solar question
How many of you who have solar panels have found that it's not a necessity. I'm in the market for a new unit and since I'll be boon docking spending a lot of time in the shade, Im on the fence about w...
Forum Discussion
IMHO: Frankly it comes down to personal choice and use patterns.
If we consider ONLY what might come with a RV from the factory, the furnace, fantastic fan and water pump are potentially the largest power draws.
How much power you use and for how long you use it dictates how much power storage you need in the camper.
As a example, lets say that you don't ever use ANY of the 3 devices above and only use the LED lights, sensors and fridge. (all of which use very little 12VDC power) A single type #24 deep cycle battery could be more than enough energy storage for WEEKS of dry camping.
However, in the real world most of us make use of ALL the systems that our RV's come with. Many of us like to charge/power our cell phones, tablets, laptops and other devices as well as all the systems that come with a new RV.
From personal experience in 40F weather 100AH of battery is barely enough for 2 nights of camping in a RV with my personal energy use pattern.
If I wish to dry camp for longer periods of time then the 100Ah provides I have a few choices to make. Ether I have to change my use pattern to use less energy or add additional energy storage and/or have a method of recharging the RV battery(s).
The recharging methods that many RV owners use are: solar, generator and rewire truck+camper to utilize trucks alternator to recharge the RV battery(s).
In a RV: power, water, propane and holding tanks are limited resources. How each of us decide to manage those resources is a personal decision.
- Mark0.
If we consider ONLY what might come with a RV from the factory, the furnace, fantastic fan and water pump are potentially the largest power draws.
How much power you use and for how long you use it dictates how much power storage you need in the camper.
As a example, lets say that you don't ever use ANY of the 3 devices above and only use the LED lights, sensors and fridge. (all of which use very little 12VDC power) A single type #24 deep cycle battery could be more than enough energy storage for WEEKS of dry camping.
However, in the real world most of us make use of ALL the systems that our RV's come with. Many of us like to charge/power our cell phones, tablets, laptops and other devices as well as all the systems that come with a new RV.
From personal experience in 40F weather 100AH of battery is barely enough for 2 nights of camping in a RV with my personal energy use pattern.
If I wish to dry camp for longer periods of time then the 100Ah provides I have a few choices to make. Ether I have to change my use pattern to use less energy or add additional energy storage and/or have a method of recharging the RV battery(s).
The recharging methods that many RV owners use are: solar, generator and rewire truck+camper to utilize trucks alternator to recharge the RV battery(s).
In a RV: power, water, propane and holding tanks are limited resources. How each of us decide to manage those resources is a personal decision.
- Mark0.
