Are you attempting to determine between Photo voltaic vs Generator to your RV? We’ve been dwelling in, and touring the nation in, our Fifth Wheel RV for over a yr now. Like most of us, a part of our journey plan was to get far-off from everybody and out into the uncharted wilderness. This brings its personal challenges to your day after day RV Residing, like water administration, waste water, showering and even simply preserving your batteries charged.
The age outdated query of can we go along with RV Photo voltaic or a Generator is one which we couldn’t reply both, so we bought each and have been testing dwelling day after day on one or the opposite. We’re going to go over the nitty gritty of each choices with a number of the issues we’ve got realized alongside the way in which so that you might be higher knowledgeable when attempting to make the identical resolution.
What’s In Our RV
This can be a key element to this check, because the issues you might be powering will make a distinction through which system will give you the results you want, so I’m going to present you a fast run down on what we’ve got, so you possibly can alter our findings to fit your setup.
We’re touring in a Montana 381TH (take a stroll by tour of our RV right here) that has Two AC Models on the roof, that we’ve got added the MicroAir simple begin’s to (Hyperlink to Set up Video), which is able to let you run Two AC Models on 30 amp service by avoiding the large energy spike once they first kick on.
We even have a Samsung Residential RV Fridge, which runs off a 1500 Watt energy inverter when we’re not plugged in at a campground, and in accordance with the Information Sticker on it, it makes use of 360 Watts of energy when it’s operating.
We selected to go along with an off the shelf cheap choice for each our RV Generator and our RV Photo voltaic setup with the intention to make it an ‘Everybody Take a look at‘ that might truly be one thing all of us could possibly be contemplating, slightly than a generator that might energy a small metropolis and a very customized RV Photo voltaic setup.
The RV Generator – $800 at time of buy
Based mostly solely off of worth compared to different fashions accessible to buy at generally accessible huge field shops, we went with the Harbor Freight Predator 3500 Tremendous Quiet Inverter Generator. The fundamentals on this unit are that it maxes out at 25 Amps of energy, has the whole lot you could fireplace it proper up and plug it in to your RV’s 30 amp plug (or adapter) besides the quart of oil you could fill the crankcase beforehand.
The RV Photo voltaic – $500 at time of buy
Based mostly solely off of being an all inclusive equipment, accessible by a single click on on Amazon, we went with the Renogy 400 Watt RV Photo voltaic Package. The essential on this equipment are that it comes with 4 100 Watt photo voltaic panels, the wiring, a 40 amp cost controller, and all wanted {hardware} to put in it.
So far as being funds pleasant the Renogy RV Photo voltaic Package was already within the lead with a 30% head begin out of the gate. Doing a bit deeper of a dive into the set up, we did have to additionally buy roof sealant, a caulk gun, and a wire go by to get the cables down by the roof in a water tight vogue. Nonetheless, a win for the Renogy RV Photo voltaic equipment on the Finances class.
Preliminary Setup
The Generator – Lower than 10 minutes to high off the oil within the crank case, and fireplace it up for the primary time.
The RV Photo voltaic – Full day of set up earlier than it was producing any energy in any respect. (Hyperlink to Set up Video)
Within the Time Till Useable class the win solidly goes to the Predator 3500.
Each day Price Of Use
The Generator – 2.5 Gallons of fuel per 11 hours of run time at a 25% load. Common worth of $3.86 per gallon X 2.5 Gallons = $9.65 per 11 half day (day mild hours)
The RV Photo voltaic – $0.00 per half day (day mild hours)
Price Of Use win goes to the RV Photo voltaic Package.
Annoying Neighbor Issue – Sound Degree
The Generator – Whereas it’s truly Tremendous Quiet so far as turbines go, it does nonetheless produce a sound stage when operating, so in case you are in shut proximity to different campers there might be an annoyance issue.
The RV Photo voltaic – No sound produced. No annoyance issue.
Sound Degree win goes to the RV Photo voltaic
What Can I Really Run – Energy Issue
The Generator – The Predator 3500 will energy your complete RV, in addition to run your battery charger to maintain your batteries full. With none extra equipment you possibly can cost your batteries, in addition to run a microwave, TV, followers, and an AC unit.
The RV Photo voltaic – The Renogy RV Photo voltaic Package will solely energy the cost controller and hold your batteries charged. With none extra equipment you possibly can cost your batteries, in addition to run something that solely makes use of 12 Volt energy, like your RV Lights, an ordinary RV 12V/Propane fridge and so forth.
Energy Issue win goes to the Generator
Now this check was to match the 2 techniques solely on preserving your batteries charged, with an off the shelf system. The Generator does value extra, does have a day by day utilization value, and provides extra weight to your rig than the RV Photo voltaic system. The truth that you possibly can run 120 Volt home equipment with it’s a bonus win for the generator.
Issues To Take into account Earlier than Shopping for
1 – If there are quiet hours the place you might be tenting, normally 10pm to 7am that we’ve got seen, neither system might be offering energy at evening. The RV Photo voltaic system will begin to produce much less and fewer energy about 2 hours earlier than sunset till the solar units, and won’t produce energy in an considerable quantity till about 2 hours after dawn.
2 – With both system, there might be an over evening draw in your batteries. If the facility draw in your batteries is bigger than the quantity of saved energy in your batteries, or greater than half the Amp Hours on customary deep cycle batteries that are available in most RV’s, you’ll not make it by the evening till you’ll be able to cost them once more with the system you select.
3 – What sort of RV’er are you?
That is going to play an necessary consider your resolution making course of when buying one system or the opposite. In case you are like me and wish that espresso pot fired up at 7:01 as a result of the percolator over the camp fireplace simply isn’t going to chop it, I might lean in the direction of the Generator
In case you don’t thoughts the percolator, and are simply trying to hold the low battery alarm from going off earlier than the solar rises within the morning, I might lean in the direction of the RV Photo voltaic Package.
4 – Facet Notes
After dwelling on the highway for over a yr now I can say that your alternative of batteries goes to play a pivotal function in your day after day complications, with both system you select, however extra so with the RV Photo voltaic Package.
The usual deep cycle batteries that include your RV are rated in Amp Hours. You probably have a 200 Amp Hour Battery, and are utilizing 10 Amps an hour, your battery will final for 20 hours. The Caveat to that is you could solely discharge a Customary Deep Cycle to a most of fifty%.
In order that 200 amp hour battery that in accordance with the mathematics will final 20 hours, is just going to make it a Max of 10, and may have much less and fewer pressure behind it because the evening goes on. Consider it like one among your youngsters toys who’s batteries are dying, sure it nonetheless works, nevertheless it goes slower and slower the nearer to useless they get.
In case you change the usual deep cycle’s you have got with the identical measurement and amp hour score Lithium Iron Phosphate (LifePo4) you’ll get a constant energy till it’s useless, and you may discharge it to 90% with out damaging the battery. They do value significantly extra on the entrance finish, however final between 3 and 10 occasions longer than their lead acid counterparts.
With the LifePo4 batteries you received’t NEED to fireside the generator up at 7:00 on the dot to keep away from the battery alarms going off, like we did our first strive at boondocking, and be that annoying neighbor who woke everybody up on a Saturday morning. Likewise with the RV Photo voltaic Package you received’t be staring on the horizon hoping the solar will rise sooner as we speak than yesterday as a result of the toilet mild is so dim you possibly can’t even discover the bathroom.
Renogy RV Photo voltaic Package Assessment, Is It Value The Cash?
