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      • The Minimalist (great for small vans and cars)
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      • 400 Watt w/ Alternator Charging
      • The Off Grid King (Power Anything!)
    • 48V Offgrid System Blueprint
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      • Solar Trailer
      • 2000 watt, 24v Solar System
      • 4000 watt, 24v Solar System
      • Milk Crate Solar Power System
      • 12v Solar without a Battery
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    • 50-250W Solar Panels
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    • Inverters
    • Solar Charge Controllers
    • Battery Chargers
    • Wire and Connectors
    • Fuses and Circuit Breakers
    • Battery Monitors
    • Battery Capacity Testers
    • Automatic Transfer Switches
    • Battery Isolators
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    • How to Mount Solar Panels to a Vehicle
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The Off Grid King Solar Package
Great for Large RV's, Trailers and Skoolies

This setup works well if you:
  • Want to power gaming computers, power tools, AC fridges and more!
  • Weight and aerodynamics is not a huge factor for your vehicle
Recommended components:
  • 800 watts of glass solar panels and a 80 amp MPPT solar charge controller (or 2x 40 amp MPPT solar charge controllers)
  • 600+ amp hours of lead acid battery bank, or 300+ amp hours of lithium battery bank
  • 2000 watt inverter, or larger
Estimated Cost of Recommended Components:
  • ​$1,358 for Glass Solar Panels and Charge Controller​
  • $1,440 for Lead Acid Batteries or $2,058 for Lithium Batteries
  • $320 for Inverter
  • $280 for Branch Connectors/Cable Entry Gland/Wire/Crimp Connectors/Fuses
  • $50-$150 for Tools (Cheap tools are available, but you are better off buying high quality tools)
Estimated Total Cost with Recommended Components:
  • Complete System with Lead Acid Batteries:  $3670.00
  • Complete System with Lithium Batteries: $4288.00 
    (Lithium is still cheaper option because it will last 4-8 times longer than the lead acid system)
    ​

What I recommend

​(I make a commission for purchases made through the links below)

Buy 2X 400 watt Solar Kits:

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Doesn't get cheaper or easier than this! This kit has everything:
  • 8X 100W Monocrystalline Panels
  • 2X 40A Lithium Specific MPPT w/ Bluetooth Communication
  • Solar panel extension wires w/ MC-4 and inline fuses
  • 8X Z-bracket kits for mounting your solar panels​

Buy direct from rich solar by clicking here

​Or for $200 more, you can get the same kit on amazon by clicking here

Choose a battery:

12 volt Sealed Lead Acid
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Buy 4+ of these:
155 amp hour AGM Sealed Lead Acid Battery
​Click Here for a cheap price
  • Weight: 190 pounds each
  • ​Charge Cycle Life: 500-1,000 cycles
  • Depth of Discharge(how much of the batteries capacity you can actually use): 50%
  • (Cheaper initially, but expensive in the long run)

OR

12 volt Lithium Iron Phosphate 
​(recommended)
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​Buy 4+ of these:
A 100 amp hour Lithium Battery

100Ah SOK Battery Click Here to purchase

​Or 2+ 206Ah battery:
206Ah SOK Battery Click Here to purchase
​
  • Weight: 60 pounds total
  • ​Charge Cycle Life: 3,000-5,000+ cycles
  • Depth of Discharge(how much of the batteries capacity you can actually use): 100%
  • (This battery is expensive initially, but much cheaper in the long run)
If you need a cheaper battery, ​click here for more options

Choose an inverter:


Most recommended:

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GoWise Power 3000 watt pure sine wave inverter
Click Here

​If you are on a budget:

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3000 watt modified sine wave inverter
Click Here
The inverters above are considered "budget friendly". If you wish to buy a top of the line inverter (UL listed with remote operation and data logging etc) Click here

wiring products:

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​High-Quality Copper Wire for DC appliance hookup
(most wire on amazon is "copper clad aluminum", which is cheaper but lower in quality):

50 feet 10 gauge Blue/Black
Click Here
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​Solar Panel Array to Solar Charge Controller Cable (this cable goes through your roof):
​ 

Click Here
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​Battery to Battery Cables

Any size battery (be sure to select the right size for your battery bank) Click Here
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​​Pre-fabricated Battery to
​Inverter Cables. 

This makes your life easier! Connect your inverter to your battery in seconds with these pre-made cables. If you wish to make your cables, use the kit on the right

​(make sure that the holes on the connector will work with your battery/inverter)


12 volt 2000-4000 watt inverter (recommended for this system)
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Main Component Hook-up wire/connectors/heatshrink
Requires a Hammer-type Crimper and Assembly. Great for custom built systems where length of each wire matters. If you are a beginner, stick to pre-fabricated cables.

Click on a link below and choose your length
​(default length is 10 feet of red, 10 feet of black): 
  • 8 gauge kit
  • 6 gauge kit
  • 4 gauge kit
  • 2 gauge kit
  • 1/0 gauge kit
  • 2/0 gauge kit
  • 4/0 gauge kit
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Branch Connector
Wiring multiple "in series groups" together requires a branch connector. Connect all of your panels together on the roof and combine them into two wires which will connect to the solar panel extension cable (Solar panel to charge controller cable above)

2 wire connector (4x required for 800 watt system)
Click Here
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Buy 2x Solar Panel Cable Entry Gland

When your solar panel array wires enter your vehicle, you will need to drill two holes. Use this cover to prevent roof leaks from developing.

