We then removed the second layer of backing from the VHB tape and carefully positioned the feet to rest on the pre-marked locations on the roof.
It took two of us to handle the unwieldy panels. Next, we carefully cleaned the roof in the same manner, and marked exactly where each foot should be placed. To install, we cut the VHB tape to the exact shape of the feet with an Exacto knife and cleaned the mounting feet with soap, water and a final swab of rubbing alcohol before applying one side of the tape to the feet. The top and right panels are what we added to the system and are 160 watts each. The panel on the left is the original 100-watt panel that came from the factory with our View.
#SOLAR PANELS FORZA HORIZON 5 WINDOWS#
This double sided tape is amazingly strong and resilient and is used for a variety of critical applications, from holding windows in modern skyscrapers to mounting ambulance bodies to their frames. You can screw the feet directly to the roof, but the thought of putting holes in a perfectly functioning, water-tight roof, was less than appealing. The kit came with four mounting feet each that attach to the panels and hold them in place. We received the panels and mounts while at the Winnebago Grand National Rally, and installed them in about an hour in a giant field surrounded by 2000 other RVs. We installed our new panels in about an hour during the rally. The Winnebago Grand National Rally is a gathering of 2,500 RVers in Forest City, IA, each June. Ultimately, we determined that we had room for two 160-watt panels, which maxed out the capacity of our system with a total of 420 watts.
So we spent an afternoon on the roof with homemade cardboard stencils to determine which configuration was best for the space we had available around our rooftop components that were already in place. There are numerous options for the capacity and shape of the panels.
#SOLAR PANELS FORZA HORIZON 5 GENERATOR#
And inevitably, we would need that extra power boost late at night when the noise and smell of the generator was incredibly obnoxious to anyone within earshot.įortunately, our Zamp system has additional capacity, and is pre-wired with a plug, making it effortless to add more panels to the system. But on cloudy/rainy days we frequently had to supplement solar by running the generator. We used this stock system for nearly five months, and it worked. Our 2016 Winnebago View 24J came from the factory with a 100-watt Zamp Solar system installed. With most of our days spent boondocking in wild places, the ability to replenish our house batteries while off the grid is a must. As long as it is sunny outside, we are constantly charging our house batteries in a clean, silent and environmentally responsible way. Our preferred power source is solar, which we rely on to meet our day-to-day power demands.
Or to cope with extreme weather conditions, i.e. Fortunately, our View is well-equipped with an Onan diesel generator that feeds off of our fuel tank and keeps us powered-up and operational indefinitely.īut it's noisy and smelly, and we typically only use it in short bursts to run our microwave. We consider this a life well lived, but there are a few limiting factors that force us back into civilization, one of which is power. We often choose the path less traveled, and spend a majority of our time exploring endless dirt roads through public lands and rarely cross the threshold of a campground. Since we became full-timers, we rely on our Winnie for everything that our home in Boulder, Colorado, used to provide.
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