Roof Rafters/Truss

[budbon]

I am installing a second solar panel on my 2010 2955RL. Are the rafters/trusses 16" on center. My stud finder is supposed to find metal studs but it shows the whole roof as metal. I don't know if that is insulation backing or what. In any event I hesitate to start drilling exploratory holes. I can locate a rafter near a skylight and measure from there. The skylights seem to be 16" so I assume the rafters are 16" but you know what they say about "assume."

[Bill-N-Donna]

The studs are probably aluminum so I doubt you would be able to find them that way. I don’t know if they are centered like you ask or not.

[ols1932]

Isn't there plywood under the rubber roofing material that it is glued to? If so, then you could mount the panels almost any place where you have a surface big enough.

When ours were installed, they were placed where there was adequate room.

Orv

[budbon]

I wondered about just mounting thru the plywood. I would think between screwing into the plywood and the Dicor adhesive the mounting should be adequate. Has anyone mounted panels in this way?

[Jolu]

Bud, yes you can mount the panel mounts with screws and Dicor. The screws that came with my mounts are about 1" long lag screws. So they have a lot of holding power.
There is another way to mount the panels using a well nut. They are a rubber deal that expands when screw is screwed into them.
They look something like this: Well Nut

[rames14]

If you have a 2005 or newer and next to the door it says Aluminum Plus, you have steel roof trusses. This solved a mold problem from condensation and reduced weight about 42 lbs. The overlay is a one piece plywood like the floor and then the rubber is over that. Didn't measure the spacing but I think it is closer.

[budbon]

After the long weekend (we're going camping) I'll move forward with the solar panel mounting. Those well nuts look really interesting. I'd never seen or heard of them before.

[scductman]

Bud the truss are galv and are 16" on center also 5" tall if I remember correctly. I liked the galv truss when we were at the factory. I worked in hvac and they should be stronger than alum.
bobby