Remember connect battery first, second solar panel last the load. Solar is a cost-effective source of power for the long-term. The good news is solar is cheaper than ever. It depends on what you want to do, how you want to use the RV, the size of your rig, and your budgetary constraints. A solar energy system includes the solar panels, lithium batteries, inverter and lots of wires. Precision RV - Marvin Braun (206) 276-2462. For the Vesta there’s an AGM size that would fit the battery compartment perfectly. Hello Nikki and Jason, I think the fact that the panels were lying flat allowed the hail to bounce off with out any damage to the panels… The refrigerator vent didn’t fair so well…. It has 2 terabits of memory and is a wifi hub, and projects 10ftx10ft screen. Thanks for sharing your solar experience, and yes installing your own is a huge $$$ saver! The best price I’ve seen at store is $495 each. • The inverter is a Xantrex low end inverter, the model that is closer to the Go Power! Stepping up to a multi-panel 200-watt, 30-amp kit could easily double the price. That’s of course only one example. If you’re happy with your Xantrex inverter keep it, there’s no rush to upgrade because the Solar is the most important for Wild Camping. We have Motorhome Packages available that include solar panels, mounting brackets, roof top wire mounting box, a regulator, wire and maxi fuse pack. If you only have the two batteries and not room for some crazy large battery like the Group 4D or 8D you will get about the same AmpHours from any format. Are they protected at all, or do you (or can you) cover them when not in use? That’s 73, so you need a 75 amp or higher controller. Jason thank you for all your advice on RVing full time. My brother-in-laws Lifelines are about 14 years old now and still going strong. HA! San Diego is my home, I’m an avid sailor and last fall bought a new 2014 Fleetwood Bounder. They are typically 200+ watts and fairly large dimensions. Famous for my "how-not-to" videos, and typically the man behind the camera, sometimes I’m forced to be here in the “spotlight”. Hope this helps. RV solar-charging systems run the gamut in pricing. The first thing you need to do is to check with the local power company to see if they allow net metering (selling power back to the grid). We also have a smaller super efficient Morningstar sure sine inverter that is on all the time for the satellite receiver, internet hotspot, computers and cell booster, TV, electric bike as well as chargers for an array of other items. All this gear comes at such a great expense you’d be better off just running a generator. !!!! 100watt Monocrystalline Solar Panel. We did flooded on our first solar install, and AGM on our second. I was, in the beginning, thinking of using a 3000 watt pure sine inverter and plugging the RV supply cord from the generator into it and using the Panels as the power source in place of the gas powered gen. which I could then simply switch the plug back to the Gen output plug when needed. Fill out our fast and easy contact form and we will connect you with rv solar panel installation services near you. You haven’t missed it and it is a very important topic (and one that we will be covering soon)! Long story short, I went with 6, 6V golf cart batteries because they can be discharged down to about 50% without being too hard on them. The ground panels seem to be a good idea as well … more options for charging when RV orientation or tree shading is a problem. I became tired of trying to figure out every different kind of battery in the world and some too complicated to understand, so I just bit the bullet and went with 4 Lifeline 6v GPL-6/CTs @ 300AH each. If it is better you can always reply to my email address [email protected] They got back to my email very quickly. If you have a good inverter already there’s no need to install a new charge controller. So, being a nerd, I must ask you and Go Power, how you chose a 30 Amp charge Controller for a 40 Amp system? Thanks! Others just want to offset their power usage while camping for a few days at a time. Now I can’t wait to begin the upgrades and use solar for my energy and learn to live with necessities and space management. Always helpful to see what others have learned! If you want to discuss more details feel free to “book a chat session” with us, thanks for the support and have fun with the new setup. So stay tuned! When I looked at our meter I saw we were pulling in nearly 11 amps in thick fog. 2. Just make sure you go with someone who has lots of experience and not some guy who doesn’t normally do installs but says “sure I’ll give it a shot.” And of course, wait to travel safely. Check out Master Luck video on his solar he got a 30% Fed discount on his system. That is a lot of power and your batteries won’t do that for long. 15 K ? I hope this helps. Any panels under $1 per watt are a great deal. told us the glass panels could handle hail…I wonder if our new flex panels will fare so well? However last year I helped install a commercial set of 6 AGMs from China in my son’s motorhome that were only about $150 each … much cheaper. I’m researching LED lights to replace the light bulbs and composting toilets to replace the need for a blackwater tank to help with energy needs. Thanks Jason, you guys are awesome, I hope