Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Solar Do I really Need?
There is no one size fits all answer to this. The best way to determine how much solar you really need is by filling out our Energy Audit Report and reviewing it with us. Each person or family will have different desires and needs. Only you can make that determination based on how much of the comforts of home you desire. Want to run an Air Conditioner, or multiple Air Conditioners while off grid in the Summer? The needs required to do so are going to be significantly greater than should you not. The Energy Audit will send us in the right direction.
What will it Cost?
This is all determined by your wants and needs. A good starting place is to review our Solar Packages. Keep in mind, we can produce custom systems that will be less than the smallest package and more than the biggest package.
What does 12 volt vs 24 volt vs 48 volt mean?
In a nutshell, your solar system takes a low voltage current and converts it to a high voltage current like what is in a residential home (120 volt) to be used in your RV to run high voltage items and appliances. 12 volt is still widely available but because 12 volt current needs to be multiplied 10 times to get the current to 120, it requires tremendous amounts of conversion. This requires much high “gauge” wiring and also generates significant amounts of heat in the process. 24 volt systems cuts that conversion in 1/2 and now, more readily available 48 volt systems cut that in 1/2 again! 48 volt, in our view, is the way to go and costs only a fraction more than a 12 volt system sized to run your RV!
Where will you do my install?
A great question. We live full time on the road. All the installs we will take on are done “on the road”. In other words, we come to you based on your location in the United States. This means your equipment will be shipped to YOUR location for receipt. It is here we will do the full install. Depending on the install and equipment it can take as few as 2 full days and as many as 10. As this is the case, there are a few parameters which must be met in order to make this happen.
Your rig must be hooked up to shore power and fully functional for the install.
We ask that you provide a location for us to park our rig and truck to do the work. This can be a campground or a piece of property you or a family member owns. We will need one day on the front side and one day on the back side of your install. (If your install is 3 days, we will require a total of 5 days). This location can be anywhere that is legal to park an RV. If it is in a park, you must verify with the park management and receive in writing an approval to do the work on your rig. We ask the site be no greater than a 30 minute drive to the location of your install and that the site has Electricity at a minimum available.
We recommend you NOT inhabit the RV while we are working. If you have a residence, it’s better for us to work there than in a park where you will be actively using your RV. IF the only option you have is to reside in the RV while we work, it will add time to the install as we will need to get the RV ready for you to again use at night. Should you wish to inhabit the RV during the install, there is a fee of $100 per day to do so.
As it relates to the above, please note, on the day of the full hook up and transfer of the power in your RV, it will be fully powered down. There will be no power in the RV. This can last for an afternoon and can, if there are unforeseen issues which arise, last into the following day (which is why we recommend as we do in #3).
What if I don’t want a Package?
Please email us directly if you want to work outside the packages. We prefer the Contact form, but you can also email us directly at rob@robthervguy.com
