My DIY Solar System

RV solar systems are not one size fits all. Most stock RVs don’t come with a solar system of any kind, and those that do are usually very minimal. RV owners who upgrade their setup will come across many options and methods for how to do so. It all comes down to your vehicle, your electrical fixtures, and your power consumption.

We’ve asked our readers why they installed their solar system and how big of a system they purchased, offering a few different perspectives.

Fully Stocked Solar System

From Kevin Skelton @_neverstopadventuring

We had always planned to do a large solar install at some point. A couple of years ago, we were getting more into the idea of boondocking, but we wanted to be able to run our air conditioners while doing so. In February of 2020 we stumbled into a group buy of Battle Born batteries through Fulltime Families, and that discount motivated us to begin our install. The pandemic hit a month later, and seeing campgrounds closed nationwide really drove us to complete the entire project so we would have more freedom and flexibility as to where we could camp. Otherwise, we might have spaced it out a bit more.

We knew we didn’t have a huge amount of cargo weight to spare in our fifth wheel, so we went with 15 lightweight flexible solar panels from Renogy and taped them on with roof repair tape. The panels are 175 watts each, giving us a total of 2,625 watts of solar on our roof, with a 600 amp hour 12-volt lithium battery bank, and two 3,000-watt inverters. Our solar array is oversized for our battery bank, but the batteries are more than sufficient for our needs and the big solar array means we can run our air conditioners through the hottest parts of the day. This installation has allowed us to boondock in many amazing places and also takes a lot of the stress out of travel planning as we can now stop basically anywhere since our setup covers all of our power needs.

We documented the whole install process on our YouTube channel, including lessons learned and periodic system updates. You can also check out our 5-part series on how to design a solar system for your RV based on everything we learned, no matter what your power goals are.

The Professional Solar System

From Derek and Lacey Green Certified RV Solar Installer, Cross Country RV Tech and Solar at ccrvtechandsolar.com @crosscountryrvtechandsolar

My wife Lacey and I exclusively boondock, so we are rarely plugged in, and we will never own another RV without a complete solar system—the freedom it provides is amazing. For the most part, we don’t live any differently boondocking than we would if we were plugged in at an RV park. There is never a time we feel we have to sacrifice anything due to an electricity shortage.

We have two dogs, and boondocking provides more opportunities to roam. We are able to leave them in the RV without worrying and know the temperature will stay regulated. At the same time, we are able to plug in cell phone boosters, security cameras, and all our other electronics, and monitor the whole system remotely. Peace of mind that everything is okay when you’re away from your RV is so important.

I am a certified RV solar installer and my wife and I own Cross Country RV Tech and Solar. We travel the country doing solar installs. Our current RV is a 2019 Grand Design Imagine 2500 RL. This is a 30-amp rig, which is important to know when comparing systems. We couldn’t just take this system and put it in a 50-amp RV; only half of the RV would work.

Our system includes:

☐ 8 100Ah Battle Born batteries

☐ Victron BMV-712 battery monitor

☐ Victron Multi-Plus 12/3000/120-50 120v

☐ Victron Smart Solar 150/70 MPPT (roof)

☐ Victron Smart Solar 100/50 MPPT (portables)

☐ Victron Orion DC-DC Charger

☐ Victron Cerbo GX

☐ Victron Lynx Power-In and Lynx Distributor

☐ 3 Trina Solar 415-watt solar panels (roof)

☐ 6 Newpowa 100-watt solar panels (3 200-watt sets I built for portables) for a total combined solar of 1,845 watts

☐ Micro-Air EasyStart 364 soft start for TV rooftop AC

We love that our system allows us to be plugged into nature rather than a campground!

Van Solar System

From Josh Sipma @outerspace_vansupply

Most converted camper vans have some sort of solar system. In fact, many do not have the ability to plug into shore power at all, and rely entirely on their solar setup for powering all electrical elements in the van. With a van’s smaller roof, there is less real estate for panels. Our solution for maximizing the sun is to build the roof rack in such a way that we can angle our solar panels to get direct sunlight.

This solar system has 320 watts of solar, which is a bit low, but the result of having less solar panels is that there is room for a deck and the ability to hang out on the roof. And to make up for it, we have 600 amp hours of battery storage with five Battle Born lithium ion batteries.

I installed the entire system myself. I’ve done a few installs for other people in addition to my own, and I really enjoy it. It’s definitely a doable project for someone to take on, and I recommend DIYers who are hesitant follow two pieces of advice: Make a plan! Once you figure out the component you want within your system, it’s super helpful to make a wiring diagram. Draw out where your wires go and run it by some people for feedback.

As you install your system, connect components in small stages. For example, connect the DC-to-DC charger and test it. Then once you install your solar panels, charge controller, and batteries, you can test that system. Following that, you can install and test the inverter. That way you break it up into manageable chunks, which is less intimidating and makes troubleshooting much easier.

Solar is such an amazing and efficient way to add power to a van. It’s clean, quiet, and requires little to no maintenance. Plus it’s a huge upgrade to be able to be off-grid!