Is solar the way to go?

[campgrl]

Looking for some input from those of you that use solar to charge your battery. What are good kits to buy that are affordable and portable? How long does it take you to charge in all conditions? Is solar a better option than a genny? Thanks everyone!

[reed_cundiff]

tpi wrote:
I love technology, engines, machines. But the Onan 4000 is my least loved RV system. Noisy, smelly, and hopelessly obsolete by today's tech standards. The solar system has cut run time on the Onan to times when I need the air conditioner (mostly rest stops), and to exercise the thing. Even if the generator was modern, barely hummed with clean exhaust solar is a perfect RV system in suitability. Especially for the boondockers in this forum. Yep the generator is still there in a backup capacity but it has mostly been pushed off the table.

We had an Onan 4 kW propane. It worked great but it was a real propane hog. Destroyed in wreck in Mexico 3 years ago and have never replaced it (we do have a backup 1 kW as noted above). The Open Range 5th wheels have a space in the front bay that is designed for the Onan 6.5 kW propane generator and is capable of carrying 400 lbs (181 kg). Son used this space to locate the LFP batteries (254 lbs = 115 kg). All of the ancillary equipment is located there as well: inverter, 48 V to 12 V power supply, 1.5 kW battery charger (120 V AC to 48 V DC), controller etc. I write on this since a lot of correspondents on this thread state they have no place to locate extra batteries.

Reed and Elaine

[tpi]

I love technology, engines, machines. But the Onan 4000 is my least loved RV system. Noisy, smelly, and hopelessly obsolete by today's tech standards. The solar system has cut run time on the Onan to times when I need the air conditioner (mostly rest stops), and to exercise the thing. Even if the generator was modern, barely hummed with clean exhaust solar is a perfect RV system in suitability. Especially for the boondockers in this forum. Yep the generator is still there in a backup capacity but it has mostly been pushed off the table.

[reed_cundiff]

pnichols
We carry the same equipment. Our 1 kW generator will not operate the air compressor (should have gotten a 2 kW) but we have sufficient LFP battery suite to operate the compressor. We did carry a 3-ton or 4-ton floor jack but that was just to heavy so we traded it for something with a friend and got a 5-ton and 10-ton bottle jacks + the jack stands for safety.

We had extra water pumps and sewage piping when we were in Yucatan and gave them away to friends who pumps/piping failed. These things are not sold in Yucatan.

We are currently mootchdocking (mootching plus boondocking) which is a variation of dry-camping with family at 7800' in mountains of northern NM. Have had sufficient solar even with the heavy rains of the last week.

Reed and Elaine

[pnichols]

NinerBikes wrote:
Solar is great, non smelly, non noisy and unobstrusive, but it's but one item in your bag of tricks to make electricity. The generator is back up, better to have it and not need it, than need it, and not have it.

X 2.

IMHO, self contained camping should be all about options, Plan B's, and backups.

For instance:

1) We carry along a long necked funnel along for whatever. Once our traveling companions had their transmission blow at a campsite up a mountain and they were able to make it back into town and a repair facility by constantly topping up the transmission with our funnel.

2) We carry along a spare water pump. Recently our traveling companions had theirs fail in Northern Arizona. We popped our spare waterpump into their rig and they were able to finish the trip without any further hassles.

3) We carry along a rugged hydraulic jack. We lent it so to some folks who needed to lift the tongue of their TT to hook up their tow vehicle due to their built-in tongue jack having failed.

4) We carry along a full size air compressor (our built-in generator will power it). We lent it to some folks at a horse auction who where having some problem with the tires on their 5'er.

What we don't carry along is any solar, but we may get around to it. 🙂

[NinerBikes]

The Nomadic life style sounds appealing. Touareg pretty much means Nomadic Wanderer, so perhaps I really did buy the right tow vehicle for my 21 ft TT, but alas, 21 ft of TT would be a bit light for living in and full timing out of.

Solar, to me, is a blessing. I keep my portable, a watt of solar panel per amp hour of true deep cycle battery. But being a Boy Scout by nature, and believing in "Be Prepared", the Honda generator is there, too, for those non sun shiny days, and also so I can run the microwave if need be.

Solar is great, non smelly, non noisy and unobstrusive, but it's but one item in your bag of tricks to make electricity. The generator is back up, better to have it and not need it, than need it, and not have it.

[reed_cundiff]

Lexicon

Hope that is not San Diego.

