Some questions on using solar.
Most of the time we camp with electricity. But a few times a year we go to music festivals or other events that are non-electric, plus and occasional boondock trip. I am not a fan of generators bu...
Forum Discussion
Solar is king for boondocking.
Generators are for running AC.
Solar works in the shade, though not as good as in full sun, but you will get power in the shade, and even heavy shade has some daylight making it through.
If you will always be in the shade then simply install more panels to make up for lack of full sun.
To run AC off solar will require a large RV roof completely full of panels, and then you still might need extra panels, and then you can only run it in the daylight.
To have enough batteries to run an AC at night is just non-sense. Use the generator. Spend money to have a silent running gen instead of a ridiculous amount of panels.
You would also want the more efficient split AC units, not the RV roof ACs.
For boondocking you must adapt boondocking practices.
Use propane instead of eletricity. Use power sparingly. Use large consuming things early in the day when there is light and when there is time to recharge the batts that you wasted on high-electrical need items.
Your furnace fan will eat up batteries at night. Can your batteries run a furnace all night? Can you use a Buddy heater? These have their own set of issues though.
I only have 200 watts of solar and only two batteries. I rarely have need for more.
Generators are for running AC.
Solar works in the shade, though not as good as in full sun, but you will get power in the shade, and even heavy shade has some daylight making it through.
If you will always be in the shade then simply install more panels to make up for lack of full sun.
To run AC off solar will require a large RV roof completely full of panels, and then you still might need extra panels, and then you can only run it in the daylight.
To have enough batteries to run an AC at night is just non-sense. Use the generator. Spend money to have a silent running gen instead of a ridiculous amount of panels.
You would also want the more efficient split AC units, not the RV roof ACs.
For boondocking you must adapt boondocking practices.
Use propane instead of eletricity. Use power sparingly. Use large consuming things early in the day when there is light and when there is time to recharge the batts that you wasted on high-electrical need items.
Your furnace fan will eat up batteries at night. Can your batteries run a furnace all night? Can you use a Buddy heater? These have their own set of issues though.
I only have 200 watts of solar and only two batteries. I rarely have need for more.
