Roof top solar wiring.....

[Cameodon]

How do you all mount your wiring along the rubber roof of your R/V? I'm thinking some kind of maybe 3" white tape. Suggestions please!

 

[Kevin Means]

We have 8 gauge wire running to our six solar panels. I use the product below, and they hold our wires well. They stick to the roof and have held up well for several years. I got them at Home Depot but you can get them anywhere. I would recommend getting the UV resistant version.

Commercial Electric 1 in. Mounting Base, Natural (10-Pack) HW-4A(10) - The Home Depot

A mounting device offers a safe and secure mount for cable tie, which is available in either

www.homedepot.com

 

[Cameodon]

We have 8 gauge wire running to our six solar panels. I use the product below, and they hold our wires well. They stick to the roof and have held up well for several years. I got them at Home Depot but you can get them anywhere. I would recommend getting the UV resistant version.

Commercial Electric 1 in. Mounting Base, Natural (10-Pack) HW-4A(10) - The Home Depot

A mounting device offers a safe and secure mount for cable tie, which is available in either

www.homedepot.com

Great idea!!! I would never of thought of that!! Appreciate it!!!

 

[Lou Schneider]

We have 8 gauge wire running to our six solar panels. I use the product below, and they hold our wires well. They stick to the roof and have held up well for several years. I got them at Home Depot but you can get them anywhere. I would recommend getting the UV resistant version.

Commercial Electric 1 in. Mounting Base, Natural (10-Pack) HW-4A(10) - The Home Depot

A mounting device offers a safe and secure mount for cable tie, which is available in either

www.homedepot.com

Interesting. When I tried to use those when I was wiring radio stations the adhesive would come loose within a couple of months, I wound up sinking a self tapping screw into the center before I ran the wires.

 

[Cameodon]

Interesting. When I tried to use those when I was wiring radio stations the adhesive would come loose within a couple of months, I wound up sinking a self tapping screw into the center before I ran the wires.

What material were you sticking them to?

 

[Tom_M]

I used dabs of Dicor then temporarily hold in place with tape until the Dicor sets.

 

[Cameodon]

I used dabs of Dicor then temporarily hold in place with tape until the Dicor sets.

Hmmmm! I wondered about that too! Thanks

 

[Frank B]

We ran ours in exterior rated plastic conduit like the electricians use. Installed it in 2017, and is still like new. There are all kinds of fasteners for electrical conduit.

1230 Watt Solar Install

The price of residential solar panels is coming down as the popularity of home solar goes up. Residential panels are often 72 cell operating near 40VDC. The more common ones use 6" ingots to produce the panel, making them about 39" wide. A few use 5" ingots, giving a panel that is about 32"...

www.rvforum.net

 

[HueyPilotVN]

I also used flex cable from Harbor Freight to enclose both the solar cables and the camera cables.

I secured them to the roof with cable clamps and stainless screws covered with pyramids of Dicor.

 

[Cameodon]

We ran ours in exterior rated plastic conduit like the electricians use. Installed it in 2017, and is still like new. There are all kinds of fasteners for electrical conduit.

1230 Watt Solar Install

The price of residential solar panels is coming down as the popularity of home solar goes up. Residential panels are often 72 cell operating near 40VDC. The more common ones use 6" ingots to produce the panel, making them about 39" wide. A few use 5" ingots, giving a panel that is about 32"...

www.rvforum.net

Thanks, but hoping not tours any screws but there again pyramids on Dicor is good to

 

[Frank B]

Thanks, but hoping not tours any screws but there again pyramids on Dicor is good to

Yeah, I get it. Made me shudder to put screws though the roof as well. I used butyl tape under every bracket before running in a screw. 6 years later now, and all is working well and all is water tight. After all, one uses screws to attach the panels. Why not a few more for the wiring? If you can keep one sealed, you can keep the other sealed as well.

One thing that I have heard of is that using adhesive to attach to a rubber roof is only as strong as the adhesive between the rubber roof and the plywood underneath. Wiring is probably not an issue, but those that have tried using it to attach solar panels have sometimes reported that the rubber roof itself pulls away from the plywood on the roof.

 

[Cameodon]

Yeah, I get it. Made me shudder to put screws though the roof as well. I used butyl tape under every bracket before running in a screw. 6 years later now, and all is working well and all is water tight. After all, one uses screws to attach the panels. Why not a few more for the wiring? If you can keep one sealed, you can keep the other sealed as well.

One thing that I have heard of is that using adhesive to attach to a rubber roof is only as strong as the adhesive between the rubber roof and the plywood underneath. Wiring is probably not an issue, but those that have tried using it to attach solar panels have sometimes reported that the rubber roof itself pulls away from the plywood on the roof.

Oh absolutley! To me attaching solar panels only using adhesive is begging for trouble! The butyl tape makes sense too! Never leak I guarantee !! Good idea!

 

[Lou Schneider]

When I installed grab bars in my dad's shower I drilled pilot holes for the screws and put caulking on the threads before screwing them in. The excess squeezed out under the screw head and I wiped it off. You could do the same with any screws put into the roof.

When we removed the shower after he passed there were no signs of leakage.

 

[Cameodon]

I want to thank everyone for the great ideas. I wound up going the dicor route. I believe it will work great.