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Sport Hood Mounted Vehicle Specific Solar System™ - Jeep JL & Gladiator

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JimLee

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@Cascadia4x4 whats your cleaning and care recommendations for these panels? Installing mine today. Seems like most waxes and plastic preservation products nowadays have some kind of UV blockers, although i doubt they would effect a solar panel in such a thin coat, safe to do the drive through type car wash that hoses your vehicle down with wax?
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vavaroutsos

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I think Customs likes me. Lol. One other thing... I did notice that two days after the new panel was installed while it was sitting in the sun heating up, one of the back indents started to pop up again. I let it sit with some weight on that spot for the next day though and that seems to have taken care of things. You might want to do the same after install just in case. Probably just a fluke because the other corner seems to be fine.
I don't think it was a fluke. Mine did the same thing when I first installed it over the vinyl, and it did it again when I re-installed it directly onto the paint (and yes, I cleaned it meticulously). I also put some weight on it for a couple of days and it seems to be stuck down now. I think the problem is the contours of the hood cause excess material in that area, which puts a constant force on the adhesive. This seems to cause the adhesive to release before it can cure properly.
 

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I don't think it was a fluke. Mine did the same thing when I first installed it over the vinyl, and it did it again when I re-installed it directly onto the paint (and yes, I cleaned it meticulously). I also put some weight on it for a couple of days and it seems to be stuck down now. I think the problem is the contours of the hood cause excess material in that area, which puts a constant force on the adhesive. This seems to cause the adhesive to release before it can cure properly.
I thought that but it only seemed to happen (for me anyway) when the car heated up in direct sunlight for a while which should theoretically heat the panel and help it to conform to the hood. I was thinking maybe it had something to do with different expansion rates, either between my light colored hood and the dark panel or the metal and plastic materials.
 

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Well, I got it on yesterday. I was extremely anal about installing the panel, like 8 hours worth. I followed the instructions exactly except doubling up on all the cleaning steps. It was about 83F when I started with the panel and I put up a 10x10 canopy to stay out of direct sunlight. After all the prep and had the solar panel sitting on the hood I noticed how far the edges of the panel were up off of the hood, so I used a heat gun to gently heat the edges after pulling the tape backing and kept heating while I pushed the edges down to the hood. Following the instructions to keep going back around the panel and push it down firmly, I did this for a good hour while gently heating still with the heat gun. I then let it cool back off and went over the edges again pushing down with firm pressure. None of the edges popped back up on me and I could see the panel starting to take the shape of the hood. I then backed it out into the sun, the outside temp was about 95F by this time. I let it sit in the sun for about an hour while doing some other chores in the garage. I checked the temp of the panel with a laser thermometer and it got up to 148F. About every 20 minutes or so during this time I went and gently pushed down on the edges the whole way round, and I put a couple of shot bags from a scuba weigh belt on the two back areas where others have had problems. Then I pulled it back under the shade and let it cool back down for an hour, going over the edges again about every 20 minutes. Then repeated the sun->shade cycle one more time. So far it seems to be stuck to the hood very well, drove it around town today at lunch time (almost 100F today) and then parked it in the shade and looked over the edges very carefully and nothing is coming up at this point. I think I may have got it down good the first try. I'll report back in a few days and let everyone know how it is going.

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ScubaSteve

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Well, I got it on yesterday. I was extremely anal about installing the panel, like 8 hours worth. I followed the instructions exactly except doubling up on all the cleaning steps. It was about 83F when I started with the panel and I put up a 10x10 canopy to stay out of direct sunlight. After all the prep and had the solar panel sitting on the hood I noticed how far the edges of the panel were up off of the hood, so I used a heat gun to gently heat the edges after pulling the tape backing and kept heating while I pushed the edges down to the hood. Following the instructions to keep going back around the panel and push it down firmly, I did this for a good hour while gently heating still with the heat gun. I then let it cool back off and went over the edges again pushing down with firm pressure. None of the edges popped back up on me and I could see the panel starting to take the shape of the hood. I then backed it out into the sun, the outside temp was about 95F by this time. I let it sit in the sun for about an hour while doing some other chores in the garage. I checked the temp of the panel with a laser thermometer and it got up to 148F. About every 20 minutes or so during this time I went and gently pushed down on the edges the whole way round, and I put a couple of shot bags from a scuba weigh belt on the two back areas where others have had problems. Then I pulled it back under the shade and let it cool back down for an hour, going over the edges again about every 20 minutes. Then repeated the sun->shade cycle one more time. So far it seems to be stuck to the hood very well, drove it around town today at lunch time (almost 100F today) and then parked it in the shade and looked over the edges very carefully and nothing is coming up at this point. I think I may have got it down good the first try. I'll report back in a few days and let everyone know how it is going.

