wildflowerhoney
Member
We were hoping to be on the road by now, with the 2010 Elkridge 29RKSA we purchased back in November (seems like an awfully long time ago!), but are getting stalled because of a solar install. We have all the stuff (six panels and all the attendant equipment and hardware), but are having a tough time finding someone to do the installation for us.
Our Heartland dealer doesn't want to do the wiring, so we've lined up a solar installation outfit to do that part (they normally do houses and other buildings). The solar people don't feel they are capable of putting the panels on the roof of the trailer, however. Our rv dealer at first was happy to do the panel installation, but has been pulling back, concerned about not being able to find the rafters to attach the panels to, not being able to attach the panels well enough so they don't fly off when we're driving down the road, and also a concern about causing leaks in the roof if they put the necessary holes through the rubber sheathing.
Originally we'd been planning on doing the installation ourselves (with some help), but the weather hasn't been getting any better, and we don't have access to the nice warm shop that our dealer has, so we've been trying to find someone to do this install for us. It has not been easy to find anyone interested in doing it, and now the dealership service manager is sounding like he's changed his mind about getting involved.
Are the service manager's (and solar installation company guy's) concerns valid? I haven't heard of anyone losing panels to the wind on the highway, nor have I heard stories of leaky roofs. It seems to me that putting the panels on the roof is really just a carpentry job -- locate the trusses and drill some holes, use some Dycor and screw down the panel brackets. Is it more complicated than that? I realize that our six panels are more than many people install, but we're hoping to do some serious boondocking and still be able to work using our computers.
Do any of you have solar installation horror stories that back up the dealership's concerns, or??
Still looking forward to leaving the snow behind,
-- Nicole
Our Heartland dealer doesn't want to do the wiring, so we've lined up a solar installation outfit to do that part (they normally do houses and other buildings). The solar people don't feel they are capable of putting the panels on the roof of the trailer, however. Our rv dealer at first was happy to do the panel installation, but has been pulling back, concerned about not being able to find the rafters to attach the panels to, not being able to attach the panels well enough so they don't fly off when we're driving down the road, and also a concern about causing leaks in the roof if they put the necessary holes through the rubber sheathing.
Originally we'd been planning on doing the installation ourselves (with some help), but the weather hasn't been getting any better, and we don't have access to the nice warm shop that our dealer has, so we've been trying to find someone to do this install for us. It has not been easy to find anyone interested in doing it, and now the dealership service manager is sounding like he's changed his mind about getting involved.
Are the service manager's (and solar installation company guy's) concerns valid? I haven't heard of anyone losing panels to the wind on the highway, nor have I heard stories of leaky roofs. It seems to me that putting the panels on the roof is really just a carpentry job -- locate the trusses and drill some holes, use some Dycor and screw down the panel brackets. Is it more complicated than that? I realize that our six panels are more than many people install, but we're hoping to do some serious boondocking and still be able to work using our computers.
Do any of you have solar installation horror stories that back up the dealership's concerns, or??
Still looking forward to leaving the snow behind,
-- Nicole