When you enjoy camping but are not ready to give up electricity for lights and running water, or your battery power runs out before your camping trip is over, think about switching to solar RV power. Bring your power supply up to match your power needs by adding solar panels. Many recreational vehicle owners are installing panels after the purchase.
Those with minimal handyman skills can construct their own solar panels. The quoted price is around $200 and the components are available at a hardware store. Some RV owners purchase kits that include instructions and all the necessary parts. Another alternative is to contact a certified installer of solar panels to help you decide what you must have to run your RV.
You must decide how much power you need to accumulate to operate the appliances and systems in your recreational vehicle. Some campers only need to have water and lights. Others enjoy all the comforts while camping and bring along a television, coffeemaker or microwave. Knowing the amount of power that you require will help you determine how many panels you need to acquire.
Local weather will have an impact on the need for energy production. Solar collector panels need sunshine in order to be effective. Cloudy weather results in less power production. Cold weather or hot weather can affect the amount of power that you need.
You can purchase the panels, but if you want to use power at night, you recharge batteries or use an inverter. Batteries allow power usage at night or when the weather is cloudy. Power production is more useful when you store the power that is not being used in a bank of batteries.
A solar RV saves money on electricity when you are camping at some sites. If your camping site is less developed, you can stay longer if you are generating your own solar energy. With solar energy, you avoid the noise and stink of generators.
I suggest you check out my other guide on solar rv, solar energy installation and solar energy advantages disadvantages