When we first got the RV, we did a test run for about a week, trying to be fully self-sufficient. After a few days our auxiliary battery was completely drained, and we needed to turn our furnace on. We ended up running the RV to charge the system. Although it worked to charge the battery, it also used a fair bit of fuel.
While running the RV at great cost to our fuel consumption, my husband and I considered our options. We needed a generator, we considered solar or wind power, and we found we needed a new and better auxiliary battery. Our first purchase was a new deep cycle battery to replace the old one. A deep cycle battery handles the power fluctuations much better than the regular car batteries.
The generator would be the next item to be purchased. We considered what sort of power usage we would have when deciding on the size of generator. That would also come in handy for figuring what solar power system we would purchase. Life became all about the wattage of appliances, both new acquisitions and electronics we already owned. Now when I am shopping for electronic devices, they get turned upside down so I can find the wattage before I ever consider purchasing them. My husband always laughs when he sees me handling the electronics in stores in this fashion.
We ended up getting a 1500 watt generator (max 2000 watts), which is just perfect for our needs. When we need the extra power we plug the house right into the generator, which is mounted on a deck I built on the back bumper. For solar power, I picked up two 45 watt kits from Harbor Freight. One is mounted on the roof of the RV, and the other I currently have on the deck at the back. The kits come with all the necessary wiring and their own regulators so the batteries do not get overcharged. I picked up two deep cycle batteries as well, which are also on the back deck. And I got a 200 watt power inverter to run appliances off the batteries.
On a good day I can generate a maximum of 90 watts of power per hour while the sun is shining. This is generally good enough to keep the laptop and phones fully charged, and allow us to listen to the radio. We are also able to watch a bit of television.
If I want to use my coffee maker or other 'large draw' electronics, we start the generator. Any time the generator is running we plug a battery charger in to charge our deep cycle batteries at the back of the RV, the ones hooked up to the solar panels. The laptop and cell phones also get topped up at this time. As a side note, we keep these batteries totally separate from the auxiliary battery and main RV battery.
I also picked up a smaller 1.5 watt solar panel that is hooked up directly to the auxiliary battery, which gives it a trickle charge when we are parked.
Sometimes I think I could use more power. I like my coffee machine, my husband loves his TV, and use of an electric frying pan, toaster oven and microwave are nice sometimes. We could splurge and get a larger, more powerful solar panel or maybe pick up a small wind turbine. I have been talking with other RV enthusiasts on this topic, checking prices of panels and wind turbines, and pondering my options. The wind turbines are more economical when comparing wattage to cost. You can purchase a 400 watt wind turbine for about $400 compared with buying a 100 watt solar panel for $300. But you have to purchase the mounting equipment separate, and set the wind turbine up each time you stop, ensuring it is mounted securely, then taken down and stored when it is time to go. The solar panel, once mounted, generates care-free power every day while the sun shines. The extra money spent may be well worth it.
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