My Solar Setup (again)

I get asked about this a lot on FB and in the forums so I think I'll type it once here.  :-)  I've updated this post as I've changed equipment and preferences over the past year and the post was buried. If you click on links in here, in theory Amazon throws me a couple bucks if you buy.

I am a very light electrical user.  I don't watch much TV, I try to camp in climates where I don't use heat or ac and I use led lights as much as possible.
Speaking of LED, this lantern right here is the greatest thing since sliced bread.  It is perfect for me. I have a few of them.

Ivation Super-Bright 16-LED Dimmable Rechargeable Lantern Light / Table Lamp With Hanging Hook

It weighs nothing, and is bright enough to read by.  The hanging hook is a bit flimsy but c'est la vie. Be gentle with it.  I have a small bungee (I have a lot of bungees) that I use to hang it from the AC unit sometimes, or from the overhead cabinet knob above me when reading.  The dimming feature is sweet.  I'm working on converting all the house lights to LED but it's going slower than I'd like.

I have a Phoenix Cruiser 21' motorhome with 2 group 24 batteries that I replaced in April 2014.  The big things I need power for are the fridge, which uses electricity even when on propane, and charging laptops, phones, tablets and camera.  If I'm driving, I plug everything in and try to charge as much as possible while the engine is running anyway.  When I'm camped I have the most basic portable solar setup imaginable.  I started out with the 45watt Harbor Freight kit because I didn't know any better.  The panels work but they're old technology and they're heavier and less efficient than new ones.  And not sturdy.  The plastic frame cracked the first tie I used them and the hardware all rusted that first weekend too.  Back they went.  However, they did work, and I went looking for a better option.

I ended up with a Renogy 100watt panel from Amazon.

Solar Panel Starter Kit 100W Monocrystalline:100W Solar Panel UL 1703 Listed+2 20' Solar cables+PWM 30A Charge Controller+ Uniquely Designed Z Bracket Mounts

This kit puts out over twice the power for the same price as the Harbor Freight one, and weighs half as much.  This panel weighs 16 pounds so it's no problem to move.
I actually bought the panel, cables, connectors, and controller separately but this is a better deal.  I also screwed up and bought a 10A controller which left no room for expansion.  The kit above has a 30A which will allow another panel or two down the road.

***Update: in April 2014 I upgraded the controller to this one:

RioRand Controller at Amazon

Having the display is nice.

I chose to not mount my panel on the roof.
First, I didn't want to climb up there.
Second, I like shade.  Solar panels like sun.  We each need our own space.  :-)

I can park in the shade and put the panel in the sun.  Yes, there's a possibility of theft.  If I ever decide that's a real concern I'll use a cable lock to attach it to whatever I'm leaning it up against. Or I'll move.  Who wants to park somewhere where you're worried about theft?  Right now I just use a bungee so an errant gust of wind won't blow it over. In this case I got to this CG in the afternoon and just set the panel up against the grill.  At sundown I turned it the other way and propped it up against the picnic table since the rig would be in the shade at sunrise.  Yeah, it's a bit more difficult than set-it-and-forget-it on the roof, but I sooo much prefer being in shade if it's available that it's worth it.  I plan to eventually mount one permanently on the roof at some point too.  Then if there's no shade I can just use that, or use both if I need more juice.

I bought all my components separately, which meant installing MC4 connectors on my cables and controller since that's what's on the solar panel.  This was a pain for someone like me who is new to all this. But even I did it.  Just buy the kit though, it's less than buying the parts and no screwing around.  :-)

(As noted above, I recently replaced this SunForce controller)

The panel connects to the controller with cables and MC4 connectors.  These connectors are made to NOT come apart easily, and they don't.  In fact, you need a special tool to disconnect them.  It's cheap but it's one more thing to carry, store and lose so that didn't work for me.  I filed off most of the barbs on the male ends that lock the connectors together, and  made sure what was left was rounded.  They still lock but a good pull will disconnect them.  Like any connection, pull on the connectors, not the wire.  If you try this and don't file enough and they won't disconnect, two thin bladed screwdrives will probably get the tabs depressed enough to get them apart.  I attached the alligator clips you see above to the output of the controller and just clip them to the battery for now. One of theses days I'll install that permanently but for now it works just fine.  I had the clips left over from another charger or some other 12v thingy but you can get them at any auto parts store or from Amazon as well.
The controller is not waterproof so it sits in the battery compartment with the batteries.


