Best RV Solar Kit: The Top 7 of 2024

If you’re new to solar power for RV use or indeed RVing in general, the WindyNation 100-watt kit is a great option to keep on your shortlist. Not only is it surprisingly affordable, but it provides everything needed to begin harnessing free and clean solar energy.

With this kit, WindyNation delivers an efficient, reliable solution for portable off-grid power. It’s centered around a 100 watt polycrystalline panel. On an average day, it can produce up to 33-ampere hours and 350-watt hours, which is more than enough to charge an iPhone and power a TV.

The included charge controller is also pretty well-made and allows you to monitor the ampere-hours, amperage, voltage, and load draw. While you can leave the settings as is, experienced users can also fine-tune them for better charging and increased efficiency which is a nice touch.

Best of all, it can handle up to four 12 volts 100-watt panels, so you can add panels as needed without buying another kit. Of course, you’ll need extra batteries then as well.

Speaking of batteries, the solar charge controller is compatible with any deep-cycle battery. However, unlike many other models, this WindyNation kit already comes with a deep-cycle 12 volts 100Ah AGM BattaMax battery. You also get MC4 connectors, a 40-foot solar cable, and mounting hardware, so you’re all set from the get-go!

The panel itself could do with having a beefier frame to better stand up to the elements, but unless you’re driving down the interstate in a hailstorm with it attached to the roof, it should be just fine.

It doesn’t come with a battery, but the Renogy 100W checks every other box, making it our top pick for today’s best overall solar power system for RV travel.

What other boxes does it check? Good question. Let’s start with arguably the most critical feature, the solar panel.

The Renogy offering is a monocrystalline solar panel for higher energy production and efficiency. It also performs better in warm weather, making it ideal for summer camping trips.

For added durability, the panel is protected by iron-tempered glass. It can handle wind, rain, hail, and snow loads. Meanwhile, the MC4 connectors are IP67 waterproof, and the junction box is IP65 waterproof, so they’ll withstand the heaviest of downpours.

The only downfall of the Renogy 100W is that the panel’s legs are mounted onto thin plastic blocks. So, despite the durability of the rest of the panel’s construction and the other kit components, it’s smart to mount it to the roof of your RV or at least pull it from the ground when the conditions get rough.

If you like the complete kit approach of the WindyNation 100W but yearn for a little more power, the WindyNation 400W might be just what you’re after.

It comes with not one but four polycrystalline 100W panels, providing a total power output of 400 watts. Realistically, you can expect it to produce 150-ampere hours and 1,700-watt hours a day. However, as is always the case with solar power, this depends on the weather.

To help you harness so much energy, the kit also comes with four deep-cycle 100Ah AGM batteries, providing you with a whopping 400-ampere hours of power storage. That’s enough to run the AC, refrigerator, microwave, and even a few devices.

In addition to its array of panels and batteries, the kit also includes a P30L charge controller with an LCD screen, which makes it easy to view and adjust the load draw. However, its pulse width modulation unit does this automatically to avoid overloads and the possibility of a short circuit.

Of course, it comes with an inverter, MC4 connectors, solar cable, battery connection cables, and mounting hardware, as well.

Like the WindyNation 100W Kit, the panels could be more durable. However, the only real drawback is the inverter. It works okay, but an upgrade to a better-quality inverter is recommended.

The HQST 100 watts 12 volts Solar system is another excellent option for those seeking a little more power than the average kit provides. It’s fit for both 12-volt and 24-volt arrays and suitable for several off-grid applications. Whether you want to power a water pump, outdoor lights, or your RV, this kit can do it.

It has an average output of 500-watt hours and 40-ampere hours a day, which is slightly higher than the output of many other setups. From 50 percent, you can expect to fully charge a 100Ah battery in about five hours. If you’re camping in a sunny locale, you can add an extra battery and double your charging time to run the AC, lights, and more.

Since it’s a kit, it also comes with a pwm charge controller, which automatically recognizes either 12V or 24V system voltage. The charge controller is also rated for 400 watts, so you can string several panels and batteries together before needing to invest in another.

A power inverter is also included so that you can power any appliances or electronic devices. However, like many other products on this list, the HQST doesn’t come with a battery or battery cables, so you’ll have to purchase them separately. It’s also a bit bulky and heavy, so while it does come with mounting brackets, the bulk makes installation a little difficult.

The Newpowa 100 watts 12 volts Kit features a 36-cell polycrystalline panel that’s suitable for charging any deep-cycle 12V battery. While it won’t charge it as fast as a monocrystalline panel, it will do the job.

Since it’s a kit, it also comes with a charge controller and power inverter, so you can power your RV appliances and devices without buying anything else other than a battery.

Where the Newpowa shines is in its construction and durability. The cells are encapsulated in a protective EVA material, and the back of the panel is covered with TPT for added protection as well.

Unfortunately, this added protection equals a little more weight. While you can still set it up on the ground for use as needed, we recommend taking the “set it and forget it” approach.

The Allpowers SunPower RV Solar Panel is unlike any other on this list. While other solar panels are flat and rigid, the SunPower is bendable. In fact, it can bend up to 30 degrees, making it super versatile and ideal for installation on rounded roofs and angled or uneven surfaces.

Thanks to its frameless design, it’s also incredibly lightweight and portable. Only weighing 4.7 pounds, it weighs ¼ as much as most other solar panels, including the Newpowa above. This means you can pack it up and take it with you virtually anywhere off the beaten path.

Despite the lightweight, flexible solar panel design, the Allpowers SunPower panels are also quite durable. It can withstand up to 113 pounds per square foot of snow load and one-inch hail impacts at over 50 mph. If that weren’t impressive enough, the flexible solar panels are also monocrystalline, so it’s incredibly efficient and performs well in a wide variety of conditions.

Unfortunately, while the panel is excellent, that’s pretty much all you get. If you don’t already have a charge controller, battery, and cables, you’ll need to purchase each of these separately in order to get the panel up and running.

Did we save the best for last? If you define the best RV solar kits as the ones that have the most power, then yes, we certainly did.

As its name suggests, the Go Power! can produce a hefty amount of energy, making it great for powering multiple devices and living the on-the-go camper lifestyle.

Unlike other solar kits, its panel can generate up to 120 watts of power each and every hour. This is more than enough to comfortably live the RV lifestyle for days, weeks, and even months on end.

In addition to its powerful panel, the kit also features a built-in 10-ampere charge controller, XLR-style solar plug adapter, and a carrying case, so all you have to do is buy a battery and you’re good to go.

If we had to nitpick, the only thing we weren’t impressed with was the side latches that are supposed to keep the panel folded and closed. They’re just a little flimsy, especially for frequent off-grid use.