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Published on February 3rd, 2019 by Camper ReportThis post was updated on April 15th, 2021
Powering an RV while boondocking in any permitted spot is a wonderful feeling. If you haven''t figured out how to get the best RV solar power generator kit for your needs, you''re in the right place. This article shares what to consider when building your system.
You don''t have to become a solar power expert to get a system installed on your RV. Instead, consider installing an RV solar power generator kit. Here a few reasons why it''s easier than a 100% DIY RV solar power set-up.
Building or putting together a complete DIY solar kit on an RV is daunting. Understanding volts, amps, watts and how they all work together can be quite mind-boggling. Connecting the charge controller to the batteries before the panels so you don''t short-circuit devices is a bit nerve-racking. I''m not saying it cannot be done, people do it every day. Once you understand how solar works it''s actually quite simple. But truly understanding solar seems to take forever and by the time it''s understood years have gone by.
A DIY RV solar power kit has some basic components. They include:
All items must be connected in the right spot in the right sequence with the right cable for everything work. If the parts are purchased from reputable companies they will include a warranty. But parts won''t be covered if you break them by accident.
On most systems the inverter, charge controller, 12v plugs, fuses, batteries and so on are already included in it. They are also covered by the manufacturer warranty. The best part, it generally costs the same. In some cases, the RV solar power generator kit is cheaper than the DIY RV solar power kit.
The advantage of RV solar power generator kits is that everything is a package deal. Plus, it has a full warranty. The best RV solar power generator kit currently is the Titan solar generator. It has 100% everything needed to run pretty much any RV with ease.
In the last few years there has been a great increase in interest in solar generators. This has led to great improvements over the old options. For example, Goal Zero Yeti 1250 was riddled with many issues. New RV solar power generator kits such as the Titan have come out since. They are designed with long term RV use in mind. The Titan is made to be easily expandable with more solar and battery capacity. You won''t need countless wires running back and forth on your RV roof. You also won''t worry about shorting out a battery by incorrectly connecting it to your DIY RV solar power system.
The Titan is the only solar generator on the market designed for RV users. It''s the only solar generator that has a true 30-amp RV plug that uses a full 30 amps. There are units out there like the Inergy Apex which has an RV plug on it. But this one only draws a max of 12.5 amps. It only runs 12.5 amps up to 3 minutes and 30 seconds at a full 1,500w draw. That''s if the battery is full.
Some people say that they don''t need something very big because their RV is very small. Or they say there''s only one or two people, or they don''t have large items such as microwaves, hair dryers or electric cooktops that they use. Perfect, then there''s no need for something as large as a Titan, or is there?
Many RV solar power generator kits such as the MAXOAK Bluetti EB150 and EB240 can power RVs for extended time. That''s if the power usage is not high. The MAXOAK Bluetti EB150 is a great size. It offers a 1,000w pure sine wave inverter that can be used until the battery is 100% drained.
Units such as the Inergy Apex can only use 1,000w of power draw for about 25 consecutive minutes. Then it shuts off. However, the battery remains about 40% full. The Apex has a 1,100wh battery but can also get about 400w into it (500w rating but rarely achieved). This means it will charge in about 3 hours.
The MAXOAK Bluetti EB150/EB240, Inergy Apex, and Goal Zero Yeti 1400 are great. But only the Apex has a built-in RV plug. So how can they work with an RV without having to run extension cords everywhere? This is where a 15-amp to 30-amp RV connector is needed. The Goal Zero Yeti 1400 can draw 1,500 watts of power until it''s pretty much empty. Using the "step up" plug allows the Yeti 1400 to easily connect to any RV that has the 30 amp RV plug built in.
This plug can be used with any solar generator, but the solar generator''s limitations are still the same. For example, the Yeti 1400 will still only push out 1,500 watts of power at its max. This means it can draw up to 12.5 amps just like the Apex. But being able to connect to the RV plug makes it very easy to use with the RV. Since the Yeti 1400 only has two 120v plugs, the RV plug takes away the need to have long extension cords around to run into the RV.
