====== Is solar mandatory? ======

Solar isn't //mandatory//.  Here are some cases where it might not be worth the trouble:  

  * the camper has Lithium, carbon-foam, or similar battery chemistries that are not bothered by sitting at [[electrical:12v:psoc|partial state of charge]] and there is enough charging capacity to meet needs.
  * the camper has lead batts but will be sitting on [[electrical:shore_power|shore power]]
  * the camper has lead batts but  is equipped with a [[electrical:12v:b2b|DC-DC charger]] will be driven for several consecutive hours at least a couple times a week.(([[electrical:12v:directcharginglfp|an isolator might suffice]] for lithium banks))


The rest of this document assumes the camper is equipped with normal lead-chemistry batteries (flooded, AGM, gel etc). 


Solar is incredibly useful for nomads with lead-chemistry batteries. There should be a good reason why they would plan a build without //some// solar.  Even just [[electrical:solar:builds#w|a small amount]].  Some reminders:

  * solar brings higher voltages to battery charging, which is healthy for them.  Lead-acid batteries that don't get a full, higher voltage [[electrical:12v:charging#absorption_stage|Absorption stage]] will not be fully charged.  Which will [[electrical:batterycide|kill them]].
  * Absorption stage is high voltage and decreasing current, which is exactly what solar does well
  * This higher-voltage solar charging [[electrical:12v:alt_and_solar|can be combined]] with the higher-current nature of alternator/isolator charging for maximum power and minimum expense. 
  * solar is silent and can be discreet
  * solar works when the sun shines
  * solar doesn't wear out or get used up in the normal sense.  No maintenance required!

===== getting by without solar =====

For whatever reason you are not going to have any solar in your build.  So how will you charge your batteries?

==== alternator/isolator ====

[note: this section is based on [[https://www.reddit.com/r/vandwellers/comments/9nvg9h/van_dwelling_without_solar_capacity/e7pdlcs/|a reddit post]]]

An [[electrical:12v:alternator|isolator]] will do the heavy lifting, but is unlikely to get/keep the house battery fully charged snce the voltage isn't high enough. 

There are a couple of ways around the low voltage issue:

  * use a battery chemistry that doesn't care about partial state of charge (PSoC), like [[electrical:12v:deep_cycle_battery#lithium_chemistries|lithium]] or [[electrical:12v:deep_cycle_battery#carbon_foam_agm|carbon foam]]. Bring lots of money.
  * use a [[electrical:12v:b2b|b2b charger that boosts alternator voltage]] to a voltage that has a chance of fully charging the bank, given enough time. 
  * Augment with shore charging when possible unless you are driving for several hours 1-2x/week.

==== generator ====

Like alternators, [[electrical:generator|generators]] have a lot of current on tap.  But as with alternators you have to run them a long time to get a full charge.  Deep cycled lead-acid batteries require //hours// of charging at Absorption voltage to get fully charged. The most efficient time to run the generator is when the batteries are deeply discharged (early morning).

==== shore power ====

If you are staying at campsites with power you can just plug in and let your [[electrical:converter|converter]] handle loads and charging.  You could skip a day or two and get back on the charger without causing too much damage.