We are still working on a Rubicon option. If we can make it work its likely to only be around 30 watts.
Thanks so much for your post, I was on the fence and decided to pull the trigger after reading your review. Looks great on your rig, I am also looking forward to camping with this solar system. Any updates on your experience with the product so far?Reviving a somewhat old thread to post some pics and my opinion of the Cascadia system after finally installing it this afternoon!
Took advantage of a beautiful day and a quarantine here in NYC to get my panel mounted up. Install was super simple and the kit provides everything you need, including zip ties for wire management. I followed the directions to first affix the protective vinyl sheet that the panel mounts to. That was probably the trickiest part, but as long as you follow the instructions, it's not hard by any means. Domt skimp on the cleaning and prep work if you want a good result. After using a heat gun and the provided squeegee to clear out the air bubbles I got a super smooth finish on the vinyl and I moved on to mounting the panel.
Again, just followed the directions here. Used heat and pressure to affix the panel. Thanks to the bumpers on the hood, alignment was also pretty easy.
Finally, wiring up the solar controller. I found the battery cables they give you with the controller to be way too long. For now I just tucked the excess away next to the battery, but I will go back and shorten those wires for a neater and safer end product. Without any fuss, as soon as it was wired up, it started charging my vehicle battery. Anyway, pics of the finished product below. Overall I am really happy with the Cascadia solar system and can't wait to put it to the test while camping this summer!
So far so good. I had the Jeep on the beach last weekend and unfortunately tore a sidewall so I had my ARB compressor running, music going for a while, etc. The battery stayed strong the whole time and in fact I was able to jump a fellow jeeper who wasn't so lucky. It definitely provided me some peace of mind.
This is a little concerning for me. I live and wheel very close to Death Valley. We generally avoid anything that sticks on out here. If it cant stay put after a day on the trail at 110F, while traveling down the highway at 75, with a 50 MPH headwind, im going to have problems. Out here once anything starts to peel up the talcum powder consistency dirt we have makes re-sticking an impossibility. I may have to consider JB welding some aviation "click studs" to the back of this thing and drilling holes in the hood to bolt it down securely. I cant have this thing coming off while on the highway.So far so good. I had the Jeep on the beach last weekend and unfortunately tore a sidewall so I had my ARB compressor running, music going for a while, etc. The battery stayed strong the whole time and in fact I was able to jump a fellow jeeper who wasn't so lucky. It definitely provided me some peace of mind.
My only real issue so far, and maybe @Cascadia4x4 can suggest a fix, is that when the sun is strong and the hood heats up, the panel pops up on the curved part toward the rear. I'm not worried about it going anywhere because the rest of the panel is still really solidly adhered, but I do worry about water getting in and sitting there since there's no place else for it to drain. I'm considering pulling up the whole rear of the panel and applying new VHB tape, but I'm hesitant to mess with it and potentially damage the protective vinyl underneath. You can see what I mean in the photo below.
I dont think you'll have any issues with adhesion. Even though those two spots are popping up on mine, the rest of the thing is still rock solid, even at 70-80mph. Cascadia recommends installing when the outside temp is at least 65 degrees, but just from my experience, I would recommend installing it when it's a little bit hotter and allowing everything to come to temp in the sun for a little while before sticking it on. If you do that I think you'd be totally fine.
Hey Steve, Thanks for posting this up. Since you got one of the very first panels we've made a few small changes in order to mitigate any adhesion issues. We have found that the vinyl surface can reduce the adhesion properties of the tape.
Hey Jim, As mentioned above we've got a fix for any adhesion issues so no worries there, all kits will be shipping with the updates. During testing over the past few years we've had a few panels come up in small area but there has never been a concern about the panel flying off since where the panel is stuck down the bond is very, very strong.
That's great news! I'm sure you'll be very happy with the product. Please feel free to reach out with any questions you might have regarding the install. We've also included VERY detailed instructions.
thanks for all the updates, I have my tracking number and am looking forward to it!
Keen Eye! Yes there is no longer a white logo on the panels. Instead our logo is molded into the junction box at the top of the panel.
