Thor Forums

[TurnerFam]

no, an inverter has nothing to do with 'solar prep' or 'solar ready', only that the factory has provided pre-wiring, typically from the roof down to the battery bank, or thru a plug on the side of the RV... simply a way to buy a solar panel and easily attach it for a little battery charging power when the sun is out.

Solar doesn't provide any 'direct' power to your RV, only 12v battery charging, which helps to keep your battery charged while you use your 12v lights, fans, appliances, and 12v outlets for phone charging, etc.

An inverter would be an additional device that takes battery power and changes it from 12v to 120v to power an outlet, or outlets, including TVs, and sometimes even a residential fridge or the microwave, but not air conditioning, or any other large draw devices.

You can search amz or other sites and easily find inexpensive solar panel options... some are packages including solar controller and additional wiring, connectors, and even roof mounts... although you can certainly and easily just put your solar panel out on the ground, tilting it toward the southern sun path, for greatest output.

I would start with a simple 100w panel, like the 12v type from HQST, which is large enough to give you some 'umph' to your battery(s), while the sun is out, but small enough that you can store it more easily. If your RV doesn't already have the solar controller included in your 'solar ready' design, which it probably doesn't, the HQST panel can be combined with a solar controller as a package. Just attach the panel to the controller, and the controller wires to the battery + and - terminals. Done.