Boondocking, Solar Power, and Related Items - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Colorado_Kid · Colorado_Kid

I know AM Solar has been mentioned on here and have gotten a lot of great reviews but they are too far away and was looking for someone closer to Colorado. Does anyone know of any other solar installers I could contact?

Cassy0110 · Cassy0110

https://www.propaneva.com/best-off-grid-solar-system/

karoleks · karoleks

When we ordered our trailer, we made a conscious decision to not order an onboard generator, for several reasons, including:1) They need to be "exercised" regularly, regardless if you need them for electricity, this is wasteful of gas,2) They're expensive to buy and, over the life of our camper, co...

Hetken1 · Hetken1

Hello all, I will be installing a solar system in my Forest River, lexington210, motorhome. Of course I will listen to all advice but my concern, because the space I intend to use for batteries and controls will be below the couch/bed. The use of AGM batteries takes care of the gas venting concerns b...

bigboomer · bigboomer

https://ramblingrvrat.blogspot.com/2019/11/freedom-from-grid-rambling-rv-rats.html?m=1Edit by moderator: Activated link. Terry

Sushidog · Sushidog

I am considering using 2" furniture grade (UV protected, guaranteed for 15 years of direct sun exposure) structural plastic pipe to build a simple rack to mount my large solar panels right down the center of the RV, about 13" off the roof (to clear my ac ducts. I will still have 12ft clearance, BTW). The...

BiggarView · BiggarView

Here's the scenario... you've topped off your batteries for the day and it's still relatively early... what do you do with the still pouring in solar power you're generating? Has anybody hooked up their solar to their water heater to take up some of that excess juice? What would be involved in setting...

A-S Travelers · A-S Travelers

Boondocking and dry camping topics appear from time to time in this forum. Sometimes folks w/o much experience boondocking talk about running their generators and just going out and parking in the boondocks.This video very nicely presents the 9 major items most boondockers would like for others...

arcaguy · arcaguy

I've been doing some research/shopping and one of the things that has caught my eye are composting toilets. Specifically one that separates the liquid and solid waste. One of the main reasons I'm interested in them is lack of having to empty the black tank on a regular basis. In talking to a guy he sa...

s2man · s2man

Hello, folks. I am in the process of fixing up an old Class C. I put in a new house battery, in the engine compartment, and have not hooked it up yet because I am going to add two more batteries to the bank. (I don't think my 200W solar panels will fit on the roof, but I'll figure that out...) The new batteri...

Sushidog · Sushidog

I am considering installing a large solar system on the roof of a TT for extended boondocking with full amenities - five or six, 4x8 ft (nominal) panels. However, as I look at almost all RV roofs I see a large number of things projecting from them, from tank and reefer vents to opening skylights and even t...

arcaguy · arcaguy

I ran across this today and I thought it was food for thought. I've heard the same things, from other sources, as I've heard here about tire age but this seems to refute that. I haven't gone to Bandag and looked at what they have to say but I do believe it's something to think about, especially for those w...

Chuck1947 · Chuck1947

Okay guys and gals. I have decided to go with a roof mount system instead of ground thanks to the responses ( Sushi, Larry) on this site but have another question: I will have four 100w panels on the roof. I want to run them in series/parallal (sp?) configuration. Three of the panels will fit side-by-sid...

Chuck1947 · Chuck1947

I have a small cargo van conversion and am wanting to install two solar panels on the roof. I'm okay with mounting the panels, etc. What I'm worried about is the excess wire under the panels, once hooked up seems to be unavoidable. I will be hooking the panels up in series but am concerned about the excess...

Chuck1947 · Chuck1947

I have been watching a ton of videos of rv solar applications and notice many seem to use a sealant/caulk called Dicor. When I looked it up there seem to be at least a couple of kinds. Can someone recommend which one to use? TIA

Cowdog353 · Cowdog353

I have two interstate 6v batteries of unknown condition with 280 watts of solar thru a trimetic sc3020 and I'am trying to check system out.. Mainly battery condition. I started with freshly charged batteries this morning and started a single serve coffee pot drawing 88a DC which ran for about 3 min t...

Cowdog353 · Cowdog353

i have 280watts of panels and a controller hooked to two 6v batteries. So, I have about 100ah usable from the batteries. I think I'm correct on that. Question is can I put a 12v battery in the mix, two 6v in series then parallel a 90ah 12v. Would I boost usable power by 90 ah or ?. I'm assuming taking the...

Jonathan C · Jonathan C

Hello lovely people!

I am new to RV life in general and am planning to jump right into boondocking. I've been doing a lot of research online, and I've learned enough to understand that I have barely learned anything at all. There's a lot of technical knowledge needed to undertake figuring o...

