Take your home on the road! With the high costs of living in many cities, more and more families are taking to the open road in RVs.
Living the RVing lifestyle offers freedom and flexibility. There’s no better way to see the sights and sounds of the country than taking your home wherever you want to go.
Portable generators are a must-have for anyone living in an RV full time in winter. Here’s why solar generators are your best options.
RVing Is a Totally Doable and Fun Way of Life
As they criss-cross the country in search of adventure, RV owners have to tackle many practical problems.
Cooking, sleeping, and even bathing are all a piece of cake in an RV. However, there are some other things RVers need to figure out for themselves.
For example, what about work? Will the RVers work remotely, or somewhere near their location? And how about internet access? How will they ensure reliable access?
Most importantly, how will they keep their RV comfortable in all weather conditions? Most RVs have heating and A/C systems installed, but they need electricity to work.
These questions have all been solved by the RV community over the years. Many RVers use satellite internet to work or stay in campgrounds that offer free wifi.
For work, RVers video conference, write, teach, design websites, code, run blogs, and do customer service. Some even run online shops and service businesses on their laptops, or operate digital marketing agencies.
Solar Generators Are Great for RVing
RVing continues to soar in popularity. The solution to an independent and comfortable RV lifestyle is simple. Take a portable power source wherever you go. Most RVers use portable generators or solar panels.
Generators come in small packages but can put out a decent amount of power. They will keep all your appliances running so you don’t need to connect with an outlet.
Some generators are fuel-powered, some use the sun. Fuel-powered generators put out a lot of electricity, but they have some notable drawbacks.
If you want to use a fuel-powered generator, you’ll of course need to carry the fuel along with you. This means extra weight and less storage space. Generators are also very loud, which is an obvious obstacle if you want to maintain peace and quiet.
Fortunately, solar-powered generators are quieter and you can use them wherever you have sunlight.
Living in an RV Full Time in Winter
Regulating the temperature of your RV in the summertime is easy. Just head for the mountains, or go north to a cooler climate.
But what should you do in the winter? If you go south, it’ll still be cold for a good portion of the season, and even into spring.
Finding a good generator can solve this problem for you. And solar generators are one of your best options for keeping your RV nice and cozy, no matter how cold the weather may be outside.
Solar generators are ultra-portable and do not require an electrical hookup to run. You can go anywhere with a solar generator and you’ll still have power.
After solar panels convert the sun’s rays into electricity, it is stored in a panel of batteries. The batteries then put out AC current.
How to Use a Portable Solar Generator
Setting up a portable solar generator system is a snap, whether you’re in a campground or off-roading in a meadow.
You will need a couple of solar panels to place around your RV and collect the sun. Because they’re so easy to move, you could even place them on the roof and reposition them as needed during the day.
Since only so much power can come from one generator, you may want to use two. While you’re using one to run your RV appliances, the other one can be charging. This way you’ll never have to wait for power.
To find the best solar generator for RVs, do your research and compare brands based on your unique RV needs.
How Many Things Can You Power With a Generator?
Most standard sized generators can power several gadgets at the same time. You may be able to increase this amount, depending on the size and capacity of the generator you are using.
You can buy small solar cell charging kits and use them to augment your main generator. They provide enough power to charge a cell phone or lamp, and you can charge these smaller devices separately.
Using micro chargers to power up your cell phone or small radio will free up the main generator for use with your larger items, like refrigerators, heaters, and hot plates.
If you know the wattage of the appliances you need to run, choosing the right generator won’t be too difficult. You’ll need to know the approximate number of starting watts needed for the appliance, as well as the number of watts required to keep it running.
For example, the average refrigerator needs around 700 watts to run, and an additional 200 watts to start. You would need to find a generator that outputs 900 starting watts and 700 running watts.
Use this same method, you can add up all the starting and running watts of all the appliances you plan to use. Then find a generator that puts out enough electricity to keep them all running simultaneously.
If you have a TV, refrigerator, microwave, several lights, and a heater, expect to use around 3150 watts to run them. To start them, add an extra 2550 watts.
In the worst-case scenario, if you’re planning to use more appliances than you can possibly power with one generator, just rotate them. You won’t be able to do this with a refrigerator, but with almost everything else, you can limit use to one or two at a time.
Solar Generators, RVing, and More
If you’ve enjoyed reading this article about living in an RV full time in winter, we’d like to invite you to keep reading.
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