Best solar options for 5th wheel trailer used as site cabin?

[Cuervo CAT]

Hey, y'all, I only joined these forums to ask about solar options for a 5th wheel trailer. I'm thinking about buying a 10-acre parcel of treed land in New Mexico, then putting a big ol' 5th wheel trailer on it to serve as a ready-made cabin. Naturally, I want the biggest 5th wheel trailer I can find that is in good shape... I saw one trailer that had a primo solar power system already installed, but the trailer was only 29' in length. Quarters seemed cramped, if ya know what I mean. Don't get me wrong, I used to drive OTR and made do with a rolling condo, but if I'm gonna do this off-grid number then I want the biggest 5th wheel trailer I can find. I've seen plenty of 'em for sale at various websites, so there's no shortage of trailers from which to choose, but many lack solar power systems. Hence my post, asking about the best solar options for such trailers.

Since I'm NOT gonna be towing this trailer around, I do NOT necessarily need a solar system installed on the trailer. I was looking at "portable solar power systems" and I saw this "power station cube" rated at 500 watts, supposedly I can hook up solar panels to it to keep it charged, but would such equipment be sufficient to keep the onboard fridge & freezer running, not to mention other devices or appliances which might be running at the same time? I will have an onboard genset, but I'm not sure I wanna use that all the time, due to fuel expense, so I'd like to explore my solar options. What other solar setups are available at reasonable cost? I'll be on community wells at first, so water isn't an issue, but power IS, and some sort of solar system to augment the genset seems like the right solution. Gotta run, but if you have any ideas, suggestions, etc, please respond here in this thread. Thanks in advance, and CHEERS!

Cuervo CAT

P.S. I guess I can't post an avatar without shelling out bucks, so I'll use an inserted photo for the purpose. Some of you may recognize it from other websites, lol...

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

You pay a premium for portable solar systems - if you aren’t moving around and have the space, some ground mount systems might be a better long term value for you.

All RVs are not built the same - resistance to wind and temperature changes (insulation) are items you will want to pay attention to.

Price options, but a mobile home might be a viable option too.

 

[Cuervo CAT]

Thanks for your reply! Right now, the real estate market is crazy, and even the cost of new manufactured homes is exorbitant. I suppose I could buy a used home, but then I'd have to go to the trouble of hauling it to the mountain property, another expense. Sadly, I'm not loaded with money, I'm just an old Army guy with four cats, trying to make a go of it on a budget... a LOW BUDGET, lol. I reckon I missed my calling, I should've been a rock star...

I just toured two fixer homes in the hills above Silver City, NM, and though one of 'em was not that bad, its situation wasn't exactly glamorous either... not full-on f#%ng ghetto, but not beautiful, lol. I like the idea of being on 10 acres of undeveloped land (community wells for starters), and bringing in a nice 4-season 5th wheel trailer as a cabin. I'm not done looking at fixer homes in Grant County, but I'm also leaning toward that pristine natural land up north in Catron County.

I should add that I've spent a lifetime in the field, not only as a soldier, dirt biker, technical rock climber, etc, but as a kid who car-camped throughout Western Europe every summer vacation, back when we lived outside Athens (1968-1973). Every summer, between school terms, 10 of us would load a VW Bus with all our gear on a full-length roof rack, then head out to explore another area of Western Europe. Grand adventures in those days, and inexpensive to boot.

So the notion of living off-grid doesn't scare me, I'm through living in the Big City, lol. I've been in the boondocks of Arizona and New Mexico for about a decade... first in the White Mountains of AZ, then down near Cochise Stronghold, and finally in Alamogordo for several years. Now I'm in a motel in Silver City, juggling 4 cats as I continue my search for a home in the boondocks, preferably on acreage. Not an easy task in this crazy market, aye? But I'm still looking, lol...

There are some fixer homes in town which aren't in bad shape, and they're in my price range, but they're on postage-stamp-sized lots, ugh. Ya can't rip a loud fart without the neighbor three doors down saying, "Dammit, boy!" I can't live like that, though I like this historic mining town of Silver City well enough, it's a hip & happening place, and the Mediterranean climate doesn't suck either, lol. It's one of those rare locations in NM which actually has a Mediterranean climate...

But I may already be "priced out" of this area, the way I was "priced out" of Arizona when I sold my home in Benson and the real estate market went crazy, with skyrocketing home prices through the friggin' roof. I'm sure some of you full-timers can relate, lol. Ya probably reached a point where ya said, "To heck with this, we'll buy an RV and hit the road!" I would consider doing that, but it would not end well for the cats, aye? But a stationary RV used as a cabin, well, that could be doable.

