We are going to help you choose the best way to power your RV adventures. Our solar panels have to be the number one thing we are asked about as full-time RVers. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a full-timer who likes to camp off-grid like us, you will need access to power to run the myriad of gadgets in your RV. The two most common ways to get power are to either stay in campgrounds with an electrical hookup or run a generator. Plenty of folks love RV campgrounds or don’t mind dealing with a generator, but we by far prefer the quiet and ease-of-use of solar panels and batteries. Which power source works best for you will depend on where you want to camp and how frequently you use your RV.
Each power source has it’s pros and cons. We’ll run through some of them below, help you decide which might be best for you, and also take a deeper dive into our solar power system and how we use it. We hope this helps you make a decision about which power source will work best for you.
Common Power Sources – Pros and Cons
RV Campground – Pros and Cons
PROS:
- Consistent electric power
- May include water and sewer hookups (sometimes at an extra cost)
- May include fancy amenities like a swimming pool and playground
CONS:
- Nightly/Monthly cost to stay (varies greatly depending on location and amenities)
- Can be crowded
- May not come with sewer and water hookups
- Sewer odor (not always the case but happens too frequently from in our opinion)
Generator – Pros and Cons
PROS:
- Portable
- Allows you to camp off-grid
- Lower up front cost compared to solar panels and batteries
CONS:
- Noise (nothing less fun than hearing a generator when trying to enjoy the great outdoors)
- Your neighbors won’t like you if you run it too frequently or during “quiet hours”
- Odor/fumes
- Refueling generator frequently
- Finding ethanol free gas (gas with ethanol can cause problems in some small engines, especially during storage)
- Up front cost of a generator doesn’t fit all budgets
- Have to carry around fuel canisters
- Maintenance and storage
Solar Panel and Batteries – Pros and Cons
PROS:
- Quiet
- Low to no maintenance
- No setup/breakdown if permanently installed (minimal setup/breakdown with a portable solar panel)
- Reliable and consistent power source for those who migrate to warm and sunny locations in the winter (e.g. Southwest U.S.A.)
CONS:
- High upfront cost
- Difficult installation (may require hiring a professional)
- Can’t charge batteries well in cloud cover or forests
The Best RV Power Source for You
Each of these methods are good options. Which one best suits you comes down to what kind of RVing you do, your budget, and personal preferences. And the truth is that you don’t have to pick one. We know folks that use solar panels and a generator and stay at campgrounds frequently. That approach will ensure you have power in any situation. But not all of us can or want to go that route. So how do you decide? Well we’re going to help you make a decision.
Described below are the three most common RV lifestyles, i.e. Campground Hero, Off-Grid Weekend Warrior, and Full-time Boondocker. We have assigned what we think is the most appropriate power source for each lifestyle. You can decide which best describes you and use the recommended power solution as a guide to help make a decision.
“Campground Hero”
You take your RV out a few weekends a year, and some years you might even take it on a 1-2 week vacation. For weekend trips you typically go to an RV campground or State Park that has full hookups and usually a couple other amenities like a swimming pool or playground. Just because you’ve taken the RV out doesn’t mean you want to rough it. You still expect to take long hot showers every night and will absolutely turn the air conditioner on if it’s a hot and muggy day.
Recommended Power Source: Campground Electric Hookup
This is a no brainer. You don’t need to buy anything. Plug your RV into the campground electric power supply and go have fun! There’s no need to splurge on a generator, and most definitely not on costly solar panels and fancy batteries. Save your money for the RV park and fun activities in the places you visit.
“Off-Grid Weekend Warrior”
You prefer seeing how far into the woods or desert you can pull your RV. An ATV, dirt bike, or your own two feet are all you need to entertain yourself. While you wish everyday could look like this, the reality is that you only take your RV out 4-6 weekends a year. You don’t mind carrying around spare fuel cans, especially since you use them for an ATV or your lawn mower back home.
