Is 200 Watts Of Solar Enough For An RV? - Boondocking With 200 Watts of Solar on Our Camper

0:30 - Our 200 Watt HQST Solar System
1:22 - Is 200 Watts Of Solar Enough?
1:33 - Why Is 200 Watts Enough?
3:21 - Factors To Consider For Solar
4:16 - Our Experience/What We Run On 200 Watts of Solar
5:30 - How To Figure Out If 200 Watt Of Solar Is Enough For You
5:59 - Summary & Closing Thoughts

In this video, I talk about our HQST 200 Watt Monocrystalline solar setup. Since I installed this kit, a lot of people have asked me, is 200 watts of solar really enough for your RV? Well, in this video, I answer that question! We primarily boondock and camp without hook-ups. So I answer this question from a boondocking perspective.

Please let me know if you have any questions about our setup. Thanks for watching!

DISCLAIMER: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support the channel and allows me to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for the support!

[buscampers]

This video helped me determine that 200w of solar is enough for my converted camper bus. I put on two 100w panels with a 100/15 victron mppt charger and it's keeping things topped off with 2 max air fans and a chest refrigerator running on sunny days. Thank you

[kholmsk]

I'm in Thailand, my truck camper has a 800AH 24v lithium battery and 1200 W solar panels in total, as Thailand is a tropical country so the AC is always turned on, and it can keep working for 12 hours without a generator!

[herb]

Several friends have $10-$15 k system s. After getting paralysis by analysis I jumped in with a very simple 100w panel + 2- 6volt golf cart batteries. I added a second panel and a small inverter generator for the occasional needs and backup. Added a 400W inverter to charge a laptop . Generator rarely gets used except in Winter and when we have a heavy wooded campsite. iPads, phones and several other items get changed using the usb plugs. I’m all in for just under$1k . Been running like this for 5+ years just fine.

[mjrootz]

OK SOME SAFETY TIPS: Always use heavy duty DC breakers at the positive battery terminals before the wires go anywhere else. Always use a heavy duty breaker between your inverter and your batteries. Always use a breaker between your solar panel and your solar charge controller.. These breakers should be rated for the max current that will be drawn though those devices.. Keep your cables as short as you can and use the proper size wire that is rated for or even higher than the current that will be drawn through those devices. Check "amperage capacity for wire" charts (online) to determine what gauge wire that is required for your system.. You would be surprised at the number of DYI people who do not know what they are doing and end up with inverter cables heating up like a toaster element. Keep it safe.. do the research, use correct and safe wiring to avoid issues and a possible fire. More importantly, if you don't know what you are doing.. FIND SOMEONE WHO DOES

[plattapuss]

I have 200 watts of solar and a 100amp hr agm battery in my built Yukon. I run a refrigerator 7/24 I run a diesel heater for a couple hrs most mornings I charge cell phones ryobi tool battery’s and watch movies for a couple hours every night with the lights on. I also tow a pop up camper and when it’s sunny I plug the camper into the Yukon and it’s lead acid fully charges in a few hours. I never run my batteries below 50 percent. I spend 4 months a year camping out in Arizona, California and Mexico. It is sunny 90 percent of the time and I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to do near that much without daily sunshine. Occasionally if my battery nears 50 percent I start the car. That’s what I do with 200 watts of solar.

[EstorilEm]

Great video, also I would HIGHLY recommend adding flush-mount USB-C PD and USB-A ports around your RV, I recently changed my manual-control AC unit to a digital thermostat control (AMAZING upgrade btw) and realized just how many 12v wires are run all over your RV (had to run thermostat wires, power, and ground back to the new thermostat location). These flush-mount USB ports run straight off 12v and are FAR more efficient than using an inverter, plus you can install them anywhere in your RV where there's an existing lighting / accessory wire, which is pretty much everywhere. No need to worry about turning on/off the inverter either, just plug in and go. Next mod will be adding a cigarette lighter port in the slide-out on the U-dinette bench seat so I have easy access to 12v for whatever.

The big project will be the entertainment center - I have all my network equipment and camera display / TV decoder there, and honestly they could ALL run on 12v instead of 120 - even the 48v PoE injector for my outdoor wifi unit has a 12v adapter I recently purchased. There are VERY few things you'd need an inverter for with a setup like this.

