When we renovated our 1957 Sportcraft into our full-time home in 2011-12, we installed a tiny solar powered system so that we could stay anywhere we wanted and still have electricity.  Big RV Parks are just not where we wanted to spend our time, as we prefer much more remote wilderness settings where the campgrounds rarely provide hook-ups.  It was the best decision we made, except for the big one of actually buying Hamlet and hitting the road!  Our first system completely met our needs when we kicked off this lifeventure back in 2012.  Since then, we have not only traveled the continent in our tiny can, but now run a small mobile business which helps others discover what we call #canlife!  However, as our business grew, we realized that it was time for an upgrade.

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​Now, what we think of as a “major solar power upgrade” is probably closer to what most folks might call a “starter system.”  We like it small; we keep it small, and sustainable.  Our previous system consisted of a 100W Portable Solar Suitcase which went through a PWM charge controller to a 50Ah LiFePo battery that powered a 700W inverter.  We ran LED lights, a 12V vent fan, and charged up our portable electronics; it was all we really needed.  But, with the new, more remote, demands of a mobile business, we needed to be able to collect and store more solar energy for those days when we dived into the digital nomad work from the road -- video production, online seminars, blogging, and more.

This past spring, while boondocking in a gorgeous part of the Arizona Sonoran desert, we upgraded our solar equipment.  We swapped out every component with the exception of the inverter - which still meets our needs.  Simply put..it has changed our life, making remote work much more feasible, and fun!

Our solar installation video goes over every aspect and step of this project on our vintage camper (including a specific list of parts, tools, and diagrams), but we’ll walk you through the components we have installed with a bit of commentary on how well they are working.

​Can flexible solar panels pass the full-timers test?
Flexible solar panels have gotten a bit of a bad rap over the years that isn’t exactly fair.  While some early designs had problems with overheating, those issues have been corrected in the design and manufacture.  Any system installed on our vintage aluminum roof would need to live up to our full-timer lifestyle of driving around 16K miles per year, extreme weather & wind conditions, and constant use.  After crossing the country from Arizona to Maine, and then boondocking for a seasonal gig on the coast, we’ve put this new system to the test!  After 6 months, 4000 miles, and some extreme weather/wind conditions, not to mention some seriously bumpy roads, all the components still look like they were installed yesterday. (Click on the Read More link below to continue reading.)

PRESS RELEASE: Laramie, WY October 14, 2021 – CampgroundViews.com has partnered with Vintage Camper Trailers to provide campgrounds and RV parks with a targeted avenue to reach camping enthusiasts. The companies will share information on campgrounds that utilize CampgroundViews.com’s new Campground Virtual Tour technology with the experience made available on PeriodEvents.com website.
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“This is a fun partnership as it brings our cutting edge technology together with old school cool in the vintage camper community,” said Mark Koep, Founder and CEO of CampgroundViews.com. “We are constantly seeking ways to help our client parks expand their reach and this is a perfect way to make it happen.”​