Solar Panel Size Chart for RVs, Vans, Campers

Are you looking to camp off-the-grid? To unshackle from shore power you will need a way to easily generate power. The cleanest, and easiest way to re-charge your Dakota Lithium batteries is via solar power

Here’s a size chart for what solar panels you need by size of RV/van/camper & how many Dakota Lithium batteries you have.

To connect solar panels to a lithium battery you will need a lithium compatible solar charge controller (a deep dive on RV electrical systems is available here). To connect lithium batteries to charge from an engine’s alternator you will need a DC-DC battery charger. Every Dakota Lithium battery includes a free lithium battery charger for charging via shore power.

For a complete lithium power system kit that includes the solar panels, batteries, chargers and accessories needed check out the recommended off-grid power systems.

 Size of RV # of Batteries Recommended Solar Panel Capacity Recommended Off-Grid Power System
  • 10′-14′
 DL 100 Ah x 1 or DL+ 135Ah x 1 100 watts of solar (100 watts x 1) 12V 100Ah Off Grid Solar Power System
  • 15′-20′
 DL 100 Ah x 1 or DL+ 135Ah x 1  100 – 200 watts of solar (100 watts x 1 or 2) 12V 200Ah Off Grid Solar Power System
  • 21′-30′
 2x DL+ 135Ah or 1x DL 200 Ah or 1x DL+ 280 Ah 200 watts of solar (100 watts x 2) 12V 200Ah Off Grid Solar Power System
  • 31′-40′
 2x DL+ 135Ah or 1x DL+ 280 Ah 400 watts of solar (100 watts x 4) Dakota Lithium 12V 400Ah Off Grid Power
  • 40’+
 2x DL+ 280 Ah, or 1x DL+ 560 Ah 600 watts of solar (100 watts X 6) Dakota Lithium 12V 400Ah Off Grid Power System

 

Please note, RVs and vans tends to have multiple small solar panels instead of a single big solar panel. This is because the roof top of a van or RV tend to have vents, like a kitchen vent, or an air conditioner, or a fan or skylight that makes it hard to install a single large panel. To better use the rooftop space consider connecting a number of smaller, 100 watt panels together. This will achieve a higher solar panel capacity while offering redundancy — if one of the panels gets damaged the rest will still be able to power your system

A deep dive on how to choose a battery for RVs/vans/campers is available here. More on lithium batteries and solar panel efficiency is available here.

This document was last updated on July 19, 2024.