Solar Power for RVs and Boats

The single most important upgrade we have made to our two full-time trailers and our cruising sailboat has been the installation of solar power. This page lists all our links to our solar power posts on this website.

The best place to start so you can get an overview of the whole topic of off-the-grid solar power is with this article:

RV Solar Power Made Simple

Fifth wheel trailer solar power 681

The panels on our trailer allow us to live very comfortably no matter where it is parked.

Solar power is not expensive and is not difficult to install.  It has given us a life of total independence and the ability to live completely off the grid, boondocking (or “free camping“) on America’s gorgeous public lands or anchoring out in Mexico’s bays.

Boat solar power installation

Our sailboat installation even impressed the folks at Kyocera Solar!! How cool is that??!!

We never have to worry about finding (or paying for) marinas, campgrounds or RV parks!

Since we began traveling full-time in 2007, as of June 2019, we have boondocked in our trailer for nearly 3,200 nights and we have anchored out in our sailboat for over 900 nights, going without shore power (or “hookups”) for months — and even years — at a time.  What a beautiful experience and life of freedom it has been!

Our solar powered mobile lifestyle has caught the attention of the solar industry.  In May, 2013, Kyocera Solar Power, the manufacturer of one of the major brands of solar panels, featured our sailboat’s solar power installation on the Kyocera website. In addition, Clean technica, a green energy online magazine, wrote a feature article about our solar installation, and the story was ultimately picked up by Scientific American.

 

SOLAR POWER OVERVIEW and TUTORIAL

BATTERIES and BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEMS

LIVING ON 12 VOLTS