How solar pays fast in RV use

One of the first thing you read about solar is the return on investment or ROI. Usually for many installs it comes down to the cost of the solar installation vs the cost of other power sources over how much time to break even or even have a surplus from that point on.

For RVs the equation is often times much different. I'm bringning this up because the motivies for RV installs can usually be very different from other types and that affects the why and more importantly the how. Let me explain:

If you travel often and stay at Rv "resorts" or parks, the costs directly associated to that are huge. Consider that one travels only during the summer and might stay at a paid for site at typical rates for only two weeks. In California, even at a State Park that is going to cost around $700 alone. I'm using a $50 per night price because that is about average and probably a little low even. Be an avid RVer and you can easily burn through 3 times that or more. We're talking about over $2000 a year. Those costs don't impact other types of installations save maybe Marine environments.

At some places you can get a non-hookup site for less but often it is only slightly less.

If you gain the freedom of being able to stay away from those types of places and we've found that the best spots are ones that have perhaps a 5-7 dollar daily fee or free, it doesn't take long before even a moderately sized Rv solar system more than pays for itself. That doesn't include the much greater number of choices you now have in places to stay. I am talking about more than the 1-2 day quick stays because for those short times a decent battery bank is going to take care of things without solar or even a generator.

The other thing is that even without enough solar to keep up with use demands, if you only agument the solar with an hour of good quality genset, engine alternator or portable generator charging the ability to stay away from resorts or parks is still very attractive pricewise. Given many gensets, firing it up during breakfast prep puts charge back into the battery bank as a boost and allows for unrestricted use of microwaves or other high draw items such as electric hot water and so on. After that let the solar keep contributing and continuing to provide charge.

My point is that the motivations of many RVers is much different from solar installs for residences or other permanent fixtures where grid power might not be available or the choice is to just get off the grid for that sake alone.

I'll be spending upwards of $5000 for solar on my motor coach when all is said and done and it would take longer than I have left to live to recoup that if my primary concern is cost reductions in grid power use. Factor in all the money I'm going to save from have better choices in my travel locations and within 2 short years I'll be ahead of the game and from then on, that is money in my pocket that otherwise would be in someone elses.

Just some thoughts.