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06-01-2015, 07:03 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Trailer: none
Posts: 737
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Our solar panel blew off!!
On the first day of our 2 week trip to South Dakota we hit a few rain squalls with crosswinds. Sometime after filling the gas tank in Trinidad (where we did a walk around check and everything looked fine) and before we pulled into the campground in La Junta Colorado our solar panel blew off.
We had no clue! We had 2 cords dangling over the side of the trailer when we stopped at the campground. Bummed!!
Luckily our sites on this trip all have electric.
Will try to contact Reace by phone tomorrow...we bought our trailer used but through Escape. We went up to Chilliwack to pick it up and that's when we had the solar installed.
Does anyone know if the new 160 panels are the same size as the 90? Since it has to be replaced it would probably be better to get a higher power panel.
__________________
Fran & Dave Albuquerque, NM
2013 to 2022 had a 2008 Escape 5.0 Classic
2011 Frontier Crew Cab Short Bed Pro4x
Sold both 7/22
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06-01-2015, 07:10 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Denison, Texas
Trailer: 2015 21'; 2011 19' sold; 4Runner; ph ninezero3 327-27ninefour
Posts: 5,136
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The 160 has been replaced by 150, so said someone here. Did you get it in 2013? I thought they are using epoxy now but don't know. Do you know what they used?
__________________
Cathy. Floating Cloud
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.... "
Emerson
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06-01-2015, 08:24 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Trailer: none
Posts: 737
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Our trailer is a 2008 but we bought it in the summer of 2013 and had the solar installed then. We can't get a good view of the top of the trailer right now but from what little we can see it looks like it was taped. And it looks like some of the tape stayed and some went with the panel....
We'll try to get pictures as soon as we are someplace where we can see the top!
__________________
Fran & Dave Albuquerque, NM
2013 to 2022 had a 2008 Escape 5.0 Classic
2011 Frontier Crew Cab Short Bed Pro4x
Sold both 7/22
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06-01-2015, 08:38 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: ..., New Mexico
Trailer: 2013 Esc19/'14 Silvrado
Posts: 4,193
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Wow, so sorry to hear this news. Incredible!
__________________
Myron
"A billion here, a billion there...add it all up and before you know it you're talking real money." Everett Dirkson
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06-01-2015, 08:44 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Oswego, New York
Trailer: 2017 Escape 21C, 2018 Ford F150
Posts: 5,373
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Both the 160 watt panel & the 150 watt panel are larger than the 95 watt. Sorry to hear you lost it.
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06-01-2015, 09:11 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Trailer: none
Posts: 737
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We took the two ends of the cables that were hanging down and plugged them into each other...They fit into each other. Will that create a problem? We're in the middle of a big thunderstorm right now so we hope it was ok to do that.....
__________________
Fran & Dave Albuquerque, NM
2013 to 2022 had a 2008 Escape 5.0 Classic
2011 Frontier Crew Cab Short Bed Pro4x
Sold both 7/22
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06-01-2015, 09:13 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Trailer: none
Posts: 737
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vermilye
Both the 160 watt panel & the 150 watt panel are larger than the 95 watt. Sorry to hear you lost it.
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Guess we'll have to see what Reace recommends....I think they have changed systems.. We have a 1500 watt inverter. We .hope we can get another panel that will work!
__________________
Fran & Dave Albuquerque, NM
2013 to 2022 had a 2008 Escape 5.0 Classic
2011 Frontier Crew Cab Short Bed Pro4x
Sold both 7/22
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06-01-2015, 09:42 PM
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#8
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Redlands, California
Trailer: 2009 Escape 19
Posts: 10
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How scary - I'm glad you are okay and that it seems to not have caused an accident.
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06-01-2015, 09:50 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Denison, Texas
Trailer: 2015 21'; 2011 19' sold; 4Runner; ph ninezero3 327-27ninefour
Posts: 5,136
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FMLNM
Guess we'll have to see what Reace recommends....I think they have changed systems.. We have a 1500 watt inverter. We .hope we can get another panel that will work!
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The 150 panel they use now will work with the 1500w inverter. Surprised if it was tape.
__________________
Cathy. Floating Cloud
"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.... "
Emerson
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06-01-2015, 10:03 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Trailer: none
Posts: 737
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CampingFamily
How scary - I'm glad you are okay and that it seems to not have caused an accident.
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Yes, luckily we were on a county road with very little traffic. We might have nailed a cow or a pronghorn....
__________________
Fran & Dave Albuquerque, NM
2013 to 2022 had a 2008 Escape 5.0 Classic
2011 Frontier Crew Cab Short Bed Pro4x
Sold both 7/22
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06-01-2015, 10:08 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Trailer: none
Posts: 737
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Floating Cloud
The 150 panel they use now will work with the 1500w inverter. Surprised if it was tape.
