Solar Power Gaining Speed in the RV Community
How can those of us who choose to boondock and like spending time on our RV travels without a neighbor parked 20 feet away find a good source of power to keep us going during our road time? Your RV battery may keep you up and running for a night or two, but even batteries run out of juice and then you’ll be stuck wishing you had another alternative. A generator works well but it can be loud, and it is expensive to keep a generator fueled up for a long trip.
Solar power to keep your RV electrified is a great way to travel the country, avoid masses of RV travelers at the parks, and have plenty of juice to keep your power going from one day to the next.
Is Solar Going to Save Money?
Absolutely! When you have solar panels installed so you can access solar power, you will be able to save money because you’re going to be living off the grid, and you won’t need to hook up at a park to power your interior lights, your Wi-Fi router, laptop, tv, and other electric features.
Solar panels and the solar system are, however, not at all cheap to have installed. The panels alone have an average cost of upwards of $1,000 or more per panel. Unless you are a professional solar panel installer, you will need to pay an additional installation charge of possibly more than $1000. An installation for a 480-watt system can cost upwards of $5000 for panels, the system, and the inverter that you will need to have installed.
I recommend working with a professional during the panel installation process. This way, you have a pro on hand to check the roof to ensure it is adequate for a solar panel installation and they can also check to make sure the roof maintains its integrity during and after the installation.
The best thing about solar power is that you can take off for a camping trip to anywhere you can park your RV, and you’re going to have access to power whether you have those annoying electric lines running to a power source or not. Even better, you and any neighbors you may have within earshot will not have to worry about the loud roar of a generator and you won’t need to spend more money to buy gas to keep one fueled.
Why Use Solar for Your RV?
Besides the obvious fact that you will have available power no matter where your RV leads you, there are a few other great reasons to have solar power installed on your RV.
- Solar power is a green way to access energy. You won’t have to worry about fumes or spills like you do with generators and solar is a better alternative for the environment.
- You will have a broader choice of where you can travel because you won’t have the need to hookup the RV in a park that may be far from areas you want to explore.
- Simplicity is achieved with solar panels because all you need to do is make sure the panels are absorbing the sunshine and bringing in the power you need.
As you can see, while solar power is a major investment and it can be costly to install, it’s a great way to utilize the power of the sun and save money over time during your RV travel. Solar panel has been gaining speed in the RV community over the last few years and it seems almost inevitable that as time moves forward, more RV owners will be drawn to this clean way of powering their RV, so they can spend more time in the great outdoors.
About the Author:
Tom Masters spent many years working in the construction and roofing industry as he grew up. In recent years he has enjoyed spending his time writing about construction, roofing, and travel. He currently works with Shelton Roofing and spends time traveling in his RV or traveling to and from tropical countries around the world.
