Solar RACKS! Yes or no?

BodhiLevi

New member
Ok... I need to get my solar panels mounted, I am at that part of the build... and I cannot commit to a rack!

Have a 2019 144 High roof cargo, two zamp 140 solar panels, max fan in the front. Considered aluminess, but I don't really want their modular and the safari has a 9 week lead time. I am not sure with two solar panels and the max fan, how realistic it is I will ever use the roof for a fun hang out spot... but maybe. I do think I would like it for extra gear.

Thoughts, is your roof a godsend? Do you wish you had saved the 3-5k? Are some roofs better than others?

Thanks in advance!
 

81duck

Active member
Yep, really depends on what you think you'll use it for. I'm putting a box on mine to hold my motorcycle ramps and plan to tie down things I won't have room for inside when carrying my bike inside. If its just to hold a couple solar panels, by all means put the $$$ elsewhere and mount the panels on a couple cross bars.
 

Morrisericd

New member
I just installed the Yakima LocknLoad. I went with the 84x62 on my 2019 4x4 high roof. Very happy with the decision. I have a Yakima 4 fly rod holder up there and will soon mount my LG 335 solar panel. Maxair fan in the rear. I like that there's a good solid platform up there for mounting lights and other accessories. About $1,600 for everything. Easy to assemble and install.
 

Harrison5

Member
Check these racks out, they are fantastic and at a great price. I bolted my solar panels directly to the cross rails and easily made a hole for the maxxair fan as well as a deck.
 

JIB

Well-known member
I used the OEM roof rails and simply bolted up the solar panel to the rails with standoffs. They are about 2.5 inches off the roof at the OEM rail location. No additional structure was added. I didn't see any reason to add a rack, crossbars, etc. Solar panels are sturdy. I may add a wind deflector on the front of the panels, mostly for deflecting branches.

Drilling holes in the solar panel was nerve racking, but like making the hole for the fan, it's not hard, just a little scary.

Jack
 

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BodhiLevi

New member
Check these racks out, they are fantastic and at a great price. I bolted my solar panels directly to the cross rails and easily made a hole for the maxxair fan as well as a deck.
Harrison that is fantastic, just ordered it - the perfect solve. Would love to know how you made your deck!!!
 

Harrison5

Member
Yeah man I was going to just build mine out of 80/20 originally to save 500 or so but for the price and the quality you can not beat it! Plus the side rails look really nice and have plenty of adjustment to add or strap stuff down. I ordered some extra 15/15 bars (80/20) to mount the Solar panels so that i could have extra 15/30 cross rails for the roof rack support. I used angle aluminium with t nuts and bolts to fasten the solar panels to the 15/15 ( i had to tap the ends of the 15/15) bar and I just used exterior wafer self tapping screws to screw the cedar boards to the 15/30 cross rails ( I pre-drilled the holes for the self tapping screws). Im really pleased with the results. My only negative that I would say with the roof rack is the rack is narrower than the factory roof rails. But I believe that is so you can add an awning and it would not stick out. I had to search to to find solar panels that would fit between the rails without sticking out the sides. But really was not that hard to find. The side rail sticks up higher than the deck, which is nice and the solar panels sit flush with the height of the side rails.
 

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gtholden

2005 T1N, 140WB, Low Roof Passenger, ~163K Miles
I just installed the Yakima LocknLoad. I went with the 84x62 on my 2019 4x4 high roof. Very happy with the decision. I have a Yakima 4 fly rod holder up there and will soon mount my LG 335 solar panel. Maxair fan in the rear. I like that there's a good solid platform up there for mounting lights and other accessories. About $1,600 for everything. Easy to assemble and install.
Hi, I'm considering purchasing the LockNLoad in the same size. Do you feel like you can comfortably walk around on the platform, both in terms of weight capacity and the spacing of the slats? Thanks!
 

Morrisericd

New member
I have three feet as the attachment to the van's tracks. I can easily walk around up there with no issues. If you stand on one slat it does bow down a bit, but not like it's going to break. The outside rails are super sturdy and do not flex at all. Highly recommend!
 

IPT

Active member
I just installed the Yakima LocknLoad. I went with the 84x62 on my 2019 4x4 high roof. Very happy with the decision. I have a Yakima 4 fly rod holder up there and will soon mount my LG 335 solar panel. Maxair fan in the rear. I like that there's a good solid platform up there for mounting lights and other accessories. About $1,600 for everything. Easy to assemble and install.

Pics of your set up? Would like to see what ti looks like.
 

IPT

Active member
Check these racks out, they are fantastic and at a great price. I bolted my solar panels directly to the cross rails and easily made a hole for the maxxair fan as well as a deck.
Hm, looks interesting. Though it looks like it's not great for storage, or are there panel you can insert? Nice way to mount the solar and awning though. Pics of your setup?
 

Graphite Dave

Dave Orton
Rack not required if one large high voltage panel is used instead of multiple panels. Just 4 angle feet and 4 holes in the roof. Bolted four 6" long aluminum angles to the existing panel mounting holes to get a vertical surface to bolt to. Then had made 14 ga. 304 SS feet between aluminum angles and the roof. SS feet bent to slightly more than 90 degrees to match roof slope.

Lack of rack is not exactly truthful. Thought "inside the box" and glued four wood stringers under roof inside between the roof supports to stiffen the roof where four bolts are located. Wood might not be required with a Sprinter because Sprinter roof is thicker than the Transit roof.

 

Cs13

New member
I used the OEM roof rails and simply bolted up the solar panel to the rails with standoffs. They are about 2.5 inches off the roof at the OEM rail location. No additional structure was added. I didn't see any reason to add a rack, crossbars, etc. Solar panels are sturdy. I may add a wind deflector on the front of the panels, mostly for deflecting branches.

Drilling holes in the solar panel was nerve racking, but like making the hole for the fan, it's not hard, just a little scary.

Jack
Hi JIB,
I like a solar panel you used. Can you share manufacture?

Thanks
 

aksotar

2017 4x4 144 Cargo
61" long Sunpower X-21 panel, Fiamma F65.... Hein's mounts and crossbars...
I believe 2x Zamps would be 6"+ wider than my Sunpower thus sticking out over the drivers side..4AF2E0E0-A86D-401D-9B10-017C6AEA18CD.jpeg
 

mike183

Member
I purchased Heins DIYvans direct mount brackets which say they works for the renogy 100D panels. Come to find out it seems that renogy's dimensions changed along the way and they are shorted now which wont work with the direct mount brackets. Totally sucks because that would be an easy solution. Now I am forced to sell the panels, return the brackets and totally rethink this. Or go with a roof rack. I do like the flatline van co rack for its cost and simplicity.
 

ENMeyer

Well-known member
So many racks, so many vans, nothing on the racks.....

I just used the aluminum L-brackets that came with the Renogy solar panels. Used VHB tape to secure to the roof. 20,000 miles of driving, rain, snow, gusty winds, still stuck to the roof. Strong as heck.
 

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