RV DIY Solar - Gila Bend AZ

[Kiwi3]

If you want solar, but don't want to have to learn to be an electrician you might be interested in this guy. He will walk you through it but more importantly has a building to help you safely install it without fear of killing yourself falling off the bus and has all the miscellaneous parts on hand that I always have to order half way through a job.

https://rvdiysolar.com/

The One Customer A "Day" Store

A Do-It-Yourself guided day of a Shore Power Solar System installation
We set up a safe space with all of the equipment and tools for "Y"ou to install a solar power system that connects only through your vehicle's Shore Power 220V 50A Service.

What happens if I book a "day"?
After you schedule a "day" at www.rvdiysolar.com to install Shore Power Solar, you will be contacted to set up a video chat to see our secret installation center and get a look at your RV. You are now my customer and have my attention.

Make a plan for parts
At www.rvdiysolar.com we have collected everything we can think of to turn your RV into an efficient power station. Prices are marked up. Think Camping World level of gouging but it is all really cool solar stuff. We will talk about currently available inverters, chargers and batteries to plan your installation. I also need to get a FaceTime or video chat view of your vehicle so we can plan for any custom solar panel racks and a safe place to mount your Power Station.

He has a couple of videos out on his YouTube channel, but he doesn't seem to like doing all the tech/editing for that (humm do we know anyone like that? )

Interesting concept. I like the idea of a DIY shop with the safety gear, tools, and some training. Hope it works well for him so he doesn't have to go back to work for the bank. His isn't the only way to do it, but it is one way if you just want something that works when you plug it in.

*Note: I'm not planning on using his spot, I live dangerously and hang out on the roof all the time. You should see me sliding down the metal roof on the house while installing panels and antennas up there.

[Charlie Fox]

My dream is to buy and build a place to work on my baby and draw all of you all with the knowledge to come out and have a place to work on yours....
Cause Birds are crazy to work on and I read Tom Sawyer.

[wandermore]

Interesting, but I don't totally get it. What is so hard about solar? It seems to me the only thing he really provides is a little knowledge, a safety harness, and some extra parts that can easily be obtained from amazon through a few hours of planning or discovery. It is too unclear to me what this guy is charging and what he provides other than hand holding and motivation to take the plunge.

I think the best way to do solar is to start small with a couple panels and the right charge controller, then add more as you go to see how much power fits your needs. This also gives you the opportunity to discover how willing you are to render other rooftop maintenance a serious headache like cleaning the coils on your AC units, clearing leaves, washing the paint, tightening screws, checking your spare tire, etc.

[MRPutz]

Originally Posted by wandermore

Interesting, but I don't totally get it. What is so hard about solar? It seems to me the only thing he really provides is a little knowledge, a safety harness, and some extra parts that can easily be obtained from amazon through a few hours of planning or discovery. It is too unclear to me what this guy is charging and what he provides other than hand holding and motivation to take the plunge.

I think the best way to do solar is to start small with a couple panels and the right charge controller, then add more as you go to see how much power fits your needs. This also gives you the opportunity to discover how willing you are to render other rooftop maintenance a serious headache like cleaning the coils on your AC units, clearing leaves, washing the paint, tightening screws, checking your spare tire, etc.

Apparently you haven't lived in Arizona with the 115 degree "dry" heat?
Also much better to design, plan, and purchase the right stuff up front rather than having to purchase everything again because the system you purchased won't expand.

[wandermore]

Originally Posted by MRPutz

Apparently you haven't lived in Arizona with the 115 degree "dry" heat?

What is the connection between the desert environment and my lack of understanding of this service provider's offering? Are you hinting that it allows you to install your own system in the shade?

Originally Posted by MRPutz

Also much better to design, plan, and purchase the right stuff up front rather than having to purchase everything again because the system you purchased won't expand.

We are in 100% agreement. That's why I said buy the "right" controller. I knew up front I may want to keep adding more power and desired remote monitoring (read: not bluetooth, but wifi) so I made sure the first controller I installed had daisy chaining and wifi connectivity to my bus internet network. I have added several more panels since and when I get uncomfortable with the temp reading on the controller due to the power output, I will add a second and/or more panels.

I just don't get the point of taking one's bus to a facility where they won't even touch the vehicle or paying them for some secret list of parts when there are people posting their install information and experiences all over the www.

[jberger]

I can't speak for Michael, but I do remember when I first truly understood how hot it gets in the Desert.
We were in Arizona visiting family and I left my walkman on the dash of the car.
The plastic melted right to the dash along with my prince and the revolution cassette tape.
Total bummer.

As an Alabama guy, I knew a thing or two about summer heat, but that's when I figured out desert heat.

The idea of a nice and safe place to install the panels out of the heat sounds good to me, but I wonder how well the business plan pencils out in the end.

Bruce, I think we might be related, a couple of those DIY videos were in my YouTube feed this week.

[MRPutz]

Originally Posted by wandermore

What is the connection between the desert environment and my lack of understanding of this service provider's offering? Are you hinting that it allows you to install your own system in the shade?

Yes... it gets so hot you can't leave your tools in the sun otherwise you'll get burned if you touch them. same for the coach roof top, solar panels, etc..

Originally Posted by wandermore

We are in 100% agreement. That's why I said buy the "right" controller. I knew up front I may want to keep adding more power and desired remote monitoring (read: not bluetooth, but wifi) so I made sure the first controller I installed had daisy chaining and wifi connectivity to my bus internet network. I have added several more panels since and when I get uncomfortable with the temp reading on the controller due to the power output, I will add a second and/or more panels.

Agreed. The issue is most people don't know what they don't know so end up spending much more than needed. At this place maybe a little guidance could go a long way.

Originally Posted by wandermore

I just don't get the point of taking one's bus to a facility where they won't even touch the vehicle or paying them for some secret list of parts when there are people posting their install information and experiences all over the www.

So basically just a place to work on your bus with no neighbors or Associations preventing you from doing so. There also a guy back East that lets you rent his shop stalls and tools to work on your bus too. Same business model basically.

[wandermore]

Thanks, Michael. That makes sense. I just figured people plan their installs around the weather if they don't have cover.

Jayson articulated it better than me about wondering how well this business plan pencils out in the end. It sounds like others may see the value in it. I will be interested to see how busy he gets.

[Kiwi3]

Another game changer, not really for RVs but rather for your house... or a really big RV...

SolArc now has a 15KW All-In-One that just connects between the power meter and the fuse panel for whole house backup. It already has the 200A transfer switch and pretty much all the components built in to be code compliant. So there finally is a plug and play system. And you can hook up multiples in daisy chain if you need more than 15KW. It supports AC and DC solar panels, generators, on-grid, off-grid, with or without battery storage, power sell back and more. Pricy unit, but you are basically putting a power plant into your house with this one.

SolArc 15K All-In-One

Video Review

Could you put it in a bus, sure but you'll probably use the whole back closet for it. Really better for a home or shop.

[konehd]

I put in one of the SolArk 12k hybrid inverters in our house. Wanted to add batteries and that was the easiest route.

Its working great, but I would think its way overkill for a bus!

They also make an 8k inverter...
https://www.sol-ark.com

Heres a pix of the inverter and the 9kwh battery...



-Joe