Solar Panels - worth it?

I think it's worth it. On my class C I put 2x100 watt panels on the roof. One for the house battery and one for an additional 90ah battery. I could have gone weeks without being hooked to electricity. The panel to the house battery kept it up so that I could run all house systems easily without running the engine to keep it charged. The 90ah battery ran all other 110 volt electric gadgets through an inverter and never ran down.

I added a 140 watt panel And a AGM battery last summer it's the best thing I've done I never run out of battery while boon docking

I wouldn't have any rv without solar but I never stay in camp grounds either

If it is a brand new Roadtrek and you are having them add the panels then you will probably be paying way too much but the cost would be in the loan and the warranty would not be a problem. I have solar on my class a and class b.Love em.

I'm getting solar on our next B with the idea solar, if you are sitting in a campground or home not hooked up, will recharge the amps used to power things that are going to be used regardless like the DC compressor refrigerator and all the other trickle amp consuming devices like alarms. The rest I can take care of by battery management through other charging means.

Wouldn't be without solar. I camp in the desert. After prospecting during day, a few cocktails, dinner and campfire, I enjoy my TV time. Usually Dish receiver is on all night, TV till timer times off. With lights and pump op, my solar keeps my batteries happy. Only occassionally do I need to fire generator up. Will it pay for itself? maybe not, but don't have to listen to Honda purring or fuel for it. And probably most important, I like gadgets ;-)

MickD wrote:
It depends on what you use your RV for.

Yep, that's pretty much it. Same as whether an inverter is worth it or 6 batteries are worth it.

It might be worth the OP's time to put the word 'solar' in the search box above and start reading.

It depends on what you use your RV for. If you always stay at full hook up places all the time solar is not necessary. We rarely stay in those camp grounds. Before I put 180 watts of solar on our class B I could stay at the longest 3 days before the house battery was discharged. After installing solar water is the limiting item. A week is no problem. The main usage is the refrigerator and TV. If you have a propane frige then you will have to think about TV, DVDs, CDs and lights. If you don't mind running your generator every day to keep the battery charged then you don't need solar. Maintenance is cleaning the solar panels now and then. No problems with any damage.

small solar panels most definitely are only good for maintaining an already charged up battery... If you get behind the charge state curve the small solar systems won't be much help for you..

I have used a small low wattage output solar panel for years back in my JEEP days sitting on the dash and plugged into the cigarette lighter socket.

Battery charging using solar panels with its controller is the same as using a smart mode charger. If you want your 50% charge state battery re-charged in a quick three hour time frame you have to hit the battery with 14.4VDC Boost charge for around three hours to get the battery back up to its 90% charge state. The discharged battery wants to start out using around 20AMPS of DC current which is only available from several solar panels in parallel.

The beauty of the solar panel is the high sun may be around 6 hours or so what you are hoping for is to make the 90% charge state before you lose the high sun. Otherwise you will not benefit from the battery stated performance and it may get dark on you sooner then you wanted it to. Continuing to only re-charge to small charge levels will eventually do harm to your batteries.

My rule of thumb when camping off the power grid is to always start my day/night run off the batteries at their 90% charge state. I have learned my battery usage and starting with this 90% charge state I know i can make it through the night until 8AM the next morning where i can start re-charging my batteries again. If I am going to run out high sun if I was using solar then I would switch to generator while still allowed to use and get my batteries to the 90% charge state.

You have to come up with your own battery use requirements where recharging by use of generator would be the primary way and the solar charging of the batteries is a PLUS complimenting the generator method when camping off the power grid. Otherwise you will not be successful keeping long life from your batteries.

This is the way I look at it at any rate...
Roy Ken

There is not a yes/no answer to this one. It all depends on how much solar, how much battery, what equipment is in the van, how and where you camp, if you have a genny, where it is stored, etc etc.

More information would help a lot, I think.

a couple of my motorhomes had a solar panel. it's main function was shining a small LED light. I wouldn't not buy a RV with one however, if that is your question.
bumpy