Solar mounts broke loose

[Jmquuenan]

My 2021 Thor Tellaro solar mounts broke loose; almost lost the solar panel from the roof. Anyone have a fix for mounting the solar panel besides the small bolts Thor used?

[ducksface]

Through bolts(preferably elevator bolts from the inside. They're nice and flat and have huge heads[like my wife])
Fender washers
Nylon insert nuts
Dicor covered by the magic tape.

It's your RV, drill a few holes to make it right.
The next owner will appreciate the fix not disparage it

[Chateau_Nomad]

Wow... and Thor even had a metal van roof to work with!

1) Calculate/measure where the panel mounting brackets contact the roof.

2) Apply a patch of Eternabond tape extending minimum of three inches in every direction from where the bolt holes will be.

3) Place the panel in position and drill holes appropriate for the size of bolts you'll use.

4) Apply a dab of Dicor to each screw with a fender washer and push through each mounting hole.

5) Inside the van, put another fender washer, lock washer and nut on the bolt... tighten.

6) Back on the roof, apply another patch of Eternabond tape of similar size over the bolt heads. Firmly press until the butyl starts oozing out the edge.

7) Relax and enjoy your van... never having to worry that the panels would ever come loose OR leak!

[Chance]

Originally Posted by Jmquuenan

My 2021 Thor Tellaro solar mounts broke loose; almost lost the solar panel from the roof. Anyone have a fix for mounting the solar panel besides the small bolts Thor used?

What exactly broke? Your comment implies the bolt(s) themselves failed but is that actually the case? If so, did they break in two, or nuts back out, pulled through, or what? More information could save you a lot of work, and pictures of failure can be particularly helpful. There might be a simple fix.

By the way, I would not assume all Tellaro are built exactly the same, so keep that in mind.

Many vans built on ProMaster have some kind of roof rack attached to van roof at factory-provided mounting locations. These require no drilling. Solar panels are then attached securely to rack. It also makes it easier to add more panels in the future if space allows. If your Tellaro doesn’t have a rack, that may be an option to consider, depending on panel design of course. If you already have a rack, fix should be easy by comparison. Different and stronger hardware may be a fix.

More information would be very helpful.

[Jmquuenan]

The mounts were attached to the bottom of the flashing of the solar panel by a bolt. The bolt ripped out of the flashing.
I do have a roof rack but the panel is not attached to it. It was attached to the side rails on the roof of the van - those bolts held..

[Chance]

Originally Posted by Jmquuenan

The mounts were attached to the bottom of the flashing of the solar panel by a bolt. The bolt ripped out of the flashing.
I do have a roof rack but the panel is not attached to it. It was attached to the side rails on the roof of the van - those bolts held..

If I understand your description correctly, the failure was the solar panel, where the bolt attached to the van did not break, but pulled through the “flashing”. Without pictures I can’t recommend an easy fix, but sounds like maybe the bolt was too small or they didn’t install a washer to spread load so it wouldn’t pull through.

Depending on how badly the solar panel was damaged by bolt pulling through hole/flashing, the fix could be as easy as bolting it down better. Can you fabricate or buy a clip to bolt the panel down securely? Without seeing a picture it’s hard to recommend a fix that will work in all cases.

Anyway, thanks for responding. Sounds to me like issue is the solar panel itself and not the van or rack. If that’s indeed the case, it’s good news; makes fix easier. Very worst case you would need a new panel if I understand you correctly.

[71_340]

Originally Posted by ducksface

Through bolts(preferably elevator bolts from the inside. They're nice and flat and have huge heads[like my wife]).....................

For your sake, I hope your wife doesn't read your post.

[Chateau_Nomad]

So... they didn't use aluminum Z brackets with properly sized and rated bolts/washers/nuts.