I know there are dozens of threads on which solar entry gland to get but I'd like to actually get some pictures gathered of the entry gland you used and how they did long term (at least a year) on your roof.

This thread had a lot of suggestions and some mentions of yellowing over team for the cheapo ones. Any other long term experience? I only have two wires and would like to use the factory holes

About to tackle this as well; plan to use factory holes and looking for the best cover.

Which factory holes are you planning to use ?

Also about to install Flatline van co roof rack; I have a MR Crew 148 van; planning to use the rear driver side factory holes etc...

Been looking at 200 and 400W solar panel; pros and cons and all of the variety of models and prices etc...

So looking forward to any post !.


Thanks,
Lee

 

i am using the unaka standard rack on my non extended van. so i will be using all the threaded holes on the roof and there is a hole near the back of the van in line with the roof rack holes that I will be using for solar cables. sounds like we are using the same holes. also if it helps for panels i want with rich solar 2x200W since they fit in nicely with the rack I have

 

Think about the future and how many things you may need to run through the roof. My own case:
- solar panel wiring
- starlink power cable
- exterior rack LED lighting
- security camera cabling
- maybe a future PEPlink cellular antenna like the Husky Parsec

I used a single, larger, low profile 'combiner box'. One hole in the roof to manage instead of 5; way less chance of leaks. Cable route stuff on the roof along the rack w/ cable ties. I mounted it just up from one of the roof ribs so that it didn't act like a water dam for the rib. Mine is low enough profile it tucks underneath a solar panel for even more protection.

Mine is the AMSolar box, but sadly they closed the business earlier this year. Definitely other brands or plenty of folks here have DIY'd a box.

 

I went cheap for my entry glands and have no regrets. I used the $9.99 Link Solar on Amazon glands with two rubber grommets per gland (one per wire for a total of 4). I've this setup through two winters now without any issues. Sikaflex 221 was used to attach the glands and grommets to the roof. Dicor 501SLB lap sealant was used around the glands. I probably did not need the Dicor but had some left over from when I installed the FVC roof rack.

 

What is the size for the factory holes ?; are they all the same size ?

Trying to plan my wiring design: Solar, external camera, external antenna for HAM and Starlink cables etc...

Appreciate any feedback/comments ?



Thanks,
Lee

 

I bought commercial ones made out of steel, They will last longer then the van does.
The half inch ones come close to fitting the holes in the roof.
I have used them at work, The rubber inserts inside them will last twenty years or longer.

They look something like this except they are made out of steel, There is a nut one one end you can tighten down to hold it in the roof sheet metal.

 

Both on our Sprinter and 2020 Transit, we used a basic cheap-o Amazon solar entry gland. I used VHB tape and nothing else to hold them on and make them water-proof. The Sprinter never leaked in the five-ish years we had it. The Transit hasn't leaked in the three years or so that it's been there. The through-hole is in a location that I can see from inside when doing wiring work and there's no evidence of leakage.

Here's the Sprinter gland from when I pulled the flexible panels and replaced them with rigid panels.

When we added the external cellular antenna - and later, the Starlink - I used a cheap water-proof box to handle all those cables plus more for lights in the future. I added a few different sized through-fittings to accommodate current and anticipated needs. I cut a similarly-sized hole in the bottom of the box and in the roof of the van and VHB'd it to the roof. No leaks in a year-and-a-half. Just the cellular antenna here; Starlink ethernet/power cable runs through it now as well.

Doing it again, I'd probably just do something like one of these or these and I'm sure it'd be fine.

FWIW, I'd rather cut extra holes than use the ones that are just openings from the factory. I'm using the rear-most factory holes to increase the strength of the roof rack. The extra ones that are still up there are a weird inset; I have more confidence in cutting my own holes on a flat surface.

 

The extra ones that are still up there are a weird inset

Maybe I will overcome my fear after our build drags on for several years, but less than a year in, I'm still paranoid about cutting new holes anywhere in the van. For our solar entry gland, I used the 2nd-most rearward factory hole, and it seems to have sealed well despite the irregular inset. I used Loctite PL Marine, and it has not leaked during several torrential downpours. Yet.

 

You'll get there. Most of the summer my refrain coming into the house was "another day, another hole in the van".

 

Sunlight is hard on certain types of wire insulation.

 

wrap wires and plastic with 3M Aluminum Duct tape
eliminates UV light worries -

also the round Holes in roof that ford seals with thin fragile shty plastic plugs
need to be covered and sealed - I used aluminum plate and silicone
if you dont seal these holes at some point these will leak

 

deleted. post i was commenting about was deleted first

 

Solar panel installation can e simple. One large panel does not require a rack. Used two 90 degree glands. One for positive and one for negative. Kept the existing panel connectors between the roof and the panel so easy replacement if panel damaged. Located the two roof holes under the panel and directly above the solar controller location out of sight and out of direct sunlight. Bought a solar panel extension cord and cut it in half to get wiring between panel and controller.

Solar System | Orton Travel Transit

 

Solar Entry Puck from DIYVans.com. 4 years, rock solid, water tight.