Power Questions

[Scybertek]

I am always looking for ways to economize and I noticed that there are solar panels made for 5th wheel use. I am new to 5th wheels in general so I am trying to build my knowledge to make informed decisions.

Is a 5th wheel solar system robust enough to handle all the power needs to be off the grid? I know this a bit ambiguous since I haven't given the output of the panel/panels but that is where I am hoping for some fill in the blanks on what is needed from those of you with experience.

I understand that the panels are used to charge the batteries in the unit. How long will the batteries last typically without charging? Is it worth the money to buy the extra batteries to fill the slots provided if you only have 2 for example but have room for 4?

I plan to be in a park most of the time but it would be nice to be able to generate my own power when needed. I will be getting a 32'-36' unit used and having an alternate source of power would be nice. Would a generator be a better investment of money? Let me know what you think, thanks.

[Midniteoyl]

There are no '5th wheel solar panels'.. they are just solar panels.

Heres a good place to start: HandyBob's Blog

[Scybertek]

Thank you so much that link was more informative than I could have imagined. It answered questions I did not even have the knowledge to formulate prior to reading this.

[djkarau]

I live off the grid in northern Canada (Yellowknife). I live off of eight 190 watt (24 volts each) solar panels for most of the summer.

If you were to purchase four 6 volt "golf cart" batteries and a couple of solar panels you could have more power than you will ever use (other than running the AC all day!)

The guys at Sun Electric are great to talk to and very helpful. Lowest Prices in Solar Panels, Systems & Inverters

You will notice that it is actually cheaper to purchase a 190 - 200 watt panel than the smaller 50 watt panels (especially when you consider $/watt)

[gmasters]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midniteoyl There are no '5th wheel solar panels'.. they are just solar panels. Heres a good place to start: HandyBobs Blog

That was great reading and we are just about to get a new 5th , And NO GEN needed, this is what I want