Off grid power 101
Hey all Long time rv'er but never but never a dry camper. As time goes on the more I want to try or even get into it more but first I would need to set up the fifth wheel do so. I understand the ...
Forum Discussion
Here are some surprises
If you need lots of power for a short time like a coffee maker, microwave, blender, toaster, you have to decide whether to buy a larger inverter and compliment of batteries. Sometimes this is a Quiet Hours thing and not your decision.
Battery maintenance is essential. Standard batteries demand personal at site attention, AGM batteries do not. Do you have room? Do your battery requirement tests then decide.
Solar panel and inverter installations demand good, easy to use instrumentation, and that instrumentation needs to be installed. It's not minor grade work. None of the off-grid work is minor.
A huge mistake often made is to find out you constantly need to upgrade everything from battery capacity to charging system to converter to cabling. This may be the biggest mistake of all, for rookies.
Many rigs have 3 AGM batteries or 4 golf car batteries, a 2,000 watt inverter and a thousand watts of solar. Why? It should be on your job list WHY the owners demand so big a system.
Start with the panels. That'll tame some of your enthusiasm. And also five C notes. A five hundred dollar complete system is about as likely as a four dollar haircut.
- Camping with and without your heater going
- How many lights you NORMALLY leave on. Turning a lot of lights OFF (like patio lights) really turns off some folks
- Got 120vac accessories like stereos, TV? They are major power suckers
If you need lots of power for a short time like a coffee maker, microwave, blender, toaster, you have to decide whether to buy a larger inverter and compliment of batteries. Sometimes this is a Quiet Hours thing and not your decision.
Battery maintenance is essential. Standard batteries demand personal at site attention, AGM batteries do not. Do you have room? Do your battery requirement tests then decide.
Solar panel and inverter installations demand good, easy to use instrumentation, and that instrumentation needs to be installed. It's not minor grade work. None of the off-grid work is minor.
A huge mistake often made is to find out you constantly need to upgrade everything from battery capacity to charging system to converter to cabling. This may be the biggest mistake of all, for rookies.
Many rigs have 3 AGM batteries or 4 golf car batteries, a 2,000 watt inverter and a thousand watts of solar. Why? It should be on your job list WHY the owners demand so big a system.
Start with the panels. That'll tame some of your enthusiasm. And also five C notes. A five hundred dollar complete system is about as likely as a four dollar haircut.