Old_Man · Old_Man

I've been researching RV solar for a little while, now, as the better half and I are planning on the Class A life (Did the van by the river thing as a young musician, I want it more comfy than that, now) and one of the things the industrious and resourceful solar-seeker can do to increase the capacity of the...

bjoyce · bjoyce

I recently joined my wife in needing a CPAP. She is on her third machine, a Philips Respironics System One REMstar Plus CPAP Machine with C-Flex, and I have a new Resmed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier. Both run with a heated humidifier, which we both use every nig...

PrairieRV · PrairieRV

In my S&B, as I brushed my teeth

this morning, leaving the water running as I did so, I wondered . . . when you're boondocking (or even otherwise) how do you modify your water use habits? Here on the Kansas interstates, there are many dump stations at the rest stops, though they're n...

digitaldiver · digitaldiver

Hi All, I have a Pleasure Way Excel RD and will be installing solar soon. My question is once I have the system set up would it be very difficult to have the coach rewired so we could use any or some of the outlets as if we were on shore power? I understand that with the system we will get only certain things cou...

Cyruszs · Cyruszs

Hi guys, I just purchased the first few elements of my solar system (100w panel, wiring and mppt 40amp charge controller), I'm planning to upgrade it gradually to a more powerful system with more panels and batteries. My generator at the same time is done for, so I wanted to see if I could use the wiring t...

Xylene · Xylene

I currently have 4 100 Watt polycrystalline panels on the top of my RV which are hooked up to a Humless 1500 generator. I would like to now hook it up to the RV's batteries with the ability to charge the humless unit and the batteries at the same time. I would also like the option of switching the charge betw...

flatroofdoctor · flatroofdoctor

any thoughts on using solar to charge cordless power tool batteries without an inverter or converter. in other words some type direct hook up. Kobalt (Lowes brand) has a cordless 80V lithium chainsaw and blower, among others. Would love to figure out how to direct from solar charge. All thought...

Stargazing25 · Stargazing25

I'm just curious. Can someone please explain to me what boondocking is? Thanks.

mudigger25 · mudigger25

Hello everyone, were new here but not new to living in campers, including ClassA, Class C, 5th wheels and bumper trailers from 25ft to 34ft. I am just putting my feelers out to get some advice or help finding good deals before i start pouring $$$$ into this project. We had a 400W solar system on our last Cl...

365vacay · 365vacay

I have solar power (panel, converter, inverter, and battery). Everything is working fine, but I would also like to be able to use shore power to charge the battery and run existing lights and fan sometime. Can I just use the same battery that I have hooked up to my solar to my travel trailer's existing co...

Amedia1 · Amedia1

Panels with photovoltaic cells (PV) absorb sunlight and convert it to direct current (DC) electricity. Have anyone installed such panels for their roof? How was the experience? Are you pleased with such an alternative electricity? How much did you save money?

Barb and Frank · Barb and Frank

We have camped for about 20 years with a small travel trailer. When we stay at state parks - we fill up our water tank and when it is empty we add water from a five gallon portable container. Now that we have a large 5th wheel, we know we can purchase a water bladder and a pump to refill the fresh water...

