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captain rich · 11-26-2016, 04:21 AM

Thanks for all the replies. I'll consider all of them as we get closer to our purchase. The Aria already has the panel installed, and it might just be easier to add another panel or two. I think my wife and I have narrowed it down to the Tuscany xte 36mq, or the Aria. Once we do a walk thru of the Aria, we;ll know which way to proceed. Probably at one of the spring RV shows. Hoping to maybe get a good price on a 2016 left over??
Have a Blessed Holiday Season.
Capt. Rich

Paratrooper · 03-25-2017, 11:20 AM

We dry camp 90% of the time and do so for about five days each time. We have gone up to two weeks. We use two deep cycle batteries and a 100 watt Renology suit case solar system. We work from our RV when we are out and have found that the this solar system keeps us topped off even when we use inverters to power our TV's and our laptops. I do help the over all system out by having eight garden solar spot lights that I pull from the garden for each trip. They light up the inside of the rig really well and stand upside down on their solar panel. We really don't need any lights at night using this system. They go dead around 3:00 in the morning and I just put them outside again in the day for recharge. I take a generator in the back of our truck but only have had to use it in the deep south when the humidity was extremely high. Even if we have to use the furnace it stays topped off with this system. When camping in cold environments we use two MR. buddies as the furnace blower will drain your batteries if you run it all night and the 100 watt solar system will not be able to keep things topped off.

computerguy · 03-25-2017, 11:45 AM

Average peak sunlight is 5 hours. Max output of a 100w panel is about 7 amps. 7x5= 35 amp hours worth of charge (maximum with a perfect install and perfect conditions - no shading, 77 degrees F, etc)
My parasitic draw on my MH is 3.5 amps. So, in a perfect world, a 100w panel will cover 10 hours of just my parasitic draw. The other 14 hours in a day will draw the batteries down by 49 amp hours give or take some of the fringe charge hours.
Modern coaches will have similar parasitic draws if not more. This is why when in storage you must use a battery disconnect. or return in a week or 2 to dead batteries.
Also why a 100w panel will basically do nothing if the coach is in use and you use a light, or a water pump, or a tv, never mind an inverter. never mind the fact they probably installed 18ga wire from the panel to the batteries that are 15 feet away.

It's all about marketing not functionality.

ajohansson · 04-02-2017, 03:30 PM

This is so variable. How much power do you use? Are you inverting and using high amp stuff like a microwave for long periods of time.

If your judicious with power 100 watt may make it. You keep lights on and the stereo etc your gonna need more. The cool thing is you can start small and add on very easily. Its not like buying an under powered generator where you would need to replace it. But even then now they have companion units.