11 Reasons Your RV Doesn’t Need Solar Power

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IBTripping

IBTripping

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I don't have an opinion on solar power for RVing. I've got a nice efficient generator so I'm not interested in adding solar. But I found the points in the article to be an interesting take.
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11 Reasons RV Solar Power is a Farce

Are you consider RV solar power for your rig? Read these 7 reasons before your bite the bullet! You may realize that not...
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There are several applications where Solar makes a lot of sense such as utility scale arrays or in areas where they lack natural resources and electrical infrastructure. Most solar panels on RVs are for feeling good unless all you want to do is keep your battery topped off for LED lights and computers. Most RV roofs are too small, and you cannot put enough panels on to do useable work. If the array does not produce enough to satisfy your demand, you will need a storage system. Storage systems are large, heavy and expense (relative). Solar systems are not pay once and done. They are semiconductors, electronics and electrical. They require maintenance, they fail, glass cracks, etc.. If you are considering installing solar, do the math. If math works for you and you have the capital to invest, by all means install it. Please share your success stories. Dennis
 
I do agree that moving to solar isn’t for everyone, but it isn’t always an issue of money. The relative quiet of an inverter generator still doesn’t compare to no sound at all. Since Kevin is an electrical engineer, he designed and installed our system of 900 watts flat mounted panels running at 36v (3 gangs of 3 panels) because we only had 8 gauge wiring installed as a pre-wire by Tiffin. That saved an awful lot of money even though the parts were a few thousand. When we had lead acid batteries we usually needed to run the generator an hour or two in the morning for bulk charging, then we let the solar panels take the batteries to full charge, something that would have taken another 2 hours with the generator. But with lithium batteries we only needed 30 minutes or so of generator use in addition to the solar due to the flat charging curve of the batteries. This is in the winter when we run the propane heater a lot plus the sun is at a low angle making the solar less efficient. Summer without shade or clouds, we don’t need to run the generator at all, and we are pretty power hungry! Then again, we really try to be places where we don’t need AC in the summer. Our 600 amp hours of batteries wouldn’t let us run it for long, so we have never moved the AC to the inverter circuit.
 
A bit oversimplified and factually questionable but some valid points. Missing is the point I always make - what happens when the sun don't shine? Everything runs by the numbers when the sun's out, but it all goes to hell when the clouds roll in, or there's shade. Solar is a supplement, not a solution. Generators are a solution.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
I think there are 2 "camps" of people:

1) those who think solar is vital to their camping experience, and 2) those who think solar is NOT vital to their camper experience.

Options are always a nice thing! I don't have solar on my camper as we camp at sites with electric hook up at a minimum. But that is not to say solar is wrong for anyone either. No, no, no.... It's an option, a choice, and give us all more variety in our choice of camping locations.

I think the article does point out some valid reasons for anyone who is feeling compelled, but not convinced, about getting solar for their camper, especially if they fall into any of those 11 categories.

And I can absolutely see, and totally understand why anyone who already has solar can sit back and say.... "That article is full of bull ****"
 
I think if people want the benefits and drawbacks of solar for their RV, go for it. Choices, right?
 
I've been using solar in various roles for decades, and agree it's all about choices. Where the train departs the track is expectation - loading up the RV with a bunch of equipment, then thinking you just "add solar" and they cancel. Probably best case is to have enough battery and solar to last as long as your water in "typical" use and weather. Anything else and you're taking a generator or making accommodations (which can be one of the choices).

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
They left a line out of the neat article referenced.
If you live and camp someplace (Like Michigan) that barely gets enough sun to grow moss, there may be a poor return on the investment.
Matt
 
Solar works without direct sun. I live in the Northwest where our "days of sun" averages about 55 per year. The rest is some version of overcast, raining, and in the winter, it doesn't really get light until after 7am, and it gets dark around 4pm. People still harness solar energy here.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
Definitely an option and one that is valuable to some people. But I get a bit distressed when naive newbies read a pro-solar article and think all they have to do is pop some panels on the roof and they can turn on the a/c and throw some popcorn in the microwave. :unsure:
Click to expand...

indeed... as I have said may times over, correct solar design is necessary to achieve a certain goal.
very few DIY will design a system to fully meet their requirements or expectations. I did read the article and it really is uneducated bull ***t. I was expecting a link at the bottom to his generator store, but didn't see it.. LOL

Also noted from PJ above was the return on investment comment.
Solar will NEVER give a return on investment when batteries are involved, batteries expire and the net gains in power are offset by battery costs. Grid tie systems will net a profit, but this takes a large investment and a long time to payback.

in my opinion, solar is a "horses for courses" exercise, those like myself that boon dock almost 100% of the time will benefit from solar where other power sources might not be acceptable. others who hook up to camp sites will have no requirement for solar at all.