Topic		Started By	Replies	Views	Last Post
	Who Installs Solar for Rvs (Preview) I know AM Solar has been mentioned on here and have gotten a lot of great reviews but they are too far away and was looking for someone closer to Colorado. Does anyone know of any other solar installers I could contact?	Colorado_Kid	9	7150	09:08 AM Oct 21, 2023 by Gorgehex
	Which solar system? (Preview) https://www.propaneva.com/best-off-grid-solar-system/	Cassy0110	0	2922	09:19 PM Jan 18, 2023 by Cassy0110
	Memory Makers solar system (Preview) When we ordered our trailer, we made a conscious decision to not order an onboard generator, for several reasons, including:1) They need to be "exercised" regularly, regardless if you need them for electricity, this is wasteful of gas,2) They're expensive to buy and, over the life of our camper, co...	karoleks	4	3400	06:51 AM Sep 10, 2020 by BiggarView
	Quiet Solar System (Preview) Hello all, I will be installing a solar system in my Forest River, lexington210, motorhome. Of course I will listen to all advice but my concern, because the space I intend to use for batteries and controls will be below the couch/bed. The use of AGM batteries takes care of the gas venting concerns b...	Hetken1	14	5117	08:46 AM Jul 31, 2020 by Natalie21
	Freedom from the Grid (Preview) https://ramblingrvrat.blogspot.com/2019/11/freedom-from-grid-rambling-rv-rats.html?m=1Edit by moderator: Activated link. Terry	bigboomer	2	3293	09:54 AM Nov 26, 2019 by bigboomer
	UV protected plastic pipe for racking solar? (Preview) I am considering using 2" furniture grade (UV protected, guaranteed for 15 years of direct sun exposure) structural plastic pipe to build a simple rack to mount my large solar panels right down the center of the RV, about 13" off the roof (to clear my ac ducts. I will still have 12ft clearance, BTW). The...	Sushidog	16	5071	08:01 PM Jul 21, 2019 by Sushidog
	excess solar power (Preview) Here's the scenario... you've topped off your batteries for the day and it's still relatively early... what do you do with the still pouring in solar power you're generating? Has anybody hooked up their solar to their water heater to take up some of that excess juice? What would be involved in setting...	BiggarView	3	3724	08:37 PM Feb 21, 2019 by LarryW21
	Boondocking Etiquette (Preview) Boondocking and dry camping topics appear from time to time in this forum. Sometimes folks w/o much experience boondocking talk about running their generators and just going out and parking in the boondocks.This video very nicely presents the 9 major items most boondockers would like for others...	A-S Travelers	3	3739	07:17 AM Feb 10, 2019 by Russ Ranger
	Composting toilet?? (Preview) I've been doing some research/shopping and one of the things that has caught my eye are composting toilets. Specifically one that separates the liquid and solid waste. One of the main reasons I'm interested in them is lack of having to empty the black tank on a regular basis. In talking to a guy he sa...	arcaguy	5	3578	07:53 PM Jan 30, 2019 by LarryW21
	Battery Bank Location (Preview) Hello, folks. I am in the process of fixing up an old Class C. I put in a new house battery, in the engine compartment, and have not hooked it up yet because I am going to add two more batteries to the bank. (I don't think my 200W solar panels will fit on the roof, but I'll figure that out...) The new batteri...	s2man	8	4673	12:10 PM Sep 11, 2018 by LarryW21
	How high is too high for mounting solar panels? (closed) (Preview) I am considering installing a large solar system on the roof of a TT for extended boondocking with full amenities - five or six, 4x8 ft (nominal) panels. However, as I look at almost all RV roofs I see a large number of things projecting from them, from tank and reefer vents to opening skylights and even t...	Sushidog	20	8371	02:45 PM Sep 7, 2018 by Howard
	Something to think about before retiring. (Preview) I ran across this today and I thought it was food for thought. I've heard the same things, from other sources, as I've heard here about tire age but this seems to refute that. I haven't gone to Bandag and looked at what they have to say but I do believe it's something to think about, especially for those w...	arcaguy	6	5553	10:42 PM Sep 5, 2018 by s2man
	Solar panel configuration on roof. (Preview) Okay guys and gals. I have decided to go with a roof mount system instead of ground thanks to the responses ( Sushi, Larry) on this site but have another question: I will have four 100w panels on the roof. I want to run them in series/parallal (sp?) configuration. Three of the panels will fit side-by-sid...	Chuck1947	12	4356	02:09 PM Jul 12, 2018 by Chuck1947
	Solar panel wiring question (Preview) I have a small cargo van conversion and am wanting to install two solar panels on the roof. I'm okay with mounting the panels, etc. What I'm worried about is the excess wire under the panels, once hooked up seems to be unavoidable. I will be hooking the panels up in series but am concerned about the excess...	Chuck1947	7	4001	06:15 AM Jul 11, 2018 by Chuck1947
	Dicor caulking/sealant (Preview) I have been watching a ton of videos of rv solar applications and notice many seem to use a sealant/caulk called Dicor. When I looked it up there seem to be at least a couple of kinds. Can someone recommend which one to use? TIA	Chuck1947	1	4098	09:41 PM Jul 8, 2018 by TRAILERKING
	Another Battery Question (Preview) I have two interstate 6v batteries of unknown condition with 280 watts of solar thru a trimetic sc3020 and I'am trying to check system out.. Mainly battery condition. I started with freshly charged batteries this morning and started a single serve coffee pot drawing 88a DC which ran for about 3 min t...	Cowdog353	5	4388	12:11 PM May 4, 2018 by Cowdog353
