Caravan solar panel fixing warning
Caravan-related tragedy highlights importance of properly secured rooftop solar panelsJayco and other industry experts are advising caravan owners to ensure any potentially dangerous attachments are secured properly, after a recent tragic accident raised safety concerns over rooftop-mounted caravan solar panels.
Three people were killed in early-October after a car driving along Tasmania's Midland Highway lost control and veered into an oncoming vehicle while avoiding a solar panel which had fallen off a caravan.
The tragedy raised concerns about how well solar panels are fixed to caravans, and prompted Tasmanian builder Graeme Twine to check the solar panels on his camper trailer.
“When I sort of looked at the panel, I was expecting to see some screws fixed to the roof and couldn’t see any – and it just appeared on the outside of it that it was glued, for want of better words, to the roof,” Twine told ABC Radio.
“I proceeded to lift the other corner, and with very light pressure – an eight-year-old could have done what I was doing,” he said. “And the whole thing just popped off the roof virtually.”
“I reckon there would be a lot of caravans and campervans out there with just glued-on solar panels – and that’s a real worry."
'Glue and screw' fastening recommended
Colin Young from the Caravan Council of Australia said that while the regulations are not entirely clear when it comes to safe attachment of items like solar panels on a caravan, the use of "positive mechanical securing devices will significantly enhance the reliability of a securing system".
"Safe securing of any component requires the attachment method to be strong enough to withstand the highest force that the component is reasonably likely to be subjected to," Young explained.
"Roadway impacts, vibrations, aerodynamic forces (such as caused by a passing semi-trailer) must be carefully considered."
"Professional adhesives (when applied correctly to clean surfaces) can withstand appreciable shear and tension forces, but may lose some of their strength due to prolonged travelling, different weather conditions, and large impacts."
Young said that caravan/trailer manufacturing regulations, such as that outlined in the (Vehicle Standards Bulletin) VSB1 "are not 'design-restrictive', and only state the required minimum specifications, without saying how this is to be achieved.
"It is rightfully expected that recognized engineering practices will always be followed to ensure safe and acceptable performance," he said.
"Without any specific strength requirements being provided for any attachment or securing system in relation to road-vehicles, it is accepted that comparable figures be utilised."
Young explained further that "securing devices for seats, seat-belts, child-restraints, head-restraints, LPG cylinders, etc. need to be able to withstand longitudinal forces of at least 20g, lateral forces of 6g, and vertical forces of 6g.
"How many caravans provide these safety factors for the installation of all appliances and equipment?" he questioned.
Jayco plays it safe
Jayco's National Sales Manager, Scott Jones told ABC Radio that Australia's biggest RV manufacturer had a strict 'glue and screw' approach when it came to attaching items like solar panels to the rooftops of its Melbourne-built RVs.
"We make sure that anything that's fixed to the roof has a positive fixing, so that's effectively a screw or a bolt," Jones said.
"Our method is we have a plate underneath or a block and the panel in this instance will go on top, we screw it down and we have an adhesive or a sealant in between to cover up any penetrations in the roof."
Jones recommended professional fitment of any caravan accessories, including those from aftermarket suppliers, where possible, along with regular caravan safety checks and maintenance to avoid issues like a solar panel dislodging.
"We certainly recommend anyone doing any work aftermarket to consult a qualified professional when you're carrying out any alterations, because there are so many variables involved," he said.
"We (also) recommend an annual safety check and service (of your RV)."
Related reading:
Call for caravan training after latest rollover
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