New Mexico does have some great spots in the mountains for summer but they tend to get crowded (no problem on BLM land in desert in winter). Colorado, Wyoming and Montana are a lot better. We spent last summer in Washington and Oregon and hope to return. We plan to go to Labrador and Newfoundland this summer but Elaine may need a total knee replacement fairly soon and that may put this trip on hold.

The east side of New Mexico is not as good as the west side for boondocking, it is all low rainfall prairie (desert to most folks).

But our attitude remains "Goldilocking" as "not to hot, not to cold, just right!" wrote on a thread a while back that we were at younger son's place in Fort Collins in mid-summer and it was 103 (we did plug in back then for ac) and we just drove up the Poudre (which has excellent Forest Service CGs that are crowded and a lot of dispersed camping). We wound up at Long Draw Reservoir area (pulled from Rocky Mountain NP when it was turned into a reservoir) at 10,400' or so and found some excellent dispersed sites ($0). It was down to 38 F at night (4 C) and a maximum of 72 F during the day (22 C).

You always want to drive in and out of these possible sites without pulling your rig. We had spent a day driving about in our 4x4 dualie pickup (great for hauling but to long a bed and cab for 4-wheeling - but it does great in pulling in sand and gravel - always go in using 2 wheel drive so you have the 4 x 4 backup to get out). Carry a mountain bike to check out sites if we are somewhere and do not want to unhook for recon.

So, it is go north or up in elevation for cool and the reverse for warmth.

Reed and Elaine

[Lexicon7]

Reed - thanks for the responses. As a rookie full timer, I did find it puzzling trying to put the seasonal "pieces" together.
It does seem that my view of the southwest desert was flawed in that I felt it was basically only for the winter time. I will check out the east side and NM if and when I can get my hands on another rig!
All I know for sure is that I'm freezing my a__ off and I can not wait to get back to the sunbelt!

OUCH!!!

[reed_cundiff]

Lexicon - NM has incredibly amounts of free BLM camping (as does Arizona but folks seem to think it is all on the West Side, try Eastern AZ where it is higher and cooler) as well as a number of excellent State Parks with regular and dispersed sites.

Jim- agree that 10" of snow are not conducive to solar. Younger son lives in Fort Collins and have really good friend in mountains. The ones in mountains got 18" near Conifer.

[JiminDenver]

Wanting to work with my new system this month reminds me to say that while solar is wonderful, having a back up plan is too. I've seen one full day of sun in weeks. had my panels been mounted for that one day i would have had to get up there and clean 10 inches of snow off of them to get anything. The forecast here for the next ten days is also rain or cloudy, maybe a partially cloudy day at best. Should the forecast not change by Memorial day, I'll be taking our generator, not the solar.

[Lexicon7]

Reed, in response to your comments about finding just the right temps, I have actually been wondering about just that!??
Currently stuck in Oregon and hating it! (family is here and I think I've been "Senior/Napt!" I'm working diligently to find another TC for dog & I and back to the sunbelt asap! Problem is, I always seem to be heading there at the wrong time of year. I am going to get to the Quartzsite show in January if it kills me! So the concept of full timing includes of course the option to move about in order to "adjust" the environment and I have always wanted to explore NM!
This time, when I get there I am not leaving! I need the warm clear nights for stargazing and the Colorado River playground. Hey, I'm retired and fun is the goal!

[Lexicon7]

Ok that's not what I quoted... Oh well

[Lexicon7]

reed cundiff wrote:
Currently at Elephant Butte Lake (near Truth or Consequence, NM) for a Mothers'
Day weekend with family and friends. Running the fridge on ac, wife using the the heating pad on back, running micro-wave and DVD/large panel screen, charging batteries on three jet skis etc and we are still at float by 1 pm. Harvested 5900 W-hrs yesterday. And if anything goes wrong, had son and three solar fabricators (with degrees in EE and ME camped nearby. Now if we just don't get stuck in the sand getting back to the highway tomorrow, it will have been perfect.

I really did not know that but not the least surprised. Seems we are living in a new era of we the people no longer matter so much to them!

[reed_cundiff]

Mike

Could this be considered a positive response?

Was curious how much we could harvest so I turned on the electric water heater as well as the fridge and we harvested over 7800 W-hrs. I mean, we just cannot waste those photons!

[Mello_Mike]

In response to the OP. The answer is yes, yes, YES, YES, YES. 🙂

Solar is the best mod you can make to your RV. Period!