Which is better: solar or generator?

Lots of new Airstream owners want to find ways to extend their camping time while “boondocking,” (off-grid camping, away from electrical hookups). So inevitably the question comes up: which is better, a generator or solar panels?

The answer depends on how you camp and the things you use when you travel. Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of each:

FUELED GENERATORS

Typical gasoline- or propane-powered generators are ideal for powering high wattage appliances like:

• air conditioner
• microwave oven
• or anything else that requires a lot of AC power for more than a few minutes (generally things with big electric motors or heating elements).

For the air conditioner or microwave, your generator will need to be capable of at least 2,000 watts peak output. (The Micro-Air EasyStart helps with this.)

Generators have a few important downsides to consider:

• You usually have to carry fuel cans.
• Generators pollute. Be sure to keep your generator as far away from the Airstream as possible, to avoid the possibility of Carbon Monoxide poisoning.  
• They're noisy. Even "quiet" generators can shatter the tranquility of camping, which brings us to the next downside ...
• You can't always use them. Campgrounds usually limit "generator hours" to preserve the peace for other campers.

Whatever you do, don't buy a generator strictly for the purpose of recharging your Airstream's batteries. Generators are very inefficient at charging batteries. Batteries typically take hours to gain a full charge, which means you're wasting a lot of gas waiting for the batteries' slow charge rate. Bigger generators can't speed up the process, so they just waste more fuel. 

Generally, we recommend fueled generators to people only when there's no other choice.

SOLAR PANELS

Solar panels are best when you are primarily interested in re-charging the Airstream's batteries and keeping them topped up during travel. Solar panels only provide power to charge the batteries. They don’t directly power anything—the batteries do that. For more about solar, read our blog "Solar—simplified!"

For many people solar is the ideal solution, because:

• Solar panels are silent
• You don't have to carry fuel
• They're virtually maintenance free
• Zero pollution
• You can always add capacity with more panels

Solar’s big advantage is in recharging batteries, so if extending your time at camp is your primary goal, solar panels are the preferred option. Rather than pumping out large amounts of power in short time periods like a generator, solar provides a steady all-day charge will have a much better chance of getting your batteries up to 100%. With batteries, slow and steady wins the race.

Solar's disadvantage is that it doesn't charge your batteries on cloudy days, or if the panels are in the shade–such as when you're Airstream is parked under trees. A portable solar system can solve the latter issue because you can place the system's panels in the sun and leave the Airstream parked in the shade.

If you're wondering whether portable solar is right for you, check out this guide.

You'll also want to consider whether to install an inverter so you can use the batteries to  power laptops, Starlink, CPAP machine, or other electronics that need a wall plug. Most Airstreams made since 2014 have 1,000 or 2,000 watt inverters factory-installed (except Basecamp, Bambi and Sport).

Even if you have a factory-installed inverter, you might want to upgrade to a higher-capacity. A 3,000 watt inverter is recommended to be able to run the microwave oven from the batteries. You can read more about inverters here.

Regardless of whether you choose a fueled generator or solar panels (or a combination of these options), upgrading your Airstream to give you more boondocking time is a great advantage. It will open up new travel options for you and eliminate worries about running out of power when on a long trip.

Featured photo credit: Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash