Installing solar on a van or RV is the best way to boost your mobility and independence while out enjoying nature! Stay off grid and out in the wild longer, without burning fossil fuels – meet your off grid power needs with solar!
BASIC STEPS TO PERFORMING A SOLAR INSTALLATION ON YOUR VAN OR RV:
- Sizing your PV system – what are your power needs? List the accessories you need to power. Your fridge, heating, and any other accessories. Maybe you want to charge your electric bikes. Whatever it is, you need to determine how much energy those will draw. The power you need for these items must be accounted for so your solar array can be sized appropriately.
- Figure out your location – where and when will you be using solaar to power your RV? If you will be spending most of your time under the canopy of a deep dar forest in the middle of winter, a solar array might not be the way to go. Headed into the high desert? Solar is the only way to fly up there, you will have wide open access to the sun’s rays. Figure out how much sunlight you will have so you can select enough panels and batteries to meet your needs.
- Mounting Systems – Find a sturdy spot to mount the panels to your RV. Most arrays are placed on top of the vehicle to get them up and out of the way and into direct sunlight. Remember, it is key that your panels are clean and with direct sunlight on them without shadows. Shadows obscuring even a small section of your panels will have a large effect on power production. You can also plan to have panels just tethered loosely so you can place them in direct sunlight wherever you park.
- Batteries – You will need to add batteries to your system to store the energy the solar panels produce. These are typically deep cycle lead acid batteries, but now it is becoming more common to find lithium ion battery packs like the (see Tesla Solar Wall). Then, your RV systems will run on the stored energy in the batteries instead of having to run your vehicle or a generator. Note on Generators: These are still nice to have sometimes, especially if your energy needs can vary widely or the environment you are in has varying sun and weather patterns.