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the question of SOLAR often brings differing views from RVrs and home owners alike, but it makes for a good conversation - in the end, the learning experience helps reveal the onboard systems that we already have that are tested and true, with or without the sun. The sun is a great 'free' source, but is relatively short-lived when it comes to how 'long' it's available, 'when' it's available, and even how 'much' of it is usable - it's a hard condition to attach financial comparisons to.
And, we haven't really made the dive into the cost of the STORAGE - i.e., batteries.
While most any RV already has a battery, or set of batteries, onboard, ramping up your system for SOLAR also has to take into consideration the amount of storage you have for the solar power itself, as the solar really doesn't power anything directly, but indirectly thru the battery bank, by adding recharging as the batteries are used by the 12v system needs.
If, for example, you want to add 400w of solar to the roof, with a 20-30amp controller, for somewhere between 18-24amps on good sun hours, you want a set of batteries in enough numbers/amp hours to be able to STORE all that great power, at least the amount above and beyond what you are 'using' during that time. If you have filled your battery bank in the first two hours, but have 4 more good hours of sunshine, then you've oversized your SOLAR power for the small battery bank you have to store the power in. The 4 good hours are essentially 'lost'.
You get the idea. Batteries and storage may be just as important as the number of solar panels we have, and yet the conversation rarely includes that calculation. Some issues may be that batteries are heavy, and sometimes hard to find a place to have mount them, along with the additional wiring that helps mandate that they be 'close' to each other.
Maybe the 'tesla' type car batteries are a better way to 'store' power in RVs(?)...
just a thought.
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