Do I Need A Solar Panel For My Motorhome

Position your solar panel to catch as much of the midday strongest sunlight as possible.

Do i need a solar panel for my motorhome.

This can save as many as 5 hours off a standard install of solar panels on your travel trailer fifth wheel camper or motorhome. The primary purpose for solar panels on an rv is to recharge your battery bank when not connected to shore power or generator. The overall program for pre wiring an rv with the equipment to add solar panels came from the need to create an easy path for the wire to run all the way to the battery during construction. A solar charging system requires no gas makes no sound and can charge your batteries for hours and hours unattended as long as the sun is shining.

For our specific power demands we need one 100 watt portable solar panel to recharge our rv batteries during our boondocking camping trips under normal conditions. Rv solar panels can also help extend your battery life cut down on generator use and even save money in the long run on propane. It s important to go into your solar power setup knowing what you need and what you don t. Most of the hard work of running cables has already been completed by the factory.

Our final personal determination. Before buying a new solar panel check with your caravan or motorhome s manufacturer that it will fit to your van easily. Solar panels are sold in varying sizes but a 100 watt panel is a commonly found size particularly for rvs. You can plaster every inch of your camper with solar panels but this is ultimatley a waste of money if you have nowhere to store all the energy the panels produce.

Solar panels do one thing they charge your rv s batteries. You may need to purchase special adapters if the standard clips will not be sufficient. That panel is rated at 100 watts at peak efficiency meaning on a 78 degree cloudless day at solar noon on the equator during the equinox. I don t know too many people who rv under those conditions.

This is assuming you are considering using 12 volt rv grade panels. Not all of the prewired rvs use these cable entry plates but instead use 2 mc 4 wires terminating through the roof. Simple and fairly efficient in good direct sunlight. You will need at least 1 800 watts of solar panels to run your rv air conditioner.

Many rvs today come pre wired for solar but what does this mean. The more panels the faster your batteries charge back up. This is also assuming of course you have a lot of battery power too. Here are some of the benefits to adding a solar powered system to your rv.

Directly provide electricity to run your 120v appliances such as air conditioning microwave electrical outlets etc.