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RV Solar Panels | Solar Chargers

Solar chargers in RVs make it possible to either recharge your batteries, or to power electrical devices while you are on the road or off the beaten track. The amount of power supplied will depend on the size of the solar panels you get, and on their intended usage.

Even when batteries are not in use, they slowly discharge over time.

To keep the batteries of your RV at Peak performance during periods where you are not using it, a small solar-powered trickle charger will do just fine. In most cases, you can hook the panels up to the batteries temporarily or permanently, as appropriate. In some cars the panels can be connected straight to the battery, through the cigarette lighter socket of the car.

This is a small portable solar charger designed to maintain 12 volt batteries. It is ideally suited to maintain batteries at their full capacity.

This device is suitable for maintaining charge on batteries for vans, RVs, or boats. It is for any vehicle that carries more powerful electronics (such as small appliances, bilge pumps, etc.) and thus creates a heavier drain on the battery. (The Sunsei 400 slowly charges larger 12V deep-cycle batteries, protecting them through long storage periods.)

The Solio Classic Charger is a another small charger. A special feature of this solar charger is that it has its own rechargeable batteries built in. This means you do not have to have an electrical device connected to it, in order to use the sunlight. You can charge the Soloi's internal batteries, and use them charge your device later.

This is another solar charger that can be used as a trickle charger, though it is more suited to recharging small electrical devices such as cell phones, iPods, MP3 players, AA or AAA batteries, and many others. The Brunton Solarport does not, however, have internal batteries. So it can only be used to charge during daylight hours.

Larger Capacity Solar Panels

Some of these chargers are still portable, consisting of foldable solar panels. Others are more rigid and can be mounted on the roof of an RV or even a small cabin.

The Sunsei SE-1200

What’s more, several Sunsei SE 1200 Chargers can be connected to each other, to increase the power output.

Sunsei Solar Charger SE-4000 or SE-8000

The most usual set up would involve a hybrid system (which gives the the possibility to switch from solar power to generator when needed). This would be ideal if, at times, you have to run equipment with a heavy power drain.

Whereas Brunton and Coleman also have larger chargers, they are of the more portable and foldable type, and not as powerful as the Sunsei line. This does not mean that they won't have more powerful ones out in short order.

Aside from being a clean energy source, solar power does not generate any noise, and is therefore a quiet alternative to a relatively noisy generator.