Build Your Own Solar Panel

RV enthusiasts are all about freedom and solar panels can further enhance their experience.  Solar power is in fact so useful to RVers that many new recreational vehicles have solar panels factory installed.

The appliances and lighting in some modern RVs are powered by AC power coming from deep cycle batteries via an inverter.  Other RVs do not have an inverter and instead use DC power for lighting and appliances.  There is a large well supplied market for DC appliances and they can be very efficient.

Building and installing your own solar panels on an RV is not out of the question but there are some obvious challenges.  They panels and the hardware used to attach it to the vehicle have to be robust enough to withstand the forces involved when the vehicle is moving around at highway speed.  A panel installation should not add significantly to the overall height of the vehicle, since overpasses and garage doorways are already a challenge for these homes on wheels.

One easier option is to simply build or purchase a portable solar panel and deploy it when the vehicle is safely parked.  One advantage of this is that you can park in the shade and still charge your batteries.  One disadvantage is that you have to give up precious storage or living space so you can take the panel on the road.

Having a solar panel can be a good safety measure for adventurers that travel to remote areas.  Even a relatively small or inefficient panel can charge a battery enough to start an engine or operate a CB radio.

Photo Credits: 1, 2

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