Oh, and thanks for that tip on "portable" solar systems being more expensive, I should've known the "portable" moniker would jack up the price, lol. I'll have to look at all solar power systems, I was just thinking of some sort of free-standing system which wouldn't have to be moved, except maybe for the seasonal panel orientation, yeah? I know some solar users rotate their panels every day to follow the sun, maybe even have some sort of automatic tracking systems to turn the panels?

Clearly outta my price range, though I could easily rotate the panels by hand if necessary. Some of those ground mounts you mentioned have swivels of some sort, don't they? I'm not that familiar with solar power systems, though I've read various articles on them over the decades. Never had much need for solar though, since other power systems were already in place. Now I'd like to learn more about solar, so I reckon I'll be doing some web research here pronto, lol.

Enough said, time for a cold beverage, lol... here's a spam-free link to an old thread which will show y'all how I used to roll in the field, I had some grand adventures in my "trucking daze!" I'm glad I went when I did, before the country started going downhill fast, lol. Not sure I'd even wanna drive an RV nowadays, especially with 4 cats on board to distract me. My cats are like my kids, so the whole notion of living on acreage in a stationary RV seems like a good compromise, ya know?

Random outdoor adventure shots...

P.S. There are cool truck camping pics on both pages of that old thread, two sets of photos per page, you can just scroll past the intervening text to see the pics pronto, lol. CHEERS!

 

[Cuervo CAT]

Still searching for a home in or near Silver City, NM, but so far the results haven't been so hot, lol. I will look into ground-mounted solar systems later today, I want to check out a home on a smaller lot down by the historic district, the home itself doesn't look like an absolute train wreck, lol. And it's far enough away from the historic district and NM-90 (Hudson Street) to not catch any noise, since rolling hills intervene and block such noise. The home is on a dead-end street too, always a plus where traffic is concerned, yet it's mere minutes away from the historic district. Worth taking a look, given the crazy real estate market nowadays...

I'm still waiting on word from the agent on that undeveloped parcel up in Catron County, to see whether the seller is willing to knock down the price. That is where I'd put the 5th wheel trailer if I actually buy one, aye? There's a similar 10-acre lot for sale in the same subdivision, so my choices aren't wholly limited, and the asking prices are also similar... I wish that subdivision were closer to supply points, as there are no HOA restrictions on the properties, the only fees collected ($60/year) are put toward road maintenance, which means annual grading of the dirt roads. Meh, better than every five years, lol. I may wind up there yet... "Quien sabe?"

On a separate note: there's a 2-acre property in the Mimbres Valley which has a large RV shed already in place, like a metal barn with enough clearance for a Class C, or maybe a Super C, but there's also a 50 amp plug for a Class A motorhome outside. I'm just curious, are there RVers out there who are interested in renting such space(s), either on a permanent basis or maybe just for a few months at a time? There's enough room and privacy, the lot is treed and access is good on graded dirt roads. I have no idea where the nearest dump station is, maybe the allstays.com site has that info, but the Mimbres Valley is still fairly close to Silver City, less than an hour away.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Ah the land of entrapment. The nickname says it all. 18 years, and never again.

Portable is good.

Before you mount solar on a ground mount look up all the red tape that political corruption will have you going through.

I won't advocate solar generators, because they are to limited, and very costly.

Better is a roof mount (RV roof),using standard solar equipment:
MPPT controllers.
Low frequency/ low voltage inverter.
House solar panels (I use used panels for price point).
I recommend Northstar blue + batteries. They are far better for the environment than the lithium that industry is pushing on us with no concerns about poisoning the earth.

I don't expect solar to meet the needs of any user that is not willing to conserve energy. First hog that has to go is the 3way fridge. Standard household fridge (apartment size) will run easily on 280w panel in a sunny location, but 1000w won't keep up with a 3way fridge.

The size of system you will need is based on monthly power use divided by the total number of sunshine hours times 75, or 75%, however you need to think about it.

Good luck!!!

 

[Cuervo CAT]

Haha, I hear ya on 'The Land of Entrapment!' But it does have some good points & features! When I lived in Alamo for 3 years, the trail riding in the Sacramento Mountains was awesome, about as good as the trail riding in the White Mountains of Arizona, lol. A dirt biker's heaven, no doubt, and I had many good times up there on those trails, meeting other riders and partying in the middle of nowhere, lol. Ya gotta like it when ya can stop in the middle of the dirt road, crack a cold beverage and maybe even burn a fatty while discussing everything under the sun, lol. I'm no pothead, but I'll take an occasional hit for "pain relief"---the pain mostly caused by scumbag politicians, lol.