I keep the panels on the ladder rack and leave it connected to the batteries.  This kept them fully charged even in the Virginia miserable winters, and I had battery power when I went there to work on it or take it out for a day or whatever.

I would keep it behind the seat at first but no longer do that.

I went back to carrying the panels on the ladder.  I attached keyrings to the back of the panel which makes attaching the bungees a LOT easier than trying to force the hooks through the holes in the frame.  And I'm down to 3 bungees.  It takes 2 minutes now and I'm not dragging sand & spiders inside.

Of course it's dark in this pic, but you can see the panel set up, poised to catch the rising sun.  I know it sounds like a giant hassle to set up but it really isn't.  After the first couple times where I was still figuring out where everything went, it takes only moments.  The longest process is untangling the cables if I was lazy stowing them.  It's quite the conversation starter too, as everyone who walks by will ask you about them.  This may or may not be a good thing.  :-)  All these campground photos were taken in Shenandoah National Park, Fall 2013.

In July 2014 I added 2 flexible 100w Renogy panels. They were $215 each. While I LOVE the weight, they are dirt magnets and the dust adheres to the the plastic like it's glued on.  It can't be easily brushed or blown off, I need to wash them. The glass panels are much easier to keep clean. Also, the plastic ones do not put out as much power. The technology still needs work.  However, you can get 4  or 5 of them for the same weight as one glass panel so for portable setups it is a great option.

An update after a year of using the flex panels......I have found them to be very useful. While they don't put out the same power as the glass ones IN FULL SUN, they put out power if part of the panel is shaded, or even all of it is. Not much mind you, but something is usually better than nothing. And the fact that they weigh noting is a huge benefit. When I headed west in May 2015, I left the glass panel in FL and took 3 flex panels instead. Which weigh less combined than the one glass one.

When I was out west there was no shade and I just tried  to park so the panels were in the sun. It's not a great angle for maximum wattage but I was driving almost every other day so I didn't need it.

Now, to the usage.  I have a 2000w whole house inverter built into the rig that I seldom use.  It works great but draws a lot of amps just sitting there.  No bueno.  I use it for the TV and that's about it.  OR if I'm driving, I have that on & plug lots of stuff in to charge. When parked,  I have one 12v socket that is wired to the house batteries.  These are generally fused at 10A so one should not attempt to draw more than 100w.  I do NOT want to blow that fuse as god alone knows where it is but I guarantee it's a struggle to get to.  That said, I lived on the edge for a long and used this inverter:


Schumacher XI75DU 750 Watt DC to AC Digital Display Power Inverter

I've had it for a few years and used it in my car before I got the RV and never blew a fuse.  It claims less than 1A resting current draw.  It runs my laptop and Nikon battery charger just fine.  I have yet to draw over 60w with those.  You could certainly get a smaller one cheaper.  This one will power stuff like drills, etc, you just have to connect directly to a battery for that.  (As of 2/15 I plan to use this inverter to power some stuff on a lot I bought in FL and bought a smaller pure sine for the rig.)  I do plan to add another house 12v outlet at some point as well. They're handy.

I recently bought a pure sine inverter as, believe it or not, Sonicare toothbrushes require pure sine power. Who knew? :-)  This is the one I went with.
Wagan Elite Inverter

Hope this info helps.

My Solar Setup

I get asked about this a lot on FB and in the forums so I think I'll type it once here.  :-)

I am a very light electrical user.  I don't watch much TV, I try to camp in climates where I don't use heat or ac and I use led lights as much as possible.
Speaking of LED, this lantern right here is the greatest thing since sliced bread.  It is perfect for me.  In fact, since I just noticed it's on sale, I'm ordering a second one.  (Actually, I ordered TWO!)