you continue to keep us posted. We have lots of Sun. Good luck. With 600 amps of solar, 5500 watt Onan and a composting toilet the only weak spot is water. House panels or as most people call them “Grid Tie” panels can be found very cheap because a job could have been cancelled on someone or they might be a panel that may no longer be made etc. In order to make an informed decision, pay attention to the following key characteristics. I’ve been trying to sort out the battery situation myself, I found this article that should give some insight on what types of batteries are best. I am getting close to the point where I feel I have a lot of the necessary information to make the leap, but the installations of everything is what I am unsure about. My 8 year old AGMs are dead and I’m looking to replace them with LiFePO4. I am going to start by emailing our solar peeps at Go Power and see what they know of anything. However some are better than others. Since we launched our new website in the late Spring of 2016, Precision RV has received a lot of inquiries about having solar installed on RVs across the country. RV owners who want to stay in more remote areas, or simply provide their own power to reduce travel costs love having a solar power system. Surprisingly, no, according to solar installers. Having already done one Vesta might be an advantage in time and cost. According to your blog, it appears that you intend to install solar on roy, too. Two 60 watt panels may work better. Now, that same solar panel costs under $19K, and that’s before a federal tax credit is applied. We are considering the extreme solar kit but we would like to be a little bit more “in the know” about what battery upgrades we might want to consider to optimize it. I am currently awaiting the arrival of my 5000 continuous and 10,000 watt peak pure sine wave power inverter from Green Power Solutions, $147.50 and free shipping. I noticed Windy does not have a propane oven. High end installations using lithium ion batteries can easily go above $10,000. Thank you, stumbling on and reading your blog has been entertaining and very informative…Amanda. You got it, AGM batteries are best and Lithium is even better. So then, in answer to your question about the final cost of your RV Solar power system we have this answer. yes we are and she is still one classy lady! You should try Rain-X on ONE panel and see if it stays cleaner, like a well waxed coach! If you’re move the genny, what are the options? Don’t abuse your batteries. Any information you can offer would be extremely helpful. It will cost $3,500 to $4,500, and you’ll recoup that investment in two to four years, depending on your RV use. There is nothing better that the sweet sound of silent power! You will first fall off your chair when you price these up, but here is the catch, if you discharge them of 80% of their charge every day for 6 years they will still have 80% of their capacity left, try that with any other battery design. Looking forward to hearing your numbers after your tilting test. which is very hot most of the summer so we are using the rooftop AC often and are paying for power. After all this reading, I am aware that we may not be able to afford such a glamorous camping life as we once enjoyed, using solar power, and I am now questioning my purchases for the system. Test velocity is 23m/s (82.8km/hr, or 51.4mph). Thanks for the update. I have not installed anything yet so the batteries can be returned for a few more days, but the panels I have been putting to use regularly for testing applications such as a portable solar generator and I am very happy with their performance but I am always running the 600 watt battery Power supply and Jump starter to the limit., mostly because I am trying to figure out how many batteries to place in the RV. I think the cycle life is around 2-3000 with 80% discharge. The information in this site will answer many questions that are frequently asked when considering PV power. I guess this bargain ain’t such a bargain. What’s great about this inverter, especially for trailers, is it combines your battery and shore power together allowing you to run more devices while plugged into a 20a or 30a plug. The last UPS I owned was not a pure sine wave and I know because our milk frother did not work on it. What does it cost for a complete RV solar system? You have me sold on upgrading Bounder to include a Go Power 3000K kit. Van Life Guide To Moochdocking, RV Residential Refrigerator – How Much Power Does It Use. I have a tiny off-grid cabin that I’m using them for. I’m 0 for 2. Good luck and please let me know if you have any other questions. With my 490 watt array flat in full sun facing south pulling 240 watts, tilting the array to approximately 60 degrees bumped me to just shy of 500 watts. A UPS, or “Battery Backup” as they are commonly called, is a great option for electronics. I’m going to have a system of the same size for about $1220 including every component you mentioned including the batteries Watt kit and since we love to camp on the beach we will not be inhibited by any pesky trees whil we are charging up. However, I’m struggling finding a competent, and trustworthy shop for installation. We will install solar on Roy the RV however we’ll be in NM when our new kit arrives so we’ll have it installed somewhere there. Hello, Wynns! What’s the big deal with a pure sine inverter?  