When we decided to buy an RV we did a lot of research into the various types out there and eventually decided to buy a truck camper. Slide-in campers are as easy to drive and maneuver as the truck they rest in, are low maintenance, and hold their value. The compact size and off-road capability — the ability to drive to locations that a Class A or fifth wheel could not go — was appealing to us. Since driving to these off-the-beaten-path locations also means you're dry camping, we knew we would need to eventually add solar. Our used camper came with 100 watts of solar and two AGM batteries, at 70 amp-hours each. We recently finished making these upgrades and wanted to share some details about what we did.
Admittedly, we may be a little bit ahead of ourselves investing in new solar panels and batteries, since the beautiful places we want to visit are thousands of miles away and we can't take off to visit them without lots and lots of planning. Plus, at this stage in our lives, we can only hit one of those far-off places per year — or perhaps only every other year. But we'll be ready when retirement comes, and until then will enjoy the boondocking we can find in the south. We may eventually add a portable solar panel to supplement what we have or to charge things like laptops and phones.
What we changed
We went from...
100 watts to 400 watts (eventually we'll figure out a way to tie in the pre-existing solar panel—send us a message if you have done this)
Two AGM batteries at 70 amp-hours each to two lithium-ion batteries at 100 amp-hours each
Will did tons of research and chose Renogy Solar panels and Battleborn deep cycle batteries. The lithium-ion batteries weigh in at about half of the AGM batteries. He wired up a Victron BMV smart monitor to the batteries and a Victron solar charge controller. Will also installed a new converter charger to make sure that the lithium-ion batteries would charge in three stages. If we're on shore power this will convert 120 to 12 volts to charge the battery. The new system enables us to use our cell phone to check on the charge and how much power is being used. It's so much better than the battery monitor toggle on the vent hood!
To minimize penetrations through our roof Will chose to secure the solar panels to the existing luggage rack. The original plan was to move the batteries from their drawer beneath the sink to the dinette area and run the solar panel wires down through the refrigerator vent. The battery drawer feeds into the cabinet below the kitchen sink, and Will knew that wiring the new battery monitor would be difficult due to the space constraints. However, we discovered that there wasn't room to move the batteries, and we would have had to demolish the dinette to access the space. That wasn't a project we wanted to take on right now. That being said, we are interested in anyone who has a similar camper and has replaced their dinette with a sofa, because it's something we'd like to eventually do. Please send us a message here or on Instagram and let us know how you did it!
At the beginning of the install, I fed the solar panels up to Will using a hand line. He lined them up and attached them to the existing roof rack. Will hung the solar panel circuit breaker in our closet and drilled into the ceiling above so he could feed the solar panel wires into the breaker. He spent months acquiring all of the parts and pieces for this project. Once we had everything in hand he spent a few more months working up the nerve to drill into our camper ceiling. That's a little exaggeration, but it was nerve-wracking nonetheless.
We aren't big on making how-to videos (maybe we're camera shy? I don't know!). But I shot a few progress videos along the way which you can watch here. Since this isn't much of a step-by-step tutorial if you have any questions about our installation please send us a message and we'll be glad to help!
What we bought
I wish I had taken a photo of Will's workbench at the project start. He laid out everything he needed to install the batteries, solar panels, converter and monitor. There had to have been hundreds of pieces that went into this installation. I've linked what I can below.
TEMCo 10 AWG/Gauge Solar Cable (red, 50 feet)
TEMCo 10 AWG/Gauge Solar Cable (black, 50 feet)
BougeRV Solar Crimping Tool for 14-10AWG Solar Panel
6 Gauge 6 AWG 20 Feet Black + 20 Feet Red Welding Battery Pure Copper Flexible Cable Wire
TEMCo WC0051-20' (10' Blk, 10' Red) 1/0 Gauge AWG Welding Lead & Car Battery Cable Copper Wire BLACK + RED |
Blue Sea Systems m-Series Mini On-Off Battery Switch with Knob
6 Gauge 6 AWG 20 Feet Black + 20 Feet Red Welding Battery Pure Copper Flexible Cable Wire
BUNKER INDUST 6-10 Gauge 50A Battery Quick Connect Wire Harness Plug Kit
2 AWG Gauge Marine Grade Wire Boat Battery Cables with 3/8" Lugs
Carperipher 50 Pcs AWG 8/6/4/2 Heavy Duty Copper Wire Lugs with 50 Pcs 3:1 Heat Shrink Tubings
MEGA/AMG Fuse 50 Amp, 32V, 298 Series, Time Delay, Bolt Down
uxcell 2 Poles 50A 400V Low-voltage Miniature Circuit Breaker
uxcell IP65 ABS Transparent Cover Power Distribution Protection Box
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