Ready to get my feet wet with Solar power

bka0721 wrote:
Here are a few things I would recommend from a practical viewpoint. 1. If you are planning on this to be a mobile “power plant” refrain from large solar panels, as you will grow tired of moving them around and wrestling with them when the wind kicks up. Smaller panels are easier to move around. 2. Laying panels on the bed will grow tiresome as you find how dirty these panels will become. Laying them on the bed will bring dirt and dust (since you work horses you are all too well versed in what I am referring to) onto your bed comforters/sheets, as well as wrestling large panels through the door.

I hear you, man...
For almost 2 weeks had to carry - and move around - two 240W panels because could not install them yet. They were taking incredibly much room in a travel trailer, be it on the bed, next to bed or wherever. In a travel trailer or 5-er there is NO room to spare, no matter how big rig. They make your living there miserable, you have to take them out in order to stay comfortably in. Wrestling them through the door, scratching the floor, walls, furniture (or the panel frame). They are heavy, and large size makes it feel heavier yet. I don't think that smaller panels would change things dramatically. To have THAT much storage, you need to live in bunkhouse with a regular queen bed (and no kids), and turn the bunk space into walk-in closet. It still sucks moving them in and out, no matter what size - 500W made of 100W panels means walking in and out 5 times.