June 07, 2023

Solar, Electrical, Boondocking: A Comprehensive Guide to RV Power

Are you planning a boondocking trip in your RV? If so, it's important to understand your power needs and choose the right components to ensure that your trip is enjoyable and comfortable. In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know to set up a reliable solar and electrical system for your RV.

The Power of Boondocking

Boondocking, also known as dry camping, is all about getting away from it all and enjoying the great outdoors. However, to enjoy this experience, you need to have the right gear. That's where solar and electrical systems come in. With the right system, you can power all your essential appliances and devices without relying on traditional hookups for water, electricity, or sewer.

Assessing Your Power Needs

Before you can choose the right solar and battery components for your RV, you need to know how much power you'll need. This involves calculating your daily power usage and determining the size of your solar array and battery bank.

Exercise: Take a look at how much energy you are using a day. Then find out what items pulled what.

By understanding your power needs, you can select the right components to keep your RV running smoothly and ensure that you have all the power you need for your trip.

The first item you need to make sure you have installed in your RV is an RV Battery Monitor. This monitor is your energy fuel gage just like the gas gage in your vehicle. This monitor helps you see how much energy you have in your house batteries and how much you are using.

Check out this article by Morton’s on the Move The First RV Electrical Upgrade you should make to learn more.

How many things do you want to run on power? Here are a few items you will want to think about when boondocking.

Air Conditioner

Battery Charger

Blender

Toaster

Vacuum

Coffeepot

Speakers

Computer

Converter

Electric Blanket

Fan

Lightbulbs

Microwave/Convection oven

Radio

Refrigerator

Space heater

Stove per element

Television

Washer/Dryer

Water Heater

Water Pump

Instapot

These are just a few things that you might want to have in your RV. Thanks to RV Lifestyle and Repair for this list from their 120-Volt Energy Management: part 2 article.

This list doesn’t seem like much right off the bat when you are used to living residential life. But when you are out in the middle of nowhere and have to rely on your battery bank, generator, and propane you will want to rethink this list.

Selecting Solar Panels and Batteries

Not all solar panels and batteries are created equal. There are different types of solar panels and batteries available, each with varying levels of efficiency, power output, capacity, voltage, maintenance, and lifespan. We'll help you understand these differences and choose the right components for your RV based on your power needs and budget.

My research over the week came to the best option for us Lithium-Ion Batteries. Check out Always On Liberty’s article Upgrade Your RV with Lithium Batteries for Boondocking.

We are also going to get an onboard generator, inverter, and both a portable solar generator and another inverter to provide more energy for items we need to run. How did we come to this conclusion about our needs?

We will be staying primarily in Texas and around north Texas for medical reasons for both Jenn and myself. Why is this important to energy consumption? Air Conditioning! Those two words are the most important words in Texas. If you’ve never been to Texas let me, explain. We have two seasons in Texas, Summer and everything else. Not only is it hot most of the time but it’s also humid. So, for a majority of the year the weather is almost unlivable without air conditioning to keep the heat and humidity at bay.

The next item that is important to us is the computer. I will be remodeling any RV we get to house a desk. I’m a indie author, writing coach, and I own a writing group online. We are also going to be content creators for Bark Adventures. This means we need the use of a computer.

Jenn also has leg pumps for medical reasons and needs to have them run an hour a day.

Those are three items that will be pulling energy almost every day.

We are going to use solar. Since we are going to be Full-Timer (AC/DC power) users. We are going to need 300-400watt solar panels. Thanks to Aimless Travel’s article DIY SOLAR SYSTEM: HOW TO CALCULATE SOLAR FOR OFF-GRID VAN LIFE

Other Components and Considerations

In addition to solar panels and batteries, you'll need to consider other components like charge controllers, inverters, wiring and fuses, and monitoring and maintenance. These components play a critical role in ensuring that your solar and electrical system works efficiently and effectively. We'll help you understand how these components work and how to choose the right ones for your RV in a later blog post in this series.

Boondocking can be an amazing experience, but it requires careful planning and preparation. By understanding your power needs and selecting the right components, you can enjoy all the benefits of boondocking without sacrificing comfort or convenience. Whether you're looking to get away from it all or just want to save money on your next trip, be sure to explore the world of solar and electrical systems for RVs and start planning your next adventure today!

Here are a few things from our Amazon Wishlist we are looking at when it comes to energy conservations.

Stop Watt, Energy Saving Device

AOCOOLFAN portable Neck fan

Mobile Washer Portable Clothes Agitator

Camper Toaster

Primula Steward Whistling Stovetop Tea Kettle