120 days and counting
120 days and counting in my 22' trailer. June 1 onsite. I started running my generator to run a baseboard heater before bed.....but other than than I have survived with 2 40W solar panels chargi...
Forum Discussion
That's great, Tuna, especially compared to lithiums. But it's still going to be a $1200 investment when you include panels, the inverter and your controller.
To be clear, I've long advocated solar as a great way to reduce our generator or shore power use. It allowed us to do a lot of dry camping that we otherwise wouldn't have experienced.
I've had it on my RV's for 15 years, and encourage others to do it within reason.
Our original $500 investment from 15 years ago is on its third RV, and still does what I expect it to -- charge our batteries and power the 12V system. The biggest benefit I've gotten from it is having our batteries fully charged 365 days a year.
But I also have no expectation that it will replace our generators. Nobody should ever be in a position where they rely on a single source of power. It's too easy for a $4000+ solar system to be brought down by the failure of a single component like your inverter or charger, and that can really destroy a camping trip.
I've lost a charge controller before, and know from experience it's not something you're going to find at the Walmart in Cody, WY or at a truck stop... I got lucky that once I realized it had died, I was able to get a replacement delivered ~48 hours before we left. If we'd have lost the controller on our trip, having the generator would have provided a failover option.
To be clear, I've long advocated solar as a great way to reduce our generator or shore power use. It allowed us to do a lot of dry camping that we otherwise wouldn't have experienced.
I've had it on my RV's for 15 years, and encourage others to do it within reason.
Our original $500 investment from 15 years ago is on its third RV, and still does what I expect it to -- charge our batteries and power the 12V system. The biggest benefit I've gotten from it is having our batteries fully charged 365 days a year.
But I also have no expectation that it will replace our generators. Nobody should ever be in a position where they rely on a single source of power. It's too easy for a $4000+ solar system to be brought down by the failure of a single component like your inverter or charger, and that can really destroy a camping trip.
I've lost a charge controller before, and know from experience it's not something you're going to find at the Walmart in Cody, WY or at a truck stop... I got lucky that once I realized it had died, I was able to get a replacement delivered ~48 hours before we left. If we'd have lost the controller on our trip, having the generator would have provided a failover option.
