Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyInTN
Great info here! Thank you. What are your thoughts on an Onan for a supplement while boon-docking or the lower solar charge winter months? Somehow I doubt solar always gets it done for us alone when no shore power is available.
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So the amount of power you will need depends entirely on your individual set-up and how long you would like to remain free from external services.
Some use a single 300W panel for some extra free power, others go the whole nine yards and install systems up to 3kW.
A modest system of 600W of solar, four to six Trojan 6V batteries and a 2000W inverter charger would satisfy then needs of most, for several days off-grid, and unlimited time if you were careful about electricity usage.
Most people throw in a smaller inverter generator for those times when you just need one.
The fly in the power ointment is air-conditioning. Basically, you just can't do it with probably 99% of current set-ups, it just requires too much power.
Which brings us right back to your Onan question. These are available right up to full house size, but tend to run 4500-7500 watts for RV use. They are expensive to buy and expensive to run, but if you have the funds and the desire, they are some of the best generators on the market.
Only you can decide which suits you. I will probably go with a 3100W inverter generator. Good enough for emergency battery charging. Powerful enough to run any of my power tools and sufficient for a decent amount of AC.