Generator Vs. Solar discusion thread

ok so we haven't had one fo these as long as I can remember.  lets get a friendly discussion going on the pro's and cones of each.  I realize we don't all live in the same area let alone the same country so rules will verry so lets keep that in mind.  

I'll start off.  

its a given that my preference is solar.  I have a generator, bought it 15 years ago for camping, but I have never used it.  11 years ago I went solar and never looked back.  

so a few things have changed since then, the most obvious of which is cost.  solar if you source the componants your self and can install yourself, is much much cheeper than a genny.  even paying a mobile rv guy to spend a couple hours putting your panels up is still cheeper.  to see how cheep it has got, 11 years ago I had the dealer put a solar system on my 5th wheel it was 5000.00 bucks on paper but they gave me a good discount, but for some one just going in and saying I want that package it would have cost 5K.  now that is probably down to 2K,  what did that get me it got me three 160watt panels, a 2000 watt inverter an ATS, a PWM charge controler and I bwlieve thats it.  

now days I could build that system for under 1000 bucks, but why would I.  you can get a 400 watt panel for under 200 bucks Cdn.  

the second biggest thing that is happened has benn LiFePO4 batteries and how cheep they have become over the years.  so even if you don't want to put solar in just yet, and you normaly camp for 5 nights and use 100AH per day, you could get two 314AH wattcycle batteries for under 1000Cdn and that would be all you need to get out and camp.  then you could later add solar.  

now the trick comes in when yyou want to run a lot of 120V stuff , if its just the odd microwave or toaster or coffee pot no worries I do that all the time, but you just size your solar acordingly and have the right capacity batteries.  Air conditioners are the issue though.  for me in a big 5th wheel yes I could put enough solar on it to make it possible, lots have, but with my truck camper nope thats not a option and if I start stuffing more batteries in then I run out of room pretty fast.  so in that case a genny might be the best way to go.  I am lucky enough that whyle I may get arazona hot remps during the day, I cool off very fast in the evening due to the elevation in the mountians.  it is not uncommon to be 105 degrees during the day and 39 degrees at night.  only once in the last 20 years have I wished I could run the A/C.  

now what are the pros of a genny.  well they are easy, you buy it and put gas in it and run it.  

so lets look at that, a honda eu3000is (nice quiet genny that will run any ac, and can run more than just the ac at the same time) is just over 3000Cdn weighs 130 lbs and will go about 7 or 8 hours runnign a AC unit when its hot.  so do you have to have a place to store it, carry extra fuel.  then up here they give you about 1 to 2 hours of run time in the morning (usaly 1)  from 8am to 9 or 10am  then again for a couple hours from 5 to 7pm.  operating out side thoes hours will result in you beening removed from the park 9 out of 10 times.  I have seen exceptions for remote parks during a heat wave.  so you can see using your genny for ac is almost impossible with the limited run time and how much charging are you getting with one or two hours twice a day?  probably enough, I'll give it that.  but for 3000 bucks what do you think you could get for solar and batteries.  we can start off with three watt cycles for 1500, that will give you 942AH then lets assume you can put four 400 watt panels on for 700, that gives you 1600watts.  add a, 3000 watt inverter say 400 bucks (thats a decient one if you want to get more fancy you can) and say 300 for a 60 amp charge controler.  I think that adds up to the price of the genny. 

now the trick is you have to install it your self or pay a little more to have it installed, but this system will operate an AC easily for a couple hours in the evening to cool off the unit and probably over night if you need it.  for my self a couple hours in the even would be the sweet spot.  plus it would allow, in my 5th wheel for example, for me to run my bar fridge 24/7 in the outdoor kitchen, my ice maker, and everythign else as we see fit.  it is just long term operation of the A/C that would be sketchy.  

 

so if you have points to make either way lets discuss them, debate them and all and all have a good discussion so people can see thins and use it to help make up their minds on which way to go.