A nice selection of RV solar panels that can keep your batteries charged in your RV when you go camping off-grid. Boondocking or dry camping trips are some of the most fun in an RV. It surely makes things much more comfortable to have a reliable source of solar power from your panels. We offer units that are designed to be installed on the roof and also portable RV solar panels. It really just depends on what fits your application and your needs best.
Rigid solar panels are the most common and most reliable panels on the market
Rigid solar panels are those panels that have solid frames and are not flexible. In fact, most rigid panels have either glass or polycarbonate material as the face protecting the solar cells. Rigid solar panels tend to have better warranties and will usually last longer in the real world. RV customers will be recommended a rigid framed solar panel with an aluminum frame for almost all installation applications. We do this because solar panels are really for a longer period of time on an RV that a 5-year warranty. My grandfather kept his fifth wheel camper for almost 30 years.
Flexible solar panels are perfect for certain types of RVs
Flexible solar panels are designed to be able to curve a certain amount around a radius. The panels are perfect for campers like Airstream travel trailers and even teardrops. Their warranties are usually not as good as their rigid solar panel counterparts because they lack a solid structure to hold a more reliable glass frame. Flex panels suffer from turning white and installers often neglect to remove the protective film from the panels which over time will surely destroy the output of the solar panel.
Portable Solar panels are often just 2 rigid panels
Many of the portable RV solar panels are just two smaller rigid solar panels with a hinge installed. These portable kits also have a charge controller installed on the rear of the panel. Learn more at applications and when you should choose one of the units in our Portable Solar Guide. Another item that is included is connection wires and adapters for easy installation on solar on the side ports.
Solar panel physical dimensions
Solar panels have varying lengths and widths that will need to take up room on your RV roof. It is important to get efficient solar panels from a reliable manufacturer like Go Power.
Bigger is not always better on solar panels
Larger panels are harder to place when considering how many thru roof penetrations are on the average RV. There are people who recommend all kinds of crazy sized residential panels for RV use. It is our recommendation to stick with more reasonably sized panels. They are easier to install and can be arranged to be impacted less by shading.
Solar Panel Voltages
There are a lot of different voltages that solar panels can operate on. Go Power panels are designed for RV applications so they are optimized for RV usage. The operating voltage is 18.4 Volts DC on the 100 Watt Retreat.
Have more questions, request a system or RV solar panel installation quote.
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More articles on adding panels to you RV for solar charging
Neat infographic on off-grid solar power