[ppainterco]

Reducing demand is easier and less costly than building more supply. Pretty much all lighting is LED today, which consumes 1/10th the power of incandescent. Use 12 VDC appliances and avoid the inefficiency of DC to AC conversion saves a lot. I use a diesel parking heater which I feel consumes less power, and uses cheap diesel fuel instead of more costly propane. Since I camp mostly in the mountains of Colorado it’s cooler weather and I don’t really need AC. Using a MPPT solar charge controller instead of a PWM controller helps get more out of the PVs to the battery.

I see people with a roof full of PVs and still running all kinds of inefficient gear. My camper gets by on 100 watts of PV and a 100 ah LiFePo4 battery, no genset. Besides, I like camping and escaping all the tech.

[drpatt]

We live in a hilly forest and are experimenting with 200w. Have the Harbor Freight 100w monocrystaline panels. Just upgraded to a MPPT controller from same outfit that made yours. New controller helped! Our fridge is 12v only. Freezer is full and fridge partly. Before controller switch, we got 5 days before we dropped to 11.5V in our 2 marine/RV AGM deep cycle 78Ah batteries. That included two overcast rainy days. Our house blocks late afternoon sun, too. Just got the new wiring. Will try again.

[graffixus]

Agreed, we have 240AH of battery and currently only a 100W and that keeps the two TV's, laptops, water pump and heater going no problem. It takes most of the day to catch up and I'll be adding the second 100W panel this year. If it would just quit snowing already :-)

[curve]

Makes me feel better about the 600 I'm installing. My wife watches TV all day so I was nervous. I also run the same generator but the noise isn't fun

[commonsensepatriot]

Good setup. I like your short answer. "For Us". Most people don't understand how you ration or don't require as much electricity when you're off grid. We lived 100% off grid for years.

[thomassmith]

If you want to get more out of your panels is to change to a mppt charge controller. They are more efficient than the pwm controller you have. Good video.

[ball_]

I built a 24' foot cargo camper some years back. Used it for 9 years with 300 watts of solar and two agm batteries. It worked great boon docking and I only needed my generator for ac and microwave just like you mentioned. I don't understand these huge solar systems you see. They still can't keep up with a roof top AC. But they seem way overkill for the other odd and ends. A moderate solar and battery setup paired with a good generator seems like the logical way to go.

[mplsyrp]

An FYI after 3 plus years my 1 110 watt panels coupled to two 700Ah batteties give me more than enough power including powering my energy efficient 4.1 cf refrigerator/freezer. I can use my toaster oven to bake any sunny afternoon. No worries. It take 2 plus rain days to significntly impact energy drain. It all depends on how important your appliances are to you. Chatge my phones, and other batteries, including my drill & other cordless tool batteries. Including the stereo.

[easemailboxes]

I'm about to set up a vertical wind turbine as my alternative source. I currently just use 130ah lithium in a engel series2 battery box charged by a mppt and 160w solar panel. These also support 4agm deep cycles. I just use that on my boat (8.5m) for 3 or 4 days and then top up the battery box when I get home. I have never gone dark and stayed out for a week (but not running ac or a fridge, just use an ice box and lithium fans) Thanks for your video.

[curiouslycory]

I made sure to switch all my lights with LED and after that I was comfortable on 100 watts in our RV for all of our spring/summer camping. 200 watts would have made things even easier and helped us ease through a few cloudy winter days.

[spaz]

Let me tell you all something this guy is very educational great video to learn

[ad]

I noticed that you were using a small inverter to charge your cell phones etc. There is loss in the conversion from AC to DC so you might be better off wiring in a simple 12v USB plug and using that. Easy to do and will definitely be more efficient and save you some power.

[vonheise]

I am not into crunching numbers or precision, just my nature at 75. My theory is that more is better, and if it isn't enough, add more. We have two 150 Ah lithium batteries and taped 2 100w flexible solar panels on the roof. If we are out for 10 days or less, we generally don't have to run our two lightweight 2300 watt generators unless we need AC. If we are out longer, we generally need to run one generator long enough to top off the batteries again. We do have two inverters, a 500 watt to run my CPAP or other items, and an 1800 watt which we rarely use, but have run the microwave and other small appliances with it.

[nickdingus]

I had my two batteris strapped in just like yours, went to the store for some supplies was gone maybe 45 minutes, came back and the batteries had been stolen. Be careful out there.