Mounting Solar Panels To Dolphin

[p-man]

We will be installing 3 100W solar panels on the roof of our new 86 Dolphin. Panels are 47"x21".

Each panel comes with 4 brackets and each bracket has 2 holes. It means drilling 24 holes if I go simple way. Seems kind of a lot. Any alternatives?

Maybe I could get two aluminum rails and install them parallel with just 4 holes in total. Then mount the panels on two rails.

How do you find the best place to drill in the roof? The top layer of the Dolphin roof is aluminum, or am I wrong? Maybe somebody can advice what is the sandwich of the roof? Is it wooden beams-plywood-aluminum?

Thanks a lot for any advice.

[Dolphinite no longer here]

p-man,

Well, there isn't very much up there. Other than the framing around the roof hatches and AC unit, most of the framing is 1" x 2" common lumber. You should be able to tell where any of the roof "beams" are by gently pushing up on the ceiling inside or by finding the seams on the roof where the metal sections are joined.

Sounds like you have the mounting system for your solar panels figured out.

John

[Eve "n" Stephen]

Note: they do need air circulation under them, the hotter they get, the less power they put out. On my Sunrader, I made a rack that mounts to the luggage rack rails, so no holes needed.

Steve