Solar panels on camper shell?

[Natcox012]

Hey guys I am completely a green horn when it comes to solar panels. This is why I joined the forum 😛. So here is my question is putting solar panels on a camper shell worth it, since there's only about 24 sq ft to put one? And how much would it help let's say towards a camper?

[kingofbanff]

Welcome!

What are you hoping to operate? Some 12V lighting and charging your phone will be easy. You won't be running an electric heater!

Give us a list of what you would like to operate.

[ewarnerusa]

Solar works terrific for off grid camping in an RV/travel trailer/truck camper. But understand the existing power system first, then have an idea of what you want to accomplish with solar, before spending money. You haven't addressed your experience with the camper itself so I'll just assume you understand the basics of its 12V system. The battery system is still your source of power, solar will help extend how long that power is available. We camp in a travel trailer with a 2x6V deep cycle battery setup and 280 watts of solar mounted flat and fixed on the roof. I run an inverter for some light 120V AC loads at times, but most of the power needs are the typical water pump, furnace, and lighting loads. Camping for us is a long weekend type of affair, no need to be self-sufficient for extended periods of time. We run out of water before power ever becomes an issue, so this works fine for our style. Those who live full time in their campers will have different needs.

[ThisBigRoadTrip]

We are full time in an XPCamper with 3 x 170w (510w) panels on the roof and 2 x [2 x 600ah 12v] batteries for 600ah 12v total. We have a fridge in the camper and another SnoMaster in the truck. These are probably the biggest energy hogs at around 5a or 6a per hour. We don't usually care too much about energy as we travel on average every other day and have been in sunny locations recently.

We hardly ever plug in, maybe a couple of times a month to hit a proper full charge. Whether solar or extra solar is beneficial to you depends on how long you need to be off grid for, whether you plug in and how often you drive along with how long you drive for (if you get a charge from the truck). The truck charge, for us, is a

We had the camper set up as this by default, just added two extra batteries which were an option. Knowing what power items you will use and how long you need to use them for will help get you an idea of what batteries, solar and inverter you would need.