Solar strategy in the east
I'm from Illinois. Camping out in the AZ desert at the moment, I can see that solar is easy out here. Do the math, install it right, and you are golden. Camping in the eastern 2/3rds of the US, i...
Forum Discussion
1: I'd go for 100 watts minimum. Anything less and it is almost at the verge at being pointless.
2: I'd calculate space to ensure there is no shading done by the A/C unit, vents, skylight, and other things on the top, then place as many panels as possible, and use a MPPT controller to handle the incoming current. Rule of thumb is one watt of solar for every one amp-hour in the battery bank, but a lot of RVs are too small to be able to swing that.
3: Portable solar can be a pain. Yes, you can make a kit that folds out for 100 or so watts, but one might be just as well off mounting a panel on the side of the rig if there is no roof space. Yes, this is a lot less efficient (using cos (sun's angle) instead of the sine of it), but it is better than nothing.
4: You will find solar useful, provided it is sufficient enough to keep the batteries charged. It will never replace a generator, but it isn't meant to.
2: I'd calculate space to ensure there is no shading done by the A/C unit, vents, skylight, and other things on the top, then place as many panels as possible, and use a MPPT controller to handle the incoming current. Rule of thumb is one watt of solar for every one amp-hour in the battery bank, but a lot of RVs are too small to be able to swing that.
3: Portable solar can be a pain. Yes, you can make a kit that folds out for 100 or so watts, but one might be just as well off mounting a panel on the side of the rig if there is no roof space. Yes, this is a lot less efficient (using cos (sun's angle) instead of the sine of it), but it is better than nothing.
4: You will find solar useful, provided it is sufficient enough to keep the batteries charged. It will never replace a generator, but it isn't meant to.
