100% electrical conversion?

Coro77 wrote:
What I want to know is if this is doable off of only solar and if anyone has gone that route and how they feel about it after it was done?

I removed my noisy and fuel-hungry propane powered Onan generator altogether and I run most of the stuff in my TC (obviously much smaller than an average RV) from my battery bank with is solar-charged. This includes my microwave and even the roof A/C for short periods of time. In addition I have a 12Vdc heating element in my hot water tank which operates as a diversion load from my solar charge controller.

However, most people prefer to cook with a petroleum fuel source (e.g. propane or diesel)… but this could be done with an electric cooktop if one had enough battery capacity. Heating the inside of the RV with solar-electric alone is much bigger challenge… conveniently there are low (or zero) power diesel and/or propane-catalytic heaters available if you choose to go that route.

I can't honestly say that my TC is 100% solar powered. Even with the ability to run heavy loads on solar/battery/inverter there are still times when I choose to fire-up my generator (Honda EU2000) and/or charge my batteries from the truck's alternator. For running a convection oven or A/C for any length of time, a generator really is a must-have item. As an example, we camped in Paso Robles, CA this summer and it was 108ºF… I was very happy to have my generator with me :)

So, to answer your question; Depending on your power needs, habits, and the type of camping you do, Yes, it can be done! But it is very expensive and there are big challenges with finding space for enough panels and power storage.

Cheers,
-Mark