Solar Installation

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Jim did add his own inverter, but after all the work seems to have regretted not having Escape do it during the build.

Yep, for sure. After researching performance and cost, I ended up deciding on what Escape installs, though prices would have saved me nothing. Reace came through with a better price for me, so for a bunch of hours of work I saved less than $150 on the Escape price and really got no better system.

[Duer]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Yep, for sure. After researching performance and cost, I ended up deciding on what Escape installs, though prices would have saved me nothing. Reace came through with a better price for me, so for a bunch of hours of work I saved less than $150 on the Escape price and really got no better system.

Jim, I see that you did not put any holes in your roof during your well illustrated solar install. I have a question about the ETI factory solar option. Do you know if ETI uses the no hole install method?

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Duer

Jim, I see that you did not put any holes in your roof during your well illustrated solar install. I have a question about the ETI factory solar option. Do you know if ETI uses the no hole install method?

They did in the past, but currently use bolts through the roof.

[Duer]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

They did in the past, but currently use bolts through the roof.

Jon,

In your experience have the drilled holes caused any water infiltration issues for you?

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Duer

Jim, I see that you did not put any holes in your roof during your well illustrated solar install. I have a question about the ETI factory solar option. Do you know if ETI uses the no hole install method?

Jon answered the question, but I did drill the roof to install the cable entry.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Duer

Jon,

In your experience have the drilled holes caused any water infiltration issues for you?

Some day I'm going to count the number of holes that ETI puts in the shell. Oh wait, that's way more than the number of toes and fingers that I have.

You'd probably be shocked at how many holes are already in the trailer shell. Holes aren't a problem unless they're not sealed up. But that's pretty easy to do and I'd never not drill a hole if it was needed for a mod.

For my previous solar and my upcoming new trailer solar I just drop the wires down the fridge vent cavity.

Ron

[Duer]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Job answered the question, but I did drill the roof to install the cable entry.

Jim,

In your opinion would your epoxy install system and having ETI pre-wire for solar be a reasonable approach if one wasn’t sure they wanted solar out of the gate?

[gbaglo]

I did count them once, but I can't remember how many there are. Can't be many since Escape doesn't use rivets through the shell anywhere.
Maybe I ran out of fingers and toes.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Duer

Jim,



In your opinion would your epoxy install system and having ETI pre-wire for solar be a reasonable approach if one wasn’t sure they wanted solar out of the gate?

I used tape, not epoxy. You could get Escape to install the entry plate and cable to near the battery, then install the rest later. You could install it yourself as well, it just takes a bit of effort.

Now having installed solar for the first time on a trailer, I would never want to go without it as we find it very, very handy as we camp off-grid more than with hookups.

[Duer]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

I used tape, not epoxy. You could get Escape to install the entry plate and cable to near the battery, then install the rest later. You could install it yourself as well, it just takes a bit of effort.

Now having installed solar for the first time on a trailer, I would never want to go without it as we find it very, very handy as we camp off-grid more than with hookups.

Basically, reading between the lines. I’m hearing from the experienced campers that the solar add on is worth every dollar. That’s good to know and as in most cases a factory install is the best and easiest way to go.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Duer

Jon,

In your experience have the drilled holes caused any water infiltration issues for you?

Like any sealed penetration of the trailer, one needs to check & redo if necessary, but the amount of self leveling ProFlex over the bolts is enough that I see no sign of leakage (and I have 2 panels).

[Rossue]

Originally Posted by Duer

Jim, I see that you did not put any holes in your roof during your well illustrated solar install. I have a question about the ETI factory solar option. Do you know if ETI uses the no hole install method?

They may run the cable down the fridge vent, yet they will be drilling holes for the panel mount feet. In the past they used VHB tape as does AM Solar in Oregon, yet after reports of a handful of panels flying off Escape decided a bolt through the roof would eliminate any risk for them. AM Solar still uses VHB tape and claims to have never had a panel fly off. When ETI sent me a retrofit kit with the bolts around 2015 I decided to instead copy AM Solar's installation method and it is still up there 5 years and 60K miles later.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I did count them once, but I can't remember how many there are. Can't be many since Escape doesn't use rivets through the shell anywhere.
Maybe I ran out of fingers and toes.

Well it's probably way less than your lifetime count of beer bottles but way more than your number of fingers and toes.

Ron

[gbaglo]

I think that there were 24 rivets and six bolts holding the awning on. One of the fridge vents has about 24 rivets. A dozen large holes for water heater, water fill, outdoor shower.
If it ever stops raining, I'll do a count.

Meantime, it's dry inside.

[Rossue]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I think that there were 24 rivets and six bolts holding the awning on. One of the fridge vents has about 24 rivets. A dozen large holes for water heater, water fill, outdoor shower.
If it ever stops raining, I'll do a count.

Meantime, it's dry inside.

Aren't those rivets_bolts on a vertical wall vs a horizontal roof? Interesting to me to also see folks say in effect no big deal the way ETI installs solar panels and then install their own own panels without drilling into the roof.

[Effie]

I really admire anyone trusting glue of any kind to hold a 20 pound solar panel on a top of a trailer going down the road at 60mph. I installed my own panels using screws & nuts, I have enough things to worry about, not looking for more drama when I'm going camping.
Now if you're using those lightweight flexible panels that's a different story.

[Patandlinda]

Originally Posted by Effie

I really admire anyone trusting glue of any kind to hold a 20 pound solar panel on a top of a trailer going down the road at 60mph. I installed my own panels using screws & nuts, I have enough things to worry about, not looking for more drama when I'm going camping.
Now if you're using those lightweight flexible panels that's a different story.

I feel as you do too. We have the semi-flexible planets though . I called am solar and I was told prep was very important , however he did say he would run screws in roof before sealing if he felt the gel gloss would fail and rip off . If I was installing framed panels , I would definitely bolt them to roof . Pat

[cpaharley2008]

Had the tape and glue on my 2014 and installed the retrofit thru the hull bolt sent out by Escape. It is still water tight and holding whereas several of the original tape and glue installs have failed. A nut and bolt is a lot safer than glue on and exterior install exposed to the elements, IMHO, regardless of AMSolar, and there are hundreds of other installers using the thru the roof bolt and nut set up.

[padlin]

The original panels that blew off were not taped, they were epoxied, and from the pics I saw they were badly epoxied. ETI understandably took the safest route as a fix, mechanical.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by padlin

The original panels that blew off were not taped, they were epoxied, and from the pics I saw they were badly epoxied. ETI understandably took the safest route as a fix, mechanical.

As do practically all the other rv manufacturers, only a handful use non-mechanical
attachments.