solar panel (removable) on T5 facelift (waiting roof rot work)

[WelshGas]

1. California roof is not flat.
2. Increased height, especially if fitted in a way so that it can be removed.

The kit supplied by Roger Donahugh adds mm to the vehicle height. In fact mine is still just less than 2m.

 

[snowy55]

1. California roof is not flat.
2. Increased height, especially if fitted in a way so that it can be removed.

The kit supplied by Roger Donahugh adds mm to the vehicle height. In fact mine is still just less than 2m.

Have you got one of these kits fitted?

 

[WelshGas]

Finally finished fitting my Solar Panel kit.

Fitting the panel was quit straight forward with good instructions supplied.

Fitting the Control Unit and connecting to the battery was also straight forward if not a little time consuming making the battery connections as its a fiddle getting the battery out from under the wardrobe. Why VW couldn't make the access hole larger I just don't know.

I had the Remote Monitor as well. Once again straightforward but just a fiddle to surface mount because of the Ethernet plug type connection. Pity it wasn't a R angled plug.

I did have one problem. It has rained a lot past 48hrs and the lead from panel through the tailgate sits on top and compresses the rubber seal. Unfortunately it let some water in. So I modified it. Instead of using the inline plug and socket I decided to wire directly to the Control unit but passed the Panel wire into the interior via the rubber corrugated tailgate cover/seal and no more problems with water ingress. Heavy rain last night.

Entrance into the rubber cover was with some stiff wire. Took ages to find a way through to the interior with the wire. Then taped the wire to other end with insulation tape in a cone shape so that when the wire was pulled slowly, with some washing up liquid was able to stretch the hole in the rubber so providing a tight seal. Then just hard wired direct to Control Unit. Tailgate seal no longer deformed by wire.

 

[snowy55]

Looks very neat and tidy, did you take the inverter out above the leisure battery to get access to the battery terminals?

 

[WelshGas]

No. Managed to slide the battery out, just, with the aid of a wide blade paint stripper under the battery. Once the securing clamp undone.
Now the California's Control Panel shows in excess of 13.7 volts when the sun is up instead of the usual 12.7 with nothing running by day.

 

[snowy55]

Ah thats a good idea to slide the battery out, thanks for the information

 

[greenfintry]

Glad to see you have had success too. I have had a little water ingress too, and would welcome any pictures of where you bring the wire into the back to avoid this... can't quite figure out what you have done from your description..... Might just be being a bit thick... Cheers

 

[WelshGas]

I'll try and get a photo when it stops raining. Basically I went in on the underside of the rubber corrugated tube that carries the wiring loom to the tailgate. Made a pinhole for the stiff wire and attached the wire from the panel to it with tape and stretched, rather than cut the rubber to get the Panel wire through into the top of the rear cupboard.
Photo will follow, probably tomorrow.

 

[WelshGas]

Stopped raining temporarily. No water ingress.

 

[estresao]

1. California roof is not flat.
2. Increased height, especially if fitted in a way so that it can be removed.

The kit supplied by Roger Donahugh adds mm to the vehicle height. In fact mine is still just less than 2m.

I know Cali's roof is not flat, but in your picture I can see your panel is mounted flat leaving some gaps on the sides. Also looks like the aluminum frame add some millimeters on top of the C-Rail (cannot tell how many) so, maybe a rigid panel could provide same size benefit plus the rigid panel efficiency.

I'm thinking about a C-Rail attachment which allow the panel be totally "stuck" to the roof, this way the connection box could be lower than the C-Rail lump. I have not yet a final solution for that, but I'm mulling over that idea.

 

[WelshGas]

A rigid panel, at least the ones I have seen are at least 1.5 to 2cm thick with attachments. The whole point about this kit is that it is easily removable in case roof succumbs to Galvanic corrosion or you wish to easily transfer to another California. Also all the parts are of very high quality. This suits me and it more than compensates for the daytime usage of the fridge so will definitely extend my non-hookup time.

The California roof is curved between the rails but the panel is fitted from rail to rail, so yes it touches the roof in the centre and not next to the rails and so allows water to drain front to rear.

 

[estresao]

A rigid panel, at least the ones I have seen are at least 1.5 to 2cm thick with attachments.......

The California roof is curved between the rails but the panel is fitted from rail to rail, so yes it touches the roof in the centre and not next to the rails and so allows water to drain front to rear.

Yes, that's true, I agree with you

 

[chrissmit]

Do you order from Roger directly, or put the kit together yourself?

 

[greenfintry]

Ordered from Roger, as I'm a bit of a novice with this stuff.... But we worked together to get the design right so as not to need any permanent modifications to the Cali

Martin

 

[chrissmit]

Thanks Martin for the update.

Am I right that nowhere in this thread there's a price mentioned?
Can I ask how much the whole system cost?

 

[snowy55]

Thanks Martin for the update.

Am I right that nowhere in this thread there's a price mentioned?
Can I ask how much the whole system cost?

I notice from your details that you have a "T5 High Top", make sure you make this clear when you ask for a price. The California has built in roof rails fitted, this is what the panel kit attaches to. Contact Roger here
http://www.solarcampersolutions.co.uk/

 

[chrissmit]

Thanks Snowy55,

To be honest, I'm not really sure we have a T5 High Top...

It's a T5 for sure, 2006, German origin; and the top goes up and down... Probably not a High Top?

 

[chrissmit]

Thanks for the Roger's site. I'll contact him there.

 

[greenfintry]

Mine was a work in progress and there are a few options and choices.... I think these are listed on the website, but in the region of £350 give or take

Martin

 

[briwy]

You might like to have a look at this thread as well.
http://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/brief-case-solar-panels.9918/#post-92301
It shows another easy, unobtrusive way to get the wiring into the Cali. As Welsh Gas found running the cable simply by the door seal does let a little water in.
I've had a panel on a Cali now for about two and half years and wouldn't be without it. My setup also uses alloy angle to hold the panel firmly. I was going to bond the panel to the roof between the rails to keep the height down but now decided not to as I had the original panel fail a coupe of months ago and it would make a mess getting it off the roof if it was bonded on. Now got a Biard one made in Germany which seems better quality than the original eBay Chinese one.
Incidentally, I did try using alloy flat instead of angle to keep the height down but this doesn't hold the panel rigidly and I think may well have contributed to the original panel failure.

 

[snowy55]

Ordered my panel kit on Monday, delivered on Wednesday fitted Saturday and Sunday. Great service from Roger at Solar Camper Solutions
Some of photos of the installation.

 

[chrissmit]

Looks good!

And when driving there is no "whistle" sound?

 

[WelshGas]

Don't even know it is there.

 

[chrissmit]

Don't even know it is there.

 

[snowy55]

Looks good!

And when driving there is no "whistle" sound?

Just been on the M1 for a test drive at 70mph, no whistling or any noise