homelesshartshorns Posted January 3 Report Share Posted January 3 how to find the rafters on my 2000 itasca suncruser RV to mount my solar panels Quote Still seeing Places we have never seen before and others that we thought we would never see again! . homelesshartshorns | Trying to spend the last Dollar on the Last Day! (wordpress.com) George Hartshorn | Facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
durangodon Posted January 3 Report Share Posted January 3 In the morning when there is a heavy dew on the ground, you can usually see them on the roof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lappir Posted January 3 Report Share Posted January 3 11 hours ago, durangodon said: In the morning when there is a heavy dew on the ground, you can usually see them on the roof. Or if you are where there is Frost, there will be a change in the frost depending on what's beneath. Rod Quote White 2000/2010Volvo VNL 770 with 7' Drom box with opposing doors, JOST slider hitch. 600 HP Cummins Signature 18 Speed three pedal auto shift. 1999 Isuzu VehiCross retired to a sticks and bricks garage. Brought out of storage the summer of 2022 2022 Jeep Wrangler Sport S Two door hard top. 2007 Honda GL 1800 2013 Space Craft Mfg S420 Custom built Toyhauler The Gold Volvo is still running and being emptied in July. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Second Chance Posted January 3 Report Share Posted January 3 It's a bit on the pricey side, but this new device seems to tell you the difference between wood studs, PVC pipe, metal studs, etc. It might come in hand for a lot of other things around the RV and/or house: Walabot DIY 2 Rob Quote 2012 F350 CC LB DRW 6.7 2020 Solitude 310GK-R, MORryde IS, disc brakes, solar, DP windows Full-time since 8/2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D&J Posted January 3 Report Share Posted January 3 Use a stud finder or take one of your vent trims down and locate a roof truss and get a measurement to the edge of the vent and then go on the roof and use the measurement to find a truss, after you find one just to measure to find the rest. Denny Quote Denny & Jami SKP#90175 Most Timing with Mac our Scottie, RIP Jasper our Westie 2013 F350 SC DRW 6.2 V8 4.30 Gears 2003 HH Premier 35FKTG Home Base Nebraska Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kb0zke Posted January 3 Report Share Posted January 3 Probably a longshot, but have you asked Itasca for a roof plan? Granted, my trailer is a 2022, but Grand Design emailed me the roof diagram within a few minutes of my request. Quote David Lininger, kb0zke 1993 Foretravel U300 40' (sold) 2022 Grand Design Reflection 315RLTS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce t Posted January 4 Report Share Posted January 4 Have you thought of Sikaflex? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Heiser Posted January 4 Report Share Posted January 4 (edited) What is the roof material of your rig (rubber, fiberglass)? What is the substructure? If the substructure is plywood and it is thick enough to be walked on, then you don’t need to hit rafters with the solar panel mounts. I have literally installed hundreds of solar panels on RV roofs and only on a couple of them did I worry about finding rafters because the roof material wasn’t thick enough to support the solar a bracket mounts alone. Edited January 5 by Chad Heiser Quote 2000 Kenworth T2000 w/ Cummins N14 and autoshift 2017 DRV Mobile Suite 40KSSB4 with factory mods, dealer mods and personal mods - now in the RV graveyard 2022 DRV Full House MX450 with customized floor plan 2018 Polaris RZR Turbo S (fits in the garage) 2016 Smart Car (fits in the garage or gets flat towed behind the DRV when the RZR is in the garage)My First Solar Install ThreadMy Second Solar Install Thread & Photos and Documents Related to the buildMy MX450's solar, battery and inverter system - my biggest system yet! chadheiser.com West Coast HDT Rally Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homelesshartshorns Posted January 4 Author Report Share Posted January 4 I like how that sounds! Quote Still seeing Places we have never seen before and others that we thought we would never see again! . homelesshartshorns | Trying to spend the last Dollar on the Last Day! (wordpress.com) George Hartshorn | Facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjim Posted January 6 Report Share Posted January 6 I don't have near the experience Chad does but I put my panels on a few days after 9/11/2001 into the plywood then sealed with the self leveling caulk appropriate for my trailer (97Sunnybrook TT) and never had an issue. I believe my plywood substructure is 5/8 plywood. No problems with the mount yet. I wish everything else held up that well including my body and brain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homelesshartshorns Posted January 13 Author Report Share Posted January 13 I have hooked up the battery to the controller and the Solar panels are tied together. Do I want to plug the panels to the controller and let her fly? Or should I wait till the sun goes down to hook the last link up? Quote Still seeing Places we have never seen before and others that we thought we would never see again! . homelesshartshorns | Trying to spend the last Dollar on the Last Day! (wordpress.com) George Hartshorn | Facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Heiser Posted January 16 Report Share Posted January 16 Just make the connection. No need to wait until dark. Quote 2000 Kenworth T2000 w/ Cummins N14 and autoshift 2017 DRV Mobile Suite 40KSSB4 with factory mods, dealer mods and personal mods - now in the RV graveyard 2022 DRV Full House MX450 with customized floor plan 2018 Polaris RZR Turbo S (fits in the garage) 2016 Smart Car (fits in the garage or gets flat towed behind the DRV when the RZR is in the garage)My First Solar Install ThreadMy Second Solar Install Thread & Photos and Documents Related to the buildMy MX450's solar, battery and inverter system - my biggest system yet! chadheiser.com West Coast HDT Rally Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homelesshartshorns Posted January 16 Author Report Share Posted January 16 5 hours ago, Chad Heiser said: Just make the connection. No need to wait until dark. Thanks Quote Still seeing Places we have never seen before and others that we thought we would never see again! . homelesshartshorns | Trying to spend the last Dollar on the Last Day! (wordpress.com) George Hartshorn | Facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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