I want solar!

[RORA the EXPLORA]

You all helped me a lot with the battery charging issue and I appreciate you! Now, I want to get a solar system because I am a full-timer and cannot afford these $50/night RV parks. I want to boondock! So, what I'm looking for is how to find a reputable person to do the installation. I'm not looking for free, just looking for FAIR and reliable. Any suggestions?

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Where? Or where would you be willing to go? Do you know what you need it to do?

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[steveblonde]

You also need to figure out what size panels and inverter you want -its easy to spend a few $ 1000s on a system incl installation

 

[UTTransplant]

Solar has all kinds of advantages, so get it if you want. However there are other ways of reducing overnight costs. The best one is to spend more time at a specific location. Lots of places discount weekly stays significantly, and they discount t monthly stays even more. Snowbird spots in the SW, for example, daily rates may be $50-60, but monthly rates might be $500-$750. Plus you save the fuel cost of your rig.

 

[RORA the EXPLORA]

Where? Or where would you be willing to go? Do you know what you need it to do?

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

I am in the west around Wyoming/Colorado right now but will be heading to the southwest (New Mexico, Arizona), when it cools down a bit, I'd like to have "whatever I need" (so NO, I don't know what I need but will see what I can find on Google before heading into installation) by about November.

 

[RORA the EXPLORA]

Solar has all kinds of advantages, so get it if you want. However there are other ways of reducing overnight costs. The best one is to spend more time at a specific location. Lots of places discount weekly stays significantly, and they discount t monthly stays even more. Snowbird spots in the SW, for example, daily rates may be $50-60, but monthly rates might be $500-$750. Plus you save the fuel cost of your rig.

I understand but...I am not able (living on SS) to pay those kinds of prices so....gotta find a way to live cheaply and I figure what I spend getting my RV set up for disbursed camping will be about what I would spend on one winter in an RV park. I am also checking into LTVA (Long Term Visitor Area) in Arizona for $180 for seven months!!! Saw a great video about it and I think I can! I'm in a park now for a week and the cost was $308 with a Good Sam discount. Way to much for a little back in spot about 20' wide...

 

[RORA the EXPLORA]

You also need to figure out what size panels and inverter you want -its easy to spend a few $ 1000s on a system incl installation

But I would think that once you get it set up, upkeep isn't much and these RV parks are killing me cost wise! Oh, I also want portable solar panels, not hooked to my roof.

 

[UTTransplant]

I understand but...I am not able (living on SS) to pay those kinds of prices so....gotta find a way to live cheaply and I figure what I spend getting my RV set up for disbursed camping will be about what I would spend on one winter in an RV park. I am also checking into LTVA (Long Term Visitor Area) in Arizona for $180 for seven months!!! Saw a great video about it and I think I can! LOL

Gotcha. You need to find out how much power you really need before finding an installer. There are various checklists you can use to find out. Portable set ups are less expensive than roof installed ones usually (but not always!), but they require you being around to move them during the day. Many people use them successfully though.

 

[RORA the EXPLORA]

Gotcha. You need to find out how much power you really need before finding an installer. There are various checklists you can use to find out. Portable set ups are less expensive than roof installed ones usually (but not always!), but they require you being around to move them during the day. Many people use them successfully though.

Perfect! Good input...thank you!

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

I don't know what I need but will see what I can find on Google before heading into installation

Now there's a statement destined for infamy.

Did you ever install a battery monitor? Once you have one of those, you can be gathering daily usage data and it doesn't get any better than that for sizing a solar installation.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[steveblonde]

Portable 400w panels are only a few hundred bucks - BUT it wont run anything without an inverter and thats the costly part

 

[RORA the EXPLORA]

Now there's a statement destined for infamy.

Did you ever install a battery monitor? Once you have one of those, you can be gathering daily usage data and it doesn't get any better than that for sizing a solar installation.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

Hahaha IKR but it gives you ideas on the basics. My RV has the battery monitor that came with the RV only.

 

[SeilerBird]

I find it humorous when someone wants to live in an RV to save money.

 

[TonyL]

If you're going to pay someone, that's going to cost. You say you want portable panels, but unless you're prepared to keep moving them, you would be as well to install panels on the roof. To give you some idea, we fitted a 200 watt panel on the roof, and including all necessary cables, sealant, charge controller etc, it cost $300. The price we were quoted to supply and install was around $1200 for the same size.
Quartzite LTVA is a very cheap place to stay, but shopping in town costs. You will need to travel to Parker or Blythe for reasonable grocery costs.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

I am also checking into LTVA (Long Term Visitor Area) in Arizona for $180 for seven months!!!

Have you been there before? You'd better like dirt, and wind.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Kirk]

Contact Chad Heiser as he is a fulltimer who got so deep into helping others get solar that he has gone into the business. He has a lot of free information on his website and he also puts on free seminars at RV gatherings to help those who do it themselves. As he told me, he is so busy that he can't do more so encourages others to do their own and is happy to help if he can.

 

[PJ Stough]

Have you been there before? You'd better like dirt, and wind.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

We have been there the last 13 years, and yes it is not resort, but dust dirt and wind are not a deal breaker. Everyone one seems to have different tolerance levels for nature.

 

[Kirk]

Just to add something that you may want to consider is that the Escapees RV Club has 9 co-op RV parks that you can buy into pretty reasonably and they are member owned and managed. Quite inexpensive to use or to join.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Here in New Mexico there is ample dirt and wind, but I'm in a city with electricity and running water. Out there you'd better like solitude because it's dirt as far as they eye can see. I can understand how some folks would like it depending what you're into, but it needs to be more than just cheap rent.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Lou Schneider]

Check out SanTan Solar in Gilbert, AZ (Phoenix suburb). They have very inexpensive used solar panels removed from residential and commercial installations. They're physically large, but one or two of their 200-250 watt panels on top of your RV coupled to an inexpensive MPPT controller to convert them to 12 volts (which they also sell) and maybe an inverter will make a very capable solar system. Bob Wells' "Cheap RV Living" YouTube channel has many examples of using these on vans and RVs.

SanTan Solar | Wholesale Solar Panels For DIY, RV and More!