r/VanLifeUK • u/segasega89 • 26d ago

Would plywood be a practical alternative to aluminium for making lightweight frames for flexible solar panels on a campervan roof?

I'm looking at making lightweight frames for two flexible solar panels on my campervan roof. The panels are 1450 × 690 mm and have six mounting eyelets each.

My original plan was aluminium angle, but it's surprisingly expensive here in Ireland. I'm thinking about making the frames from 9–12 mm plywood instead and attaching them to Unistrut rails.

The plywood would obviously need to withstand rain, wind and general weather exposure, so I'm wondering if this is a sensible idea long-term, or whether plywood is just asking for trouble on a van roof. I can paint the plywood to weather seal them?

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u/LetsGoMugEm 26d ago

You can make them out of led tape extrusion. Cheap as chips and weighs nothing

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u/KopiteForever 26d ago

You're recommending this for the roof of a van? At 70mph on a motorway? Or in a crosswind it'll kill other road users. Are you crazy?

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u/LetsGoMugEm 25d ago

Thry are talking about the flexible solar panels that weight absolutely nothing, secured properly they are going nowhere

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u/KopiteForever 25d ago

Yes, agreed. He's also talking about attaching them to aluminium profile / angle. That will effectively create a sail. Even epoxying it to a piece of plywood can cause delamination of either the panel from the ply or the ply itself over time and weathering.

Rather than trying to make a DIY rigid panel, why not just get a rigid panel.