Recommended Power Source: Generator (+ Portable Solar Panel if the budget allows)
A generator is going to be the least expensive way for getting off-grid and off the beaten path. If sized correctly, it will meet all of your RV’s power needs. Most off-grid weekend warriors can get by with a 2000 to 3000 watt inverter generator. Inverter generators are significantly quieter than standard generators. Your family, friends, and neighbors will thank you for buying one. If you want to run the generator less and will have good sun exposure, you may also consider adding a portable solar panel. Most newer RVs have a port on the outside that quickly connects to portable solar panels.
“Boondocker”
You are either a full-timer or spend months of the year living out of your RV bouncing from one boondocking spot to another. Being immersed in the beauty, peace, and quiet of the outdoors is your aim. You will avoid going to a campground if at all possible. The sun is your guide and you tend to follow it because it makes you happy and keeps you warm (this is us!).
Recommended Power Source: Solar Panels and Batteries
Solar panels and batteries are the obvious preference here. The reality is that the upfront cost can deter some folks from going this route despite their dislike of generators. Don’t let that stop you from getting to those amazing boondocking locations. We suggest you buy a decent 2000 to 3000 watt inverter generator to get you started. After that you can start shopping around for deals on solar panels and batteries and slowly but surely build your ideal off-grid solar system. And you may even want to hang onto that generator as a backup power supply option.
Our Current Power Source
You should now have a better idea of what might work best for you. Now we’ll share what we have, how it has worked for us, updates we have made, and future updates we would like to make. Our RV is only equipped with solar and batteries. Since being on the road we have never used a generator. And because we follow good weather, we don’t ever use the RV air conditioner.
What We Have
- 1,310 Watts of solar panels on the roof (*not able to use all of that capacity)
- Four 180 Watt Zamp solar panels
- Two 295 Watt secondhand solar panels
- 2000 Watt Xantrex inverter (with remote on/off button)
- Three 100 Amp-hours Battleborn Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries
- Three 100 Amp-hour Battleborn Lithium (LiFePo4) batteries
- 60 Amp TriStar MPPT charge controller
- * This only allows 860 watts of solar to be used
How it Works for Us
We absolutely love our solar and battery system. It has served our needs 99% of the time. In fact, at one point we boondocked (i.e. off-grid camping) for 8 months straight with just solar and batteries! Never once did we run a generator or had to otherwise supplement our power supply needs during that 8 month stretch. We think that’s pretty amazing!
This does not mean that there aren’t restrictions with our system. When there are too many cloudy days in a row or when we are consuming electricity at a higher than normal rate we have had to reduce the use of electricity. But we’ve learned to live within those limits without feeling overly constrained. And the constraints change depending on where we’re camping. For instance, the southwest United States has plenty of sunshine and is where we tend to spend our winters. The northeast United States on the other hand has a lot of tree coverage and longer stretches of cloudy days. The takeaway there is to follow the sun and to park your RV so the sun shines on the solar panels.
So you’re probably wondering how exactly we use power in our RV. Here’s a list of electric appliances we use on a regular basis solely off of our solar and batteries. Some of these we use every single day and others only every few days. As you’ll see, they’re pretty standard stuff you’d find in any home.
- Cosori Electric Tea Kettle
- 8 quart Instant Pot
- Cosori Convection Oven/Air Fryer
- Panda PAN6320W Washing Machine
- Farberware Dishwasher
- Blendtec Blender
- Laptops and tablets
- Desktop Computer Monitor
- 12V systems in the RV (lighting, water pump, furnace, audio system, RV jacks)
We don’t use all of these at the same time. In fact, we’ve learned which of these appliances can and can’t be used together. For instance, the electric tea kettle cannot be used at the same time as the Instant Pot. That’s because the two of them together exceed the 2000 watt limit of our inverter (more on that later). If we had a 3000 watt inverter then this wouldn’t be an issue.
Updates We Made
Added Solar Panels
The first change was to add additional solar panels. Originally we had just four 180 watt solar panels. This worked most of the time but did leave us wishing there were more panels to absorb the sun’s free energy, especially given that the roof of the RV had room for more panels. Luckily, a friend was updating his system and sold us two of his old, but fully functioning, 295 watt panels. This took us from 720 watts of solar panel capacity to 1,310 watts of capacity. But there’s one caveat. The solar charge controller we have is only rated for 60 amps. This means we can only absorb 860 watts of the 1,310 watts of capacity on the roof. Installing a higher amperage charge controller or second charge controller would allow us to use all 1,310 watts of solar.
