Think about solar...
After the last dry camping trip I’m starting to think about getting some solar on our trailer. I have two six volt batteries and after running the generator to make sure they’re charged up for about t...
Forum Discussion
Have you done an audit of how much power you use each day? We have two group 31s and a 120 watt portable solar panel, and it keeps us fully topped off, every day, for as long as we want to camp (assuming it is sunny!).
But we are just two people, and we use power sparingly. The big hog is the furnace, which we use mostly during shower time. The water pump draws a lot of juice but is only intermittently used. Otherwise, it's just the LED lights and the fridge and the water heater. Those items draw very little power, by comparison.
So my point is that you may be able to get away without a permanent solar panel on the roof. Of course, a roof system has a big advantage -- you don't have to deploy it! But if the RV is in the shade, that is a problem. And the roof panel is flat -- a tilted portable panel is more efficient.
But we are just two people, and we use power sparingly. The big hog is the furnace, which we use mostly during shower time. The water pump draws a lot of juice but is only intermittently used. Otherwise, it's just the LED lights and the fridge and the water heater. Those items draw very little power, by comparison.
So my point is that you may be able to get away without a permanent solar panel on the roof. Of course, a roof system has a big advantage -- you don't have to deploy it! But if the RV is in the shade, that is a problem. And the roof panel is flat -- a tilted portable panel is more efficient.
