Mounts

An often overlooked consideration is the style and cost of mounts. Most of the "standard" solar kits offered for retail come with what is called a "Flat" mount. These are very inexpensive mounts and bolt directly to the backside of the panel frame and hold the panel flat against the roof.

This type of mount is OK if you have a flat roof and don't ever plan to take advantage of the increased output gained from tilting the panels towards the sun during the winter. However, if your roof is rounded, you will come to despise this type of mount because it just won't work for you. You'll have to improvise or buy some other, more expensive type of mounts.

Also, when it comes time to add another panel, troubleshoot the wiring, or to simply clean the roof you will be forced to completely remove the panel and mount from your roof in order to access the wire and junction box which are located on the back of the panel. This takes a lot of unnecessary labor which will cost you money if you are paying someone else to do it, or time and frustration if you do it. Plus ... every time you remove and re-insert a screw it has a little less holding power and may be cause for a leak.

If you desire to have the option of tilting your panels (for greater winter output), you will have to give up the flat mounts and opt for a set of tilt mounts. Most of these mounts are still intended for flat roofs and will require custom modification if your roof is rounded.

There is a Better Way!

After spending many years forcing those "off the shelf" flat mounts to work on RV roofs, we came up with a much simpler and less expensive way to meet almost any mounting situation we've found in the RV world. They are called "Rocker Feet" mounts.

 

We make them out of laser-cut, stainless steel so there are no sharp edges to cut yourself on and your hands won't turn grey from handling them (like aluminum mounts). These mounts conform to any roof shape, allow easy access to the back of the panel for troubleshooting, or for cleaning, and will allow you to tilt your panels with the addition of an inexpensive set of tilt bars.

Of course, for these to work their best, we had to design an adapter that places embedded nuts on the ENDS of the frame (instead of bolt holes on the back like others).

By having embedded nuts on the ends of the frame, it allows the full use of our "rocker feet" mounts. The mounts can be swiveled to conform to any roof shape and attach with a single bolt (or UV resistant Knob) and a lock washer. Believe me, this saves a lot of time and frustration! This configuration also allows you to easily "flip" the panel over for access to the back of it.

For tilting the panels, all you do is remove two bolts (or knobs), tilt the panel up, insert the optional tilt bars, and bolt it in place. Simple, effective and inexpensive.

Why didn't anyone think of this before? Probably because all other solar electric systems are designed for applications other than RV use. Our Pre-configured SunRunner Systems are designed specifically for RVs!