Click Here

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300 amp Fuse and Holder (recommended for 3000W 12V Inverter)
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Connect 12 volt appliances here with this fuse block. Easy to use and easy to install! These are great. 
Click here
​
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​Circuit Breaker for Solar Charge Controller
20 amp Solar Charge Controller, 25 amp Circuit Breaker Click Here

30 amp Solar Charge Controller, 40 amp Circuit Breaker Click Here
​
40 amp Solar Charge Controller, 50 amp Circuit Breaker Click Here

60 amp Solar Charge Controller, 80 amp Circuit Breaker Click Here

80 amp Solar Charge Controller, 100 amp Circuit Breaker Click Here

​​Solar Panel Mounts:

​Every vehicle is different, so check out my book and this page (click here) to figure out how to mount your solar panels

Battery Monitor:

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This device will tell you how much power you have left before your batteries go to zero. Simply attaches at the main negative lead of your battery bank.

​
Click Here to purchase



If you want a higher quality battery monitor with bluetooth connectivity and data logging, check out the Victron Smart Shunt instead. It does cost more, but it is a fantastic device that I use on all of my systems: Click Here

Required Tools:

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Precision Wire Stripper

8-22 gauge wire
Click Here
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​Hammer Type Crimper
Can crimp up to 4/0 gauge wire, and it is much cheaper than the 3 point crimp tool. If you plan to build only one system, this is the tool for you. If you want to build multiple systems for years, but the 3 point crimper. 

Click Here
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High quality manual force crimper
The long arms provide a lot of leverage and I can usually crimp anything under 8 gauge. 

Click Here ​
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​Crimp Connector set
There are cheaper crimp connector sets available, but they are junk! Spend the extra money and buy a high quality set of connectors. The cheap chinese ones will fail and I have had it happen before. This is what I currently use:
Click Here
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​Large Size Crimp Connector Set (8 gauge wire- 4 gauge wire)
When you crimp large terminals, it is preferable to not have insulation while crimping (to ensure a good crimp). You can add insulation after if you wish, or wrap it with electrical tape. 
Click Here

Other Accessories

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12 volt USB charge strip
 Click here
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46 Liter Dometic Solar Power Fridge
 Click Here
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Power panel with switches and USB/cigarette lighter plug
​ Click Here


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Battery bank to cigarette light adapter
Click Here
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Color Changing LED lights
Click here


or
​
White LED light strip
Click here
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When connecting fans or lights or pretty much anything, use these quick connectors that are rated to 60 amps! I have used them for years for my rc airplanes and helicopters, but they are insanely useful for living in a rv. 


Click Here 
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Super useful clippers. Use them to cut anything small.

​
Click Here

Home

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Copyright  Prowse Publications LLC © 2022
Prowse Publications LLC (www.mobile-solarpower.com) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program,
​an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
I make a commission for sales made through affiliate links posted on this website
  • Home
  • DIY Solar Packages
    • Vehicle Mounted 12v Systems >
      • The Minimalist (great for small vans and cars)
      • The Classic 400 Watt (RV's, Vans, Buses)
      • 400 Watt w/ Alternator Charging
      • The Off Grid King (Power Anything!)
    • 48V Offgrid System Blueprint
    • Complete 48V Solar Kits
    • All-in-One 12/24/48V Packages
    • Code Compliant 48V Offgrid System
    • Design Your Own Raw LiFePO4 System
    • Grid-tie Systems
    • Other Packages >
      • Solar Trailer
      • 2000 watt, 24v Solar System
      • 4000 watt, 24v Solar System
      • Milk Crate Solar Power System
      • 12v Solar without a Battery
  • Solar Batteries
    • 12V Lithium Batteries
    • 48V Server Rack LiFePO4
    • Raw LiFePO4 Cells
    • BMS
    • Sealed Lead Acid Batteries
  • Solar Components
    • 50-250W Solar Panels
    • 300W+ Solar Panels
    • 48V All-in-one Buyer's Guide
    • Inverters
    • Solar Charge Controllers
    • Battery Chargers
    • Wire and Connectors
    • Fuses and Circuit Breakers
    • Battery Monitors
    • Battery Capacity Testers
    • Automatic Transfer Switches
    • Battery Isolators
    • Tools
  • Plug-N-Play Systems
    • Full Size Systems
    • Ultra Portable Systems
  • Appliances
    • Solar Friendly Air Conditioners
    • 12v Fridges
  • DIY Solar Book
  • Videos
    • Electricity for Dummies
    • Solar Power for First Timers
    • General Solar Education Videos
    • DIY LiFePO4 Video Series
    • Solar Wiring Configuration Diagrams
  • The Forum
  • Help Section
    • How to Mount Solar Panels to a Vehicle
    • How to connect Solar Panels to your Solar Generator
  • Contact Me
  • Policies and Disclaimers