So you wanna be a boondocker?
Go to my photographs and look at the panels that are stuck down to my roof. those cost $186 each, I got all kinds of watts up there for less than 800 bucks. Way more than what you actually need. But if you do something like i did you need to start off with 2 panels but leave room incase you want to add 2 more in the future. Somewhere, there is a formula for how much PVA you need for X number of amp hours. I intend to boondock along on these 300 amp hour batts until I decide to add another batt. Right now I don't need it. But I surely have the solar panel capacity to to add more batts. Yes I have 300 amp hours available, but only 50% can be used if I want to keep the batt for a long time. It is possible to cycle to 30 or 40% but the life of the batteries diminishes.
If you keep your authentic deep cycle batts charged properly, 13.5v or more possibly pushing them to 14.1 your system will be efficient and require less batteries. My system charges while traveling. Problem I have though and I dont know how to cure it yet is that my TV is providing 13.5v to my house batts while traveling. My solar charger interprets that the batts are at 13.5 volts (which may or may not be true) which puts the charger at float. There has to be a solution to this, I just have not found it yet. But for the most part my bulk charge and acceptance charge is above 14.2v so the solar charger is not going to quit until the 14.2 has been held for 6 hours or so. You have to get into it so see what I'm talking about. But all in all my charger, TV alternator, and my solar charger play well together.
As far as using a generator is concerned, there is one positive use for a gen. and that is bulk charge. IF you were to run your batts down to 12.4v (50% discharged) you could bulk charge with the generator to bring the batts up to 80%. This could get you through until you get 8 hours of good sunshine. The charger is the key, efficiencies are the of utmost importance. The amp hours are not in the .6 volts between 12.4 and 13v its between 13 and 13.5v 13.8 if you can get it. The proper PV charger can save you a whole panel, the right brand and quality of solar panel can save you another panel.
You have to get modern solar panels, harbor freight and northern tool solar panels are kindergarten toys compared to what is available. Its dollars per watt. At this point my system is in the neighborhood of $1.50 per watt. You cant do that with harbor freight panels and chargers.
My panels are not screwed to anything, they are peel and stick, plug and play panels. You dont need to turn them to the sun, their surface is designed to accept sunshine from all angles, some angles more efficiently than others. I ran my wires through the vent on the front right washer drain vent pipe down into the basement. It worked well but I might do it differently if given the opportunity.
Knowing what I know now, I could build a smaller system to serve my rig. Mistakes I made is my inverter is probably too big, I might change locations of my equipment and I might choose a different style of battery, I dont like the battery post I have. But all in all I have a system that can get the job done well. Its my first effort and I guarantee you it is better than anything you could get a dealer to do for you. And it is way easier than anyone thinks, its basically plug and play. But you do have to plan but if you can build a doghouse, read and understand instructions, And you have some idea what your needs are you can build a system. The best systems are built by owners who care about their rigs, and are willing to put some study into the project and are willing to ask questions.
Just a thought. If you are a "boondocker," and want to use solar, can the array be clamped to the ladder or set to the sunny side of the rig for temporary use? Kind of like the portable satelite dish. Then no holes in roof.
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. I already have 450 Ah of storage (4 x 6V).
