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Old 08-05-2015, 11:02 AM   #301
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Here is the kit we got for the 95 watt panel. Note that Reace sent 8 of the small bolts and caps and then realized that one side of our panel had to bolt in over the bathroom. So he sent the two bolts with a rubber sheath to install (from the roof down) into the space between the roof and the bathroom ceiling. The rubber is supposed to scrunch up as the bolt is tightened...kind of like a alternate version of a molly bolt for drywall.
We had the work done yesterday and are picking up the trailer this afternoon...will post pictures.
We already know there was a problem. The bolts for the non-bathroom side (curbside) were not long enough so the shop used longer bolts of their own and put them in from the roof down (wrong) That meant the snap caps could not be used. They tried to glue the caps on but the bolts were too long so they drilled out holes in the center of the caps...looked really ugly in the trailer. We asked them to redo it with their bolts but inserting them UP through the ceiling, not DOWN from the bracket and put the snap caps receiver and caps on (glad we had the extras) Not sure how it will turn out. We might have made it worse. It did tear the headliner some. Lots of angst.
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Replacement Bolting Kit.jpg  
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Old 08-05-2015, 11:40 AM   #302
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Originally Posted by FMLNM View Post
Here is the kit we got for the 95 watt panel. Note that Reace sent 8 of the small bolts and caps and then realized that one side of our panel had to bolt in over the bathroom. So he sent the two bolts with a rubber sheath to install (from the roof down) into the space between the roof and the bathroom ceiling. The rubber is supposed to scrunch up as the bolt is tightened...kind of like a alternate version of a molly bolt for drywall.
We had the work done yesterday and are picking up the trailer this afternoon...will post pictures.
We already know there was a problem. The bolts for the non-bathroom side (curbside) were not long enough so the shop used longer bolts of their own and put them in from the roof down (wrong) That meant the snap caps could not be used. They tried to glue the caps on but the bolts were too long so they drilled out holes in the center of the caps...looked really ugly in the trailer. We asked them to redo it with their bolts but inserting them UP through the ceiling, not DOWN from the bracket and put the snap caps receiver and caps on (glad we had the extras) Not sure how it will turn out. We might have made it worse. It did tear the headliner some. Lots of angst.
The instructions we received with the mounting kit were very poor. The promised instructions and or video from ETI was never posted . Maybe the screws that were provided were intended to be installed from the inside of the trailer and the nuts outside on the brackets ? From the instructions and hardware provided I surmised that 1 self taping bolt thru the panel and 2 screws thru the roof per bracket for the 19. Four brackets and 8 holes per panel !
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Old 08-05-2015, 11:46 AM   #303
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The instructions we received with the mounting kit were very poor. The promised instructions and or video was never posted . Maybe the screws that were provided were intended to be installed from the inside of the trailer and the nuts outside on the brackets ?
Absolutely, they were supposed to go from inside the trailer up through the roof and through the brackets. We thought we had made that clear to the shop guys. Not sure if they actually understood that but in any event they said the bolts were too short (didn't call us to check) and when they put THEIR bolts in they did it from the roof down....thus the issue with the caps. I provided my own detailed instructions but.....
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Old 08-05-2015, 11:58 AM   #304
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IF, in the future you seeing the original panel mount lifting from the fiberglass will this new mount be adequate? Or what would you do then?
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Old 08-05-2015, 12:10 PM   #305
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IF, in the future you seeing the original panel mount lifting from the fiberglass will this new mount be adequate? Or what would you do then?
Ours was the panel that flew off and started this thread...so the original panel mount is somewhere in the plains of southern Colorado....

The natural next question would be, if this panel comes loose, then what? I don't have an answer for that. Reace said this is stronger than the railing system was...
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Old 08-05-2015, 12:57 PM   #306
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I've had a few phone conversations about mounting solar panels on Fiberglass trailers with the folks at AM solar in Oregon . They have been using 3M tape for sometime now to mount their panels. They claim to have no reported failures of any kind using the 3m tape. I Don't know the number of panels they have installed, but there first available reservation for an install from today is mid October, with two rigs being worked on at once.
Reese told me the curved roof of an Escape creates more air space under the panel than the flat roof of most RV's and a better system than 3m tape is needed.

They stress the importance of surface condition, prep and proper temputure and cure time for the tape, No freeway speeds for 3 days.
I know Escape used the tape at one time, but I don't know therethe results, probably not good because they don't use it anymore.

I wonder if other solar install company's have had sucsess with 3m tape or other bonding methods ?
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Old 08-05-2015, 02:41 PM   #307
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Absolutely, they were supposed to go from inside the trailer up through the roof and through the brackets. We thought we had made that clear to the shop guys. Not sure if they actually understood that but in any event they said the bolts were too short (didn't call us to check) and when they put THEIR bolts in they did it from the roof down....thus the issue with the caps. I provided my own detailed instructions but.....
Would have been good to know the screw orientation and described in the vague instructions . Hopefully this information will help others with the installation.
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Old 08-05-2015, 03:37 PM   #308
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[QUOTE=shrncnddck;102463]We installed the fix kit on our rear panel yesterday. It was relatively easy, although we now have a button-tufted ceiling over our dining area.

In our case, the epoxy stayed safely bonded to the fiberglass. It separated cleanly from the aluminum square tubing instead. The failure in our case seemed to be a warped panel. one corner naturally sat a half inch above the roof and required a good five pounds of pressure to push it down. We readjusted the support bolts before installing the fix kit.
Now we're waiting for the cable kit for the forward panel, which has
Pictures of the button tufted ceiling please !
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Old 08-05-2015, 03:49 PM   #309
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Originally Posted by FMLNM View Post
Ours was the panel that flew off and started this thread...so the original panel mount is somewhere in the plains of southern Colorado....

