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Sun Jan 26, 2014 4:14 pm

Any ideas? I just noticed this today, so I don't know how long it's been this way. I have a large solar panel (5'x3' approx), but it's been there for six months or more.
I have no idea what caused this, so if anyone has any input that would be great!

Sun Jan 26, 2014 4:27 pm

I think you answered your own question....... Solar panel.

A stress fracture of the fiberglass.

The weight of the rear section simply killed the area it rested upon.

Sun Jan 26, 2014 4:32 pm

We don't know the weight of the solar panel, the weight distribution or how it's attached.

At speed there could be a vibration or resonance that caused it.

But the pop-tops are pretty tuff.

My first guess is something hit it.

Sun Jan 26, 2014 4:35 pm

Was it the poptop or the luggage rack, pic looks like the luggage rack?

Sun Jan 26, 2014 4:54 pm

Sorry, yes this is on the luggage rack.
Solar panel is attached directly to roof via four brackets approx 1"x1.5" each using bolts through the top flat part of the pop top. It weighs 50-60 lbs

Sun Jan 26, 2014 4:57 pm

Do you have the rubber spacers at each luggage rack stud which keeps the rack off of the metal roof?

Dave

Sun Jan 26, 2014 5:02 pm

DontBeAfraid wrote: Any ideas? I just noticed this today, so I don't know how long it's been this way. I have a large solar panel (5'x3' approx), but it's been there for six months or more.
I have no idea what caused this, so if anyone has any input that would be great!

It's been busted for a while, note the white stain on the right end of the larger piece, that stain does not extend to the small piece below it, thus the fracture occurred before the white stain was made. since we have been rain free for a while in Oakland and that stain appears water related, I say the failure dates back to before the last rains, or last washing of the van, as the white stain is likely from water draining off the top.

maybe the top got closed on something that prevented it from seating on the van in that corner, or the top when it was lowered was misaligned and the corner that was broken got set down over the edge of the rain gutter.

The plastic trim on the top of the rain gutter shows some scuff marks that may have occurred when the yet to be broken top was set incorrectly over the rain gutter's plastic trim piece.

if this indeed is the case, the fracture might have started on the left side of the damaged area, as that would be stressed the most if the top was set down cockeyed.
You might find evidence of the left side failing first if you find the left side fracture surfaces dirty, indicating that the crack developed first on the left, with some time before final failure. However it is still possible the failure happened rapidly, thus the fracture surface would be uniformly dirty or clean.

It is thus possible that the top was set down crooked, cockeyed over the rain gutter , which may have caused the stress which fractured the piece.

I'd agree that it was a stress fracture, if there was no stress, it would not have fractured!!!! Never seen a non-stress fracture, ever.

You got some damage on the overlapping fiberglass part too, a notch and a gouge. The gouge appears to be made before the top was repainted last.

Sun Jan 26, 2014 5:34 pm

I doubt that the solar panels weight was the cause. Unless you are implying that the poptop
somehow was allowed to slam shut? Even then I don't think that a 50 pound panel would do this.
Have any other pictures of where the panel is located? I am thinking what you described sounds like
my panel.

Sun Jan 26, 2014 5:43 pm

I think the root cause of the problem is due to an improperly installed luggage rack seal. The luggage seal was not cut to the proper length. Instead it was installed with the end too long so that it overlapped the area where main top seal sweeps down over the corner of the rack. The main top seal was dragging on the luggage seal as it was lowered down, as seen by the drag marks on the luggage seal. That put repeated stress on the corner of the luggage rack.

Mark

Sun Jan 26, 2014 6:21 pm

I think it may be the alignment of the poptop lifting bars. I would guess it comes down pressing on that side and not so much on the other. And eitehr the repeated closing of the top or the vibration from driving while pussing too hard against the fiberglass on that side caused it to crack. How does the top close? Do you favor one side when lowering it?

Sun Jan 26, 2014 7:10 pm

crazyvwvanman wrote: I think the root cause of the problem is due to an improperly installed luggage rack seal. The luggage seal was not cut to the proper length. Instead it was installed with the end too long so that it overlapped the area where main top seal sweeps down over the corner of the rack. The main top seal was dragging on the luggage seal as it was lowered down, as seen by the drag marks on the luggage seal. That put repeated stress on the corner of the luggage rack.

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