Thor Forums

[TurnerFam]

we have a Palazzo, too, and decided to add two 100w panels before our trip to Alaska, and Canada, and back thru the western states back in June and July 2017.

I purchased mine as a package, for about ~$300, with the two panels, 20a controller, wiring, Y connectors, and decided not to mount anything to the roof, but keep them in a 'portable' capacity, using an old 4-bike rack as a 'articulating solar mount', with the panels riding comfortably between our Palazzo and the toad... I just ran the wiring under the chassis and into the battery bay.

As for the 'outcome', or benefit, of solar, my quest was just as yours - limit the usage of the generator, especially since you have so much 'daylight' during the Alaska journey where sometimes the sun never 'sleeps'...

the reality is that solar is a 'sometimes yes, sometimes no' offsetting benefit to what you'd normally experience while traveling.

There are big differences also in whether you are off-grid for days at a time, parked the whole time, and relying solely on solar and the generator, or whether you are traveling extensively and hoping that the solar will provide a shorter overnight generator run time when overnighting along the way, with no other electrical options.
The difference is this: you ONLY receive any charging, power, and benefit from solar WHEN you are parked and the coach is not running. Period. Otherwise, your House batteries are already being charged by the Alternator when driving, or by the Shore or Generator, otherwise. Remember, also, that you'll still need the generator when running the microwave for long runs, making coffee, needing air conditioning, etc., and those times also charge your House batteries.

So, think about the little 'time' when you are A) Parked B)Off-grid and C)the sun is OVERHEAD... that's probably not a great amount of time, since during the 'day' you may more often be traveling, or you don't want to park in the sun, since it's HOT during the summer, and therefore your panels are in the shade, too, etc.

You might find that the cost of solar, and the actually 'real' time that it's actually in play, is a relatively expensive 'fourth choice' for power, and it's not always 'available' when you want it, or need it, since you are the mercy of the sun, or shade, or obstructions.

Also, how MUCH solar you have, and how MUCH battery storage you have, go a long way to actual 'off gridding' with solar power as the only source, at least for very long. If you don't have plenty of solar, and plenty of battery storage to 'hold' that power for later use, then it's like thinking that you are doing yourself some great service, when in reality not much changes - you still will need to run your generator, it just may be a little while later.

Is any of this to deter your efforts? Maybe, but the information is important for anyone considering the pros and cons, the expense, and the effort involved.

Having more batteries might actually be a more practical, useful, and lower cost upgrade.