The short version: a weekend camper with a propane fridge is covered by a 100W to 200W Rich Solar kit. A boondocker running a 12V compressor fridge should start at 400W. A full-timer or remote worker with Starlink and a laptop usually needs 600W to 800W. Then pick the kit type: panels and controller only if you already have a lithium battery, a kit with battery if you don't, or a complete kit if you also want AC power from an inverter.
Step 1: estimate what you use in a day
Add up the watt-hours your gear uses in a typical day. Rough figures for common RV loads:
| Load | Typical daily use |
|---|---|
| LED lights, water pump, phones | 100 to 200Wh |
| Furnace fan on cold nights | 200 to 400Wh |
| 12V compressor fridge | 400 to 700Wh |
| Laptop for a working day | 200 to 400Wh |
| Starlink | Check your dish's rating; it can be the largest load in the rig |
These are planning ranges, not measurements. The appliance label or manual gives the real draw, and a battery monitor shows what you actually use after a weekend.
Step 2: turn daily use into panel watts
Divide your daily watt-hours by your peak sun hours (4 to 5 is a fair figure for much of the US in summer, less in winter), then by 0.75 to allow for heat, dirt, panel angle and wiring losses. That 0.75 is our planning assumption.
| Array | Our estimate (4 to 5 sun hours x 0.75) | Rich Solar's figure (4 peak sun hours) |
|---|---|---|
| 100W | 300 to 375Wh a day | about 0.4kWh |
| 200W | 600 to 750Wh a day | about 0.7kWh |
| 400W | 1,200 to 1,500Wh a day | about 1.4kWh |
| 600W | 1,800 to 2,250Wh a day | about 2.2kWh |
| 800W | 2,400 to 3,000Wh a day | about 2.9kWh |
Rich Solar's figures come from its kit listings. Ours are a little lower at 4 sun hours because we allow more for losses; use ours if you would rather be pleasantly surprised.
Step 3: pick the kit size
Weekend camper, propane fridge: 100W to 200W
The 100 Watt kit pairs one MEGA 100 with a 20A MPPT controller, Z-brackets, cables and an inline fuse. The 100W RV 12V kit has the same core parts and can be ordered with a 100Ah lithium battery, a 1500W inverter, or both. Step up to the Basic 200 Watt kit (one MEGA 200 with a BRAVO 30 MPPT and a cable entry housing) if you run a fan or furnace at night.
Boondocker with a 12V fridge: 400W
This is the size most boondockers should buy. The Basic 400 Watt kit uses two MEGA 200 panels and a BRAVO 30 MPPT. Rich Solar recommends up to 500W on the BRAVO 30 with a 12V battery, so there is room for one more 100W panel later. Short on roof width? The 400W Slim kit uses four narrow 100W SLIM ONYX panels with the same BRAVO 30.
Full-timer or remote worker: 600W to 800W
The Basic 600 Watt kit runs three MEGA 200 panels into a BRAVO 40, and the Basic 800 Watt kit runs four into a BRAVO 60. Rich Solar recommends up to 600W on the BRAVO 40 and 900W on the BRAVO 60 at 12V, so the 800W kit has the most headroom to grow.
Bigger than 800W: go 24V
The 1200 Watt and 1600 Watt kits are designed for a 24V battery bank. Their 60A MPPT controller takes up to 800W on a 12V battery but 1,600W on 24V, per Rich Solar. On a 12V system, stop at 800W per controller.
Step 4: panels only, with battery, or complete?
| You already have | Buy | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| A 12V lithium battery and an inverter | Panels + controller kit | Basic 400W, 400W Slim |
| A lead-acid battery you want to replace | Kit with battery | 200W with ALPHA 1, 400W with ALPHA 1, 600W with ALPHA 2, 800W with ALPHA 2 |
| Nothing, and you want AC outlets too | Complete kit | Complete 200W, Complete 400W, Complete 600W, Complete 800W |
The inverter catch in the complete kits
The complete 200W and 400W kits pair one ALPHA 1 100Ah battery with a 2000W NOVA PURE inverter. The 600W and 800W kits pair one ALPHA 2 200Ah battery with a 3000W NOVA PURE. Rich Solar rates both the ALPHA 1 and the ALPHA 2 for 100A continuous discharge. On a 12V inverter, 100A works out to roughly 1,100W of AC load. So with a single battery, plan your AC loads around about 1,000W: a laptop, TV, blender or small coffee maker. To use the inverter's full output for a microwave or hair dryer, add a second battery in parallel. Rich Solar allows up to four. For more on this, see Rich Solar NOVA inverters: PURE, SWITCH or SUPERCHARGER?
Don't forget the battery size
Solar refills the battery; the battery carries you through the night and cloudy days. We plan on 90% of a LiFePO4 battery's rated energy as usable: about 1,150Wh for a 100Ah ALPHA 1 and about 2,300Wh for a 200Ah ALPHA 2. A 400W kit making 1,200 to 1,500Wh on a good day refills an ALPHA 1 from nearly empty in one sunny day. Compare battery tiers in ALPHA LITE vs ALPHA vs PRO.
No roof space?
A portable panel can sit in the sun while the rig sits in the shade. The MEGA 100 and MEGA 200 briefcase charging kits fold in half, have built-in kickstands and include a waterproof 10A or 20A controller. If you charge a portable power station instead of a house battery, the 200W and 400W kits for solar generators come without a controller, because the station has its own. Check the station's solar input limits first.
What's in the box, and what isn't
The Basic kits include panels, the controller, Z-bracket sets, a cable entry housing, an inline fuse, a 30 ft panel-to-controller cable set and a 10 ft controller-to-battery cable set. You still need roof sealant suited to your roof, mounting screws for your roof type, and a fuse or breaker sized for the battery side. Rich Solar sells ANL fuse holders and waterproof circuit breakers if you need them.
FAQ
Can I start with 200W and add more later?
Yes, if the controller has room. The BRAVO 30 in the Basic 200W kit is rated for up to 500W at 12V, so a 200W start can grow to 400W or 500W without a new controller. Add matching 12V panels in parallel.
Will a Rich Solar kit run my rooftop air conditioner?
Not on a normal RV roof. A rooftop AC running for hours uses more energy than even an 800W array makes in a day, and it needs a large battery bank and inverter. Use shore power or a generator for AC.
Does the kit work with my existing battery?
Rich Solar's BRAVO MPPT controllers support lithium, AGM, gel and flooded batteries; set the controller to your battery type.
Where does it ship from?
Every Rich Solar kit ships from our warehouse in Upland, California, to the lower 48 states only. For a deeper look at panel choice, see our RV solar panel buying guide, or browse the full Rich Solar collection.