[steve95628]

Originally Posted by kowbra

I think the standard Solar Flex is a great value. Just add a single 100ah battery and you have a good system with no maintenance other than cleaning the panels once in awhile.
Moderate upgrades are easy; for example you can add 1 more panel while keeping all of the same electronics. And, upgrading to 2 to 4 of the 100ah lithium batteries will give you a great system that may be ideal for years to come. Shopping around, you might add the extra panel and a couple batteries for $1500-2000. (Note you will only be wired to run the 5 outlets and not the AC with the above. Running everything would require a portable generator)

On our prior rig we had total of 300 watts solar, and a pair of 6 volt Trojan golf cart batteries (very similar to the Solar Flex package with one 100ah lithium battery). With our system, we regularly boondocked for a week at a time. But we did bring a portable generator because if it was cloudy or partial shade we had trouble keeping our batteries recharged. And, of course running AC required the generator as well.

Now, if you think you will outgrow 600 watts of solar and 200-400ah of lithium, or if you want to run some AC and all of the outlets from solar, then it can quickly get complicated and expensive. A DIYer with some experience could likely buy all the parts and self install for less than the Super Solar Flex package. But it would also involve running new wires and carefully designing the right system for your expected loads. In our research, paying a professional to design and install a complete system to match the Super Solar Flex did not seem cheaper.

Those are some of the reasons why we decided to "go all in" and get the Super Solar Flex package. We do not intend on bringing the portable generator anymore.

SUMMARY: getting the Solar Flex to start now, then potentially upgrading to a middle of the road system is doable and a great option at a very good price. If you want a higher end system to run everything including AC, buying it all at once as the Super Solar Flex package made a lot of sense, to us.

hth,
Brad

Thanks again Brad - very comprehensive response. I have a lot to learn and think the standard Solar Flex would be a good starting point for me to learn and possibly expand. We'll probably do a lot of our camping in the western US where summer temps can be quite high so I figure I'd get a generator to start with. It's great to have options!

Thanks again!