Reputable Solar Installers?
Not sure if this is the right board in which to post this, but I was wondering if people could remind me of the really good solar outfitters in the RV community. I know I've seen a couple names...mayb...
Forum Discussion
Hello all,
I had a preliminary discussion with the local RV Solar Connection place. Unfortunately, I was in the car when he called back, so I couldn't take notes or look at my cheater list of questions. However, it was a good start to help me think about what I want.
One of my concerns is that we usually park in the shade to minimize heat for us and our two thick-coated dogs. This is the reason I was wondering about portable options...obviously, a solar system would be a foolish investment if I wasn't willing to park in the sun. While their portable systems sound good, I have reservations. Primarily related to security and convenience. I think I would be reluctant to leave my RV somewhere to go explore while the solar was sitting out - even if connected with a padlocked cable or something. I've had enough things broken into/stolen in my life that I actively try to make my stuff look less enticing than others, not more enticing. Wouldn't a portable solar system effectively say "hey! lots of expensive electronics and stuff here to steal!!" So, I worry I wouldn't end up using it as much, even though it would make it easier to park in shade and still get the panels in the sun. I also think the inconvenience of setting them up and locking them might keep me from using it as often, whereas a roof mounted system would always be on.
So, that leaves me debating between the security/convenience issues and the parking in the shade preference. Even though we always have dogs with us, we very rarely leave them in the RV alone. So, it's not as though I have to park in the shade in order to avoid harming my dogs.
While I'm interested in solar primarily for boondocking while exploring in one place for a while, our preferred trips are usually long roadtrips with only a few days in any one spot. We don't bring a toad on those trips, so we do any local touring/traveling in the RV. The portable system would either be one more thing to breakdown/setup to break camp and/or just not set out because we know we're going to need to drive somewhere shortly.
The usage/convenience concerns are leading me to lean toward a roof-mounted system. Right now, this is the one I'm eyeing. I need to go get some measurements of my roof to see what we would have room for, but in terms of balancing use versus cost versus buying a powerful enough system to make the hassle worth it, this is where I'm landing.
Any thoughts?
After talking to the local company briefly, he said he thought the 120-160 watt portable system would be enough for our use, so bumping up to the 280 watt roof mount seems like we'd have decent power. I'd probably opt for the tilting legs since we do prefer to travel when it's not summer.
One specific question...my original solar research led me to assume I'd eventually be buying a Tri-Metric meter. I asked the rep about that and he said it was unnecessary as the charge controller provided all the info that was really needed. Would you guys agree?
I had a preliminary discussion with the local RV Solar Connection place. Unfortunately, I was in the car when he called back, so I couldn't take notes or look at my cheater list of questions. However, it was a good start to help me think about what I want.
One of my concerns is that we usually park in the shade to minimize heat for us and our two thick-coated dogs. This is the reason I was wondering about portable options...obviously, a solar system would be a foolish investment if I wasn't willing to park in the sun. While their portable systems sound good, I have reservations. Primarily related to security and convenience. I think I would be reluctant to leave my RV somewhere to go explore while the solar was sitting out - even if connected with a padlocked cable or something. I've had enough things broken into/stolen in my life that I actively try to make my stuff look less enticing than others, not more enticing. Wouldn't a portable solar system effectively say "hey! lots of expensive electronics and stuff here to steal!!" So, I worry I wouldn't end up using it as much, even though it would make it easier to park in shade and still get the panels in the sun. I also think the inconvenience of setting them up and locking them might keep me from using it as often, whereas a roof mounted system would always be on.
So, that leaves me debating between the security/convenience issues and the parking in the shade preference. Even though we always have dogs with us, we very rarely leave them in the RV alone. So, it's not as though I have to park in the shade in order to avoid harming my dogs.
While I'm interested in solar primarily for boondocking while exploring in one place for a while, our preferred trips are usually long roadtrips with only a few days in any one spot. We don't bring a toad on those trips, so we do any local touring/traveling in the RV. The portable system would either be one more thing to breakdown/setup to break camp and/or just not set out because we know we're going to need to drive somewhere shortly.
The usage/convenience concerns are leading me to lean toward a roof-mounted system. Right now, this is the one I'm eyeing. I need to go get some measurements of my roof to see what we would have room for, but in terms of balancing use versus cost versus buying a powerful enough system to make the hassle worth it, this is where I'm landing.
Any thoughts?
After talking to the local company briefly, he said he thought the 120-160 watt portable system would be enough for our use, so bumping up to the 280 watt roof mount seems like we'd have decent power. I'd probably opt for the tilting legs since we do prefer to travel when it's not summer.
One specific question...my original solar research led me to assume I'd eventually be buying a Tri-Metric meter. I asked the rep about that and he said it was unnecessary as the charge controller provided all the info that was really needed. Would you guys agree?
