Are you making an attempt to resolve between Photo voltaic vs Generator in your RV? We now have been dwelling in, and touring the nation in, our Fifth Wheel RV for over a 12 months now. Like most of us, a part of our journey plan was to get distant from everybody and out into the uncharted wilderness. This brings its personal challenges in your each day RV Residing, like water administration, waste water, showering and even simply conserving your batteries charged.
The age previous 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 each day on one or the opposite. We’re going to go over the nitty gritty of each choices with a number of the issues now we have realized alongside the way in which so that you could be higher knowledgeable when making an attempt to make the identical choice.
What’s In Our RV
This can be a key element to this take a look at, because the issues you’re powering will make a distinction during which system will give you the results you want, so I’m going to provide you a fast run down on what now we have, 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 Items on the roof, that now we have added the MicroAir straightforward begin’s to (Hyperlink to Set up Video), which is able to mean you can run Two AC Items 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 line 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 to be able to make it an ‘Everybody Take a look at‘ that may truly be one thing all of us might be contemplating, reasonably 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
Primarily based 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 every little thing it’s worthwhile to hearth it proper up and plug it in to your RV’s 30 amp plug (or adapter) besides the quart of oil it’s worthwhile to fill the crankcase beforehand.
The RV Photo voltaic – $500 at time of buy
Primarily based 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 Equipment. 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 price range pleasant the Renogy RV Photo voltaic Equipment 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 Price range class.
Preliminary Setup
The Generator – Lower than 10 minutes to high off the oil within the crank case, and hearth 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.
Day by day Value Of Use
The Generator – 2.5 Gallons of gasoline 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 gentle hours)
The RV Photo voltaic – $0.00 per half day (day gentle hours)
Value Of Use win goes to the RV Photo voltaic Equipment.
Annoying Neighbor Issue – Sound Stage
The Generator – Whereas it’s truly Tremendous Quiet so far as mills go, it does nonetheless produce a sound stage when operating, so in case you are in shut proximity to different campers there can be an annoyance issue.
The RV Photo voltaic – No sound produced. No annoyance issue.
Sound Stage win goes to the RV Photo voltaic
What Can I Really Run – Energy Issue
The Generator – The Predator 3500 will energy your total 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 Equipment will solely energy the cost controller and preserve 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 many others.
Energy Issue win goes to the Generator
Now this take a look at was to match the 2 programs solely on conserving your batteries charged, with an off the shelf system. The Generator does price extra, does have a each day utilization price, 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 Think about Earlier than Shopping for
1 – If there are quiet hours the place you’re tenting, normally 10pm to 7am that now we have seen, neither system can 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 can be an over evening draw in your batteries. If the ability 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 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 essential consider your choice making course of when buying one system or the opposite. If you’re like me and need that espresso pot fired up at 7:01 as a result of the percolator over the camp hearth simply isn’t going to chop it, I’d lean in the direction of the Generator
For those who don’t thoughts the percolator, and are simply seeking to preserve the low battery alarm from going off earlier than the solar rises within the morning, I’d lean in the direction of the RV Photo voltaic Equipment.
4 – Aspect Notes
After dwelling on the highway for over a 12 months now I can say that your alternative of batteries goes to play a pivotal function in your each day complications, with both system you select, however extra so with the RV Photo voltaic Equipment.
The usual deep cycle batteries that include your RV are rated in Amp Hours. In case you 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 that you may solely discharge a Normal Deep Cycle to a most of fifty%.
In order that 200 amp hour battery that in line with the maths will final 20 hours, is simply going to make it a Max of 10, and could have much less and fewer drive behind it because the evening goes on. Consider it like one among your children toys who’s batteries are dying, sure it nonetheless works, but it surely goes slower and slower the nearer to useless they get.
For those who change the usual deep cycle’s you’ve gotten with the identical dimension and amp hour score Lithium Iron Phosphate (LifePo4) you’re going to get a constant energy till it’s useless, and you may discharge it to 90% with out damaging the battery. They do price significantly extra on the entrance finish, however final between 3 and 10 occasions longer than their lead acid counterparts.
With the LifePo4 batteries you gained’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 attempt at boondocking, and be that annoying neighbor who woke everybody up on a Saturday morning. Likewise with the RV Photo voltaic Equipment you gained’t be staring on the horizon hoping the solar will rise sooner at present than yesterday as a result of the lavatory gentle is so dim you possibly can’t even discover the bathroom.
Renogy RV Photo voltaic Equipment Evaluate, Is It Value The Cash?