I also copy the corruption in this state, it is out of control, that's for sure, but I'm just an old Army guy who wants to plane out and die in peace, lol. If the American Public were to rise against dirty globalist swine and their political & judicial tools---all bought and sold like so many branded and ear-tagged cattle---then I'd be among the first to join them, aye? But most "citizens" are too dumbed down with their heads in their devices, another tactic in the multi-pronged assault on the 'Traditional American Way Of Life'---and let's not forget the leftist academic institutions, the constant ongoing bombardment of naive youngsters with globalist propaganda, the whole ugly nine yards...

Meh, I'm not here to rail about politics or other problems in this country, I already did my share by railing against the dirty swine for decades, now I'm simply gonna plane out and enjoy my latter years on this planet before the whole $h!thouse goes up in flames, lol. A Jim Morrison quote, lol. I've reached a point where I reckon the American Public is TOO STOOPID to save itself, and my wallet is thin, so I'm not gonna waste any money on the effort, lol. I figure citizens either have a clue or they don't, and if they don't, then I ain't gonna hang out with 'em, I'll just twist that throttle and ride on till I'm far enough in the boondocks to meet the enlightened folks, lol.

Hey, I appreciate that info, I've noticed that some RVs have standard refrigerators in them, and I figured it had something to do with power consumption, lol. I'm still checking RV ads, and the whole off-grid notion is not written in stone, I'm also checking real estate listings, especially since my sister agreed to go in on a home with me, like a joint venture... that increases my price range for a decent fixer home, and she's merely viewing it as an investment, lol. All of my family members are financially better off than I am, I'm the "financial black sheep" of the family, lol. But hey, I had more fun over the decades! Lol. But I still love my family, even though we all live far apart...

If I go the off-grid route, I won't really need any help, that's why it's still on the table as an option, you understand. I've always been an independent kinda guy, and I like living debt-free, even if that debt is not really monetary, more like family assistance, lol. However, as you imply in your post, the scumbag politicians aren't making it easy on the little guy, so I find myself in this weird situation, but I'm handling it so far, and I'm looking forward to seeing the rodeo this weekend, lol. Rodeo, the last REAL American sport, not yet tainted by dirty globalist swine, lol. Well, you can lump extreme sports in there too, but in its own way, rodeo IS an extreme sport, aye? Sure seems like it, lol...

Before I log out, let me find a link or two to threads of mine, and maybe a photo or two to establish dirt bike cred. Ah, here's just the thing, some photos of the assembly of a pit bike in my living room in Show Low, Arizona, where I owned a primo home in the tall pines NW of town. Now, why did I assemble a pit bike in my living room, you ask? BECAUSE I CAN, LOL. I also use the dishwasher to clean parts and the oven to cure paint, 10-4? Its what true off-roaders and dirt bikers do, lol. I'll leave you with these pics of TRUE FREEDOM in this country, the shots of the assembled bike on brand-new naked carpet are like pure Internet pit bike porn, lol. I'll toss in some links as well!

NOW, WHERE'S MY DRINK?!? AH, THERE IT IS!!! CHEERS!!!

Note my cat Crackhead inspecting my handiwork, he's my supervisor, lol. Here's my OTHER little offroad toy at the time, a tricked-out Z50 with heller mods, lol, including a 140cc Piranha motor, gold chain, aluminum swingarm, aftermarket shocks, extended fork legs with stiffer springs, nice little knobbies, custom seat, translucent mini-thumper tank from Clarke Racing so I could check fuel level at a glance, MX bars instead of the regular goofy Honda monkeybike bars, and a ridiculously-over-the-top carbon fiber can on the custom exhaust, lol. That little bike was a beast on the trail, often more fun than the full-sized dirt bikes I've owned over the years, lol. It could get squirrelly though, ya had to be careful and keep yer eyes on the trail, aye? Here's my baby, I miss that little bike, lol...

Beer break in that last pic, lol... now, lemme go find a link or two to complete this post! Kinda getting hungry too, I reckon it's time to make a big ol' sandwich, lol. I have a stocked fridge in this motel room, but I could go grab a burrito too, the food in the fridge will keep, lol. Hmm...