A pure sine inverter operates just like household power.  Basically if you can run it inside your house it will work in your RV.  For example our modified sine wave inverter wouldn’t run our induction plate, milk frother or espresso machine (and I’ve read it’s hard on laptops and camera battery chargers). I did a quick search online and it seems there are only a few UPS Battery Backup’s on the market that produce a puresine wave, and cost starts at $300 and goes up from there. Our Vesta had special batteries so unfortunately the standard options wouldn’t work for us. Sounds like it would work as long as the chemicals don’t affect the panels. What does a Solar Power system for your RV entail? Read Ron Jones’ comments last year and followups on Technomadia (see Cherie’s comments above) and got interested in Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries. Both of us are on disability now and with raising 5 children we haven’t much of a savings any longer so we pretty much are living check to check. 300W ESS (which built-in Li-ion battery, Inverter, MPPT charger and BMS) Now I don’t have to worry about power when I take my camper to the lake or just camping. Now I’m not so sure if that will work that way. That’s really been my only concern with installing them on the RV roof. I apologize for the lengthy post but wanted to give you a solid idea of our situation and needs. An RV Solar system also requires little maintenance, maximizes your … TIA. Once you know how much you’re using, you can figure out how big your system will need to be. I currently have AGM (advance Glass Mat ) batteries that were the next best thing (they outlast standard wet cell batteries, can take more rocken and rolling and will except a higher rate of charge.). I’m thinking it’s going to be fun enjoying “See to Sea” They can tolerate the red on black accidents better. However, you will pay for these benefits. Greg “What’s the cost of solar for my RV?”  It’s a legitimate question that requires some explanation. If we plug in we can use everything. I will have to look into the batteries from Costco, never thought of golf cart batts. 160 Wp portable solar panel They are more durable than 12v batteries as well. Price Range*: 320 Watt: $2,850-$3,000 $1780.00. Aside from saving power consumption costs, you also are electrically independent. Just need buy: 1. Such devices don’t need power line protection. If you have an MPPT controller is there a reason you dont use grid tie style panels that run 30 volts or better? I was surprised when GoPower! 1 X GP-SW3000-12 I will be completely “off-grid” by the end of the month. The wife and I are just starting “new” again with full time RV living. I’m 24 and wanted to do this when I was 21 so bad. Solar Panels; Charge Controller; Battery; Power Inverter; Power consumption; FAQs; Conclusion; Best RV Solar Panel Brands; Solar Panels. Just about any solar panel will work for an RV or Marine application. Denn. We have been doing a lot of research about investing in solar. wish there was an easy answer for ya. Hello, You have shown the Inverter side of your RV from GoPower but what about the Converter side. Here’s a link, after a lot of research, to the way we will probably go. Adjustable Tilt Solar Mount - WindyNation Adjustable Tilt Solar Mount. Their RV Solar Installation was inexpensive and straight forward. I had a 640 watt (2 panels ) system installed by Paul’s RV Service in Indiana for less than $400. Another good resource for charger/inverter knowledge outside of solar is http://www.bestconverter.com, and not just cause the owner’s name is also Randy. Navigation. He has told me many times that Johnson Controls batteries are one of the best (they make many brands including Walmart’s higher end, DieHard (some) and several others under various names. – Andrea. I am also investing in a good Generic Generator for emergencys. Thanks! Good luck, you’re on the final stretch! Solar kits at Fraserway RV come with a 25-year warranty on the panels, so when you purchase your kit from us you’re making an investment which will last for years to come. Anything anyone can share will be greatly appreciated, Especially about how many batteries and sizes they use and for what / how long. If you contact GoPower! Hope this helps. This is where it gets expensive. You can find our newest tech & mods here: http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/rv-modifications-technology I will have to wait until after I get solar stuff to buy a toy like that. I assume that would have also powered all the Vesta’s receptacles. With that math, at a $6000 investment in solar, it would take a little over 2 years for the sample solar installation to pay off – and it will take almost 4 years for our own solar costs to be recouped. Last August (living in Rapid City, South Dakota) we got 1.9 inch hail and it totaled out the roof on our home (it had been redone only 16 months previously) but the solar panels on the camper were completely undamaged. If it were me I’d have at least 400ah of batteries at 12v (to match your 400 watts of solar) to run all your ‘daily’ stuff. Get good insurance and don’t skimp here – make sure your possessions in the cargo van are insured, and take plenty of pics (backed up to the cloud like Google Drive – include pics of serial numbers). Im actually using the same system you have but i was wondering how many batteries one needs?