Application · RV, camper van, caravan
Solar panels for camper vans — bonded, not bolted
A camper roof is already busy: skylight, air-con pod, vent, maybe a roof rack. Bond a 3 mm laminate into the gaps and you gain real wattage without adding height, wind noise or a single drilled hole.
Most camper installations fail at the mounting, not at the panel. Racking a glass module onto a membrane roof means four or more penetrations, and every one of them is a future leak. A flexible laminate is bonded across its whole back face, so the load is spread over the panel instead of four bolts — and the same panel follows the curve of a high-top roof, which a framed module cannot.
- 100 – 400 W
- 3 mm laminate
- ETFE front sheet
- Bonded or eyeleted
- 12 V / 24 V
Send a photo of the roof with the usable area measured and we return a panel layout and a price — no obligation, and factory visits are welcome if you buy in series.
What actually fits
| Free roof area | Typical fit |
|---|---|
| Around 1.2 × 0.6 m | 100 – 150 W laminate, one panel |
| Around 1.8 × 0.9 m | 260 – 300 W laminate, one panel |
| Both sides of a high-top roof | 300 – 400 W across two laminates |
| Roof already full | 100 – 400 W folding kit, deployed on the ground |
Starting points, not limits — the panel is built to your drawing, so the layout follows the roof rather than the other way round.
How it is fixed
- Adhesive bond — full back-face coverage, no penetrations; primer chosen for GRP, aluminium or painted steel
- Stainless eyelets — for roofs where a warranty clause forbids adhesive
- Cable entry — lead length and junction box position set to clear your gland or existing roof entry
- Controller — panel configured to the MPPT you already run, 12 V or 24 V
What we need to quote
Everything specific to your build is settled by email or at the factory — the website only carries the standard ranges.
- A roof photo or sketch with the usable area measured
- Wattage you are aiming for, and the system voltage
- Roof material — GRP, aluminium, steel or membrane
- Number of vans per year, or the size of the first batch
- Destination market, for the certification that applies
Why buyers come to us rather than a catalogue
A camper roof rarely matches a stock module size. We work from your drawing, match the build to the factory that runs that cell layout, and quote at the line price — the factory is named before you commit.
If a glass module or a different cell technology is the cheaper answer for your roof, that is what we quote. There is no line of our own to fill.
From one van to a fleet
The same laminates go onto bigger roofs. Buses and commercial vehicles take them the same way — bonded over the roof panel, one cable gland, no rail. A fleet order is quoted with the producing factory named, and you are welcome to see the line before committing.
Above: a transit bus being fitted during production — bonded laminate, standard gland entry, no roof penetrations beyond the cable.
Questions camper builders ask
How much power can I fit on my roof?
It depends on what is left between the skylight, the air-con pod and the vents, and on how much of the roof is curved. Send a photo with the usable rectangle measured and we come back with a cell layout that fills it, plus the wattage that layout gives.
Can it follow a curved high-top roof?
Yes — that is the usual reason buyers choose a laminate over a glass module. Tell us the roof material (GRP, aluminium, painted steel, membrane) and the adhesive and primer are specified for it.
Will bonding damage the roof or its warranty?
No holes are made, which is the point. Where a warranty clause forbids adhesive, the same laminate is supplied with stainless eyelets bonded into the edge instead.
12 V or 24 V — and do I need a controller?
Most campers are 12 V, larger vans and boats often 24 V. The cell layout and junction box are configured for your voltage, and the panel is matched to the MPPT controller you already run.
Can I order one panel before committing to a series?
Yes. Samples are built to the same drawing as the series. Send the roof dimensions, voltage and expected annual quantity, and the sample and series are quoted separately by email.
Send the roof, get a layout
One photo with the usable area measured is enough to start. We reply with a panel layout, the wattage it gives, the factory behind it and a line price — and you are welcome to visit the line before you commit.