TampaSteve
2018/2019 Unity CB
The Klipstr method is certainly the standard way to go now. Before you patent it, is that the same as the AM Solar method?
SSTraveler, while its true that once you have the mounts glued to the roof you could likely later make an adapter in the future to accommodate a different panel, I'm a bit on the OCD side and prefer everything with a disconnect plug for drop-in replacement, or, in this case, a rail.
(XR100 Rails - I could call it the "msmolow method" but he never admitted to me whether he invented it or merely copied someone else's install for the most part, as I did)
I struggle with my tendency to over-engineer everything. A few years ago when I built a deck the inspector laughed for several minutes when he saw that I had chosen carriage bolts designed for telephone poles for the ledger board. He told me that in his 30 year career he'd never seen bolts that size on a residential project. You can't even buy them in stores. While this is a harmless vice when building stuff that stays put, at times when doing RV upgrades I have to wrestle with myself not to use a fastener 10 times the size required.
Leaving the old panels on was certainly an option in my case, as LTV put enough tape and glue on them to hold for 30 years, but the thought of those carcasses up there forever was too much to bear.
Oh, and OP, leave the putty knife at home. Get two solid 3-1 tools from Home Depot. They are heavy duty scrapers with a curved blade that really do slice through tape, as long as you are willing to apply about 50 lbs of force. After that I used alcohol, Goo-Gone, and surprisingly, an auto "Spray Detailer" that really worked wonders but left a shiny waxy residue requiring more alcohol to remove.
Thanks to SSTraveler, Klipstr, Msmolow, and many others on this forum that took the time to detail their installation, allowing me to steal some ideas from each...
SSTraveler, while its true that once you have the mounts glued to the roof you could likely later make an adapter in the future to accommodate a different panel, I'm a bit on the OCD side and prefer everything with a disconnect plug for drop-in replacement, or, in this case, a rail.
(XR100 Rails - I could call it the "msmolow method" but he never admitted to me whether he invented it or merely copied someone else's install for the most part, as I did)
I struggle with my tendency to over-engineer everything. A few years ago when I built a deck the inspector laughed for several minutes when he saw that I had chosen carriage bolts designed for telephone poles for the ledger board. He told me that in his 30 year career he'd never seen bolts that size on a residential project. You can't even buy them in stores. While this is a harmless vice when building stuff that stays put, at times when doing RV upgrades I have to wrestle with myself not to use a fastener 10 times the size required.
Leaving the old panels on was certainly an option in my case, as LTV put enough tape and glue on them to hold for 30 years, but the thought of those carcasses up there forever was too much to bear.
Oh, and OP, leave the putty knife at home. Get two solid 3-1 tools from Home Depot. They are heavy duty scrapers with a curved blade that really do slice through tape, as long as you are willing to apply about 50 lbs of force. After that I used alcohol, Goo-Gone, and surprisingly, an auto "Spray Detailer" that really worked wonders but left a shiny waxy residue requiring more alcohol to remove.
Thanks to SSTraveler, Klipstr, Msmolow, and many others on this forum that took the time to detail their installation, allowing me to steal some ideas from each...