Roof reinforcement

[Bakes99]

Watched the Escape YouTube video today and there talk regarding reinforcement of the roof to support an after market solar set up. Was wondering what would be involved in reinforcement of the roof. Is the fiberglass layup thicker or a sheet of wood place between the fibreglass layers?

It seemed that this was suggested and offered by Escape to assist with the extra weight..Had noticed in an earlier video with the same owner that he was able to walk on the roof of his 21. Possible I misunderstood what they were talking about, but would like to have had that as an option when I purchased. Probably adds more weight, I'm sure.

[MarkC]

Originally Posted by Bakes99

Watched the Escape YouTube video today and there talk regarding reinforcement of the roof to support an after market solar set up. Was wondering what would be involved in reinforcement of the roof. Is the fiberglass layup thicker or a sheet of wood place between the fibreglass layers?

It seemed that this was suggested and offered by Escape to assist with the extra weight..Had noticed in an earlier video with the same owner that he was able to walk on the roof of his 21. Possible I misunderstood what they were talking about, but would like to have had that as an option when I purchased. Probably adds more weight, I'm sure.

Which video is this? Just curious how they approach it.

[Bakes99]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7O4CcLHHCtw

[

About 11:10 into the video

[Centex]

Just FYI you can see the interior ceiling framing / construction starting about 05:45 in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi6_KR_n_As

FWIW earlier this year (2021) I was told by my ETI configuration specialist that the ceiling framing / roof reinforcement is built/installed the same for each model whether or not solar or air-conditioning options were ordered as part of the trailer configuration.

[gbaglo]

Re-enforcement for AC used to be an option, but became standard.

[JeffinBC]

Originally Posted by Bakes99

Watched the Escape YouTube video today and there talk regarding reinforcement of the roof to support an after market solar set up. Was wondering what would be involved in reinforcement of the roof. Is the fiberglass layup thicker or a sheet of wood place between the fibreglass layers?

It seemed that this was suggested and offered by Escape to assist with the extra weight..Had noticed in an earlier video with the same owner that he was able to walk on the roof of his 21. Possible I misunderstood what they were talking about, but would like to have had that as an option when I purchased. Probably adds more weight, I'm sure.

I watched that, too. I understand from gbaglo's post that it's standard now. However, I also noticed that Johnny (or someone) was standing on his roof when taking he video of his solar setup. That surprised me as I thought that was a no-no. Interesting.

[Vermilye]

Johnny may well be lighter (and even have bigger feet) than the rest of us. I'd still follow Escape's recommendation that you do not walk on the roof.

[Bakes99]

I'm 220lbs, I'll go up on the roof today and maybe jump around a little and report back. I'll let you know if I land in the kitchen or bathroom, but I'll aim for the bed area. Might be a real cheap 21c in the classifieds next week.

[TahoeJoe]

I'm doing my own aftermarket solar install now, and in my view it is not the load-bearing strength of the roof that is an issue for this purpose, it is the attachment points and methods. Making the roof stronger overall would not necessarily help me...but having some kind of metal or wood joist that I could screw into would. With my standard fiberglass roof I can attach the panels with bolts that would be plenty strong and sufficient...but I have to put them through the ceiling liner and have exposed washers and nuts, which I would then want to cover with insulation to prevent condensation (per ETI's advice). So instead I am (very carefully) using VHB tape to attach them. I would love it if instead there was some metal or wood in between the ceiling liner and the roof that I could use, because I could then simply screw through the roof into that...

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by TahoeJoe

I would love it if instead there was some metal or wood in between the ceiling liner and the roof that I could use, because I could then simply screw through the roof into that...

You could add that (a wooden block, bonded to the inside of the shell), but of course since the trailer is already finished you would need to remove and replace liner. Although the factory reinforcements are held in place with fiberglass, for this purpose it could just be installed with adhesive.

[Centex]

Originally Posted by TahoeJoe

... With my standard fiberglass roof I can attach the panels with bolts that would be plenty strong and sufficient...but I have to put them through the ceiling liner and have exposed washers and nuts, which I would then want to cover with insulation to prevent condensation (per ETI's advice) ...

These considerations are why I'm planning my solar panel dimensions to ensure that the mounts will fall within the area of the overhead compartments.

Though the workspace will be tight, that will allow me to remove headliner and any ceiling panel to expose the inside of the fiberglass shell and then build-up appropriate load-distributing reinforcement for my through-bolts (aka machine screws).

Personally, I would not use a wood screw into an interior wood batten or reinforcement for this purpose even if one were conveniently available - it's through-and-through machine screws with washers and nuts for me.

Unlike the area of ceiling visible between the overhead cabinets, I'm OK with having the insulation and 'patch' covering that added load-distributing reinforcement and hardware inside the OH cabinets where the otherwise objectionable aesthetics are 'acceptable'.

YMMV.