Great news – RV solar system maintenance is a short topic!
Although your RV solar system doesn’t require much maintenance, it’s a good idea to periodically visually inspect all the components of your system to ensure they’re clean and unobstructed.
Solar Panels
Solar panels should be cleaned as often as your RV roof – roughly every six months, or as needed if they become covered in dust, dirt, or snow. The panel surface is tempered glass, much like a car windshield, and can be cleaned with similar products. Avoid wax-based products that may cause wax build-up on your panels, and diminish their output. While you’re cleaning your roof, take care not to disturb the wiring connecting the panels together or roughly scrape the sensitive underside of the panels. Inspect the sealant around the solar panel mounting brackets and remove and replace the sealant as needed, or as recommended by the sealant manufacturer.
If you need to replace some of the sealant on your roof, consider one of the three following options:
Our recommended sealant is 3M 4000 UV. Lippert’s Alphathane 5121 is a popular choice by luxury manufacturers like Brinkley RV, and it’s considered an upgrade over the Dicor 501LS. Dicor is overwhelmingly the sealant of choice by most manufacturers and RVer’s alike for both it’s ease of use and budget-friendly price.
That’s the bulk of your RV solar system maintenance, and it’s only twice a year at most!
Lithium House Battery Bank
Lithium batteries really are maintenance-free, but it can’t hurt to check in on them from time to time. You’re looking to make sure they’re free of dirt and debris, and that the batteries and cables are secured and have not shifted or come loose during your travels. You can perform an easy wiggle test by grabbing the wire in question a few inches away from the battery post and gently tugging – there should not be any movement around the post.
Remember not to touch any of the exposed metal on the battery posts without the proper tools.
Electronic Components
Similar to lithium batteries, your inverter, battery charger, solar charge controller, and other electronic components in your system shouldn’t need maintenance. As long as they’re clean and all wired connections are secured, you’re good to keep on adventuring!
If you see dust buildup around the fan or other areas, use a vacuum cleaner to remove the dust.
Check before and after long trips, as well as part of your annual RV maintenance.
And that’s pretty much all there is to RV solar system maintenance!