The natural next question would be, if this panel comes loose, then what? I don't have an answer for that. Reace said this is stronger than the railing system was...

Hello Fran and Dave .... I have been wondering about your panel that came off. Was it a retro fit or was it an original installation when your trailer was new? Thanks, Tom
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Old 08-05-2015, 04:37 PM   #310
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Hello Fran and Dave .... I have been wondering about your panel that came off. Was it a retro fit or was it an original installation when your trailer was new? Thanks, Tom
It was a retrofit in the summer of 2013 when we purchased it from the original owner through ETI.
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Old 08-05-2015, 04:52 PM   #311
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Panel replaced and bolted on

OK, so we picked up our trailer today after having the replacement solar panel that Reace sent installed on our 2008 5.0 Classic.
There was a glitch with the bolts...on the curbside, the shop put them in from the roof down instead of the inside ceiling up so of course the button caps could not be put on. I earlier reported that the bolts were too short and the shop used their own but that was erroneous info the shop manager gave me. The bolts Reace sent were fine...just installed backwards. We had them take the bolts out and reverse them so the caps could be used. But they had ruined several caps the first time around so we'll need to get more from Reace. On the driver's side, the panel gets bolted in over the bathroom, so Reace sent special bolts to go in from the roof into the empty space between the trailer roof and the bathroom ceiling. That was specific to the 5.0 Classic because of the location of the bathroom and the solar panel.

On one set of bolts inside on the curbside, the tightening of the bolts pulled the headliner away from the curve and made a small tear in the headliner. Not sure what to repair that with. The other set of bolts on the curbside seem ok...at least no damage.

The panel seems to be closer to the trailer roof than it was when it was mounted on the rails but I can't be sure.

So now we wait and see.
Photos will be in several posts....these are the panel overview from the roadside of the trailer with closeups on the brackets.
Attached Thumbnails
Panel and cabling Overview post install.jpg   Roadside bracket closeup 1 post install.jpg   Roadside bracket closeup 2 post install.jpg   Roadside brackets overview post install.jpg  
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Old 08-05-2015, 04:55 PM   #312
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Panels replaced andbolted on

Photos of the curbside .... outside. And the replacement of the grommet which broke when the panel blew off.
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Curbside brackets overview post install.jpg   Curbside bracket closeup post install.jpg   Grommet inside post install.jpg   Grommet outside post install.jpg  
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Old 08-05-2015, 04:57 PM   #313
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Panel replaced and bolted on

Interior photos...self explanatory....
Attached Thumbnails
Inside ceiling overview post install.jpg   inside ceiling closeup post install 1.jpg   inside ceiling closeup post install 2.jpg  
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Old 08-05-2015, 05:25 PM   #314
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"Escaping Reality" is at ETI right now for them to do the retro fit and I'm glad I didn't try it myself. I'm one who can measure twice and still get it wrong. She's having a couple other mods being done so this was a good time for them to do it.
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Old 08-05-2015, 05:48 PM   #315
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Talking Installation a Success

So I installed the brackets two weekends ago. Then went travelling.
This installation was a success. A phone call from Reese gave me all the information I needed.
My wife helped me with the insertion of the screws from the ceiling up and I installed the Goop, the Bracket and the lock nuts on the top of the trailer.
One modification I did make, was to replace the self Tapping screws that was sent to mount the bracket to the panel with stainless bolts and locknuts with a fender washer on the inside of the panel to distribute the pressure a little.
In my former years I was an aircraft mechanic, so this installation was a piece of cake.
I must say though, the first hole I drilled through the roof gave me some goose bumps....but after that everything went smoothly.
Took me about an hour, most of that time was measuring and double checking my measurements to make sure I wasn't going to screw things up.
I have an escape 13 so all the measurements was individual. Reece was very helpful and told me what to look out for, (corner supports) in the roof.
Anyway, thanks to ETI for their help and quick shipping as I was on a deadline to go travelling.
So Far, So Good, no problems and I'm feeling a lot more comfortable driving now, since reading about the initial post that started this discussion.
Greg.
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Old 08-05-2015, 05:50 PM   #316
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I wonder if other solar install company's have had sucsess with 3m tape or other bonding methods ?
From my point of view even a very high degree of success with only a very small chance of failure is unacceptable. The consequences of failure could be horrible. Can you imagine something that size and weight, with hard sharp square corners and edges, going back into someone's windshield at highway speeds. If my panel did that to someone I'd be sick about it.

So a few bolts through the roof seems like a small price to pay. If I add a second panel I'll certainly be through bolting it.

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Old 08-05-2015, 05:59 PM   #317
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Is the 5.0 Classic based on the 17' body ?
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Old 08-05-2015, 07:12 PM   #318
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Is the 5.0 Classic based on the 17' body ?
I don't know...someone with better knowledge of Escape history and evolution will need to weigh in on that one.
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Old 08-05-2015, 07:59 PM   #319
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I think so-the same narrow body....
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Old 08-05-2015, 09:09 PM   #320
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I really don't like the look of bolts installed through the headliner. And possible future leaks is another concern for me. I can't help but wonder if another "no new holes" solution may be to fasten the solar panel ( in my 19' ) at the same locations as the MaxFan in the front of the panel, and at the location of the A/C shroud at the rear of the panel. I think I may take a closer look on the roof of my Escape when I get a chance.
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