Whoever said camping should be "roughin' it" has another thing comin'. When you have all the amenities of home inside (and outside) your RV. You've gotta be able to use them without worrying about wearing down and destroying your battery. That's right, I said "destroying your battery." Depleting your battery to 20% of its charge repeatedly will weaken its ability to accept a charge and shorten its life. Even a good deep cycle battery subjected to such abuse will suffer a premature death, unnecessarily forcing you to shell out $60 or more for another battery.

Choosing an Appropriate Solar Panel Kit
Take stock of your power needs and the type of camping you enjoy (i.e. weekend, extended or full-time). If your power demands increase for any reason, solar systems are typically easily expanded by adding more panels or additional kits.

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How RV Solar Panel Kits Work Solar panel kits store the sun's energy for later use as DC power. You can either use a solar power battery charger or run your lights and appliances directly off solar panels. If you run everything off your battery, be sure to charge your battery often enough so as not to drain it down even close to 20% of its charge. This keeps your battery fully charged and at the same time protects it from becoming overcharged.

What To Look For In A RV Solar Power Kit
Look for the UL (underwriter's laboratories) sticker on your kit. If you don't see it, don't buy it. If you buy a kit specifically made for RV's, make sure it comes with directions for installation and wiring, mounting hardware.

Solar Panels vs. Mechanical Generators
The biggest benefit to solar power is that what you generate is clean, odor-free and quiet. No noisy generator running off hydrocarbons and emitting exhaust fumes. Your solar panel system will require very little maintenance and costs nothing for upkeep. There are no moving parts. No oil, no gas or diesel is required to keep it powering your lifestyle. It is safe (again, no moving parts and nothing is burning) and reliable. Panels are often easy to store if they fold up. They're lightweight and easy to move around.

One great benefit of mechanical generators is that you're not depending on whether or not the sun is shining to get instant electricity. Overcast days don't get in the way of your watching your favorite TV shows or blow-drying your hair. You can also place quite a bit of demand on a high output generator and it won't phase it or drain it. Portable RV generators can also be used when the lights go out at home or to power the band's equipment at the big backyard party you throw every Fourth of July. With all the smoke from the BBQ and loud noise from the band, who cares about the noisy, stinky generator.

Today's RV enthusiast wants their power source to be clean, quiet, and free of the vibration and pollution associated with petrochemical fired generators. Solar power options fill this need.