Adding Solar Panels to a Safari 25' FB

[AronS]

I was wondering if any of you have added solar to a 2007 Safari SE 25' FB model that didn't come with solar? I'd like to maximize the output without having panels immediately visible on the upper radius of the trailer (preferring to keep things on the top portion) and not blocking the factory galley skylight.

If you have added solar to a similar trailer, what panels did you use and do you have any words of wisdom to share?

Thanks!

Aron

[Motoman]

We installed solar on our 25' CCD which has the same size roof although equipment locations may dictate a different size and panel layout. You can check out an article on our install on page 4 in the April Sierra Nevada Unit newsletter at :

http://sierranevadaairstreams.org/sn...snu-nwsltr.pdf

A longer description is found on their web pages at:

Solar Panel Installation

[AronS]

Wow! That's really excellent detail, thank you, Don! Nice work too, maybe I should bring my trailer to you ;-). Thanks for sharing that.

Aron

[Goin camping]

We had a panel installed on the center of the roof between the A/C and the vent over the bed on our 25 FB.

Almost impossible to see from ground level.

Works great all around but really shines in winter when we run the furnace all night. Charges the batts up by noonish.

[AronS]

Goin camping, what size/brand panel did you go with?

[Goin camping]

I don't remember.

But I can tell you what I do. Airstream offered three sizes of panel and I picked the middle one.

I bought the parts from and had the installation done at C&G in Bellflower. They are an authorized Airstream repair station.

Cost for parts and installation was $1,300.00

[Motoman]

Aron, one postscript to my install if you do it yourself. One person told me that they hit and damaged some of the wiring in the roof when they drilled for the panel mounts just above the drip rail on their trailer. The bit went in too deep. They had to cut a larger hole to expose the wires for repair and then install a patch. I would caution you to use a sharp drill bit so you don't have to use a lot of pressure and a depth gauge, some electrical tape or a ring that you clamp on to the drill bit so you don't drill any deeper than you need to to penetrate the aluminum skin and rib (if you install the mounts where the ribs are located).

Regarding dealer installation, we had Duane at Southwest Coaches in Irvine, CA install the 50 watt panel on our first Airstream, a 22' CCD. I looked at the same systems, capacities available and how they mounted and decided to do it myself because I wanted a higher capacity system than the dealers typically install.

[davidz71]

OR rather than drilling, use the 3M Industrial tape after preparing the mating surface. The 3M tape provided on the rocker arm mounts through AM Solar have kept all 3 of my panels rock solid for over a year with no trouble. This would eliminate penetrating the skin with the potential for leaks later on.

[lewster]

Originally Posted by davidz71

OR rather than drilling, use the 3M Industrial tape after preparing the mating surface. The 3M tape provided on the rocker arm mounts through AM Solar have kept all 3 of my panels rock solid for over a year with no trouble. This would eliminate penetrating the skin with the potential for leaks later on.

Ya beat me to the punch!

I'm an AM Solar dealer/installer, and I use the 3M 'VHB' (very high bond) tape for every install that I can. It works especially well on bare meal like Airstreams. I used it initially on the system that I have on my Sprinter roof (a 200 watt, 2-panel system with a 2000 watt sine wave inverter and 300 amp/hour Lifelines), and it holds remarkably well!! The best part is that it can be removed without leaving a trace....very difficult, but do-able.

As davidz71 said....NO LEAKS!!!! and no extra sealant required. Just clean as specified (very important) and stick it down.

I have a nice big roll of the stuff if anyone needs some. Not cheap! But definitely worth it!!!!

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by AronS

I was wondering if any of you have added solar to a 2007 Safari SE 25' FB model that didn't come with solar? I'd like to maximize the output without having panels immediately visible on the upper radius of the trailer (preferring to keep things on the top portion) and not blocking the factory galley skylight.

If you have added solar to a similar trailer, what panels did you use and do you have any words of wisdom to share?

Thanks!

Aron

I have two on top of my 31 Classic. you cannot see them from the ground. I want to add two more 85w class. There is room.

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by lewster

Ya beat me to the punch!

I'm an AM Solar dealer/installer, and I use the 3M 'VHB' (very high bond) tape for every install that I can. It works especially well on bare meal like Airstreams.

You just solved a big road block! I did not want to drill any holes in the top of my trailer!

[AronS]

I ended up with the AM Solar AM-100-22 kit and it worked out great. I used the 3M tape to mount the brackets but just in case I mounted the front brackets above a rib so I can drill through should I get anxious about it but it sure looks like the tape is going to hold tight. I was able to fish the power cable through the refrigerator vent as recommended in the Airstream manual then I mounted the controller in the shallow cabinet above the fridge and connected to the prewire at the bottom of the fridge compartment accessible through the outside rear fridge panel. I had to join the yellow and green wires for the factory pre-wire kit to the existing battery bus under the front bed but it was really pretty simple--much more so than I expected.

I've not been out camping with it yet but on the late afternoon I checked the battery charging output I saw 5.4 charging amps which seems entirely reasonable considering I wasn't optimally positioned.

AM Solar was terrific to work with--they asked lots of questions to make sure I got the right parts, shipping was a reasonable $25, and the packaging of the parts was personalized and perfect.

Because of various roof vents I only have room for one panel between the AC and the bedroom vent. I could in theory extend the mounting brackets to rise above the vents to add another but I think I'll be fine with the one panel for now, I'll know more after a few trips and I always have the E2000 generator just in case.

Thanks everyone for your words of wisdom and experience, it was very helpful.

Aron

[rseagle]

To use the 3M VHB tape, do you need to remove any white paint on the roof to get the best possible bond?

[Pfredd]

For anyone interested, I documented the installation of solar panels on my Argosy.

You can view it in the Airstream Projects section of my Web Site.

Dave