioned --------it looks really good. I also found that on a hot day (or with a hot air gun/hair dryer) the gunge is softer so easier to cut.
 

Jaws

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Done a fair few complete moves to new vans for folk.. Leave the mounting plate(s) in place..
I know the sat dish plates are a total rip off ( I usually just go to a local ally stockist and get them to cut a bit so I make them myself. Usually well under a tenner ) but solar panel brackets are chip cheap ( :) )
Replacement glands for the cable entries are not expensive either...

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Emmit

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As an aside, but relevant, I've read on french camping car magazines that it is usual in France for the dealer to give 50% of the value of major extras such as satellite dishes and solar panels and the like.

Putting my cynical hat on, does the same apply in the UK?

Just asking as I've not traded a van in.
 

eddie

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As an aside, but relevant, I've read on french camping car magazines that it is usual in France for the dealer to give 50% of the value of major extras such as satellite dishes and solar panels and the like.

Putting my cynical hat on, does the same apply in the UK?

Just asking as I've not traded a van in.
LOL Thats fine, but the dealers normally charge 100% more in the first place

Usual trick is to take the order for the factory fitted "XYZ" at an exuberant price, not order it, fit it themselves, claim it was the "factories error" but we "sorted it" if they get rumbled and pocket the massive difference

Anyone know what the current Concord factory fitted price for a satellite system? £3000? £3500?
 

Emmit

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LOL Thats fine, but the dealers normally charge 100% more in the first place

Usual trick is to take the order for the factory fitted "XYZ" at an exuberant price, not order it, fit it themselves, claim it was the "factories error" but we "sorted it" if they get rumbled and pocket the massive difference

Anyone know what the current Concord factory fitted price for a satellite system? £3000? £3500?

Hi Eddie,

I wasn't so much asking re the outrageous prices on a new 'van (It'll never happen).
I was wondering more for when you trade a 'van in the whistles attached.

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Stretto Boy

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Did you take the wallpaper with you when you last moved house?? :xrofl:

We did and quite liked the distressed effect when we stuck the small pieces back on at the new house. Whether it was worth the effort is another matter. However, I definitely regret stripping the paint off and trying to stick that back on : it really didn't go well.
 

DanielFord

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Strangely I was thinking about this exact same thing the other night, when I couldn't get to sleep.

When we come to sell our van, and get a new one, I was wondering whether I would take out all of the gizmos, or leave them in (obviously increasing the sale price to reflect it).

In the end I decided that what I would do is offer the van for sale, and make it clear to the buyer that all of the gizmos were extra. If they didn't want them, I would remove them, but leave the mountings in place. Not sure what we would do about the aircon unit though, I recently discovered that the old rooflight (which lives in the garage) has had a tonne of stuff put on top of it, and is now smashed. :D

So in conclusion, I would say, leave the mountings in place, the new owners will then find it much easier to add them back if they want to.

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TheBig1

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Did you take the wallpaper with you when you last moved house?? :xrofl:
when my old neighbour moved he took all the light fittings, leaving bare wires sticking out of the ceilings and walls. he took the garden fence that was only replaced just before putting the house up for sale. he even dug up the dead cat so it could be buried in their new garden
they were a very weird and dishonest pair. after they left, the new owner had a succession of debt collection agencies pestering them for forwarding details. They ran a care agency and a garden maintenance companies and dissapeared without telling their workers and paying their last months wages. She even leased a brand new car and didnt pay any of the payments. He also had a job working airside at the local airport and fuelled up all their vehicles for free using the pumps there, then bragged about it

the plan was run up as much debt as possible whilst pocketing the money and move to Spain to retire on their ill gotten cash. Silly thing is before they left England, they moved in with his parents and our postman was doing an extra route and delivered a signed for parcel to him. He told the neighbour the new address and when the police called to arrest the previous owner she gave them his address where he was staying

I know some folk get into financial difficulties, but this was different, as this pair were absolutely loaded and never bought anything cheap.

If he had found a way to take the wallpaper with him, he would of done so
 

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