Ivation Super-Bright 16-LED Dimmable Rechargeable Lantern Light / Table Lamp With Hanging Hook

It weighs nothing, and is bright enough to read by.  The hanging hook is a bit flimsy but c'est la vie. Be gentle with it.  I have a small bungee (I have a lot of bungees) that I use to hang it from tha AC unit sometimes, or from the overhead cabinet knob above me when reading.  The dimming feature is sweet.  I'm working on converting all the house lights to LED but it's going slower than I'd like.

I have a Phoenix Cruiser 21' motorhome with 2 group 24 batteries that are about shot.  They have 2008 stickers so they're the originals.  They don't hold a charge well anymore.  They will be replaced within the next month, just couldn't see doing it when the rig was going to be sitting all winter.  The big things I need power for are the fridge, which uses electricity even when on propane, and charging laptops, phones, tablets and camera.  If I'm driving, I plug everything in and try to charge as much as possible while the engine is running anyway.  When I'm camped I have the most basic portable solar setup imaginable.  I started out with the 45watt Harbor Freight kit because I didn't know any better.  The panels work but they're old technology and they're heavier and less efficient than new ones.  And not sturdy.  The plastic frame cracked the first tie I used them and the hardware all rusted that first weekend too.  Back they went.  However, they did work, and I went looking for a better option.

I ended up with a Renogy 100watt panel from Amazon.

Solar Panel Starter Kit 100W Monocrystalline:100W Solar Panel UL 1703 Listed+2 20' Solar cables+PWM 30A Charge Controller+ Uniquely Designed Z Bracket Mounts

This kit puts out over twice the power for the same price as the Harbor Freight one, and weighs half as much.  This panel weighs 16 pounds so it's no problem to move.
I actually bought the panel, cables, connectors, and controller separately but this is a better deal.  I also screwed up and bought a 10A controller which left no room for expansion.  The kit above has a 30A which will allow another panel or two down the road.

***Update: in April 2014 I upgraded the controller to this one:

RioRand Controller at Amazon

So far I really like having the display.  Way nicer than old one.  And I got new batteries.

I chose to not mount my panel on the roof.
First, I didn't want to climb up there.
Second, I like shade.  Solar panels like sun.  We each need our own space.  :-)

I can park in the shade and put the panel in the sun.  Yes, there's a possibility of theft.  If I ever decide that's a real concern I'll use a cable lock to attach it to whatever I'm leaning it up against. Or I'll move.  Who wants to park somewhere where you're worried about theft?  Right now I just use a bungee so an errant gust of wind won't blow it over. In this case I got to this CG in the afternoon and just set the panel up against the grill.  At sundown I turned it the other way and propped it up against the picnic table since the rig would be in the shade at sunrise.  Yeah, it's a bit more difficult than set-it-and-forget-it on the roof, but I sooo much prefer being in shade if it's available that it's worth it.  I plan to eventually mount one permanently on the roof at some point too.  Then if there's no shade I can just use that, or use both if I need more juice.

I bought all my components separately, which meant installing MC4 connectors on my cables and controller since that's what's on the solar panel.  This was a pain for someone like me who is new to all this. But even I did it.  Just buy the kit though, it's less than buying the parts and no screwing around.  :-)

(As noted above, I recently replaced this SunForce controller)

The panel connects to the controller with cables and MC4 connectors.  These connectors are made to NOT come apart easily, and they don't.  In fact, you need a special tool to disconnect them.  It's cheap but it's one more thing to carry, store and lose so that didn't work for me.  I filed off most of the barbs on the male ends that lock the connectors together, and  made sure what was left was rounded.  They still lock but a good pull will disconnect them.  Like any connection, pull on the connectors, not the wire.  If you try this and don't file enough and they won't disconnect, two thin bladed screwdrives will probably get the tabs depressed enough to get them apart.  I attached the alligator clips you see above to the output of the controller and just clip them to the battery for now. One of theses days I'll install that permanently but for now it works just fine.  I had the clips left over from another charger or some other 12v thingy but you can get them at any auto parts store or from Amazon as well.
The controller is not waterproof so it sits in the battery compartment with the batteries.


I have two options for storage of the panel.  Right now, while I have it in storage, I keep the panel on the ladder rack and leave it connected to the batteries.  This keeps them fully charged even in this miserable winter we've had, and I have battery power when I go there to work on it or take it out for a day or whatever.

