Tips for Installing Solar on Your RV

Installing solar power on your RV is the ultimate way to live comfortably while on the go. Today’s RVs can be incredibly luxurious, but they require you to hook up to a water source and electricity to use the features inside it. But if you have solar power added to your RV, you can dry camp without an electrical hookup or fuel-burning generator. Keep reading to get tips on installing solar on your RV.

Get a Meter First

The first step in installing solar is knowing how much energy your RV uses regularly. While there are ways to calculate this manually, it requires some tedious math, and you have to check the watts rating on every appliance or accessory in your RV. And if you miss anything or do any of the math wrong, you’ll end up with an incorrect calculation. This could lead to you purchasing more solar equipment than is necessary or having a system that doesn’t generate enough power for your needs.

The more comfortable and more accurate route is to spring for a kilowatt meter. The Victron BMV-712 is a quality option that will measure your entire RV’s power consumption and display the results on your smartphone, so you get an accurate readout.

Use Cardboard for Panel Placement

Once you know how many panels you need, you’ll need to figure out how they’re going to fit on the roof of your RV. You have limited space there, so you must figure out how to fit those panels before purchasing them. Get the measurements for the panels you want to buy and cut out cardboard rectangles of the same size. Then, climb up on the RV and start experimenting with placement.

You may find out that you need a different size for your solar panels to make them fit appropriately while still getting all of the energy you need. Make sure you come up with a list of different combinations of solar panel sizes that will supply you with the necessary power and then experiment with the various configurations on the roof. Make sure you leave roughly 2 inches of space between the edges of the panels and any vents, A/C units, or other obstructions, as well as the edge of the roof.

Build a Battery Bank

If you don’t want to be tied to shore power, you’re going to need a battery bank. The most efficient and long-lasting option for your RV setup will be lithium batteries. While these are more expensive, they’re going to last up to 10 years and provide a more consistent energy output level. Make sure to use your energy consumption measurements from your kilowatt meter when selecting the size and number of batteries.

Make sure to follow these tips when building your Samlex RV solar system, and you’ll never be tied to shore power again.