AIMS Power packages its solar gear into two kit families with animal names. The Expedition kits (Starling, Lynx, Razorback, Badger, Bighorn, Bull, Armadillo) are complete systems: panels, controller, battery and an inverter or inverter charger. The Frontier kits (Lightning Bug, Hornet, Wolf Spider, Scorpion, Tarantula, Mantis) are charging and add-on kits for an RV that already has batteries. Here is what is in each box and which one fits which rig.
Expedition or Frontier: the one question
Do you already have a battery bank you want to keep? If yes, a Frontier kit adds solar charging (or, with the Mantis, an inverter charger) to it. If no, or if the old bank is tired, an Expedition kit gives you the whole system matched by AIMS, with the wiring and fuses included. The Scorpion is the one Frontier kit that includes a battery, and the Mantis is the one that includes an inverter charger, so check the table rather than the family name.
Expedition kits: complete systems
| Kit | Solar | Controller | Inverter | Battery | AIMS pitches it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starling | 190W, one rigid panel | 30A PWM flush mount | 300W pure sine | 100Ah AGM, 1.28kWh | Starlink, laptops, phones, lights, CPAP |
| Lynx | 100W slim narrow panel | 11A prewired waterproof PWM | 1000W pure sine | 100Ah AGM, 1.28kWh | Entry-level van or small camper, battery maintenance plus light AC use |
| Razorback | 130W flexible slim panel | Included (type not stated) | 600W pure sine | 100Ah AGM, 1.28kWh | Teardrops, pop-ups, curved roofs, short trips |
| Badger | One rigid panel (listed at 120W) | Included (type not stated) | 2000W pure sine | 225Ah AGM, 2.88kWh | Mid-size appliances for short periods: microwave, coffee maker, induction burner |
| Bighorn | 200W, two 100W long narrow panels | Included (type not stated) | 2000W pure sine | AGM, 5.12kWh | Larger battery storage for tools and appliances; narrow panels for tight roofs |
| Bull | 760W, four rigid panels | 60A MPPT | 3000W PICOGLF inverter charger with 50A transfer switch | Two 200Ah AGM, 5.12kWh | Large RVs, buses and mobile businesses with shore power |
| Armadillo | 760W | Built into the ONBOARD unit | 3000W pure sine inverter charger with 50A transfer, in the ONBOARD unit | 5.58kWh lithium, expandable with up to eight 420Ah batteries | Whole-coach lithium power, backup, remote work sites |
Contents are from AIMS's kit pages; where AIMS does not name the controller model we say so. AIMS lists the Starling and Bull as expandable on the battery side but not the panel side.
What AGM means for these kits
Every Expedition kit except the Armadillo stores energy in AGM batteries. AGM needs no heater or lithium charge profile, but you should plan on using about half of the rated capacity: a 100Ah AGM delivers about 600Wh usable (100Ah x 12V x 50%), a 5.12kWh bank about 2,400Wh. That is why AIMS describes the Starling, Lynx and Razorback as kits for small electronics and short trips, the Badger as a kit for running mid-size appliances "for short periods", and the Bighorn as the one with substantial storage for tools and appliances. If you want all-day inverter use, pair a Frontier charging kit with AIMS lithium batteries instead; see choosing an AIMS LiFePO4 battery. Flooded vs AGM vs lithium explains the trade.
Frontier kits: add to what you have
| Kit | Solar | What else is in the box | Battery / inverter | AIMS pitches it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning Bug | 50W panel | Charge controller, extended PV wiring | None (12V or 24V trickle charging) | Keeping a stored RV or trailer battery topped up |
| Hornet | 130W flexible slim panel | Charge controller, PV wiring | None | Vans, teardrops, boats with curved roofs; basic boondocking |
| Wolf Spider | 190W rigid panel | Charge controller, brackets | None | Camper vans, travel trailers and overland rigs; the starter kit you grow |
| Scorpion | 200W, two 100W slim narrow panels | Matched components | 100Ah AGM, 1.28kWh; add an inverter later | 12V-only campers: compressor fridge, fans, lights |
| Tarantula | 260W, two 130W flexible slim panels | Charge controller, fuses, PV wiring | None | Class C and travel trailers with curved roofs; faster off-grid recharge |
| Mantis | 190W rigid panel | Pre-matched components | 2000W low-frequency PICOGLF inverter charger with transfer switch; no battery | RVs with an existing bank that want shore-power charging and AC appliances |
Which kit for which RV
Stored trailer, keep the battery alive
Lightning Bug. 50W will not run anything, but it offsets self-discharge and the parasitic draw of a propane detector and stereo memory over a winter.
Teardrop or pop-up with a curved roof
Hornet (charging only) or Razorback (adds a 600W inverter and a 100Ah AGM). The 130W flexible panel is 0.13 in thick and about 4 lb, mounts with grommets or adhesive, and does not need a rack.
Travel trailer with its own battery, wants solar
Wolf Spider for one rigid 190W panel with brackets, or Tarantula for 260W of flexible panel if the roof is curved. Both leave the bank and the inverter decisions to you, which is the right order if you plan to move to lithium.
Trailer with a good bank, no inverter, 30A shore cord
Mantis. The 2000W PICOGLF inverter charger passes shore power through, charges the bank when plugged in and runs the outlets from the battery when not. It is the Frontier kit that changes how the RV works rather than just how it charges. Read AIMS PICOGLF inverter chargers explained for the unit itself.
Starting from nothing, small loads
Starling or Lynx. Both give you a panel, a controller, an AGM battery and a pure sine inverter with the wiring and fuses. The Starling's 190W panel and 300W inverter suit Starlink and laptops; the Lynx's 100W slim panel and 1000W inverter suit a small camper that wants to run a coffee maker now and then.
Starting from nothing, big loads
Bull for an AGM system with a 3000W inverter charger and 760W of solar, or Armadillo for the lithium version built around the ONBOARD solar generator, which AIMS says can grow to more than 50kWh with up to eight 420Ah add-on batteries. Both are 50A-transfer systems for coaches and mobile businesses, and both weigh hundreds of pounds, so plan the install before the delivery.
What the kits do not include
Roof mounting hardware for the rigid panels beyond what the kit page lists (the Wolf Spider names brackets; the others do not), the AC wiring from the inverter to your outlets, and the battery cables between an existing bank and a Frontier kit. Ask us for the parts list for your rig before you order so the box that arrives is the whole job. For a generic sizing walk-through, see what size solar kit do I need for my RV, and the RV solar and battery calculator turns your loads into panel and battery numbers.
FAQ
Can I add lithium batteries to an Expedition kit later?
AIMS's charge controllers and PICOGLF inverter chargers all list a lithium profile, so yes, but do not parallel the new lithium with the kit's AGM; replace the bank rather than mixing chemistries.
Is the Scorpion a Frontier or an Expedition kit?
AIMS files it under Frontier even though it includes a 100Ah AGM battery, because it has no inverter. Add an AIMS inverter and it becomes a complete 12V-plus-AC system.
Which kits have an inverter charger rather than a plain inverter?
The Mantis (2000W), the Bull (3000W with 50A transfer) and the Armadillo (3000W in the ONBOARD unit). The Starling, Lynx, Razorback, Badger and Bighorn have plain pure sine inverters, so they do not charge the battery from shore power on their own.
Where do they ship from?
Every AIMS Power kit here is genuine, carries the AIMS Power warranty and ships from our warehouse in Upland, California; the lithium Armadillo ships to the lower 48 states. Browse the full AIMS Power range or ask us which kit fits your rig.