For many camper owners, being self-sufficient is one of their top goals. But which solar system is the right one? 100 W, 200 W, Flexpanel, Mono, MPPT—it can get confusing quickly. Here’s some clear guidance.
1. How much electricity do you really need?
First, calculate your daily consumption:
-
Refrigerator
(Note: Just use 30 Ah per day here; otherwise, you’ll quickly miscalculate) -
Lighting, water pump, and cell phone charging
(use a guideline of 10 Ah per day here, regardless of whether you have 1, 2, or 3 cell phones) -
Laptop
(depending on usage—for some travel research and the occasional movie—just use 10 Ah per day here) - Auxiliary heater
(when running, assume 1.5 Ah per hour of operation, regardless of the setting)
An average DIY camper uses between 35–70 Ah per day.
(For induction cooktops, you can estimate about 15 Ah–25 Ah per meal; for air conditioners, about 60 Ah per hour of operation when they’re running—though sometimes they only run for a third of the time because the target temperature has been reached.)
--> We’d be happy to advise you in person in Winterthur at waerchzueg.ch
2. How much solar capacity covers this demand?
As a rule of thumb:
100 W of solar power ≈ 25–35 Ah/day (depending on the season)
This means:
-
100 W → Minimal power supply; not really worth considering / not worth the effort.
-
200 W → Okay / Basic power supply: refrigerator, LED lights, and cell phone
-
300–350 W → Very good: refrigerator, LED lights, cell phone, laptop, cooking
-
350 W+ → Also very good for 2 induction cooktops, air conditioning, etc.
3. Rigid or flexible panels?
We always recommend rigid panels. Flexible panels—regardless of the manufacturer—are prone to microcracks in the conductor tracks. Please do not mount flexible panels directly onto a roof. Always use an aluminum sheet for this. Otherwise, let us advise you so we can avoid any unpleasant surprises.
By the way, rigid panels are also available in a lightweight version, which weighs only half as much. If weight is a concern.
Otherwise, we’ve never had any problems with rigid panels—I don’t think I can recall a single warranty claim involving rigid panels… in the entire history of our company.
4. The Right Charge Controller
For campers, this applies 99% of the time:
➡️ MPPT instead of PWM
—you’ll get 10–30% more power.
5. Conclusion
When properly sized, a solar system ensures that you can camp off-grid for days on end—without sacrificing comfort.
