Solar Panel Ladder Service Completed

[Ray Eklund]

Ahhhh those Solar Panels. Mounted on top of most Travel Trailers WITH... Solar. No such things as Solar Batteries. Do you also play poker? Quit dreaming, the panels are either there or not there. Tree limbs can modify your trailer's AC and Solar options. Do you have trees along your driveway. Something hanging on some? Check it out. OK, now get serious.

The Aluminum Roof painted white on some, does nothing, as you may think. It is either hot or cold. That is it. Also slippery when wet. Get with it.

Cannot SEE the panels standing next to the trailer? They might still be there. Otherwise, that explains why they have not worked for several years. If this is difficult, go to another thread about Tire Pressure. I am cured of PSI...

Cannot easily CLEAN them, as well. But get a good night's sleep and do it anyways.

January 1st... A Good Day to Die... trying to meet one goal this year. I have no life insurance. Much like a uncharged battery, my days are numbered. Every morning I awake is a Good Day.

The Solar Panel is an energy producer... when the Sun is out. Much like breakfast this AM. I was charged and 'whipping the glass' cleaner mood. Grrrrr...

- Ladder, tall enough and stable. Mine meets this fairly well. Most ladders have a weight limit. Do you qualify? You may need a Fork Lift.

- Glass Cleaner: From Costco- Sprayway Glass Cleaner: NO Ammonia, Streak Free. Clean, Fresh Scent too. Not for Flat Screen Televisions... it says. OK? No mention of Oliver or Airstream Trailers with Solar.

I wipe with USED micro fiber on the first wipe. Do not need much, but just enough of the Costco whatever is in the can.

I finish, if needed, using a new or less used micro fiber, from Costco by the large package (of course), and catch anything I missed.

Getting UP and DOWN a folded ladder is important. Many casual home ladder climbers die each year cleaning Windows. Not Solar Panels... so this must be a safer use.

If you believe your Solar Panels are a bit... unproductive... climb up a ladder and look. After a light shower... I promise you the dirt is part of the process of burying your panels under mud, turned to dirt attached to your Panel or Panels.

They have been stolen at the RV Storage Park the trailer is stored.

I survived time in the US Army doing non conventional tasks in my youth and this is a Piece of Cake in comparison. No one yelling at the overweight cadets and running in circles around the rest of us, snacking. Yes, the good old days.

Getting up the ladder and down is something to write home about, or at least post. So here it is. My two 170 watt Solar Panels are sucking the energy from the Sun's excess energy on the top of the Oliver is complete.

Next... the 2019 Airstream. Stored in the RV Garage, No leaf blower needed, for either trailer. That is a plus. I am rested and see what damage I can do.

Clean your Solar Panels. Like wiping mud off your glasses so you can read this.

Oh... never cleaned the Salt and Grit off of your Solar Panels? No wonder you replace your batteries, often. Today is the First Day of your Life. Wake up. Bears Hibernate, Neanderthals Hibernate... after this is done.

Yes, I must disclose I have Costco Stock. Oooooh Weeee.

Happy New Year... and if you do not understand any of this. Sober Up.

[Kemmy]

Ahh, Ray. Thank you.

[dznf0g]

I got really tired of lugging around a 24# ladder, and a 3 step-step stool. I rarely used the ladder and figure there will always be one to borrow if the need arises. I recently bought this for cleaning the solar panels:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FZ3Z13X...t_details&th=1

With that and the step stool, I can get most of the gunk off the panels. Not like using glass cleaner and a hand rag, but pretty clean.

[Ray Eklund]

There is more to this Fairy Tale about cleaning the surfaces of Roof Top Solar Panels. The Solar Panel Fairy Princess... is make believe. So sad.

Wiring. Is it still secure on the roof or loose? You might be surprised if you look.

Hardware. Grab the edge of the panel. Is the panel, loose? If so... it needs to be secured. This begins to get complicated. How to Seal with what, and where...

Caulk. If you see unsealed, bare screws securing the Solar Panel brackets to the roof of your Airstream.. possible leaking locations and traveling 70mph into the wind may reduce the number of panels on the roof.

