Community Forums

hohenwald48 · 03-23-2018, 11:50 AM

Everybody seems to forget that not everybody else spends weeks at a time in the boondocks rationing water, electricity and clean underware. I almost always spend the night in an RV park and the only time I run my generator is if it's really hot and the dash air can't keep up or when we leave the dog in the RV to visit a museum or shop.

In my usage there is almost always a source for charging via shore power or routine main engine operation. A few hours in a parking lot could easily be handled by a battery bank and inverter. Solar would simply be an additional charge source that could be used when the sun is available.

I could see this being a viable option for certain people in certain circumstances. Like everything else, it's won't be the solution for everybody.

MisterT · 03-23-2018, 04:33 PM

absolutely right...

usually 'changes' in the market come from a niche or segment of the market that is demanding it, and is willing to pay for it. Not all of us need a 'totally solar' RV quite yet.

but,
when Inverters and Solar catch up to our normal 'needs', and we can successfully unharness ourselves from the need to 'plug in' to an RV park or Campground, then it will certainly go 'mainstream' much faster.

certainly, for many years NO campers came with Generators, and many still don't! so generators are not necessarily the end all either.

Inverters are also fairly 'new' to the RVing industry... but we no longer demand it, we EXPECT it.

Battery power itself wasn't always a part of 'camping', even. It's just when folks started demanding 12v lights for night time enjoyment, and RV fridges, and heater blowers, etc...

Propane may seem to be on the way out, but has provided a lot of 'power' for many uses over the last half century... we just think that nows the time we might can start doing 'without' it...

as Solar becomes more competent, more reliable, and more steady, along with batteries becoming smaller, yet more powerful and longer lasting, we'll slowly step away from 'grid' and 'generator' dominance.

as with Solar, "it won't happen overnight" : )

garbonz · 03-23-2018, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saddlesore

IMHO....
Even tho the Lithy's are a longer duration battery...And they may work for a very small coach & if the full roof is a solar panel..one to three days dry camping and you had better find a way to charge those batteries...and forget about running the roof air....

Ummmm these things Ave and engine and alternator.

KenZ71 · 03-23-2018, 05:24 PM

I've had solar panels on my stick house for almost 5 years. About 6 months out of the year they produce more than we consume. Of course cloudy days happen so sometimes we get power from the power co.

For a RV could be similar

garbonz · 03-24-2018, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenZ71

I've had solar panels on my stick house for almost 5 years. About 6 months out of the year they produce more than we consume. Of course cloudy days happen so sometimes we get power from the power co.

For a RV could be similar

Yeah,owner company being the main motor or generator, I agree

MotorPro · 03-24-2018, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenZ71

I've had solar panels on my stick house for almost 5 years. About 6 months out of the year they produce more than we consume. Of course cloudy days happen so sometimes we get power from the power co.

For a RV could be similar

How many thousand watts of panels are on your house? You are not going to fit that on an rv.

Gordon Dewald · 03-24-2018, 07:09 PM

Right at the minute twenty (1:20) there is a statement made by Ron that it automatically starts to replenish the batteries.

Searching_Ut · 03-24-2018, 07:42 PM

I think RVs themselves will go away prior to the need for a generator. As we transition to a weight and mile based road tax, boon docking and forest service/Blm type camping goes away and rv parks get more expensive I think RVing will fade away. Solar panels and batteries on the other hand have been on a path of slow, but sure improvement, and unless there is some new discovery just around the corner, we should expect about the same improvement rate for the foreseeable future making truly viable independent electrical systems still years in the future.

KenZ71 · 03-24-2018, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MotorPro

How many thousand watts of panels are on your house? You are not going to fit that on an rv.

24 panels on a 1900 square ft house. So 80% less space would mean about 80% less panels.

5 panels on a 40 foot roof? Maybe

Certainly could cut genny fuel needs. Eliminate need for genny, doubt it. Maybe smaller & more battery though.