Solar or generator for older camper?
I have an 89 Lance camper and plan on dry camping with my wife and toddler daughter. I'd like to know people's opinions on adding solar versus plopping the dough on a Honda Generator. I'd ultimate...
Forum Discussion
Hello OP,
I'm normally all for solar. But since you've stated up front that you see this as a starter camper, then I'm going to recommend the generator. Since you don't have AC, you won't need a large generator. But since the generator will stay with you if/when you move to the next camper, I wouldn't get anything smaller than a 2000 watt one. That will be small enough to lift but large enough to run most any load (large battery charger, microwave, hair drier, coffee machine, etc.). It would be marginal for an air conditioner though and if the A/C is in the future cards then go 3000+ watts. Say goodbye to easy lifting, though.
If you plan on sticking to the 12V side of camper life, then solar can absolutely fit the bill. Convert lighting to LEDs, 2 batteries, and 200+ watts of solar and you'll be running out of water long before power, assuming you are parked in the sun. I hear it rains a lot in Oregon, though? ;-)
We've got both 280 watts of solar and a Yamaha 2400 generator. The TT has 2 GC batteries. We are long-weekend warriors and strictly boondock. Before getting the hang of selecting a camp spot in the sun, I would occasionally have to break out the generator after a couple nights for some battery charging. But now the generator is just a backup plan and I only occasionally break it out when we want to see if it can run the air conditioner. It is just barely marginal for that, and if we are high in elevation and/or it is really hot out it probably won't work. But sometimes it is worth a try!
I'm normally all for solar. But since you've stated up front that you see this as a starter camper, then I'm going to recommend the generator. Since you don't have AC, you won't need a large generator. But since the generator will stay with you if/when you move to the next camper, I wouldn't get anything smaller than a 2000 watt one. That will be small enough to lift but large enough to run most any load (large battery charger, microwave, hair drier, coffee machine, etc.). It would be marginal for an air conditioner though and if the A/C is in the future cards then go 3000+ watts. Say goodbye to easy lifting, though.
If you plan on sticking to the 12V side of camper life, then solar can absolutely fit the bill. Convert lighting to LEDs, 2 batteries, and 200+ watts of solar and you'll be running out of water long before power, assuming you are parked in the sun. I hear it rains a lot in Oregon, though? ;-)
We've got both 280 watts of solar and a Yamaha 2400 generator. The TT has 2 GC batteries. We are long-weekend warriors and strictly boondock. Before getting the hang of selecting a camp spot in the sun, I would occasionally have to break out the generator after a couple nights for some battery charging. But now the generator is just a backup plan and I only occasionally break it out when we want to see if it can run the air conditioner. It is just barely marginal for that, and if we are high in elevation and/or it is really hot out it probably won't work. But sometimes it is worth a try!
