Using  portable solar panels for motorhomes increases your holiday freedom to select destinations that aren’t connected to mains power. You still need to choose to access a fuel station along the road but when you have solar power that is the extent of the restrictions. Solar power is a quiet energy generation system while the sun shines, so you can maintain the environmental purity of your campsite and reduce your carbon emissions by not using a portable generator at that time.

Portable solar panels for motorhomes need no fuel other than sunlight to operate. The maintenance of portable solar panels for motorhomes is limited to occasionally cleaning the panels and checking connections. There is a financial aspect of installing a solar system on your RV. The purchase of panels involves a one-time expense but there are immediate benefits reaped over a number of years and the trips that follow.

A typical portable solar panels for motorhomes system consists of solar panels, batteries, monitoring and controlling devices. The higher the number of solar batteries connected to the panels, the more appliances that can be powered by the system.

So, typically the first step in the process of assessing  a portable solar power system for motorhomes is to estimate the daily power that the motorhome would use. That will depend on the appliances and devices installed in the motorhome.

The following video shows how to install solar panels on a RV.

As a recreational vehicle user and motorhome owner you will need to know the operating power consumption of the vehicle. You need to calculate the power consumption of every appliance in watt-hours/day.

The picture below gives a sample of the energy consumption breakup of devices generally used in a motorhome.

Based on your lifestyle as a camper with these appliances:

You need to factor in the occasional use of some appliances, like a vacuum cleaner or a hair dryer, in these calculations. Also, some appliances when not in use are in sleep mode, and they still consume some power.

There are four basic components that constitute the solar power system of a motorhome. They include the solar panels, charge controller, inverter, and storage batteries.

The solar panels that are fixed onto the roof of the motorhome or RV are rooftop solar panels. It is feasible to have roof-mounted solar panels for larger vehicles. However, you cannot easily adjust the position of such solar panels frequently, yet they are preferred by some campers. They are convenient when installed and removing them from the vehicle for charging is no hassle.

Whichever solar panel you choose, it is recommended to get the installations done by a professional. The roof mounted solar panels need to withstand strong headwinds and constant vibrations while the vehicle is on the move. For those reasons they need to be attached to the motorhome securely.

The inverter turns the low-wattage DC power into AC power or diverts DC to the batteries.  Most appliances run on AC power only.

Batteries / Storage

A motorhome usually runs on at least one 12-volt, lead-acid battery. When using a solar system, three more batteries are added to generally provide 280–340 amp-hours (AH) of capacity. Another option is to use 6-volt, golf-cart style of batteries with four of them set up in series to provide 440 AH of capacity.

Lithium-ion batteries are more efficient in energy storage but have a higher price for this efficiency. Lithium-ion batteries are lightweight as compared to lead-acid batteries, have a greater depth of discharge and a longer life.

Factor in the fact that few days would get a hundred percent sunlight for all these six hours. Remember that you will experience some system inefficiencies as well so it might be only 2,400 watt-hours. You can ramp up the wattage anytime by adding panels and batteries.

You need not change the inverter and the controller to support the additions to the system. Solar power systems are available in kits, which include panels, a system monitor, wiring, connectors, mounting gear, controller, and inverter. It costs around $3,500 to $4,500 for a typical best RV solar panel kit set-up, but this initial investment can be recouped in a few years, depending on the motorhome usage.

Click on the button below for one option that can get you started.

Saving from using your portable solar panel for motorhomes typically means saving money by using it in place of a fuelled generator. An average generator uses a half-gallon of gas per hour with the average price of a gallon of gas in the U.S. being $2.54.

Using a generator for four hours a day results in a daily expense of $5 for gas. If we suppose you invested $4,000 on the best portable solar panel for camping and used solar instead of using gas for 4 hours per day, you would reach a break-even point on your solar investment after 800 days of use. That number of days of continuous use is equivalent to 2 years and 2 months.

Once the break-even point is achieved with the portable solar panels for motorhomes, the solar energy is free. The only other cost payable would be the minimal maintenance cost in the form of replacement parts. The lead-acid batteries need to be replaced after about five years of use. Remember that the fixed caravan solar panels can be used for more than 4 hours per day as well these RV solar panel kits can be charging batteries while it is moving or stationary.

You might need to use a gas generator on rainy days or during extended cloudy periods with low sunlight. If your motorhome is expecting to run an air conditioning unit or start electric motors in the daytime, you may need a generator. Operating an air conditioning unit in a motorhome requires a lot of power so it is difficult to run AC for any length of time even with an optimum sized solar system.

Our best pick for a 100W portable solar suitcase panels for your motorhome is the Renogy Solar Eclipse with charge controller.