KLR Thread

Dang, couldn't find the Z50 thread yet, and I'm getting hungry, so here are a few shots of sailing the Salton Sea, lol... a grand adventure in that agricultural sump, where the foul-smelling muck and shoals of rotting fishbones along the lakeshore are enough to gag a maggot, lol. Excellent sailing venue though, the desert winds howl out there, lol. When I first launched the 12' Minifish, the winds were over 20 knots, enough to trigger a small craft warning had anybody been out there to care, lol. Ah, the Salton, what a grand adventure that was! I had the entire friggin' lake to myself---in terms of geology and physical geography, it IS a lake and not a sea---and I thoroughly enjoyed the voyage, the surrounding desert & mountain scenery is awesome! Not a voyage for the weak-willed or faint of stomach, lol... once you launch and sail far enough away from the lakeshore, the stench is toned down, but those shoals of rotting fishbones immediately offshore were thigh-deep and they stunk to high heaven! Ugh!!!

Sailing the Salton Sea!!!

And maybe one final thread on extreme sports, it even includes a link to the original thread at a site where I was banned, lol. You extreme sports fanatics out there, you're gonna like this thread, there are cool videos there, starting with videos of Dan Osman and Dean Potter and Jeb Corliss... heroic pioneers of extreme sports. Hey they might be DEAD now, but while they lived, they lived on the cutting edge, lol. Long live the pioneers & their eternal video legacies! BADASS MOFOS, LOL.

A Thread For Extreme Sports Fanatics

P.S. Use the link to 'The Razor's Edge' thread in the first post to go back to the beginning and see the videos I mentioned, lol. No need to read all the text, you can scroll past that to see the videos pronto, lol. Enjoy!

 

[team bradfield]

Dude is a little to political for my taste, aye

 

[Cuervo CAT]

Yawn... easy solution, genius, don't bother reading my posts, lol.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Yawn... easy solution, genius, don't bother reading my posts, lol.

My guess is you have lost most of your potential viewers.

My guess is residential refrigerators are becoming prevalent due to their reliability, not their economy. That and most, not all, users only visit ongrid parks.

 

[Cuervo CAT]

Not interested in potential viewers... my friends and I are more interested in maintaining a low profile and keeping off the various forms of radar, including gubmint radar, lol.

But I AM looking for specific answers to specific questions in this thread, and in that regard, I salute you, lol. Still don't know whether I'm buying a home or going off-grid... it's all up in the air, lol.

I would DEARLY LOVE to be back under my OWN roof by the end of the month, but the crazy real estate market is "NUTS!!!" Forget the 'Battle of the Bulge!!!' The market is CRAZY!!!

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Not interested in potential viewers... my friends and I are more interested in maintaining a low profile and keeping off the various forms of radar, including gubmint radar, lol.

But I AM looking for specific answers to specific questions in this thread, and in that regard, I salute you, lol. Still don't know whether I'm buying a home or going off-grid... it's all up in the air, lol.

I would DEARLY LOVE to be back under my OWN roof by the end of the month, but the crazy real estate market is "NUTS!!!" Forget the 'Battle of the Bulge!!!' The market is CRAZY!!!

For the record! I never served, save your salute for those who did.

Those that truly want to stay under the radar, don't join forums, and if they do they don't talk about it.

Just saying.

 

[Cuervo CAT]

2 Submarine Commanders in the family, but I'll overlook yer comments, lol...

Have a wonderful life... and thanks for the info on the fridges, lol.

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

I'll wait for the CliffsNotes.

 

[Cuervo CAT]

Might be a moot point, since my sis and I made an offer on a home in Silver City... if the offer is accepted, I won't be buying a 5th wheel after all.

Meh, this home sits on over 2 acres, and it doesn't need too much rehab work... unlike some of the complete train wrecks I've toured in recent weeks.

There's still a slight chance that I'll buy the 5th wheel, but I like this historic mining town, it's a hip and happening place with all kinds of festivals, a rodeo I just attended, etc.

Not to mention all of the nearby wilderness areas: City of Rocks, Lake Roberts, Gila Wilderness & Gila National Forest, all kinds of cool places to recon once I'm settled.

I'm still juggling 4 cats while living in a motel room, but the motel is not as bad as it sounds, lol. The cats enter & exit through a ground-floor window to a pseudo-wilderness area outside...

I'm just hoping we reach an agreement on this home, it's in a good location, tucked away in the hills yet mere minutes away from supply points and the historic downtown district.

[mod edit - removed political section]

 

[breal14]

To answer your actual question, 500 watts isn't going to cut it. probably won't even turn on the fridge. if it does, it will run it for like an hour or two.

if you're looking to be off grid, you're going to want 1000+ watts of panels and 500-1000ah of battery store on the lo side.
If you want to run A/c, triple it.

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

I hope you get the home.