8 Best Portable Solar Generators For An RV or Motorhome Contact online >>
8 Best Portable Solar Generators For An RV or Motorhome
Having lived and worked in our RV for close to two decades now, and being the avid boondockers we are, our move to solar was a big one: 600Ah of Lithium battery power, 8 solar panels (with 1,300 Watts of power), and a fully off-grid ready system. But not every RVer needs a system like ours, has the confidence to install one themselves, or wants to spend as much on all the upgrades needed. Instead, some travelers seek a simple, more portable system that would be just right for their needs. Enter the solar generator for RVs – portable power stations that will fit the bill for many.
Today’s post is a look at these awesome little systems that are not only compact and portable but can also take advantage of the power of the sun to fulfill the daily power requirements of RVers, campers, “van lifers”, and off-grid homes.
Welcome to the world of solar – all packed up in a nice little box. Let’s take a look inside!
A solar generator for an RV is a portable power station into which solar panels can be plugged to charge the system. Solar generators are versatile, compact, and combine the battery, solar charge controller, inverter, charger, and multiple charging ports all in one package, making them easy to move from place to place.
A portable power station takes a battery (usually a lithium battery these days, but some people DIY their own portable power stations using lead-acid batteries), and combines it with the ports required for charging the battery as well as for powering external devices and appliances.
Portable power stations can be very small – small enough to fit into a pocket or backpack (this would be for the purpose of charging a cell phone, for example) – or they can be large enough to require some strength to move (this would be capable of powering appliances as hungry as microwaves, fridges, and more).
With everything built into one compact box, portable power stations can be charged by solar, 120-volt outlets (standard outlet in a home or hotel, for example), or by 12 volts supplied by a vehicle while driving.
These little power stations are versatile, compact, and portable.
Well, as we noted at the top of the post, a solar generator is great for travelers who have no need – or space or budget – for a very large solar system, or who don’t want to deal with the complications of installation. Building a solar system can be a daunting task, and taking into consideration the important factors such as Watts, amps, and volts and connecting everything within the system properly (and safely) can be a challenge not everyone is up to.
Also, some travelers only boondock occasionally or don’t use a lot of power. Or they may even be full-time travelers who don’t have the space for a large system and thus desire portability. Or maybe their RV didn’t come with an inverter (or a very large battery bank), but they want to be able to power their laptop and some other small 120V AC devices while on the road.
For all such travelers, the convenience of a solar generator is the perfect fit.
With a solar generator for your RV, you could power a 12V refrigerator, your phones, tablets, and computers, as well as other devices and appliances, depending on the size of the battery bank in your power station.
Along with the box containing the battery, solar charger, and inverter/charger, a portable solar panel or two can be placed outside the RV in sunny locations to recharge the portable power station.
Let’s run through some of the important things to consider when shopping for a portable power station/solar generator for an RV.
When shopping for a solar generator or a portable power station of any kind, there are a number of features you’ll want to consider. Some of these are easy to forget about, and some buyers have been disappointed when they find that their portable power station doesn’t serve them in all the ways they’d hoped. Let’s take a look…
The capacity of the battery bank built into your portable power station / solar generator is something that’s very important to consider from the outset. In order to assess the amount of power you’ll need so that you don’t fall short, you’ll want to add up all of the amp-hours you’ll tend to consume while boondocking, and you’ll want to buy a power station with sufficient amp hours to meet your needs.
On the other hand, some people can have a battery bank with 600 amp-hours available and they still have to worry about having enough power to get through a day, particularly if they encounter several rainy or cloudy days and the sun is less available than the ideal (not that we know anyone like that, just sayin’ it COULD be possible! LOL!).
So, understanding your desired (or required) power needs comes first, and then you’ll need to determine from there the battery capacity you’ll want in your solar generator / portable power station.
The calculations you make to determine the desired battery capacity of a solar generator for your RV will also serve to assist you in determining your inverter rating.
Portable power stations contain an inverter that converts the 12V power supplied by the built-in battery bank into usable 120V power for the purpose of powering devices and appliances that require standard household AC.
Inverters (power output) are rated in Watts, which are calculated using the formula:
Knowing this equation will help you to determine the inverter rating you’ll need. An inverter is rated in a certain number of Watts, but that rating is generally continuous.
For example, while your RV fridge might require only 180 Watts to run continuously, it may also require 600 Watts (just for a second) to start. Starting wattage needs to be factored into your calculations, otherwise, your inverter may not be sufficiently rated to start your fridge (or hairdryer, or coffee pot, etc.).
If you have a power-efficient 12V fridge, the calculations might be very different.
So, looking at the power you intend to consume is important in determining the rating of the inverter you’ll want in your solar generator/portable power station.
Charging speed is very important and is a consideration often missed when consumers are shopping for a portable power station.
In addition to calculating how much power you’ll likely need in the course of a day or more, you’ll also need to know how quickly your portable power station can be recharged. You’ll want to consider how rapidly it’s rated to charge via solar panels as well as how long it takes to charge using the wall wart and a 120-volt receptacle (as well as from your vehicle’s battery/alternator if that’s an option with your solar generator).
If you run a CPAP machine all night and watch television to relax in the evening, and you charge your phones and tablets, and you run a fan all night, you need to know how long it will take the sun and your solar panel/panels to recharge your solar generator/portable power station.
How will you power and charge your devices and appliances? Do you need USB-A, USB-C, or both? Do you need 12V DC and 120V AC plugs, and if so, how many ports might you need at once?
If you’re going to plug a solar panel into your portable power station, you’d better be sure that power station is set up for solar. This means it will have a port that allows you to plug a panel into the station to recharge it, and will also have a built-in solar charge controller. This is what makes a portable power station a solar generator.
Some large solar generators even have 30-amp plugins (these are very large power stations that are also very expensive, but they do exist).
So, knowing the types of ports and how many of each you’ll need is important to your RV solar generator shopping criteria.
A solar generator will often have an LCD monitor on it that allows you to keep an eye on your power consumption, how much power remains, how much charging power is going into the system at any given time, and more.
The ability to read and understand the display is very important to your experience as a solar generator user. Reviews are often the best way to assess this experience based on consumers who’ve used the system in a real-world setting.
The weight and size of a portable solar generator for your RV is also important. A portable power station needs to be just that – portable. If you need to be able to move the power station, you’ll need to shop for one that has a weight you’re capable of lifting safely. (If you can’t lift a lot of weight but need more power, it’s possible to daisy-chain a couple of smaller power stations together, but you’ll need to add that capability to your shopping criteria as well.)
As always, budget is a consideration any time we make a purchase. Some solar power generators are priced well under $500, while some high-powered portable power stations cost well in excess of $5,000. Know your price point and shop accordingly, remembering that you can always upgrade in the future if your budget allows.
Pass-through charging means that the built-in battery of the portable power station can recharge while simultaneously charging a connected device or appliance.
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