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I have an RV trailer parked year round. It's off grid, any power we have is by a single solar panel to charge batteries or a generator. Is there a solar panel out there with power outlets to run string lights or coffee etc? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
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There may be such a panel, but traditionally the only real job of a solar panel for an RV is to help charge/trickle-charge the House battery(s), which the 12v fuse panel uses to power your 12v lights, fans, etc. An INVERTER is added to change 12v power to 120v power to run outlets for appliances, tvs, satellite receivers, etc.
You may can find such a 'direct power' solar panel, but it will ultimately include it's own INVERTER anyway, since most any solar panel has no such 120v output, on it's own.... most are 12v, 24v, etc. Regardless, and even if you found such a panel, you have to remember that the sun MUST be out, be providing power at the very moment you NEED to use it, and the panel must be sized LARGE enough to provide the amount of AMPS you would then be using for that time - a COFFEE MAKER is NOT on the list of appliances that a solar panel can power since it uses SO MANY AMPS while it is brewing. String lights would be much easier, though in both of these situations, Coffee in the morning, and String Lights at night, you are asking for power when the sun is NOT out! Sorry.
A simple small inverter could be your answer. W*mt has many of these models and sizes of Power Inverters in the Tire/Battery section. If your Coffee Maker uses up to 8 amps while brewing, you'll need a model sized for at least that, which would be about a 1,000 watt Inverter. These inverters typically use alligator clips to connect directly to your House battery(s), and you can use an extension cord to your Coffee Maker or other needs, such as TVs, device chargers, etc.
Of course, you'll also need enough battery capacity(type, size, amp hours) to make sure you actually can run thru a full Coffee Maker cycle without drawing down the battery(s) too far. 2 of the 6v deep charge 'golf cart' type might work well, wired in Series, to make a 12v output, if that's about all you are really using it for. -
You want two things - a portable inverter/battery/charge controller (often called a "power station" or something like that) and a solar panel. For example, google "Aimtom 540Wh Portable Power Station" for an example. (Not recommending that one, just use that as an example.) It's going to have several important things:
- A battery. In this case, a 540 watt hour battery, which will deliver 540 watts for 1 hour (or 54 watts for 10 hours, or 10 watts for 54 hours etc)
- Battery protection, so you don't overcharge the battery and cause a fire. (or overdischarge it)
- A charge controller to allow you to charge the battery with either AC or solar.
- An inverter to give you 120 volts.
Choose one that suits your needs.
For the solar panel, I'd recommend a fiberglass/metal backed panel; they are lighter and easier to set up than a glass/aluminum panel of the type you see on rooftops. There are lots of these. Google "100W 12V panel" and you'll see dozens of foldable/portable panels. If you are handy you can also buy a flexible panel (like the Renogy 100 watt type) and mount it to plywood or foam or something. I do _not_ recommend using flexible panels without a backing.
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