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Thanks for the info.
We won't know till we can get up top exactly how it was attached. We have also just noticed a tiny leak seeming to come from somewhere a one the solar monitor...maybe the cord got yanked enough to break the seal in the roof. We just had a real downpour. Again, it will have to wait till daylight. Hopefully it won't rain too much more tonight.....
__________________
Fran & Dave Albuquerque, NM
2013 to 2022 had a 2008 Escape 5.0 Classic
2011 Frontier Crew Cab Short Bed Pro4x
Sold both 7/22
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06-01-2015, 11:09 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Austin, Texas
Trailer: 2009 Escape 19'
Posts: 242
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Out of curiosity, does anyone know how ETI typically mounts these panels? Are they angled or flat? Raised or flush? After reading about this, mounting becomes a very important design consideration.
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06-02-2015, 01:53 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Ventura County, California
Trailer: 2013 19 Escape
Posts: 7,204
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Daubsy
Out of curiosity, does anyone know how ETI typically mounts these panels? Are they angled or flat? Raised or flush? After reading about this, mounting becomes a very important design consideration.
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Since we are going to have the solar installed at Escape we also wold like to know ? Pat
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06-02-2015, 05:29 AM
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#14
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: N. River, New York
Trailer: April 2015, 21 classic
Posts: 29
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The 150 watt panel on our new 21 is raised off the roof about 3-4 inches by four bolts, one each on the corners that go thru the fiberglass/gel coat shell of the trailer. The panel is parallel with the top of the roof line.
Larry
__________________
“I may not have gone where I intended to go,
but I think I ended up where I needed to be.”
Douglas Adams
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06-02-2015, 05:40 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: St. Thomas not BVI., Ontario
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0TA / 2016 Ram Eco Diesel 4X4
Posts: 8,038
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FMLNM
Thanks for the info.
We won't know till we can get up top exactly how it was attached. We have also just noticed a tiny leak seeming to come from somewhere a one the solar monitor...maybe the cord got yanked enough to break the seal in the roof. We just had a real downpour. Again, it will have to wait till daylight. Hopefully it won't rain too much more tonight.....
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Hi: FMLNM... Sorry to hear about your predicament!!! Here's a few pic's of how our panel looks up top. The bolts hold the panel to the aluminium tube. They're epoxy'd to the roof. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
__________________
Quote Bugs Bunny..."Don't take life too seriously, none of us get out of it ALIVE"!!!
'16 Ram Eco D. 4X4 Laramie Longhorn CC & '14 Escape 5.0TA
St.Thomas (Not the Virgin Islands) Ontario
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06-02-2015, 06:50 AM
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#16
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Canyon Lake, Texas
Trailer: 2015 19 "Past Tents", 2021 F150 Lariat 2.7L EB
Posts: 10,222
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrol35
The 150 watt panel on our new 21 is raised off the roof about 3-4 inches by four bolts, one each on the corners that go thru the fiberglass/gel coat shell of the trailer. The panel is parallel with the top of the roof line.
Larry
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I would be surprised if that were the case. Our panel is bolted to two roof rails, but the rails are epoxied to the roof, just as Alf's are - the bolts don't pierce the shell.
__________________
"You can't buy happiness, but you can buy an RV. And that is pretty close."
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06-02-2015, 07:52 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Trailer: none
Posts: 737
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rbryan4
I would be surprised if that were the case. Our panel is bolted to two roof rails, but the rails are epoxied to the roof, just as Alf's are - the bolts don't pierce the shell.
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We believe ours were bolted to the rails and the rails were attached to the roof. But our rails may have been VHB ttaped, not epoxied. The panels were parallel to the roof, mounted between the A/C and the Max fan. Later today we will go up through the escape hatch over the bed and see if we can get a better look.
__________________
Fran & Dave Albuquerque, NM
2013 to 2022 had a 2008 Escape 5.0 Classic
2011 Frontier Crew Cab Short Bed Pro4x
Sold both 7/22
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06-02-2015, 10:52 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Southern Alberta, Alberta
Trailer: 2015 Escape 5.0TA
Posts: 1,734
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We just picked ours up and it is bolted to aluminum rails that are epoxied to the roof. I was told if it came off some of the roof would come off with it, its that strong.
Cheers
Doug
__________________
Cheers
Doug
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06-02-2015, 11:15 AM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: St.Albert, Alberta
Trailer: 21 ft November 17th
Posts: 847
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__________________
MacRae, 21ft
2016 GMC Yukon SLT
St.Albert Alberta
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06-02-2015, 11:55 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: ,, Oklahoma
Trailer: 17
Posts: 840
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This is the second Escape solar panel to blow off. Wasn't the other panel that blew off in the archives here using 3M VHB tape?
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