OK... full-timers ! question about solar !

Hi Dave,

The only item that is not easily powered by solar is the air conditioner. By the time you buy the fuel for the generator--you may as well be at an inexpensive rv park.

http://freecampsites.net/

I'm leaning towards abandoning my generator and beefing up my solar system. As it is now, I can go for many days without decent sun.

smkettner wrote:
Although 5+ days of no sun would put a crimp on operations as I carry no generator.

Just wondering, why do you not carry a genny? I am looking into solar and a generator.

Dave

Susan and I are full-timers, we dry-camp everytime that we can or if the area allows it. We also use rv parks. First let's forget about the cost of solar and needing it to run the Air conditioner.
Benefits of solar to a full timer if in a park.

1) I can lower my Inv/Chg to 5 amps, in this way solar system will charge all my batteries and will run all 12 Vdc items in the coach. This reduces my electric rate if on a meter or even allow me to run 2 AC units on 30amps.

2) If loss of shore power, my system can keep us going for 2 to 5 days or longer depending on the sun without generator.

3) Well, there is no item 3.

Our system:
1000 Watts, MPPT controller, 660AHr Batteries
Installed a Residential Refrigerator.

Cost for our system was $2000, less then batteries. Do we have enough solar? No, because we still have open real estate on the roof.

I'm not a full timer but I have 2kw of solar panels on the roof of my bus and 14 house batteries. It's enough to run everything I need in my all electric bus. Not enough for the roof airs though, but we have a 20kw generator if needed.

The serious ones are 1000+ watts solar and 8+ batteries.
I am not full time but I could easily go indefinite on solar. Although 5+ days of no sun would put a crimp on operations as I carry no generator.

Thanks for telling me about the boondocking forum.... i should have put this there. i was curious about the set up people have and how many solar panels and batteries they are using. i know its alot..... but wanted to hear about it.

i will go over to boondocking and post something there.... and thanks to everyone who posted here.

rockhillmanor wrote:
As a full timer RV'er most of us use CG's with hook ups.

Not in our circle of friends. :) Solar is used often.

We don't use solar solely but we have traveled many months by using solar, including an Alaskan trip. Of course, in summer we'd be in the mountains, and winter in Arizona so no need for air conditioning.

Yes, it definitely could be done.

Hi,

There are a couple of folks who do rely on solar for everything including air conditioning. It does take lots of solar and lots of battery bank.

I may, or may not, be joining that small "crowd" next summer.

As a full timer RV'er most of us use CG's with hook ups. I suspect anyone full-timing strictly 100% off solar ALL the time is living in their RV and permanently parked off the grid. Just saying.

You can find a lot more information on solar on the Boondocking forum where there are more campers using solar exclusively as they boondock often without hook ups. They know everything about solar!!