Forum Discussion
DrewE
Apr 21, 2021Explorer II
Disclaimer:  I'm far from an expert on solar installations; others here have much more experience and knowledge.
The two small panels you describe are a very reasonable option, so far as I can tell, and certainly affordable. It would be well to check on the battery state every now and again to make sure they're sufficient (and that the battery electrolyte levels are staying reasonable for flooded batteries).
If it were me, I'd probably get a little more sophisticated setup with (say) a 100W panel and associated charge controller for the house battery, and put in a Trik-L-Start unit to keep the chassis battery up. Depending on your budget and your typical camping situation (i.e. camping with or without hookups, in the trees or in the open, etc.) it may be wise to get at least a larger capacity charge controller than needed so you could add additional panels fairly easily at a later time, or even go with a higher capacity system to begin with.
I've considered getting a solar setup for my motorhome at times, but frankly there are not many times where it would be especially helpful for the sorts of camping I've been doing. I'm fairly often among trees, and usually not spending more than a few days at any given place such that the house battery has enough capacity for my usage without needing to use the generator (and gets recharged when driving).
The two small panels you describe are a very reasonable option, so far as I can tell, and certainly affordable. It would be well to check on the battery state every now and again to make sure they're sufficient (and that the battery electrolyte levels are staying reasonable for flooded batteries).
If it were me, I'd probably get a little more sophisticated setup with (say) a 100W panel and associated charge controller for the house battery, and put in a Trik-L-Start unit to keep the chassis battery up. Depending on your budget and your typical camping situation (i.e. camping with or without hookups, in the trees or in the open, etc.) it may be wise to get at least a larger capacity charge controller than needed so you could add additional panels fairly easily at a later time, or even go with a higher capacity system to begin with.
I've considered getting a solar setup for my motorhome at times, but frankly there are not many times where it would be especially helpful for the sorts of camping I've been doing. I'm fairly often among trees, and usually not spending more than a few days at any given place such that the house battery has enough capacity for my usage without needing to use the generator (and gets recharged when driving).
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