I have traveled with it on the ladder but I'm doing that less these days.  Being paranoid, I bungee the hell out of it and it takes too much time and effort to secure it and then remove it.  While you see one cord on the front, I use about 5 on the back, and when I'm done I think the ladder would come off before the panel did.  And that's not good as the ladder is a lot more expensive to replace!!  So most of the time I now throw it behind the seat.

I drape a washcloth over the corner so it doesn't dig into the wall, and use a small bungee around the headrest supports that keeps it from tipping over on curves.  I didn't think that would happen.  I was wrong.  On Skyline Drive it leaped out from behind the seat and tried to escape through the passenger side window.  I guess it wasn't thrilled with my driving.  It narrowly missed  hitting the window on the opposite side which could have been bad.  Now I secure it.  The cord & washcloth live in the seatback pocket so I don't have to search for them.  The cables & controller usually get stashed in the outside compartment next door to the battery compartment.  I don't like to leave it all connected to the panel, as the panel is always putting out power so if the clips get together they could spark/short.  Better to disconnect it all from the panels.  This is why I did the filing mentioned above.

***Another update...as of May 2014, I'm back to travelling with the panel on the ladder.  I attached keyrings to the back of the panel which makes attaching the bungees a LOT easier than trying to force the hooks through the holes in the frame.  And I'm down to 3 bungees.  It takes 2 minutes now and I'm not dragging sand & spiders inside.

Of course it's dark in this pic, but you can see the panel set up, poised to catch the rising sun.  I know it sounds like a giant hassle to set up but it really isn't.  After the first couple times where I was still figuring out where everything went, it takes only moments.  The longest process is untangling the cables if I was lazy stowing them.  It's quite the conversation starter too, as everyone who walks by will ask you about them.  This may or may not be a good thing.  :-)  All these campground photos were taken in Shenandoah National Park, Fall 2013.

Now, to the usage.  I have a 2000w whole house inverter built into the rig that I seldom use.  It works great but draws 12 amps just sitting there.  No bueno.  I use it for the TV and that's about it.  OR if I'm driving, I have that on & plug lots of stuff in to charge. When parked,  I have one 12v socket that is wired to the house batteries.  These are generally fused at 10A so one should not attempt to draw more than 100w.  I do NOT want to blow that fuse as god alone knows where it is but I guarantee it's a struggle to get to.  That said, I live on the edge and use this inverter:


Schumacher XI75DU 750 Watt DC to AC Digital Display Power Inverter

I've had it for a few years and used it in my car before I got the RV and never blew a fuse.  It claims less than 1A resting current draw.  It runs my laptop and Nikon battery charger just fine.  I have yet to draw over 60w with those.  You could certainly get a smaller one cheaper.  This one will power stuff like drills, etc, you just have to connect directly to a battery for that. I do plan to add another house 12v outlet at some point as well. They're handy.

Hope this info helps.

Update: In July 2014 I added 2 flexible 100w Renogy panels. They were $215 each. While I LOVE the weight, they are dirt magnets and the dust adheres to the the plastic like it's glued on.  It can't be easily brushed or blown off, I need to wash them. The glass panels are much easier to keep clean. Also, the plastic ones do not put out as much power. The technology still needs work.

Headed for Skyline Drive

One of the items on my VA/MD/DC bucket list was a trip down Skyline Drive. As soon as the National Parks reopened, I (and a million other people) started making plans. I had hoped to do a day off swap, work Sunday & be off Mon-Tue, but I was unable to get Tuesday off. I figured the drive would be jammed, but the window of opportunity was closing rapidly. The fall foliage report said the north & central sections were already past peak and most of the campgrounds in the park close Oct. 27th. The weather was supposed to be nice on Sunday & Monday but the lows are already down in the low 30's. So I needed to go this weekend. I have a killer furnace in my PC Cruiser, but my batteries are shot. I can't really run the furnace all night without running them down. I also have a Mr. Buddy portable propane furnace, which I am not 100% sure I like, and definitely don't trust enough to sleep with it running.

 I got out of work at 11 am. By the time I got done the prepwork I should have done earlier, stowing stuff, checking tire pressures, etc., it was 11:45. One of the things I did was take down the pseudo-tieback curtains.  They were faded and grungy, and kept getting caught in the mechanism of the blinds.  I think it makes the window look bigger too.




