Thor Forums

[TurnerFam]

yes, I get the boondocking and being off-grid overnight, such as at a stay in a parking lot while traveling, etc... but the question you have to ask yourself is really more of 'how much' you are going to be 'off grid', at least for more than a night or so.

Solar is expensive, there's no other way around that. Any 'inexpensive' seeming solar setup is not really going to provide you anything much more than you already have - a great onboard generator that is perfectly designed to handle EVERYTHING you need for those short drycamping times. Solar is not really the 'magic' that many may assume at first.
If you have a lot of money to drop on a solar setup, then you might can fill the roof with panels, install a large solar controller, add additional batteries to your bank, and you might then have a system that can sustain you for several nights without any external power - IF the sun cooperates.

Most who purchase solar for those 'once in a while' overnights have probably overspent for something that otherwise hardly ever gets used. If we spent this type of money on other devices that hardly ever gave us much benefit, we would easily pass on them.

Yes, having solar makes one 'feel good', and if that's what one wants, then spend the money on it. The reality is that solar has hardly the impact we think it does, at least in the RVing world. We are mobile, we are moving, and if we don't always have the panels tilted in the right direction, we are not receiving near the amount of 'power' that we might be paying to have.

All that said, and maybe a shock to read it, I would take your coach on many off-grid outings, using your onboard generator, AGS(auto generator starter), and inverter for what they are designed for: off-grid living. As you grow accustomed to what they can do, how they work, and the real financial benefits of using them, you might decide to have a little solar to augment the power, or you may find that 'investing' in expensive solar might not necessarily be of good value.

We have two 100w panels, and while they really don't add a lot of 'off-generator' time when parked, they are mostly a good option to storage, giving the house batteries a trickle charge during sun hours.

If I had $500 to spend elsewhere, though, I now would probably use it somewhere else, such as doubling my 4 6v battery bank.


travel, enjoy!