As stated above, one does not buy an RV for investment purposes, they are essentially a total loss.
 
Some like it hot and some don't. I'm in the 'some don't' category and as stated, running AC on solar is most likely not going to keep me cool. Another factor for me, is my hearing. Usually I have to ask the DW if the Onan is running. I can tell if the Honda is running since when it runs out of gas, my computer shuts down. ;)

Put me in the newbie category when it comes to solar. While I've learned a bit since I built a small solar suitcase, when I look at a professional install, I just shake my head. It really requires someone with significant electrical/wiring knowledge which is something I definitely don't have.
 
I would like to hear from the people who have install a solar package on their RV. Please share the details of your array in Watts, array area in sq.ft. RV length, storage banks, etc. and what you use the power for over what period of time. Thanks Dennis
 
Since this post will be attracting all the solar/battery knowledge from the community, I'd like somebody to check my math:

I have a flooded SRM27 battery with a 100W panel on the roof. The battery is advertised as having 88Ah. Since I should go below 50%, that gives me 44 Ah of use. My friend has nearly the same trailer, no solar, and his SRM24 (80 Ah with 40 Ah usable) gave him about 2 1/2 days. He has an absorption fridge that was on LP. Rounding to be safe, let's say he used 20 Ah/day.

100W/12V = 8.3 Ah. Correcting for trees and clouds, let's say I average 4 Ah during 8 hrs of usable sunlight per day, that gets me 32 Ahr/day returning to the battery during the day. This is 50% more than what my buddy was using so I am guessing that I can get by as long as I can survive without the A/C or the microwave and have enough propane for the fridge. I don't expect to be using the furnace. Dawn to dusk in early June for me is about 13 hrs.

I have not experimented with my own power needs yet. Planning a long weekend for early June with full hookups. If its not too hot, I am going to extend the slide and awning while connected to the running TV then go off-grid to see what happens. I have already purchased my digital volt meter

I am not pretending to be fluent in this just yet, so comments are appreciated.
 
tlmgcamp... i have some experience with solar mostly out of necessity... ie i didn't have to justify the cost... it was a necessity. now with an RV purchase on the horizon, i do have to make the numbers work if i go ahead and install a solar system. i like the idea of solar but i am not going to dump a bunch of dollars on something i don't need... (I've gone off track). what i was going to say was look at the battery lifecycle and state of discharge. With the Trojan 105 batteries that i used it was cheaper to go beyond the recommended 50% SOC and use less batteries. yes you are technically 'abusing' (other peoples words not mine) the batteries but it still works out cheaper (and much lighter). Also by using your existing lead acid batteries now and waiting as the lithium batteries continue to fall in price you will save money. with my solar install generally around 30° - 40° North on a none stable moving platform i calculated 6 hours of full solar panel rating per day i.e. 200w x 6 = 1200wh. it would ramp up and ramp down but that is what it roughly worked out to be. in all likelihood you will probably see me with a bunch of solar on my roof as i plan to work from 'home' in the wilderness, and i value my silence. and a last piece of advice... pay money for your charge controller it is worth it (i had a victron).
Best Regards Steven
 
IBTripping said:
I don't have an opinion on solar power for RVing. I've got a nice efficient generator so I'm not interested in adding solar. But I found the points in the article to be an interesting take.
drivinvibin.com

11 Reasons RV Solar Power is a Farce

Are you consider RV solar power for your rig? Read these 7 reasons before your bite the bullet! You may realize that not...
drivinvibin.com drivinvibin.com
Click to expand...

Ugh. Yet another monitized YouTuber posting a "controversial" video in the hopes of driving users to their site.

Plus, YouTuber wearing a Battleborn Lithium Battery t-shirt while dissing lithium batteries. Ah, the humanity.
 
zulu said:
Ugh. Yet another monitized YouTuber posting a "controversial" video in the hopes of driving users to their site.

Plus, YouTuber wearing a Battleborn Lithium Battery t-shirt while dissing lithium batteries. Ah, the humanity.
Click to expand...
My thoughts exactly! I havent watched any of their videos, but I have see their name plenty of times on youtube.
 
Something to consider is the fact that you are not able to recover all of the power delivered by your panels to the batteries. Power is lost to heat and resistance during charging. The last numbers I heard is that you can only recover 88% of the Amp hours delivered by the panels to your batteries, by the solar panels.

It seems to make sense in terms of efficiency but I cant verify that as being an accurate number....

Safe travels and all the best
 
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