You just bought a new or used RV and are ready to hit the road. What about RV solar panels? Do you really need them to travel around? Are solar panels necessary to boondock or primarily a luxury item for rich folks? Should you buy them? Why or why not?
Related post: What Type of RV Solar Panels Do You Need?
If you don’t spend your days throwing money down the proverbial drain, and are debating whether purchasing solar panels for your RV is worth the investment here are the top five reasons to NOT buy RV solar panels:
1. If you don’t boondock extensively it’s just plain silly — there is no need to purchase any type of solar power system if you primarily camp hooked up to shore power. When plugged in you will have electricity to use any type of AC or DC appliance you need. And as long as there is nothing wrong with your RV electrical system, everything will work. Hooray!
2. Your RV onboard system has all the power you need — a night or two here and there not plugged in to shore power does not warrant investing in any type of solar power system either. Say you are traveling long distances and like to stop at a restaurant for a meal and park overnight in their parking lot, or free park at Walmart for a night while you stock up on supplies. Cool.
Your RV battery will provide DC power for your lights, keep your propane or DC-powered fridge running etc. How long depends on the batteries in your RV and how much DC power they can hold and supply.
If you have an inverter in your rig you will also have access to AC power to charge up a laptop, run the AC, whatever you need—up to the time the load (how much stuff you run) drains your battery capacity (how much DC power they are holding).
Related post: How Do RV Solar Systems Work?
3. You rarely use AC-powered appliances — not everyone needs to air fry chicken when traveling. 🙂 And not everyone travels to hot locations like Arizona in summer that make being able to run an air conditioner a necessity. Most things in an RV run off of DC power from the battery (lights, water pump), propane (stove), or a combination of the two (water heater, DC or propane fridge, etc.).
If you do need a constant supply of AC power and boondock extensively then a solar power system would be a smart purchase. It will help keep your batteries charged which will then provide DC power to an inverter that brings that power to your fuse box and out to your AC outlets (110/120 volt) and AC-run applicances like an air conditioner.
4. A portable battery pack will suit your needs just fine — a solar power system’s primary purpose is to keep your RV batteries charged (using sunlight) and to provide AC power if neded when off grid. How much power for how long will depend on your battery capacity and usage.
Related post: Can You Charge an RV Battery While Driving?
For the occasional need for AC power, or to be prepared for an emergency like a blackout at an RV park, a portable battery pack will do the trick. You just need to estimate the approximate amount of power (watts) for the approximate amount of time you think you will need that power (hours) and then find a portable battery sufficient for your needs.
5. Your primary energy source is propane — depending on usage, propane tanks can last for a very long time. One 20 pound tank used to last me two months or longer. Also it’s very easy to monitor the tanks and to monitor usage. Propane will not run your AC or provide 110/120 volt power of course, but you can cook, use lights, run a propane fridge, spark up the water heater etc. all with propane and DC power that comes from your battery bank.
You are very welcome and glad you found it helpful 🙂
Excellent advice. Thank you