solar panel (1 Viewer)

xjrchris

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Apr 17, 2012
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hi im thinking of fitting a solar panel on my swift gazelle ,i have looked though the post on here and not sure what to get ? i have looked at this
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what do you think ? is it good buy ? thanks chris
 
May 21, 2008
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Dave Newell's offer for funsters at Newark Show looks very good value... see his thread.

Catherine
 

magicsurfbus

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Oct 11, 2010
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I notice that it's Polycrystalline. Monocrystalline are generally held to be more efficient, though more costly as a consequence.

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xjrchris

xjrchris

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Apr 17, 2012
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i cant understand why people pay £360 when you can buy a 100w panel for £100 and fit it yourself ? am i missing something ?
 

haganap

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Dec 5, 2007
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I'm an oldbie MH number 9
i cant understand why people pay £360 when you can buy a 100w panel for £100 and fit it yourself ? am i missing something ?

No Chris your not, unless like Vienesse you can't.

I have fitted my own and then moved it from van to van with it now being on it's 3rd van. If your are reasonably competent at DIY, dont mind getting on a roof and drilling a hole in your roof then it's not rocket science. Can be a bit fiddly from time to time but nothing more.

Unfortunately I can not see the link to your potential purchase as Im at work and ebay is banned :Sad: so can't comment on it's quality.

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Wildman

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May 30, 2008
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the panel shown is glass and very heavy, the monocrystaline panels are a fraction of the weight and also work better in low light situations (i.e. the UK)
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aba

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Oct 27, 2009
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pound per pound you would be better getting an 80 watt panel as they tend to work out cheaper per watt than most other panels and are only marginally less output than 100 watt panels in real life situations

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Feb 16, 2013
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the panel shown is glass and very heavy, the monocrystaline panels are a fraction of the weight and also work better in low light situations (i.e. the UK)
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This bloke at Stafford is a genuine guy , I have dealt with him and can fully recomend him
 

cmcardle75

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Jun 8, 2012
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hi im thinking of fitting a solar panel on my swift gazelle ,i have looked though the post on here and not sure what to get ? i have looked at this
Link Removed
what do you think ? is it good buy ? thanks chris

Personally, I'm going to go semi-flexible. Much easier to fit (just glue it down), and lighter. A bit more money, but no horrendously so. 100W for about £170.
 

Techno

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the panel shown is glass and very heavy, the monocrystaline panels are a fraction of the weight and also work better in low light situations (i.e. the UK)
Link Removed

I'm not sure what your'e getting at Roger? they're both glass and both heavy. Polycristaline panels just require more surface area watt for watt. I've got one of those poly's here that I bought for £60 delivered purely to evaluate it and had it in the Sun today giving just over 4 amps with a modest load applied to the battery.
If anyone local wants one (panel only) they can collect it here for what I paid.

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Techno

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pound per pound you would be better getting an 80 watt panel as they tend to work out cheaper per watt than most other panels and are only marginally less output than 100 watt panels in real life situations

Not so anymore Andy there are plenty of 100 watt units at similar prices now and without being any physically bigger.
 

duane0001

Free Member
Jan 18, 2013
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HAGANAP
To get ebay on your work pc just copy the link and put an s after http then its secure and the work system won't know to stop it

Used it all the time for facebook and ebay at Menzies,
SShhh
Dont tell them
 
Jun 17, 2012
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I went this path. Fitted myself. 170 watts. £155.80 with 20 amp MPPT controller.
http://www.bimblesolar.com/

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Apr 22, 2013
911
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Since 2011
Apr 29, 2012
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1990 Gulfstream RV
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30yrs
Mine is a 250w house type one, but it does require a fair bit of roof space. Cost just under £200 from ebay delivered, and ebay again for the controller, 30 amp for under £30. Having being in the body shop business most of my life, I know there is nothing sticks better than sikoflex. The motorhome had one fitted before us, and fastened the same way, and had been removed with a hot knife or a cheese wire. Obviously they had paid a lot more money for it, as I wouldnt bother to remove it if I was selling the RV. As usual, if you want to see how to fit one, go to youtube.
 
Jan 28, 2008
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Renalt burstner
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7 years campers before that
only thing missing from that kit is mounting brackets so price in another 10/20 pounds dont worry about the panels being mono or poly theres not a lot of diffence in size and weight is neglible and 100 watts is one hundred watts

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Jun 17, 2012
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Hi would you care to tell us something about your fixing method.
From the photo it looks like Biard corner mounts.
Did you also consider their side mounts, or didn't you think it necessary?
www.amazon.co.uk/Biard-Solar-Mounting-Brackets-Caravan/dp/B008F00DJ0

What adhesive did you use? any primer?

Many thanks
Gordon

I just preferred the corner mounts, those side ones you indicate are only 180mm long.
Used stainless steel screws and washers and screwed through the corner mounts into the aluminium frame.
Used Sikaflex 512 to hold to roof. I had marked out the area where the mounts would sit and used very fine wet and dry to ensure a clean area on the roof. A liberal layer was appied to each mount prior to fixing having attached the cables first ! ! Entry box is also Biard and is sealed/adhered with Sikaflex 512.
Care was taken to ensure roof was drilled so that cables arrived in the MH inside the cupboards and was able to drop through the back of floor cupboards.
The cross member on the roof is dead fit to hold panel down (as if it needs it) and back cross member not shown in photo does the same.
 

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Apr 22, 2013
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Bailey Approach 625
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Since 2011
Larby,

Thanks for the reply, it was very useful.
The side mounts I mentioned are designed to be used in addition to the corner mounts not instead of. I wanted your opinion on whether such intermediate supports are necessary?

The other question I need to resolve is the use of Sikaflex 512 verses Sikaflex 252.

Gordon
 
Jun 17, 2012
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Larby,

Thanks for the reply, it was very useful.
The side mounts I mentioned are designed to be used in addition to the corner mounts not instead of. I wanted your opinion on whether such intermediate supports are necessary?

The other question I need to resolve is the use of Sikaflex 512 verses Sikaflex 252.

Gordon

I am not in a position to give advice. I can only share with you what I did. I felt from information I had gleaned that 4 corner mounts were sufficient (but I may be wrong?)
I have no idea of the difference in 512 and 252. I just took on board what seemed to be the most talked about

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hilldweller

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Dec 5, 2008
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Personally, I'm going to go semi-flexible. Much easier to fit (just glue it down), and lighter. A bit more money, but no horrendously so. 100W for about £170.


"Just glue it down"

And there's the problem. A 100W panel is under 20% efficient so by gluing down you'll be feeding 500W+ into the roof. The roof gets hot the panel gets hot and so less efficient.

That's why I'm using the cheaper conventional, just in case.
 

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