RV Solar — Design, Installation, Upgrades & Repair
No solar yet, an underperforming factory system, or panels that stopped producing — we assess your actual situation and build or fix the system that delivers the off-grid freedom you're after.
Three Reasons RV Owners Come to Us for Solar
Solar is not one-size-fits-all, and the right approach depends on where you're starting from.
New Install
You want solar and don't have it yet. We assess your roof space, your battery bank, and what you actually want to run — then design and install a system sized for your real camping life, not a marketing spec sheet.
A weekend camper who wants lights and phone charging needs something very different from a full-timer trying to run air conditioning off-grid. We build for what you actually do.
Upgrade or Enhance
Many RVs leave the factory with a starter solar package — 100 to 200 watts and a PWM controller that barely keeps the batteries topped at the dock. It looks good on the window sticker but disappoints in real use.
We assess what you have, tell you honestly what it's capable of, and expand it where expansion makes sense — more panels, a proper MPPT controller, a larger battery bank, or all three.
Repair What's Broken
Panels not producing, controller throwing faults, inverter dead, wiring someone else got wrong — solar systems fail in specific and diagnosable ways.
We test each component in the chain and find exactly where the problem is. We do not require you to start over just because someone else did the original work.
How an RV Solar System Actually Works
Understanding the four components is the foundation for understanding why a system performs well — or doesn't.
1. Solar Panels
Convert sunlight into DC electricity. Output varies with sun angle, shading, temperature, and panel condition. In a series string, one shaded or failed panel reduces the output of the entire string — this is the most common reason a system underperforms despite having panels that look fine.
Common failures: Physical damage, delamination, shading from roof vents or AC units, and connector corrosion.
2. Charge Controller
Sits between the panels and the battery bank. Regulates the voltage and current going into the batteries to prevent overcharging and maximize charge efficiency. PWM controllers are basic and less efficient. MPPT controllers track the panel's maximum power point and harvest significantly more energy in real-world conditions — typically 20 to 30 percent more.
Common failures: Configuration errors, thermal shutoff, failed MOSFETs, and firmware faults on smart controllers.
3. Battery Bank
Stores the energy the panels produce. The battery bank is the foundation the entire system is built around — its capacity determines how much energy you have available when the sun isn't shining. Lead-acid batteries (AGM and flooded) are common and affordable but require more maintenance and have a shallower usable depth of discharge. Lithium batteries are lighter, cycle more deeply, and last longer but cost more upfront.
Common failures: Sulfation from chronic undercharging, cell failure, and capacity loss from age or heat damage.
4. Inverter
Converts the 12V DC power stored in the batteries into 120V AC — the same power as a wall outlet. Without an inverter, solar and batteries can only power 12V devices. If you want to run the microwave, a coffee maker, or charge a laptop from a standard outlet while off-grid, you need an inverter. Not all RVs have one from the factory.
Common failures: Overload shutoff, failed capacitors, cooling fan failure causing thermal cutoff.
Solar Problems We Diagnose and Repair
When something in the solar system isn't working, we test each component to find exactly where production is lost.
Panels producing no power
Check the controller display — most modern controllers show panel input voltage and current. Zero input with the sun out means the problem is between the panels and the controller: a wiring fault, a blown fuse, or a corroded MC4 connector. We test voltage at the panel terminals first, then trace the wiring back to the controller.
Batteries not reaching full charge
Batteries that stop charging at 80 or 90 percent despite hours of sun usually have a controller that's misconfigured for the battery type, a battery bank that's failing and can't accept a full charge, or panels that aren't producing enough for the bank size. We test actual panel output, controller programming, and battery acceptance to isolate the cause.
Charge controller faults or errors
Most smart controllers log fault codes. Common faults include over-voltage from a panel string that's wired incorrectly, over-temperature from inadequate ventilation, and battery reverse polarity from an installation error. We read the fault history, correct the root cause, and verify the system configuration matches your battery type and bank size.
Inverter not producing 120V
An inverter that won't produce output despite charged batteries is either tripped on overload, has failed internally, or is seeing low battery voltage below its cutoff threshold. We test battery voltage under load, check the inverter's input fusing, and measure output to determine if the inverter can be repaired or needs replacement.
System underperforms in real use
This is the most common complaint from owners of factory solar packages. The system works — it just doesn't do much. A 100W panel with a PWM controller and two group 24 batteries will barely maintain charge and can't run anything meaningful. We test what the system is actually producing versus what it should, and tell you honestly whether you need an upgrade or just a configuration adjustment.
