Buying a Solar Powered RV: How to Determine if it has What YOU Need
Before we hit the road in fall of 2012, we added a small solar set-up to our vintage camper remodel, so that we could camp off-grid…and frankly, to save a bunch of money. While we probably weren’t the first to go solar with their rig, we were definitely on the front end of this RV solar revolution that has swept the nation over the past decade. We hope this blog provides some surprises and inspiration to go solar in 2024 – and achieve some of your long standing green goals this year!
How Much Money Can I Save With Solar On My RV? Some Real Numbers!
As full-time RVers for over 11 years, we’ve saved over $180,000 in campground fees during this time. If we had paid for electrical hook-ups every night (at an average of $40 per night), we would have spent over $200K; instead, we’ve spent under $20K total. That’s kind of a big deal, right?
Ok, so maybe you don’t plan to go full-time; but would you love to take a big cross-country road trip? Let’s use our trip to Alaska in 2022 as an example for solar savings. We spent 5 months traveling from Washington state to Alaska and back. If we had stayed at campgrounds with electrical hook-ups every night (at an average of $50 per night in the PNW), we would have spent approximately $7500 on campground fees; instead, we chose off-grid campgrounds and boondocking sites throughout both Canada and Alaska and spent about $900. If you could save $6600 over 5 months by going solar, wouldn’t you? We thought so… But if you’re just now getting into the market for a new RV and want to go solar, where to begin?
Getting Started with Solar for Your RV
This article is designed to help define some of the options, provide you with questions to ask when shopping for a new rig with solar, and learn how to assess if the system included is appropriate for how you intend to use your rig. We’ll also discuss options for altering an RV, with or without solar already included.
In addition to the technical and lifestyle articles we contribute to Renogy’s blog and other RV lifestyle publications, and the solar installation and product review videos on our YouTube Channel (subscribe please!), we also facilitate lifestyle seminars at RV shows and rallies around the country. In the past decade, we have probably seen just about every style of RV, along with the latest gadgets. One encouraging trend among manufacturers is that more are adding solar power to their line up, either as optional add-ons or integral to the RV design. Either way, appealing to an off-grid lifestyle is now part of the RV industry marketing strategy. Let’s take a look at some options…
What Type of Pre-installed Solar Options Are Available on RVs?
Ranging from “solar ready” rigs to RV’s which simply include solar battery maintainers to travel trailers with built-in solar panels to full-scale solar system packages with all the bells and whistles, the options are now nearly endless. But, what does all of this mean AND is it sized for your energy demands? If this is your first time considering solar, check out our Solar System Sizing Worksheet for details.
What Does “Solar Ready” Mean?
Don’t fall for the marketing, all this means is that they’ve added a special port to the outside of the rig into which you can easily plug a specific brand’s* portable solar suitcase. If you have larger energy demands, this could also be where you install a 12V-600W Solar Kit, or simply lay a 12V-400W Foldable Solar Blanket up on your RV roof (or awning) if you don’t want to drill into your roof. *Don’t worry too much about the specific brand; if you want to go with a Renogy 12V-100W Solar Suitcase, you can use a simple adapter or just do it yourself as described in the video below.
However, this does NOT mean that the rig comes with any necessary solar equipment – panels, charge controller, or inverter. Typically, this type of RV will typically have 1 or 2 lead acid batteries with the solar port connected to it, but not much else.
Off-grid Solar Panel or Solar Battery Maintainer?
Some rigs boast a small wattage solar panel (50W) and small charge controller, but don’t think that these will help you live off-grid for very long. These are really “solar battery maintainers” that were designed with the RV dealer in mind. By having RVs with these small panels out on the lot, the dealerships don't have to plug in their units and can count on the lights, slides, stereo, and awnings functioning when showing them to a buyer. Gone are the nightmares of a dozen LPG gas detectors all going off on the lot because of low batteries!
Besides being helpful for dealerships, these systems can be beneficial for consumers. If you store your rig outside when not in use, it’s helpful to keep your battery topped off with NO appliances running. But, a simple battery maintainer is not nearly enough power for dry camping, overlanding, boondocking, or simply staying in off-grid campgrounds. The only part of this system that could be helpful to folks who want to install solar on their RV or van is that some of the wiring and/or cable entry housing can be reused to install a larger system down the road, like what we did on our friends’ Forest River travel trailer.
Off-Grid Solar Packages
In recent years, manufacturers have started offering RVs with built-in solar panels. Sometimes these panels are integrated into the roof and other times they are added post factory. While a great option for short road trips or weekend warriors, these systems are typically small and will only provide enough power for the 12V built-in RV appliances, but not much else you might want to bring along on an off-grid camping trip like a coffee maker, laptop, blender, etc.
Like most new RVs these rigs have a converter (transfers AC power to DC) that will allow you to charge your RV batteries when you are plugged into shore power and run your appliances, but NOT an inverter (transfers DC power in the battery to AC power for household appliances). If this type of rig is of interest, you may be able to add a portable solar suitcase for more solar surface area, a larger charge controller to accommodate the increased current from another panel, additional (or better) batteries, and an inverter to meet your AC energy needs. These are good questions to ask the dealer before you buy so that if you want to upgrade, you can simply add some new Renogy components.
