Recreational Vehicle (RV) Solar Panels

Putting recreational vehicle (RV) solar panels on your vehicle may be one of the best decisions you can make. The most immediate benefit is you can go along your journey without making frequent stops at various RV parks. This means you can travel further and see more in less time. You may have experienced the frustration of having to search out places where you can charge your batteries. Having solar panels on your vehicle eliminates all these inconveniences.

More and more full time RVers are planning to install solar panels on their vehicles so they can reap the full benefits of using solar energy to power up their equipment in their recreational vehicles.

Before you decide to buy a solar energy kit to hook up onto your recreational vehicle, there are a few points you need to work out. The first and most important step is to determine your total energy needs. This affects the number of solar panels you'll need to buy and the batteries and size of inverter you need to have.

To size your solar energy system, you will need to calculate the average amount of energy you use in a typical day. Only after you size your solar power system can you know if you have enough space inside your recreational vehicle for all the batteries and inverter.

You'll also need to consider having a backup generator in case the worst happens...and these situations occur from time to time.

If the solar power system is too big to fit into your RV, the best solution is to reduce your energy consumption. Here are a few practical electricity-saving tips given by fellow RVers:

- Avoid cold places that needs extensive furnace use

- Never fall asleep with your television on

- Always switch off lights and equipment when not in use

- Do not leave any lights on throughout the night

You may also want to consider using a catalytic heater, as this does not require electricity. Since heaters would consume a large portion of your solar generated electricity, this solution may help you get away with a smaller, less costly solar energy system.

You may also be wondering how much it costs to install a complete RV solar panel system. Depending on the quality of your solar panels, batteries and inverter, an approximate cost for each complete panel system is about (more or less) $500.

You may want to get a portable solar panel to charge your batteries and see if using solar panels can bring more convenience to your travel. Very soon, you may be hooked to it. Then you'll experience for yourself the benefits you can only experience with a set of RV solar panels installed on your recreational vehicle.