Hunting Trailer
 

Considering buying a new trailer for hunting gear and am considering buying either a generator or using solar panels for power needs. Anyone have any experience or advice? I prefer purchasing solar panels, maybe something attached to the roof of the trailer, for power use but am not sure of the cost benefits of doing so.

Thanks!!!

We hooked up some solar lights in our cabin. Setting up the system is more complicated than it seems, but it can be done. You system must be set up for DC current, not AC. That requires different hardware. The whole system must "balance". There are plenty of sources of materials and knowledge. You'll need a battery or two to store electricity. All said and done, the system has worked flawlessly for 3 years so far.

So you set up the panels on your roof and then use that to supplement your energy needs or do they provide enough wattage for all your electrical needs? I have heard that once the panels are set up they do provide quiet efficienct energy...

I was thinking about buying a trailer I saw that carried both solar panels and batteries and then using that for hunting as well as for my rv... I know most RV's are already set up for DC current...

Yes, you match the size or quantity of batteries to how long that you want to sustain the maximum wattage load (i.e. 12 hr) without a recharge. The solar panel size matches the battery size or quantity.
We have propane for cooking and some lights. The solar system supplements that.
The solar light bulbs are expensive. They are LED, quite bright, and won't burn out in our lifetime. We used deep-cycling marine batteries. They've worked summer & winter.

You'd better get a small generator for extra juice because that solar panel will not be enough to keep a battery charged when you're drawing juice for a furnace motor, etc. It's worse on a Fall or early winter hunt when there may be little sunshine for the panel. I'm out west for anywhere from 5 to 11 weeks every Fall in my trailer and I figure a gallon of gas a day for the generator to keep everything in the trailer operational, including the micro.