I had thought I might go down 15 and stop at home for some things I forgot like the air mattress, then take 66 to Front Royal and Skyline Drive. I decided not to do that after all and took Rt 7 west. In retrospect, I should have gone the other way. While it was scenic, there are slow and narrow sections, the drive through all of Front Royal was annoying and I was already a bit tired when I got to Skyline. And that road requires concentration.

I arrived at the start of Skyline Drive in Front Royal at around 1:15pm.   And traffic was at a standstill. I didn't take note of how long it took but it wasn't too awful. Even in my short RV with a 9'10" height, I got scraped by a tree branch as I was approaching the entrance gate.



I had my Annual National Parks pass out and ready and breezed right through. I had heard all the overlooks would be jammed and that was true. I stopped at two that were larger and had a few spaces, but the air was hazy and the sky was dark & blustery so it wasn't terribly photogenic. Though the sun did try to peek through at one point.


10/19/2013 1:44:29 PM



10/19/2013 1:46:05 PM




10/19/2013 2:05:29 PM

For me, the most impressive part of the drive was a grove of a gorgeous trees in a valley.  A lot of other folks thought so too as there were a ton of cars pulled over.  No room for me...  :-(




10/19/2013 2:09:28 PM

I drove the rest of the way to Big Meadows without stopping. I thought I'd get to the campground, check in, and go for a hike. I got to the CG and found my site. Wow, I thought it would be bigger as it said 35' max length, and said the site was 25' wide. It was a bit of a struggle to back my 22 footer in due to trees and posts. And the paved portion was only slightly wider than the rig. I can't imagine how someone with a 30 footer would do it. But it seems like the 12' tunnel near Luray keeps a lot of the big rigs out. I am the only rv in this row, the rest are all tents. The fact that this is a generator-free loop may also contribute to that.


My campsite in Big Meadows. The trees here were pretty bare.

10/19/2013 4:06:45 PM

I love the ease of setup compared to tent camping. I park, set the brake, drop the hydraulic leveling jacks and I'm there. It was cold and windy as heck and I was watching people trying to put up their tents from the comfort of my couch. By this time it was around 4pm and sprinkling, and the fact that I was at work at 5am was catching up with me. I decided there was no hiking in my near future. :-) I figured it was a good time to finally wire up my solar panel. I'd been putting that off for forever.  I originally bought a Harbor Freight setup that worked ok but started falling apart almost immediately.  It went back  pretty quick and I bought a Renogy 100watt panel and a Sunforce charge controller but hadn't assembled it yet as I am a bit intimidated by electrical work.  It turned out to be a snap.   I picked up some landscape wire from Lowes and attached MC4 connectors to one end, the one that hooks to the panel. I attached the other end to the controller with wire nuts. The output from the controller had circle terminals on the ends and I had batt clips with those as well. I connected them with bolts, nuts and washers, it's a kinda gerry-rigged setup. But I hooked it up to the battery and it appeared to be charging! Woohoo! I then used a bungee to secure the panel to the picnic table. Yeah, it was that windy. I then walked up towards the lodge. I was only feet from my site when I realized there were deer everywhere. And they were pretty unfazed with my presence. 



Deer at my campsite in Big Meadows.

10/19/2013 6:49:28 PM

More deer in the campground

10/19/2013 6:52:57 PM

I continued on up to the Lodge and headed to the Taproom. It was a disappointment. The decor/ambiance  was lacking and the service abysmal. I ordered a drink and planned to order dinner.  The drink was a really yummy concoction and I was off to a good start.






I was really looking forward to having one of these cider drinks....


50 minutes later I still had my 1st empty drink sitting in front of me and hadn't had my food order taken. So I left. Probably just as well, I couldn't find the trail in the dark and the roads were a bit scary to walk. I eventually found the CG again, lit a jar candle for warmth and light, made myself another drink and was asleep soon after.


The lights on the rig are little led lights with a solar-charged battery back.  They are not as obnoxiously bright as they look, this was a long exposure.  You can see my new panel set up next to the picnic table.

10/19/2013 9:16:30 PM