The National RV Training Academy (NRVTA) was used to film a video for Big Truck Big RV demonstrating the process to install a Go Power solar system onto a fifth wheel.
The video was needed said “JD” the personality behind the Big Truck Big RV website, because of misinformation over the cost of solar installation. He said many RV owners have been told it would cost $25,000 for solar equipment, plus $10,000 in labor, to equip an RV with enough solar to operate its onboard equipment.
“The most commonly quoted prices for solar installs are simply not realistic for most RV owners,” he said. “Etrailer reached out to me to do what we are calling the ‘Everyman’s solar install.’”
The package included three 570-watt solar panels, a 30-amp controller, 3,000-watt inverter and two 250-amp-hour batteries, said Eva Mitic, Go Power’s marketing manager.
The total equipment cost was close to $11,000 at manufacturer’s retail price. Installation required two days on location at the NRVTA training campus. The total cost is about half the $35,000 JD said owners often were quoted.
Go Power supplied the equipment and sent factory reps to Texas to oversee the installation. Installation was completed by Chris Killeen, with A to Z RV Mobile Repair Services in Tucson, Ariz. He was a student completing an advanced solar class at NRVTA.
Todd Henson, lead technical instructor at NRVTA, supervised and offered guidance.
“A lot of solar installs focus on cosmetics and how the finished product looks on an RV,” JD said. “However, everything behind the panels would be a jumbled mess. We intentionally set up the install with serviceability in mind to ensure essential components and wiring could be easily accessed if a repair was needed.”
Because the RV was pre-wired for a solar connection on the roof, it took the team two days to install the equipment, Mitic said. Installing a pre-wired RV takes about half the time as an RV that is not pre-wired, she said.
“The biggest challenge was trying to find space in the RV where an inverter and charger could fit so that it could be serviced in the future,” she said.
The system added 450 pounds to the RV, considerably less than the 2,000 pounds typically recommended by solar installers, JD said.
Once installed, the system could generate and store enough solar energy to operate a residential refrigerator for 12 to 15 hours or run a single air conditioner for four hours.
Although she strongly recommends hiring a professional installer, Mitic said some people successfully installed systems by themselves.
“A solar panel producing 190 watts of power combined with a 200-amp-hour battery is enough power to operate slides, lights and fans,” she said. “It is enough power from one solar panel to offset the needs of a family of four for four days. Solar makes it an easier, quieter and less expensive way to camp.”
Terry “Cooper” Cooper, president of NRVTA, said he was excited about the project and grateful his team and facility could take part in making it happen.
“Solar is becoming a very popular feature to install on RVs,” he said, “because it gives owners much more flexibility in where they can camp and how long they can stay unplugged from traditional power sources.”
