We hear about it all the time: going green. Getting off of the grid and living or vacationing without a dependance on a electrical connection. Now, more than ever, it’s an affordable process and more people are converting to solar energy in their RVs every day. You might think it’s too complicated or expensive to do, but you’d be wrong. With solar powered lights, fans and battery chargers, you can make your dream of spending some time away from your campsite a reality. Here are a few items that you’ll need to make that happen.
Lessening your dependence on an electrical connection means you’ll have to find an alternate power source to keep your lights on, gadgets charged and appliances running. The best way to do that is to invest in one or more solar cells that can be affixed to the top of your RV, or stood up on the ground, facing the sun. When you have them exposed to the sun, they will provide a steady charge to your battery, thereby keeping your battery charged longer. Depending on the number of solar cells you have, it may keep the battery charged full-time, meaning you’d never have to plug in for a little help keeping it charged. This is perfect for that boondocking vacation you’ve always wanted to take, but been afraid to because of running out of power. Now you can spend as long as you like (or as long as your water supply lasts) out on the lake, away from expensive camp sites. If you only have 1 or 2 solar cells, you may need to plug in at night to keep everything running, laptops charged, refrigerator running and lights on.
If you’re not ready to make the leap into full solar mode, you can always start off small. There are many accessories for your RV or motorhome that are solar powered and lessen your battery’s drain just a little bit. There are solar powered awning lights, outdoor lights, fridge vents, vent fans, even plumbing vents, all designed to take just a bit of the stress off of your battery. By lessening the stress on your battery, you’ll improve the life of it. Too much draining and recharging limits the useable life of the battery.
If you’re a gadget-aholic, using laptops, cell phones and tablets, then a small solar cell would be perfect to keep all of those devices charged. Units designed for that purpose come with a battery pack so you can leave it out in the sun to charge all day, then at night, plug in your devices and watch them charge!
If you’re looking to save a little bit of money every time you head out to a camp site and lessen your dependence on an electrical hook up, then going solar is the way to go. Some camp sites charge upwards of $50 for electric hookups. When that happens, just tell them “No Thanks, I’ve brought my own power.” Check out all of the solar cells and devices at The Outdoor Outfitters.