Finally, just in the past 2 years, we’ve seen RV manufacturers offering full-scale solar package options which include a robust solar panel array, powerful solar charge controller, DC to DC charger, battery bank, and inverter. These solar packages often range from enough power for those of us with low to average energy demands to be able to live and work off-grid, to huge systems on very large rigs which can add upwards of $15,000 to the RV sticker price. These more expensive systems are designed to be able to run the RV and all of your appliances (even small air conditioners!) like a rolling home. Could you DIY a solar powered system instead? Absolutely, and for potentially less than half the price with a complete REGO system or equivalent!
Questions to Ask Yourself Before Shopping for a Solar Powered RV or Van
- How will you use your rig?
- Do you plan to camp off-grid frequently or just the occasional overnight?
- Do you plan to run additional appliances beyond what is pre-installed in the rig?
- How much power will you need?
Download our Solar System Sizing worksheet and do the math to calculate your energy needs.
Questions for the RV Dealer
Before buying a rig equipped with solar, be sure to familiarize yourself with solar terminology and the brand names of high quality solar equipment so that you know what’s included when you see it listed on the specs. Here are just a few important considerations…
What is the brand name of the solar components pre-installed in the RV?
RV manufacturers will typically choose less expensive and lesser quality brands as they often assume that most people will buy, use, and sell their RV within 5-7 years. Make sure you do research about the brand(s) they’ve installed so that you know what you are buying.
Does the RV warranty include the solar powered system? How long is that warranty? Is it different for the various components of the system? Does installing additional panels on the roof void the warranty?
What is the total solar array wattage?
Climb up on the roof (with your own step ladder, dealers won’t let you climb up the installed ladder until it’s in your possession) to see what is installed. Or, ask them to take a picture of it for you. Get the details on wattage, voltage, and amperage so you can determine if it has the potential to provide enough power for your own energy demands.
How much current can the solar charge controller accommodate?
Is it a basic PWM or more efficient MPPT style of controller? If you are not satisfied with the total wattage of the solar array, you may want to add more panels, and that often means a larger and more powerful charge controller. Learn about your options and how to size a charge controller properly.
What is the size and chemistry of the battery bank?
Until just recently, nearly every RV was manufactured with lead acid batteries (i.e., flooded or AGM). Some manufacturers have gotten on the Lithium Iron Phosphate bandwagon and are now installing much higher quality, longer lasting LiFePO4 batteries in rigs that are designed specifically for boondocking or overlanding. Ask the dealer for the brand name, battery chemistry, total cycles, and total number of amp hours (Ah) per battery so that you can calculate the total watt hours. This information will help you determine if the battery bank will be sufficient for you and/or your family’s energy demands, how long it is designed to last, and if you will need to upgrade sooner than later.
Does the system include an inverter, what type is it, and how large of a load can it handle?
As previously mentioned, nearly every rig includes a converter, but this is different from an inverter. Converters allow you to charge your DC batteries from an AC source (shore power) so that when you leave the campground, your battery bank is topped off and will run your fridge (and other appliances) while you drive to the next campground and plug into an electrical hook-up. Inverters do just the opposite – transfer DC power to AC power – so you can run your household appliance while off-grid. It’s good to have both, or install an inverter charger which is both a converter and inverter in one! Be sure to select a unit with an automatic transfer switch.
Two more important questions related to a pre-installed inverter include the maximum rated wattage and whether it is listed as Pure Sine Wave (highest quality available). Knowing the maximum wattage will allow you to calculate the potential load that you can put on the system, and assess whether that is enough power for your personal/family’s needs. While we have a small 700W inverter that works well for our power needs, most RVers typically want/need battery inverters or inverter chargers upwards of 2000W – it all depends on the total wattage of the AC appliances you plan to run at the same time. Learn how to size an inverter appropriately.
Now that you’re armed with a broader perspective on how the RV industry is attempting to address consumer’s solar demands, you’ll be in a better position to narrow down your choices. Attending an RV Show can be a great way to get a good price on an RV you’ve researched thoroughly, but it can also be overwhelming when you first walk into a convention center loaded with several hundred options for you to browse!
As we turn the calendar to January 2024, our RV Show Season begins! At these events, we offer several FREE “RV Solar 101” seminars to any attendees who want to join us for a power packed hour of information – all designed for solar newbies. Check out our 2024 RV show schedule for details!
In 2012, Shari Galiardi & David Hutchison left behind careers and a comfortable home in North Carolina to travel with the vintage camper trailer they lovingly restored, outfitted with solar, and named "Hamlet." What began as a short break from careers and responsibility quickly turned into a love affair with roadlife. They have parlayed their higher education backgrounds, desire for life-long learning, and thirst for adventure travel into writing, photography, video production, and public speaking gigs from coast to coast. Known to their friends as simply Shari & Hutch, you can learn more about their full-time, solar-powered adventures on their website at freedominacan.com. Or, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube as “Freedom in a Can, LLC.”