Previous install wired incorrectly
DIY installs and some third-party installs have wiring errors that limit performance or create safety hazards — panels wired in the wrong configuration for the controller, undersized wire that causes voltage drop, missing fusing between the battery and the controller, or a controller configured for the wrong battery chemistry. We audit the full install and correct what's wrong.
How We Design a New Solar Install
A solar system that disappoints you is worse than no solar system — because you spent the money and still don't have what you wanted. We start with questions before we start with components.
What do you actually want to run?
Lights and phone charging is a very different conversation than running an air conditioner. We calculate the actual watt-hours your desired loads consume per day, which drives every component decision after that.
How do you camp?
Weekend warrior, seasonal camper, or full-timer — your usage pattern determines how much battery storage you need. A full-timer needs multiple days of reserve. A weekend camper can get by with much less. We design for how you actually use the rig, not the worst-case scenario that doubles your cost.
What does your roof give us to work with?
AC units, vents, and antennas limit usable roof space. We measure what's available and select panel sizes and configurations that maximize production within those constraints — including whether shading from the AC unit will affect specific panel positions at certain times of day.
What's your budget and timeline?
We can design a system for any budget. Sometimes that means starting with the most important components and leaving room to expand later. A properly designed starter system that's built to grow is better than an oversized system that was installed wrong. We tell you what you'll actually get for your money before you spend it.
Every install starts with the service department engineering the right approach for your specific RV and your specific camping life. That is what separates a system you're satisfied with from one you wish you'd done differently.
Why RV Owners Trust Us With Their Solar
National Champion of RV Techs®
Our founder is the 2-time RVIA Top Tech and co-creator of the RVTI certification program. Solar system design requires understanding the full RV electrical system — not just the panels on the roof.
Engineered for Your Situation
We size systems for your actual usage, your roof, and your battery bank. In our service department, we always look for a better way to design and install — so you get performance that lasts, not disappointment two camping trips in.
Honest Assessment First
We test before we recommend. If your factory system just needs a configuration adjustment and a controller upgrade, we'll tell you that. If it needs to be replaced, we'll tell you why. No upselling, no pressure.
RV Solar Questions We Hear Every Day
The most common causes are a failed or improperly configured charge controller, shading on even one panel in a series string that drags down the whole array, a wiring fault between the panels and the controller, or a battery bank that is sulfated and can no longer accept a charge. The panels themselves rarely fail — the issue is almost always in the controller, wiring, or batteries. We test output at each component to find exactly where production is being lost.
The right size depends on what you want to run, how long you camp without hookups, and how much roof space and battery capacity you have. A weekend camper who wants to keep the lights on and charge phones needs something very different from a full-timer trying to run an air conditioner off-grid. We assess your actual usage, your roof, and your battery bank before recommending anything. A system that's too small will disappoint you. A system that's oversized for your battery bank wastes money. Sizing it correctly up front is the whole job.
A PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) controller is simpler and less expensive. It works by directly connecting the panels to the battery bank and tapering the charge as the battery fills. It is less efficient because it cannot extract maximum power from the panels when conditions are less than ideal. An MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) controller continuously adjusts to find the voltage at which the panels produce the most power, then converts that to the voltage the battery needs. MPPT controllers typically harvest 20 to 30 percent more energy than PWM in real-world conditions. For most RV installs with more than 200 watts of panels, MPPT is the right choice.
Yes. We assess existing systems regardless of who installed them. Many factory solar packages and DIY installs are undersized, use the wrong controller type, or have wiring issues that limit performance. We test the system as-built, identify what is limiting production or causing problems, and give you an honest assessment of whether a repair or an upgrade is the right path. We do not require you to start over just because someone else did the original work.
Solar charges your 12V battery bank. To get 120V power from that battery bank without shore power, you need an inverter — a device that converts 12V DC to 120V AC. If you have full batteries but no 120V output, either your RV does not have an inverter installed, or the inverter has failed. Solar panels and a charge controller alone do not produce 120V power. This is one of the most common misunderstandings in RV solar systems, and it is an easy fix once the source of the confusion is identified.
RV Solar Service in North Alabama
Our shop is at 3619 AL-69 in Guntersville, Alabama. We design, install, upgrade, and repair RV solar systems for owners across North Alabama.
Serving Guntersville, Albertville, Boaz, Arab, Scottsboro, Fort Payne, Cullman, Attalla, Gadsden, Oneonta, Decatur, Huntsville, Grant, New Hope, Owens Cross Roads, Hampton Cove, Madison, and Athens.
Tell Us Where You're Starting From
No solar yet, an underperforming system, or something broken — describe your situation and we'll tell you exactly what we can do for you.