	Battery (Solar) Question (Preview) i have 280watts of panels and a controller hooked to two 6v batteries. So, I have about 100ah usable from the batteries. I think I'm correct on that. Question is can I put a 12v battery in the mix, two 6v in series then parallel a 90ah 12v. Would I boost usable power by 90 ah or ?. I'm assuming taking the...	Cowdog353	10	5622	10:30 AM Feb 23, 2018 by Neil and Connie
	Beginner Solar Power Questions (for full-time boondocking) boondocking solar solar power solar panels solar installation solar power installation solar panel installation electrical fleetwood southwind storm 1999 fleetwood storm fleetwood southwind storm fleetwood storm 1999 fleetwood southwind storm 1999 watt watts inverter charge controller (Preview) Hello lovely people! I am new to RV life in general and am planning to jump right into boondocking. I've been doing a lot of research online, and I've learned enough to understand that I have barely learned anything at all. There's a lot of technical knowledge needed to undertake figuring o...	Jonathan C	24	10809	07:16 PM Feb 21, 2018 by LarryW21
	Educate yourself MORE about solar...more bang for your buck (Preview) I've been researching RV solar for a little while, now, as the better half and I are planning on the Class A life (Did the van by the river thing as a young musician, I want it more comfy than that, now) and one of the things the industrious and resourceful solar-seeker can do to increase the capacity of the...	Old_Man	40	8232	03:39 PM Feb 16, 2018 by Old_Man
	My CPAP power usage numbers (Preview) I recently joined my wife in needing a CPAP. She is on her third machine, a Philips Respironics System One REMstar Plus CPAP Machine with C-Flex, and I have a new Resmed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier. Both run with a heated humidifier, which we both use every nig...	bjoyce	16	29672	07:01 AM Jan 21, 2018 by bjoyce
	Boondocking, water use, dumping (Preview) In my S&B, as I brushed my teeth this morning, leaving the water running as I did so, I wondered . . . when you're boondocking (or even otherwise) how do you modify your water use habits? Here on the Kansas interstates, there are many dump stations at the rest stops, though they're n...	PrairieRV	5	4308	11:32 AM Jan 18, 2018 by LarryW21
	running outlets from battery (Preview) Hi All, I have a Pleasure Way Excel RD and will be installing solar soon. My question is once I have the system set up would it be very difficult to have the coach rewired so we could use any or some of the outlets as if we were on shore power? I understand that with the system we will get only certain things cou...	digitaldiver	3	4225	07:28 AM Nov 27, 2017 by digitaldiver
	Installing solar to replace broken generator and using generator's wiring? (Preview) Hi guys, I just purchased the first few elements of my solar system (100w panel, wiring and mppt 40amp charge controller), I'm planning to upgrade it gradually to a more powerful system with more panels and batteries. My generator at the same time is done for, so I wanted to see if I could use the wiring t...	Cyruszs	1	4772	02:14 PM Jul 28, 2017 by LarryW21
	RV Solar setup (Preview) I currently have 4 100 Watt polycrystalline panels on the top of my RV which are hooked up to a Humless 1500 generator. I would like to now hook it up to the RV's batteries with the ability to charge the humless unit and the batteries at the same time. I would also like the option of switching the charge betw...	Xylene	5	5252	10:03 AM Jul 22, 2017 by bjoyce
	direct solar charging for cordless 80V battery? (Preview) any thoughts on using solar to charge cordless power tool batteries without an inverter or converter. in other words some type direct hook up. Kobalt (Lowes brand) has a cordless 80V lithium chainsaw and blower, among others. Would love to figure out how to direct from solar charge. All thought...	flatroofdoctor	1	4212	07:02 PM Jul 18, 2017 by mycroft8
	What is boondocking? (Preview) I'm just curious. Can someone please explain to me what boondocking is? Thanks.	Stargazing25	13	6205	03:23 PM Jul 1, 2017 by Terry and Jo
	Preparing to convert a Parkmodel to a toyhauler with solar, 12V and LED (Preview) Hello everyone, were new here but not new to living in campers, including ClassA, Class C, 5th wheels and bumper trailers from 25ft to 34ft. I am just putting my feelers out to get some advice or help finding good deals before i start pouring $$$$ into this project. We had a 400W solar system on our last Cl...	mudigger25	4	5387	09:32 PM Feb 20, 2017 by Barbaraok
	Solar and Shore Power Living Together In Perfect Harmony? (Preview) I have solar power (panel, converter, inverter, and battery). Everything is working fine, but I would also like to be able to use shore power to charge the battery and run existing lights and fan sometime. Can I just use the same battery that I have hooked up to my solar to my travel trailer's existing co...	365vacay	8	5755	07:51 PM Feb 18, 2017 by LarryW21
	Panels with photovoltaic cells for houses solar panels photovoltaic solar energy solar system renewable energy photovoltaic cells solar installation solar technology (Preview) Panels with photovoltaic cells (PV) absorb sunlight and convert it to direct current (DC) electricity. Have anyone installed such panels for their roof? How was the experience? Are you pleased with such an alternative electricity? How much did you save money?	Amedia1	1	4294	10:34 AM Feb 5, 2017 by LarryW21
	Using a Water Bladder to Add Fresh Water to Tank water bladder (Preview) We have camped for about 20 years with a small travel trailer. When we stay at state parks - we fill up our water tank and when it is empty we add water from a five gallon portable container. Now that we have a large 5th wheel, we know we can purchase a water bladder and a pump to refill the fresh water...	Barb and Frank	7	7145	08:51 AM Feb 3, 2017 by Barb and Frank
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