Hi Everyone. Well, after 15 years the RV-Dreams Community Forum is coming to an end. Since it began in August 2005, we've had 58 Million page views, 124,000 posts, and we've spent about $15,000 to keep this valuable resource for RVers free and open. But since we are now off the road and have settled down for the next chapter of our lives, we are taking the Forum down effective June 30, 2021. It has been a tough decision, but it is now time.
We want to thank all of our members for their participation and input over the years, and we want to especially thank those that have acted as Moderators for us during our amazing journey living and traveling in our RV and growing the RV-Dreams Family. We will be forever proud to have been founders of this Forum and to have been supported by such a wonderful community. Thank you all!!
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 up such system? My thinking is why not use it instead of using up propane in a boondocking situation or to cut your electric bill if in a electric billed separately situation.
In theory you can use the excess solar power to operate anything that is 12 volt (i.e., pulling directly from your batteries) or powered via your inverter, assuming you have the inverter turned on and the desired item was wired to run via the inverter. You just need to make sure the RV is wired accordingly (i.e., we have some items/outlets in our RV that are tied into the inverter and others that are not, for various reasons).
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2014 New Horizons Majestic 40' 2014 Ram 5500 HD with Utility Bodywerks hauler body
Re: "cut your electric bill if in a electric billed separately situation"
Some inverters provide you with that option (i.e., it will first use your available solar power, then make-up the difference pulling from the campground "pedestal").
-- Edited by Lynn and Ed on Thursday 21st of February 2019 03:10:05 PM
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2014 New Horizons Majestic 40' 2014 Ram 5500 HD with Utility Bodywerks hauler body
Great concept. Heat water from solar after batteries are full...showers, dishes!
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Winnebago TT 2101DS & 2020 Silverado LTZ Z71. 300 watts WindyNation solar w/MPPT, 2 Trojan T-125s. TALL flag pole. Prefer USFS, COE, BLM, USF&WS, NPS, TVA, state/county camps. 14 year Army vet-11B40 then 11A - old MOS 1542 & 1560.
