...7 reasons you don't need SOLAR : )

[formerFR]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pcth_y5Jwas

fascinating! and true....

[bikendan]

I agree with nearly everything he says, except the first reason.
Most National Park campgrounds don't have electric hookups. And neither do some state park campgrounds, like California for example. Less than 1% of their state campsites have electric hookups.
Other than that, everything else is true.

[babock]

I actually agree with all these points. Of course none apply to me so..I have solar! I hate RV Parks which is a reason I bought the size trailer I have. I pretty much camp in campgrounds where class A motorhomes never fit which is exactly what we want.

So you don't have to watch the stupid video, just go here and he lists all the reasons.

https://drivinvibin.com/2020/01/20/rv-solar/

He of course HAS solar and this is what he says:

When Does Solar Power Make Sense?
If you enjoy the amenities of power and love camping off grid, solar can be the perfect compliment to your RV lifestyle.

We love free camping – especially when its super quiet! Solar power allows us to have ample energy while off grid without making a peep.

Our system includes 500ah of lithium batteries and 640watts of solar. We use a Victron 3000 inverter to supply 120v power. This system will allow us to operate off grid indefinitely (when is at least partially sunny). We can also get a few hours of AC use out of it daily.

[ppine]

A weak argument.
Solar is the way.
Step into the LIght.
I have a gen and rarely use it.

[hobienick]

Originally Posted by ppine

A weak argument.
Solar is the way.
Step into the LIght.
I have a gen and rarely use it.

For some people, yes. I made solar panels for several years and I still have to justify the expense to myself based on the kind of camping I do. The upside is the more people like you the lower the prices will be when I am ready to install solar.

If you are on the fence about solar, a good first step is to make your RV (or house, for that matter) more efficient so you don't require as much electricity. This will serve you well no matter your power source.

If you are doing it to be green, pm me and we can chat about how they are made.

Again, in some applications solar is great. In others, not so much. If I ever get the time for extended boondocking I'll be installing solar and maybe even wind. For the several long weekends we go camping each year we are always in state parks with electric hookups. No need for now. I may put a small trickle charger panel on the roof to keep the battery topped up in storage.

[TitanMike]

If you aren't a hard core boondocker then everything he says is on the money.

On the other hand, it makes a ton of sense if you rarely see an electric outlet once you leave home.

I spent 29 of the 31 days in this last January traveling with my trailer. In that time I plugged it in a total of 4 nights when I stopped to do laundry and just take a break from driving where free campgrounds were rare or miles out of my way.

My solar suitcase sure cut down on the number of hours I would have had to run the generator during that time.

[formerFR]

I think you're correct, and not that it's necessarily a 'all win' or 'all lose' proposition, but that those new to this arena are sometimes led to believe the 'solar' salvation message...

One comment that I have to take a small issue with is the usage of the term 'free'... as though if you have 'solar' then you can camp for 'free'...
and while you camp SITE might be free, the aspect of 'free' POWER is a totally different conversation - if you spent $10,000.00 on a 'solar system' to be able to camp for 'free', then the word 'free' has lost it's meaning.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by formerFR

I think you're correct, and not that it's necessarily a 'all win' or 'all lose' proposition, but that those new to this arena are sometimes led to believe the 'solar' salvation message...

One comment that I have to take a small issue with is the usage of the term 'free'... as though if you have 'solar' then you can camp for 'free'...
and while you camp SITE might be free, the aspect of 'free' POWER is a totally different conversation - if you spent $10,000.00 on a 'solar system' to be able to camp for 'free', then the word 'free' has lost it's meaning.

When used in the right context, the word free can have a lot of meaning.

As I mentioned in another post, in my 29 day trip I spent 25 of them in "free" campsites.

The four nights I "plugged in" had an average cost of $50 (+tax) per night.

If I'd had to pay for the 25 nights my wallet would be $1200 lighter.

My total cost for my solar setup was around $400.

Maybe my camping wasn't free but it was a lot more so than in campgrounds that charge fees.

[babock]

I guess if I had a class A motorhome and only went to RV parks, I would be against installing solar too.