Zhengmy 10 Solar Panel End Clamp Mounting Z Bracket Mid Clamps Aluminum Rail End Clamps Clips Adjustable Panels Grounding Gutter Kit for Pv Mounting System Install Hardware Fasteners Accessory

The slotted angles you got from Home Depot/Lowes are too thin/fragile for long term solar IMO.I think they're under 16 gauge. possibly even 18 gauge with how malleable they are. Look at how deformed the metal is just from you securing the U bracket on there. If you're driving down the highway, the bolts are going to tug at the holes in the metal until they deform. Short term, you might get away with it for a little bit. But you're going to have one bad day with either wind or galvanic corrosion that's going to deform that metal to the point where those solar panels are going flying. And then you'll have to worry about a whole new set of problems. In the long term, if I were you, I'd invest in some quality aluminum strut from Grainger or some other supplier. At least 14 gauge aluminum, if not 12! lower number = thicker metal = better. I'd also highly recommend painting whatever metal you end up putting on your roof. Unpainted aluminum naturally oxidizes, but this is very problematic for any stainless steel fasteners you've got securing the aluminum. So paint helps mitigate our corrosion risk. If you are using anything other than stainless steel, aluminum, or nylon, I hope you're ready for problems. I also recommend thinking about failsafes. When designing anything in your van, think about how it is going to fail. IMO everyone should have UV-safe zip ties as a fail safe throughout their roof rack builds. i try to have a zip tie at 4 different points for each panel in distinct areas in case a bolt failure for whatever reason. Call it overkill, call it paranoia, I call it peace of mind bc each zip tie can take 50lb of force in addition to the other fasteners that are a part of my build. Get the UV resistant zip ties, and they're a lovely permanent addition to securing your build. I also want to recommend securing your solar panels with something ON TOP. The wind is your enemy, and while you may think securing the panel to the bottom of the bracket is good enough, I think it's actually better to have something that holds it down from the top. If you end up going with strut, you unlock Z-clamps and middle solar-clamps as a wonderful option for securing your solar panels.