… I’ll need to run my fridge 24-7 obviously but other than that everything else is plug in as needed, or runs off its own battery supply like alarm clocks and such. -scratch and dent panels for 75 cents a watt. Ok tiltis quite beneficial as you may imagine. Have you ever thought of adding an Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG)? Unfortunately, I don’t always get the best made products, but at least I have a system that I can use until I get a hold of some real cash. The ZTE Spro 2 is a really cool looking product to save space, I’ve never played with one yet. So total cost over time is way lower than any other battery. Your solar setup looks fantastic and it’s on my Amazon.com wishlist. I’ve broken batteries on rough dirt roads but these Costco golf cart batteries have survived it all! We have an Inverter video and post that is launching tonight: http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/rv-inverter-pure-sine This is something wewould never do except for testing. Basically I want to power a laptop in a Jeep. For entertainment / computing you have your smartphone of choice, maybe a tablet, and instead of a TV try a small LED projector, unless you’re comfortable using a notebook for everything. The best RV solar panel installation depends on your vehicle, your energy needs and what hardware and power you already have in your RV. Hey Bryn, We have an RV now and the car engine charges just the one 12v battery for the lights. We recently purchased an old 1983 Jamboree that sat more than it was used, with only 45,000 original miles on it, but from sitting and neglect I have done a lot of remodeling and repairing. We’re getting a new flat panel system on our new RV which is supposed to be a more simple install, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed. Hi David – great question! Thanks Nikki! RV Solar power offers the freedom to explore further. Good luck, let us know what you find out. If you got the 100amp Magnum that would give you the capacity to add another panel later down the road if you wanted to without having to upgrade the controller. But Li-Ion are the best (but also more money) but way outlast any other battery technology. The portable panel is a great starting point for investing in Solar. That was 7 years ago so might not even be relevant today, and of course the size of your install will affect the price too. Disclaimer:  While our solar was provided by GoPower for review purposes…all of our experiences and opinions are not purchased and are still our own.  It’s also important to know we contacted them after learning they were a small company with great quality and sustainable business practice’s.  We only work with companies we truly believe in and who support our mission to live a sustainable and adventurous life. Works great on my camper. Electrical wires? • No fuse protection on the inverter cabling, also I don’t see how much cabling comes with the kit either. We can taylor the system to suit … You should look into the GoPower pure sine, they are a great company who is socially responsible and stands behind their products with a great warranty. We were not happy with our model of Xantrex Inverter, so we upgraded. It is made to work with any battery system and can be combined with the Extreme Kit. Finding the biggest you can use in the space gets you the most AmpHours to charge up. http://www.freesunpower.com/batteries.php. Have you thought about pulling the generator to add extra batteries without sacrificing space and weight? Some states and locations don’t allow it or have limits on it. We’re looking at solar systems vs. solar generator + panels. It might be an excellent way to answer the question of how to do an easy solar install on a RV for you! When you want to power the microwave I’d run the generator for a few minutes while you heat your food. Our solar solutions also have the ability to grow with your changing RV needs, meaning that you can easily add more panels to your system should you need more power or wish to stay out camping for extended periods. If this is an RV install & you already own the RV, you might look at traveling to an area which does a LOT of installs (think Arizona where there are tons of RVs) to see if you can get better quotes there. Jenn. -,4 deep cycle batteries meant for scooter at an auction for ,$50 a piece Did you have the Fleetwood factory do the installation of the GoPower including all of the interior control panel units? After the initial installation, you can enjoy free electricity from the sun for the rest of your vehicle’s life! Avalon RV installs Solar systems on all makes & models, vintage & modern. While I’d consider $4k a reasonable cost for the system, we are NOT do-it-yourselfers. Motorhome solar panels … We will have a much bigger battery bank on our next coach which we will pick up any day now! This is where a portable panel comes in handy, when it’s over 85 degrees it’s best to park in the shade and run a panel or two out into the sun. Add up the wattage of the panels, divide by 14 (voltage to charge) and that gives you your amps. 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