There are lots of whiners on the AirForums. Many travel trailer owner's lack the ambition to fix or secure anything. These are mobile homes with a long list of possible problems once moving.

One day you may be not able to call a Travel Trailer Service Tech to fix your immediate problem. The TTST does not suck.... if not on 24 hour call. You need to motivate yourself to learn and not be ignorant. When the entry door falls off the upper hinge... do you have any idea HOW TO SECURE IT? Probably not. We did. It worked. This was not suppose to happen, we thought.

Your Solar Panel loosely held on the Roof Top, while traveling... will leave enough damage for the next Spring Down Pour. Holes in the roof top where the screws have sawed through the aluminum skin... will get your attention. Too late late to look... you will post on the Airforums about leaks... and thought you were immune to getting off your duff and check things out.

For the lack of sealing a screw, you just created hundreds of dollars of interior damage over time. $$$$ can motivate most anyone, some of the time.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

There is more to this Fairy Tale about cleaning the surfaces of Roof Top Solar Panels. The Solar Panel Fairy Princess... is make believe. So sad.

Wiring. Is it still secure on the roof or loose? You might be surprised if you look.

Hardware. Grab the edge of the panel. Is the panel, loose? If so... it needs to be secured. This begins to get complicated. How to Seal with what, and where...

Caulk. If you see unsealed, bare screws securing the Solar Panel brackets to the roof of your Airstream.. possible leaking locations and traveling 70mph into the wind may reduce the number of panels on the roof.

There are lots of whiners on the AirForums. Many travel trailer owner's lack the ambition to fix or secure anything. These are mobile homes with a long list of possible problems once moving.

One day you may be not able to call a Travel Trailer Service Tech to fix your immediate problem. The TTST does not suck.... if not on 24 hour call. You need to motivate yourself to learn and not be ignorant. When the entry door falls off the upper hinge... do you have any idea HOW TO SECURE IT? Probably not. We did. It worked. This was not suppose to happen, we thought.

Your Solar Panel loosely held on the Roof Top, while traveling... will leave enough damage for the next Spring Down Pour. Holes in the roof top where the screws have sawed through the aluminum skin... will get your attention. Too late late to look... you will post on the Airforums about leaks... and thought you were immune to getting off your duff and check things out.

For the lack of sealing a screw, you just created hundreds of dollars of interior damage over time. $$$$ can motivate most anyone, some of the time.

True, but if inspection is done at home, properly, no need to get up there while on the road. Very unlikely for anything to happen....again, if thorough and proper inspections are done pre-trip.

[Ray Eklund]

Nope.. do not haul a ladder while traveling.

I use the ladder to check the top of the Airstream at home. I clean the Solar Panel at least twice a year. Before we start camping. After we quit camping.

It does not hurt to keep ahead of any possible problem by inspections at home. If you need a ladder while traveling, come by and borrow mine at the house. OK?

If I need to get a better look while Boondocking, I use the heavy milk crates to haul items in the bed of the pickup, which has a shell. I can stack them up and do just fine without a ladder.

Stop at a garage and ask to use theirs. They most likely will lend it to you.

Trees are handy, as well.

People discover their Air Conditioning cover blew off somewhere... while on the road. Not much you can do about that situation. Did not fall off at home. Hmmmm. Lots to inspect and snug up if necessary. Does not take much time at home to do.

Do not carry a ladder, unless Rich wants to borrow one. One that is handy is the kind a tubular one that may be seven feet tall and collapses into about 30 inches. It is in my garage, somewhere...

[kb0zke]

I do carry a folding ladder in the truck, mainly because I'm too short to see much without one. However, I'm not supposed to climb it, so it really is there for someone else to use. I do ask whoever has to go up on the roof to look everything over, and yesterday the service tech used three tubes of caulk to take care of possible problem areas.


Our solar panels will be installed later this month. When we get the Airstream in 2025 maybe things won't be so far off the ground that I maybe can cheat a bit and look things over from the side of the trailer. I still know better than to get up there.