Jeep Wrangler JL Hood Mounted Vehicle Specific Solar System™ - Jeep JL & Gladiator 20200614_142402


Jeep Wrangler JL Hood Mounted Vehicle Specific Solar System™ - Jeep JL & Gladiator 20200614_142402


Jeep Wrangler JL Hood Mounted Vehicle Specific Solar System™ - Jeep JL & Gladiator 20200614_142402


Jeep Wrangler JL Hood Mounted Vehicle Specific Solar System™ - Jeep JL & Gladiator 20200614_142402
Looks good! Sounds like you got a good cure on the adhesive.
 

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Cascadia4x4

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@JimLee We recommend just washing the panel as you would the rest of the vehicle (soap and water).


Thanks for all the tip's regarding using weights to help cure the tape in place. This is something we will certainly be including in future instructions.
 
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TheHops

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Update:
I have had mine on for a few months now and happy to report I have not had a single issue.

The Rubi panels are a bit disappointing I think. But 30watts is better than 0. @Cascadia4x4 you guys should make front fender pieces that can be added on to give more Juice. They could double as light trail armor if you design it so that it wraps the sides and front even though the solar bits will only be on the top. Just a thought. I know I would be a repeat customer if you did .
 
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Update:
I have had mine on for a few months now and happy to report I have not had a single issue.

The Rubi panels are a bit disappointing I think. But 30watts is better than 0. @Cascadia4x4 you guys should make front fender pieces that can be added on to give more Juice. They could double as light trail armor if you design it so that it wraps the sides and front even though the solar bits will only be on the top. Just a thought. I know I would be a repeat customer if you did .
Great to hear the positive review!

Unfortunately we were very limited in our design due to the complexity of the Rubicon hood. We got the most out of it that we could!

We have certainly thought about a fender add on. This is something we might continue looking at in the future. :like:
 

_olllllllo_

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Well, I got it on yesterday. I was extremely anal about installing the panel, like 8 hours worth. I followed the instructions exactly except doubling up on all the cleaning steps. It was about 83F when I started with the panel and I put up a 10x10 canopy to stay out of direct sunlight. After all the prep and had the solar panel sitting on the hood I noticed how far the edges of the panel were up off of the hood, so I used a heat gun to gently heat the edges after pulling the tape backing and kept heating while I pushed the edges down to the hood. Following the instructions to keep going back around the panel and push it down firmly, I did this for a good hour while gently heating still with the heat gun. I then let it cool back off and went over the edges again pushing down with firm pressure. None of the edges popped back up on me and I could see the panel starting to take the shape of the hood. I then backed it out into the sun, the outside temp was about 95F by this time. I let it sit in the sun for about an hour while doing some other chores in the garage. I checked the temp of the panel with a laser thermometer and it got up to 148F. About every 20 minutes or so during this time I went and gently pushed down on the edges the whole way round, and I put a couple of shot bags from a scuba weigh belt on the two back areas where others have had problems. Then I pulled it back under the shade and let it cool back down for an hour, going over the edges again about every 20 minutes. Then repeated the sun->shade cycle one more time. So far it seems to be stuck to the hood very well, drove it around town today at lunch time (almost 100F today) and then parked it in the shade and looked over the edges very carefully and nothing is coming up at this point. I think I may have got it down good the first try. I'll report back in a few days and let everyone know how it is going.

Jeep Wrangler JL Hood Mounted Vehicle Specific Solar System™ - Jeep JL & Gladiator JLR 1


Jeep Wrangler JL Hood Mounted Vehicle Specific Solar System™ - Jeep JL & Gladiator JLR 1


Jeep Wrangler JL Hood Mounted Vehicle Specific Solar System™ - Jeep JL & Gladiator JLR 1


Jeep Wrangler JL Hood Mounted Vehicle Specific Solar System™ - Jeep JL & Gladiator JLR 1
Thanks for the great write-up. Living in Southern Arizona, we regularly hit 100˚+ during the day as well. I will be interested in your feedback after a few months of ownership and real world experience.
 

four low

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This is a great product ! My concern is the pockets where the hood tie downs are, in freezing weather these will be ice pockets . Are you considering having the solar pad solid, no cut outs, the tie downs could mount on/ through the pad ? Or having the cut outs fit snug to the tie downs, seal any slight gap with sealant ?Also the flat wire suggestion for the transition section..
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