Running the A/C in an RV is one of the hardest things to do with solar. Mostly because air conditioners use a lot of power. Air conditioner watt usage is calculated by taking the BTUs and dividing it by 10. This gives you 10% of the total BTUs. As a rule of thumb, that''s how many watts it uses when continuously running. For example, a 13,500 BTU A/C unit uses about 1,350 watts of power (13,500 ÷ 10 = 1,350).
Running that size of air conditioner off a RV solar power generator like the Yeti 1400 means it would only run for about an hour. The Yeti battery s 1,425wh and is not expandable to have more batteries. This means 1,425-watt hours ÷ 1,350-watts = 1.05hrs of maximum run time.
This is why the Titan is such an amazing option. With a 3,000w inverter it can definitely run 1,350 watts without breaking a sweat. Since the battery is 2,000wh we know it will run for a minimum of 1.5 hours. That''s if there are no solar panels connected and only has one battery.
The Titan can add batteries very easily by stacking them on top of each other. No other system in the world has used technology like that. There is no need to get hefty copper cables to connect the batteries together. It''s a huge space saver. Each battery only adds about 5 inches of height to the overall Titan and weighs only 35lbs.
By adding just one battery to the Titan the A/C run time goes from 1.5 hours to 3 hours. But it''s not only expandable with its batteries, it can also expand with its solar panels. The Titan can input up to 1,000w (35-145v & 30a limit) into each of the two solar input ports. With 1 battery it is not a good idea to put more than 1,000w of panels into the Titan. That''s because the battery will charge too fast and lower its lifecycles. Add two or more batteries and the solar input jumps from 1,000w to 2,000w of solar panel power.
The Titan is the only RV solar power generator that can run a 13,500 BTU air conditioner all day. The Titan+ 1500 kits come with 2 batteries and 1,500 watts in solar panels. We know that the batteries alone without any solar panels can run the A/C for about 3 hours. If the draw coming off the Titan is 1,350-watts but the panels are making 1,500-watts then there''s a surplus of 150-watts coming off the panels (1,500-watts from panels – 1,350-watts being drained = 150-watts surplus). This means that the extra 150 watts goes to the batteries to charge. For an A/C unit that large, running non-stop all day, the Titan barely charges. Most of the power is going to the A/C.
You may be asking "But solar panels rarely create as much power as they are rated for so how can I truly get 2,000-watts of power from the panels?"
That is another beauty of the Titan. The Titan only allows up to 1,000-watts of power to go through each solar input port. This is to protect the batteries. But its input rating is actually 35-145 volts and 30 amps.
It is recommended to put groups of panels together that total 500-watts of output power. This could be two 250-watt panels, five 100-watt panels or any combination that makes 500 watts total. Then each set of 500 watts will be linked together in a Series/Parallel connection. I will use five 100-watt panels as the example. If I have one set of five panels totaling 500 watts connected in series, the voltage will be about 106 volts and 6 amps. When a second set of five panels is connected in parallel to the first set the voltage will stay 106 volts but the amps will go up to 12 amps total. This is where most people get lost, and that''s okay.
When panels are connected in series the voltage increases and the amps stay the same. When panels are connected in parallel the voltage stays the same and the amps increase. Since we are using a series/parallel connection both will increase according to the size of each solar panel set/array.
What this means is that the Titan can be easily and safely "over paneled" and it won''t hurt it as long as it''s within the 35-145v and 30a limit. But it will guarantee that I can make 1,000w per solar input port. And since I can put a full 1,000w of solar into each input I can truly make 2,000w of power. Over-paneling will also increase how many hours a day I can get a full charge from my panels since there are more panels being exposed to sunlight during the day outside of prime solar production hours.
It''s great that the Titan can handle so much power and could truly run a large RV A/C unit all day long. But where do all those panels go if they don''t all fit on my roof? A solar panel stand or ground mount will be needed to expand to more panels effectively. Not everyone will need that many panels as previously discussed. But if you don''t have enough room on the roof of the RV and you want to make more power there''s got to be a better way than placing all the panels on the ground? There is!
A portable and easy to set up solar panel stand can be easily stored and carried in the RV in many places. This video shows exactly how the stand is made and how to do it very affordably.
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