Switching Your RV From Propane to Solar: Yea or Nay?

It’s a big YEA for us, not just because off-grid solar is our thing. 

We lived in our fully solar motorhome (except for a propane camping stove) for a good part of the last three years — and the solar solution checks the boxes for sustainability, cost, convenience, and safety.

But is it worth it for you? Let’s examine the advantages of running your RV on solar and explore the top from-the-trenches tips to help you get the most out of your system.

The benefits of running your RV or motorhome on solar

Solar is a renewable energy source. Unlike propane, which releases carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the air during combustion, it's virtually emissions-free. Unlike a propane generator, solar is noise-free. It won’t disturb a peaceful nature experience or win you stink eyes at campsites.

Besides being good for the planet, solar keeps on giving. While the initial cost is higher, solar power is essentially free once set up. On the other hand, propane requires continuous refueling, and the cost adds up over time.

Speaking of refueling, propane could be the bottleneck limiting your ability to stay off-grid for an extended period. Meanwhile, solar allows you to be self-sufficient. You don’t have to monitor fuel levels and interrupt your adventures to refill tanks.

Additionally, solar systems have fewer moving parts and experience less wear and tear. For example, properly installed solar panels can last for ~20 years or more with minimal maintenance. Meanwhile, you can expect a >10-year lifespan from lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.

Using a solar system with the proper safety measures is much safer than carrying propane, which poses risks like leaks, explosions, and carbon monoxide poisoning. Moreover, LFP batteries are intrinsically safe, and we can dial up the safety parameters with our battery management system (BMS) per client request.

With the right equipment and configuration, your solar system can go beyond the basics to power larger devices, including conditioners and entertainment systems, for a no-compromise travel experience.

How to put your RV or motorhome on solar

Since an RV has limited real estate on the roof and inside the vehicle, proper dimensioning is critical to generating the required power without taking up excess space. 

Start by assessing your power usage and consumption pattern. You may tally up all your appliances, look at the wattage, and estimate how many hours per day you use each device. See how many of them you may run simultaneously to calculate the inverter capacity you need. Also, consider the surge power an appliance may pull.

With limited real estate on the roof, you’ll need to calculate how many panels you can accommodate (consider space for vents, antenna, etc., which you can’t cover with panels) and determine the power output for each panel. Most solar panels are 100 to 400W, so you may need to weigh the tradeoffs among costs, power production, and demand.

You’ll also need a solar charge controller (SCC), an inverter, a battery bank, mounting hardware, and proper wiring, fuses, and connectors.

Some SCCs have a display or a smartphone app that allows you to monitor the solar system’s performance and understand if you need additional capacity. Meanwhile, a robust BMS can show you the batteries’ state of charge to help you make informed decisions about your consumption.

Tips to make your RV solar setup more cost-efficient

Be mindful of trees, buildings, or other obstacles blocking the sun, especially when you park for a few days at a campsite. You may move your vehicle to catch the sun to maximize power production.

You may lower your power requirement (and do more with less with your budget) withenergy-efficient appliances. Anything that moves heat (e.g., air conditioners, ovens, and hair dryers) is power-hungry, so limit their use — especially at night and during cloudy days.

You can also reduce the battery capacity you need by using power-hungry appliances when the sun is out. For example, you may set a timer to turn on the water heater during the daytime for a few hours.  

Devices like chargers, TVs, Starlink, or routers consume energy in standby mode, so unplug or turn them off when not in use (you can put Starlink to sleep via the app when you sleep). Electric stoves use a lot of power, so consider using a propane one instead (that’s the only propane-powered item we use.) You may also consider a solar oven.

Furthermore, you may increase heating and cooling efficiency by installing ample insulation. For example, reflective window covers and insulated window shades can help minimize heat gain and loss. Supplement air conditioners with fans to improve ventilation, keeping the interior comfortable without using a lot of power.

Some foresight and a Plan B go a long way

While we can’t control when the sun shines, we can develop habits and have plans to mitigate power issues when the sun doesn’t cooperate (or your cat opened the fridge at night to steal milk and forgot to close it.)

Develop awareness of your usage patterns and your appliances’ power consumption. Limit using non-essential ones when cloudy days or bad weather are in the forecast.

Don’t throw out your propane generator — use it as a backup when you have unexpected energy needs or during low-production days. You may also use portable solar panels to increase power production while parked.

For example, we splurge. When stationary, we hook up extra ground-mount panels to comfortably run three air conditioners, a full-sized fridge, a kettle, a washing machine, a microwave, an oven, a water heater, Starlink, and 26 devices.

Here are two more things we do with our setup, but they require extra work. We connect the engine with the electrical system so that the batteries charge when we run the engine. This setup allows us to charge the batteries while driving. We can also run the engine on cloudy and stormy days when solar production is low to charge the batteries.

We also have a dual-purpose diesel heater: It heats water and runs the under-floor radiant heat. We use the diesel heater on cold and cloudy winter days, so we don’t heat water with solar. However, we heat water with solar on a sunny day, and the connected system also provides radiant heat under the floor — two birds with one stone!

Want to explore solar for your RV? Get in touch to schedule an onsite visit.