Roger Donoghue
VIP Trade Partner
- Messages
- 432
- Vehicle
- T5 Beach
Hi all, I've made a new type of solar panel kit option for the VW California. It's a bit of a departure from the norm.
I'll still be selling our thin panel kits as our main offering, but I've had the odd request here and there for a kit using more traditional aluminiumn framed, glass panels, as opposed to the slimline plastic panels that our normal kits use.
There are key differences, the most important being height.
The slim panel kits are 14mm tall at the highest point on the roof. That's what they add. 14mm max, which keeps almost all, if not all vans under 2m height. They are 3kg per panel, with mounting arms. They now come with a 2 year warranty as I'm very happy with the panels we have been using since last summer and have made specifically for us (all black slimline panels). I have panels from the same factory out there from over 5 years ago , still going strong.
The framed glass panels add 36mm to the highest point on the roof. They weigh in at 6kg each with mouting arms. They are all black, and the arms are black anodised. They come with a 5 year warranty - that's what I get from my supplier. I've been using framed panels on Bongos for 8 years or so now, with just two failures in all that time.
The cost of the kit will be a touch more - just to cover the cost of the anodising, which is remarkably expensive FYI ! (and adds a chunk of time to material ordering). Probably around £25 more per panel, so not much different.
Obviously the key differences are warranty length, and, vehicle height. If you run regular springs on your van it's likely the framed panels will take you over 2m by around 2cm. How much this matters will obviously be down to you. The addition of 3Kg per panel should not really be a deal breaker. It's a small amount when you consider the weight of roof boxes and their contents.
This offering will appeal, I assume, to those wanting a longer warranty, not worried about the small gain in height, or people who camp in extreme temperatures where robustness is a key factor.
I've got no idea how they will sell, so have 10 in stock to test the water. I'll put them on our website in the next few days, once I've had some feedback on here.
I'll still be selling our thin panel kits as our main offering, but I've had the odd request here and there for a kit using more traditional aluminiumn framed, glass panels, as opposed to the slimline plastic panels that our normal kits use.
There are key differences, the most important being height.
The slim panel kits are 14mm tall at the highest point on the roof. That's what they add. 14mm max, which keeps almost all, if not all vans under 2m height. They are 3kg per panel, with mounting arms. They now come with a 2 year warranty as I'm very happy with the panels we have been using since last summer and have made specifically for us (all black slimline panels). I have panels from the same factory out there from over 5 years ago , still going strong.
The framed glass panels add 36mm to the highest point on the roof. They weigh in at 6kg each with mouting arms. They are all black, and the arms are black anodised. They come with a 5 year warranty - that's what I get from my supplier. I've been using framed panels on Bongos for 8 years or so now, with just two failures in all that time.
The cost of the kit will be a touch more - just to cover the cost of the anodising, which is remarkably expensive FYI ! (and adds a chunk of time to material ordering). Probably around £25 more per panel, so not much different.
Obviously the key differences are warranty length, and, vehicle height. If you run regular springs on your van it's likely the framed panels will take you over 2m by around 2cm. How much this matters will obviously be down to you. The addition of 3Kg per panel should not really be a deal breaker. It's a small amount when you consider the weight of roof boxes and their contents.
This offering will appeal, I assume, to those wanting a longer warranty, not worried about the small gain in height, or people who camp in extreme temperatures where robustness is a key factor.
I've got no idea how they will sell, so have 10 in stock to test the water. I'll put them on our website in the next few days, once I've had some feedback on here.
