Making Sense of Solar
Welcome to our solar page! Check back often as we plan we updating with new information as we learn more and upgrade…not to mention new giveaways and product reviews.
GIVEAWAYS!
40-Watt Portable Solar Panel: Portable kits provide all the power of roof mounted solar kits with the added benefit of being able to place them anywhere under the sun.
To enter the giveaway, just become a KYD Insider through our Patreon Page! Not only will you get your own #TravelingGinger, but we’re doing giveaways nearly every month.
The winner will be announced on Thursday, August 10th!
Zamp Solar LED Lighting Ket: Connect this to any 12v power source or 120v wall outlet for instant light. A perfect accessory for any place or adventure that needs POWERFUL, portable lighting.
To enter the giveaway, just go to our Instapage and find the picture of Trish & Tori hanging out with the portable Zamp unit above and the instructions to enter are in the post!
We’ll be picking a winner from the comments and announcing on Thursday, August 10th!
Partners
We’re excited to have teamed up with Zamp Solar to recommend quality USA made products with a dedicated team that will support the KYD Community. During our tour of the Zamp factory, it was clear that Zamp’s craftsmanship had the attention to detail necessary to produce a built to last product. Visit Zamp’s website for more information and how to get started with being even more sustainable.
Batteries are the heart & soul of any RV and when it comes to off-grid solutions, have the right setup can make or break a trip. It was important to us that we partnered with a resource that was going to take the time with the KYD Community to develop the right solution.
Josh from Battery systems offered to help you with your “solar math”, which was very helpful for us! You can email Josh (below) or visit the website of Battery Systems. Email: Solar @ batterysystems (dot) net
Resources
Below is a diagram provided by Zamp that displays the components necessary for a portable solar kit and roof mounted solar kit. Keep in mind, that a Zamp portable kit comes with a built-in load controller to ensure your batteries will never be overcharged. Additionally, the inverter has a regulator to prevent charging devices once the batteries have dipped below 50%.
We’ll be added more content to this section in the coming days.
Not so small print:
It’s important to mention that our opinions can never be purchased and we’re not getting paid from Zamp or Battery Systems. They provided the products for us to give our honest review and feedback. We would not recommend any company or product unless we were confident they would take care of the KYD Community!
Great Information. Emailed Josh for the mapping too. Question though. How doe we enter to win a solar system? I am excited at the possibilities.
Hey there Debra –
We already did this giveaway but there will be more to come! We are glad you are on the KYD journey with us!
Tricia
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Did you make part 2 of solar? Good job on part 1, cannot find more info though. Quite possibly I don’t know correct way to look.thanks!
We are looking for Part 2, too.
We are too! So much going on right now. But this is sure to be a big part of our Alaska trip. Stay tuned and we love that you are on this journey with us! Tricia
Awesome!!! Can’t wait!!
Marc/Trish, do you/can you run the AC(s) with the batteries/solar or is this strictly to charge the battery? How fast does this actually charge your two 6 volts from say if they were dead? When you do dry camp, is it for one night or a week? ( im guessing its as long as you can sustain water/ holding tank cap?)
Looking for Part 2 please
Looking at your new solar
Hi Marc;
I just watched your Solar install vidio last night. (June 2018) I can not tell for sure, but, I think you chose to wire the panels in parallel and use a PWM controller. I would have thought series panels (higher voltage but better in shade or northern lattitudes) with a MPPT controller would have worked better for you. Did you consider this? Is there a reason(s) that you went with parallel?
Larry (and Laurie) Traylor
23ft Komfort towed with Tundra
What was the name of your easy start for you ac?
Micro-Air. Link in the blog. Maybe the other blog about solar.
Hi guys
I have a coachmen 215 RBK. I looking for a solar panel just to keep my battery charge. Can you please give the info on what I need to make this possible. Thank
Can not begin to tell you all how much we enjoy your channel and all your info. We to are going to Alaska with our 5th wheel next July and it is so hard to wait. Keep up the good work and Godspeed.
Thanks!
I don’t know if this question has been asked so here it goes. I know you had companies donate to your rig, but would it cost the everyday person?
Zamp provided the portable solar panel. You can find it here for $663. The 6v batteries you can get anywhere – not too expensive. And the small inverter is around $250 https://backcountrysolar.com/collections/zamp-portable-solar-kits/products/zamp-120-watt-portable-solar-charging-system
Cool gadget!
Mount works well but you need to have a flat surface like a wall. I used it for in the car and the back is only about 50% in contact with the adhesive strip because of the contour of the dash. The mount still holds well enough but has a bit of wiggle.
I think they’re history..
Would you be concerned about exchanging hyperlinks?