Changed Batteries
The second and equally significant change we made was switching from 200 amp-hours of AGM batteries to 300 amp-hours of Lithium (LiFePo4) batteries. This not only increased the overall battery capacity but also gave us a more versatile and idiot-proof battery. We didn’t realize that AGM batteries required special care to increase their longevity. Lithium batteries, on the other hand, are harder to damage (assuming they have a good battery management systems (BMS)) and are easier to maintain because they don’t require such high voltages for maintenance.
Updates We Want to Make
DC-to-DC Charger
The next upgrade we’re likely to make is to add a DC to DC charger that allows our trucks alternator to charge the RV’s Lithium batteries while we drive. So anytime we tow the RV we are charging the batteries. And in a pinch, we could use the truck as a generator. Be sure to do some research if you’re considering adding a DC to DC charger. If done incorrectly you can destroy your tow vehicles alternator. Not all alternators can handle the load put on them by different types of batteries, particularly Lithium batteries. A good DC to DC charger will prevent this from happening. You may also need to install a larger or second dedicated alternator in your tow vehicle to do the job.
Larger Charge Controller
We would like to install a larger charge controller or a second charge controller to absorb the excess solar panel capacity we currently aren’t able to absorb. This is a somewhat expensive upgrade and would require reconfiguring the compartment that houses all of the solar system electronics. Until then, though, we’re restricted to 860 watts of solar.
Larger Inverter
Going from our current 2000 watt inverter to a 3000 watt inverter would allow us to use more than one major appliance at a time. So we could run the electric tea kettle and the instant pot without exceeding the limit of the inverter. This more of a nice-to-have than a necessity. This will certainly be an upgrade if the budget allows for it.
The Ideal Power System for Us
If we were to design a totally new power system for our RV it would have the spec’s shown below. And we feel comfortable saying that these spec’s would work for anyone planning to live and travel full-time like us, i.e. boondocking as much as possible and not using the RV air conditioner. So if you just want to know how much solar, batteries, and inverter to buy, use this list.
- Solar Panels: 1000 to 1500 watts (more if there’s room on the roof and if budget allows)
- Batteries: 300 to 400 amp-hours of Lithium (LiFoPo4) batteries.
- Inverter: 3000 watt Pure Sine Wave inverter
- DC-to-DC Charger
Keep in mind that there are other parts to the system to make it all work, e.g. charger controller, wire, fuses/breakers, etc. The next section below provides resources on how to decide which brands to buy and what additional parts of the system you’ll need to get.
Resources
With the info we shared above you should have a better idea of the pros and cons of each power source as well as the RV lifestyle that best describes you. Now it’s time to decide what to buy. Below are resources that will help you get a better understanding of the generators and solar equipment available to you. They are resources we have used and continue to use as we update our system.
Generators
For generators we recommend starting with the latest research on inverter generators. Here’s an article on the Best and Worst Inverter Generators based on testing done by Consumer Reports. This will help you decide which generator is the best bang for your buck. Be sure to take into consideration the size of the generator because you will have to find a place to store it in your RV.
Solar Panels and Batteries
Deciding which solar panels, batteries, and all the other electronics needed for this kind of system gets a little more complicated. The obvious place to start is to check out Will Prowse’s YouTube channel and website. He does a great job of clearly explaining how to design and build your own system. In addition, he tests all the equipment he recommends.
If you’re having a hard time deciding whether to choose Lithium (LiFoPo4) batteries or something like an AGM or regular lead acid battery, we suggest you read Batteries Tested! The Best RV Battery For The Money comparing different types of batteries and calculating which is the best buy over the long run.
Final Words
We hope this guide helps you pick the power source that will work best for you. Share in the comments what you currently use or plan to use in the future. The most important thing is to get out there!