sprint2freedom
2008 NCV3 170ext
As others have mentioned, consider the weight of snow.. around 1.25 to 1.5 lb per inch deposited per square foot of roof area. Four inches of snow on your 46 sqft of panels would thus weigh 230 to 276 lbs.I'm so thankful that it's not the 170EXT. Would have been properly hosed. Wondering if the gaps underneath won't be a plus. I have no intention of putting any weight on it. As long as I get them tight onto the ribs hopefully it will work? I saw someone do that recently. Granted it's on a Transit but same idea: https://www.instagram.com/p/BG7COBSHIYB/?taken-by=gratefulpursuit
The Transit appears to have flat roof ribs. The ribs on a Sprinter roof are domed so the contact patch would be smaller and uneven..
An air gap underneath is a plus for shading the van in the summertime, however flexible panels will only have a gap above where there are channels in the roof. Where there is direct contact between the roof and the panels, you'll have thermal bridging that conducts the heat directly into the van. Framed panels will provide better shading.
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