PlugIn Solar Guru
Plan my setupPlan

RV/Camper / Pick all three that fit

Build your own RV solar kit

Enter what you use in a day and how long you stay off shore power. The calculator sizes the battery, panels, controller and inverter for a 12 V system.

Example values for RV/Camper. Change any of them.

Add watts times hours for everything you run in a day.
Cloudy days to ride through with no sun.
Use your worst season, not summer.
Everything that can run at the same time.

Our rules of thumb: the battery covers your daily use for the days you set; the panels refill one day of use in your sun hours; the inverter and charge controller get a 25% margin. Planning numbers only, not a wiring design.

What matters

  • Add up watts times hours for everything you run in a day; that is your daily Wh.
  • Use your peak load (everything that can run at once) for the inverter.

Watch out for

  • These are planning numbers from our stated rules of thumb, not a wiring diagram. Have a qualified RV technician check the build.

Keep going

Sources