Why go solar?

We have both solar and a generator, but don't have as high of an energy need as what you're describing. Our panel and MPPT charger was only around $700 when I bought it 12 years ago, and it's paid for itself a long time ago as far as I'm concerned. We only use the two battery positions that the coach came with. There's just not room for more, and we really don't need more based on our history.

Most of our essential daily draws can be met with the single solar panel (e.g. lights, charging a phone, running the TV/DVD player occasionally). We cook with gas, and the fridge is far more efficient on propane than electric. For everything else, we run the generator.

Why buy solar if you already have a generator? Some NPS and NFS campgrounds don't allow you to run a generator outside very restrictive hours. It also keeps the batteries topped off when our unit is in storage, and is a fallback for if the generator isn't running or we're out of fuel.

You can depend on a generator.
You can't depend on solar.
If you want A/C, forget solar.

You can still go solar! You'll just need an off grid residential sized solar system. Check this out on Google Earth. Search for Joe Skeen Campground in El Malpais near Grants, New Mexico. For the campground host (only) the solar system consisted of 48, yes 48 - 240 watt photovoltaic panels, (+-32" x 62" each) 24 - 6 volt deep cycle batteries and 2 - 10,000 watt inverters. (one as a backup)

The campground host (in an older +-30' fiver) told me he regularly, reliably ran the rooftop AC in summer, and electrical resistance heating in winter, plus all the creature comforts he wanted(refrigerator, elec. water heater, consumer electronics, shop tools, microwave, coffee maker, etc.), no problem.

Now, . . . the cost for the system, . . . only the BLM knows for sure. My estimate is between $50,000 to $60,000, less if the government can give itself energy rebates. AND, the system stays put when the campground host leaves.


Chum lee

There's no reason to go solar to do what you want to do, because it is not cost effective. I'm not even sure you could put enough panels on the roof to do it. You need a good quiet generator, like a Honda or Yamaha, or you need plug-in sites.

However, if you have situations with lower demand, like no AC needed, you could greatly reduce your generator usage or plug-in dependency with a solar system and good battery bank.

Solar just reduces generator run time to charge the battery. For some (like me) it eliminates the need for a generator in general conditions. If I need air conditioning or the furnace 24/7 I am looking for hookups. For the use described above you need 50 amp hookup.

We have solar and can run satellite, computer, and charge cell phones at the same time. Generally when we are in this situation to use solar only, then we have the fridge set to propane as it draws too much off the batteries. Yet, if there are days of little or no sun, or rain, we arrange to have hookups and if it's cold enough, we benefit from the hookups by being able to run the electric fireplace rather than use propane.

I know I could do other things, full hookups sounds like the way to go.

I'm with ya Chowan.

Solar has it's place, and I think it might pay off for folks that mainly travel the southwest, where it's more often than not, sunny. Here in Michigan, it's rarely sunny ALL DAY LONG, and if the sun is out, it's low in the sky, so rooftop solar would need a good tilt, and then lay flat again in a few days when it comes to move to a new campsite. Maybe if I treated my RV more like a trailer park model, and left it somewhere for weeks/months on end, my thought would be different?

I use solar while I rv; in the form of ancient phytoplankton that's been crushed for millions of years and transformed into crude oil, refined into gasoline and used for internal combustion on my generators.

Very good. You are learning the RV principles prior to investment. For us, when we want to watch tv, and use the air conditioner, we look for places to stay where we can plug into shore power.

Chowan wrote:
I want to have a res. refer, tv and sat, computers and cell phone. I want to run AC and heat and cook with electric.

Forget the genset, what you really want are electric sites! :W