Also keep in mind that solar panels experience a 75 90 drop in efficiency on cloudy days so it s good to have slightly more than you need when it comes to solar power about a 20 cushion if possible to account for less than ideal conditions.
What do i need for solar power for camping.
Let s get some terminology clear for 12 volt newbies.
Here s how we determined the amount of solar power we needed for our rv boondocking trips and recommend you do the same.
Your rv isn t a house and it can still run out of juice.
Go boondocking and only use your rv battery ies as your power source.
Dc power is what you get from your 12v battery in your vehicle caravan.
Watts amps and volts.
Hello james i have a 45 renegade motorhome and want to install solar we do a lot of dry camping in glamis ca sand dunes for 4 8 days at a time.
Purchasing a solar power station for camping is deeply related to the size of the solar panels since they determine the amount of power and energy that you can obtain every day.
Ac power is what a power point at home or a 12v 240v inverter gives you.
John september 15 2020 at 2 00 pm.
When calculating solar panel sizes you have 3 things to be aware of.
Operate all of the electrical equipment in the same way you want to operate it while using rv solar panels normal usage here no conserving so you get a true reading of how much power you will.
Solar energy varies according to environmental conditions such as temperature shadings irradiance soiling and more.
To help explain what solar does let s first clear the air on what it doesn t do.
I was looking at 300w panels maybe 2 to help not have to run generator as much.
Without getting into too much electrical theory it s enough to know that the power rating of a solar panel is one of its most critical features measured in watts w it tells you how much energy the solar panel can send to the connected device such as your mobile phone or tablet.
A 300 amp hour camper battery for instance would need around 300 watts of solar power.
Solar power is a clean form of energy that s natural renewable and best of all free.
For the 12v newbies.
Directly provide electricity to run your 120v appliances such as air conditioning microwave electrical outlets etc.
Solar panels do one thing they charge your rv s batteries.
290 thoughts on how much solar do i need on my rv.
It s important to keep in mind that even with this much solar power you still may need a generator if it s been cloudy for days or if your rv is parked in shade.