ROOF MOUNT OR PORTABLE: WHICH SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?

When thinking about what solar panels to get, it’s important to factor in the layout of your specific application and how you plan to mount or use your system. There are numerous types of solar mounts available on the market, ranging from pole mounts, tilt mounts, universal mounts, and permanent mounts. However, deciding whether to mount your solar panels on the roof or just purchase a portable option for your application is the next big step in setting up your solar system.

Naturally, many people choose to mount their solar panels on the roof of their RVs, campers, overlanding rigs, and trailers, since it allows room for more than one panel. However, there is a caveat to going down this route. Mounting your panels on the roof of your RV, motorhome, trailer, etc., requires you to drill holes into your sealed roof. Despite being able to thoroughly seal any gaps with silicon, or epoxy, some may still not be able to bring themselves to drill into their prized vehicle. Nevertheless, it can be done and is the preferred method used by many solar enthusiasts.

On the other hand, for those that value space as a precious commodity, portable solar options are a feasible route to go down, provided you have enough space around you to lay out your panels. This can be done using portable panels with pre-installed tilt mounts or custom setups to keep your panels mobile, while manually adjusting your panels to face the direction of the sun, allows for maximum performance. The benefits of this are that they are convenient, easy to use, and easy to carry. In terms of downsides, you will need to constantly reposition the panels to face the sun, as well as stow them every night.

What do we recommend?

We recommend roof-mounting your solar panels because the benefits outweigh the cons. For instance, your panels will continuously absorb sunlight, provided they’re not partially covered or shaded. Once they’re mounted, there’s no need for constant adjustments and it provides peace of mind and added security knowing that the panels are hard mounted to the roof of your vehicle, home, cabin, and/or anything with a roof.

At the end of the day, the most important takeaways to consider will be the space you have to work with, how many solar panels you plan on installing, as well as what specific job you need them to do. For most instances, roof mounting is the way to go. But if you want something more portable, we recommend using a dedicated portable solar panel option such as our 200W Foldable Solar Panel Kit.

We hope this has been an informative article that has helped you decide on which route to choose for your specific needs.

Be Wise, Go Solar!