Solar panel vs generator?
I am having 2-3 days on 1 solar panel before it drains. Thinking of getting another panel or a generator, any thoughts? John.
Forum Discussion
Solar works well for us as we only need to charge a pair of 6 volt golfcart batteries and out west where we get plenty of sun they normally get back to fully or very near fully charged on most days.
We have converted to LED lighting throughout our rig which really cuts down on the amps we consume daily. We use an inverter to run our LED tvs, HD satellite, blu-ray & game players along with a Bose sound system.
Whether you need a generator to power higher current draw items or to occasionally charge batteries when solar isn't capable due to cloudy weather is really up to you.
We prefer camping off the grid and having a generator to power our entire coach guarantees we will be able to handle whatever situation may arise. Nothing beats the peace of mind of being 100% self-contained when camping without hookups.
We just camped a week where overnight temps were in the lower 20s and being able to occasionally run a couple of space heaters to supplement our furnace made the whole trip comfortable and effortless.
It was mostly sunny but there were a couple of days where there was significant cloud cover and solar simply couldn't muster enough amperage to sufficiently charge the batteries, running the genny allowed our Iota to quickly restore consumed amphours.
It boils down to the type of camping you do whether deciding on adding an inverter, solar, and/or a generator. Many have no need for them as they primarily camp with hookups.
We didn't think we needed them either when we purchased our first rig, but we have found that we love all types of camping under a variety of conditions and have implemented all of the above to ensure a desired comfort level while RVing.
We have converted to LED lighting throughout our rig which really cuts down on the amps we consume daily. We use an inverter to run our LED tvs, HD satellite, blu-ray & game players along with a Bose sound system.
Whether you need a generator to power higher current draw items or to occasionally charge batteries when solar isn't capable due to cloudy weather is really up to you.
We prefer camping off the grid and having a generator to power our entire coach guarantees we will be able to handle whatever situation may arise. Nothing beats the peace of mind of being 100% self-contained when camping without hookups.
We just camped a week where overnight temps were in the lower 20s and being able to occasionally run a couple of space heaters to supplement our furnace made the whole trip comfortable and effortless.
It was mostly sunny but there were a couple of days where there was significant cloud cover and solar simply couldn't muster enough amperage to sufficiently charge the batteries, running the genny allowed our Iota to quickly restore consumed amphours.
It boils down to the type of camping you do whether deciding on adding an inverter, solar, and/or a generator. Many have no need for them as they primarily camp with hookups.
We didn't think we needed them either when we purchased our first rig, but we have found that we love all types of camping under a variety of conditions and have implemented all of the above to ensure a desired comfort level while RVing.
