How to hook up solar panels to RV batteries
Solar panels are the most popular tool that is being trendy day by day. It’s not only can power up your RV but your home, office, shops, etc. However, if you want to install it focusing on your RV batteries, it will surely be a great idea.
But, you must know how to hook up solar panels to RV batteries. However, hooking up solar panels to RV batteries is the easiest way if you can go through step by step. And, this is why you should read this article
It’s an excellent and convenient source of energy that relieves you from constant generator usage. The solar panel’s system lessens the dependency on generators. So, charging the RV batteries with solar panels and powering up all your recreational vehicles anywhere is pretty easy. Stay Tuned!
How to Determine the Number of Solar Panels You Need for an RV?
It‘s often confusing to determine the number of solar panels that you need. To remove this confusion, ask yourself the following two questions and you’ll get the answer:
- What are the total watt-hours that you need to use per day?
- What’s the volume of the total energy that your solar panel can deliver?
Find out the answer to these two questions and you’ll get the number of solar panels you need in total. You should make a good balance of all these to create an optimal system. If you can not make a good balance between the solar panel system and RV batteries, you won’t get the power you necessitate.
Again, if you take many RV batteries with only solar panels, it won’t provide the amount of power you require. So, making a perfect and accurate balance is a must.
How to Hook Up Solar Panels to RV Batteries: 5 Easiest Steps
Following only 5 steps, you can easily hook up the solar panels to RV batteries. Before that, you must allocate some of the essential components to complete your job.
Necessary Components You Require
You should have the components that we mentioned below. These are essential for hooking up the solar panels to RV batteries. Let’s see:
Solar Panels
First of all, you’ll have to decide on the total cells of solar panels. Because the numbers of photovoltaic cells build up the solar panels together. So, you’ve to identify the number of cells you require.
Transfer Switch
The transfer switch for the solar panel system is essential to switch the power automatically to the RV panel.
An Inverter
If you want to run your solar panel system without an inverter, it will work only for 12V DC appliances, for example, fans, water pumps, etc. But, including an inverter with the solar power system will allow you to use the 120V AC power appliances like TV, coffee maker, microwave, etc.
Battery
When the solar panel produces electricity, you need a battery to store that produced electricity so that you can use it later. The battery can be of different types like AGM Lead Acid Battery, LifePO Lithium battery, and Flooded Cell Battery (Lead Acid). Choose the type of battery depending on how much wattage you need.
Charge Controller
The RV battery can be damaged due to overcharge. In order to prevent the overcharging problem, you need a charger controller.
Steps to Hook up solar panels to RV Batteries
Here’s our step-by-step guide:
Step-1
Go to the roof of your RV and mount the solar panel on the roof and set the charge controller as close as you can inside the RV.
Step-2
Take a refrigerator vent and keep wiring into the RV from solar panels to the charge controller. If you want to wire directly without a refrigerator vent, it will be alright. But, we recommend you to use the vent because it will save the RV from unnecessary holes on it.
Step-3
Install a circuit breaker or fuse but make sure the fuse is a little bigger compared to the rated current of the charge controller. It will save the entire electrical system from any sudden faults. And, connect the charge controller to the inverter.
Step-4
Install the inverter at a close distance from the RV batteries. Ensure the inverter is away from corrosive battery gases, heat, and other harmful damaging elements. And, the solar panel system is installed but before making the final connection to the RV, double-check the wiring and ensure the polarity both the negative and positive polarity are alright.
Step-5
If everything you’ve found is alright and accurate, plug in your solar panels on the charge controller. And, you’re done!
Conclusion
The solar panel’s system will let you use the abandoned energy of the Sun. Using solar panels, you can harvest the natural energy you necessitate. Therefore, it will bring a plethora of liberty to your everyday life. So, if you don’t want to miss out on this amazing solar panel system for your RV battery, you’ve to learn how to hook up solar panels to RV batteries.
FAQs
Well, if the wattage of the solar panels comes in extremely low wattage either 5 or below 5 watts, you can connect it directly and it will work. But, we don’t recommend it as it’s not safe. It will be a good idea to use a charge controller because it’s completely safe to charge the RV battery. Also, it will deliver a long-lasting life span and optimal performance.
Absolutely it does! It will value your investment in many ways, for example, saving your electricity costs, noiseless operation, easy to maintain, easy to install, and many more.
Usually, solar panels are designed to last and serve for approximately 25 years. So, it is around one-third of your entire life. Many solar panels were installed in the early 1980s and still, they are working at the expected capacity.