An Honest Review of the BougeRV Solar Panel [2024]
LOOKING AT PURCHASING BOUGERV SOLAR PANELS?
You are in the right place. We have been testing the BougeRV solar panels for a while now and bring you all the info you will need. We are Candice and Coltin and we have traveled in our RV since 2010 with our family and bring you the best information, guides and products for your RV.
Solar panels might seem a little intimidating at first but once you get them situated and going you will wonder why you didn’t get them in sooner. BougeRV offers lots of solar panel options and we have been very happy with them.
After we had researched solar panel kits, we found a lot of information about Renogy, so when BougeRV reached out about giving them a review on their solar panel kit, we were super excited to give them a try. Here is an outline of our experience below, and you might be surprised by what we found.
200 Watt 12 Volt Solar Panel Starter Kit
One of the most affordable solar panels with great output. They are a great option if you’re looking to add solar to your RV or van. If you just need solar panels, these are a great option.
– Enter coupon code CS12OFF for 12% off at Bougerv.com
– Enter coupon code BJ15 for 15% the 200-watt solar panel off at Bougerv.com
▶ SHOP Solar Panels on BougeRV.com
About the BougeRV Solar Panels
BougeRV started sometime around 2007, and they sell an array of different solar power kits and options. As we started to learn more about them, we started to like more and more what they had to offer.
They sell solar panels, solar kits, solar controllers, and all the accessories you would need for your solar setup. They currently sell solar starter kits that range between 400-watt and 100-watt systems and have fantastic customer support.
Getting Our BougeRV Solar Panel
Once we had selected the solar kit, we were interested in the kit being shipped, and arrived very quickly. We often try to purchase items directly from Amazon because of the fast shipping. BougeRV shipped our panels very quickly, and they arrived in great shape.
As we opened the kit, we were very happy with everything, especially the solar cables, mounting brackets, and the hardware that came with the panels.
We compared the BougeRV 200-watt solar kit with the 200-watt Renogy kit, and we were surprised the Renogy kit did not have some of the small things nailed down. The BougeRV kit came with black and red cables, as they should, making it so easy when we installed it to make sure we always had the positive and negative cables in the correct locations.
The Renogy kit we had only came with black wire. This might not seem like a big deal, but when you are on the roof of your motorhome, it is very easy to get confused about which wire you have placed for the negative and which for the positive terminals.
The BougeRV solar controller was great as it has a nice small backlit screen that tells us the charging information and if our batteries are fully charged or not. It also comes with USB ports, so you can charge your phone or use the USB port directly from the charge controller.
The equivalent Renogy controller had no such screen or USB charging options making the information it displayed very limited.
The last thing we noticed is the BougeRV screws and hardware are all stainless steel. This is how they should be because they won’t rust over time. The other Renogy kit screws were not stainless.
BougeRV Solar Panel Sizes
BougeRV has a couple of different solar panel sizes. They have a 100-watt solar panel, a 180-watt solar panel, and a 200-watt solar panel. We found that the 200-watt solar panel was great.
Instead of having two solar panels you needed to connect, we used the one 200-watt solar panel that was all ready to go. This made the solar setup that much easier, and it also makes it easy to add additional panels. We added two more panels for a total of 400 watts.
If you are looking for portable solar panels or flexible solar panels to charge a power station, BougeRV flexible solar panel is another great option. If you look at BougeRV’s website, you will see all the great products they offer, like a portable power station, solar generator, foldable solar panel, and portable refrigeration units.
▶ BROWSE BogueRV Products Here
Benefits of Solar Panels
Solar panels are super beneficial. They keep your RV batteries charged. This is a big deal. We have been without battery power on many occasions or forgot to disconnect the batteries, so when we go to use the motorhome, our batteries our dead.
After installing our BougeRV solar kit, we could see our batteries were not very charged. It was fantastic to see how fast our batteries charged, even in shady conditions. We were super happy to get the BougeRV solar kit installed.
If you know anything about deep-cycle RV batteries, you know that it is important to keep them charged and not to fully discharge them. By installing the BougeRV kit, we will save ourselves a lot of money on RV batteries.
Installing Our BougeRV Solar Panel
Installation of our 200-watt BougeRV solar panel was easier than anticipated. Don’t be intimidated. The BougeRV solar kits are easy to install.
The hardest part we found was finding the studs on our motorhome roof to ensure the solar panel was secure. We added a small piece of angle iron to the panel to ensure everything was secured to the roof.
Here are the steps you will need to take to install your BougeRV solar panel kit.
Installation Steps
Step 1: Determine where you are going to place the solar panel and the solar controller. We placed everything above the batteries because it made running the wire easy.
Step 2: Attach the solar panel to the roof and connect the included solar panel cables.
Step 3: Drill your holes in the roof using a long drill bit. You can drill from the inside or roof of the motorhome. We drilled from the inside to make sure we knew where the wires would go since that is what you will see. After you get your wire through, make sure you use lap sealant to seal any little holes.
Step 4: Drill the needed holes to get the included wires down to your batteries.
Step 5: Mount your BougeRV solar controller to your RV and attach the included wires to your controller. This is the easy step because the controller is easy to see where everything connects. The solar panel connects to the solar panel side of the controller. Then the battery cables connect to the battery side of the controller.
We chose to mount the solar controler on the inside of our motorhome by the driver’s seat. Another common place to mount the controller is in the battery or storage compartment under your RV.
After that, you are all ready to go with charged batteries. We added an inverter to our system so we could charge our computer while off-grid. This is another huge benefit of solar panels. You can use an inverter, and your BougeRV solar kit will keep your batteries charged while off-grid.
Step 6: After everything has been installed, make sure you add lap sealant around all the locations where you drilled. You can also put screws on the roof of your RV. This will make sure you don’t have any leaks and that the roof is sealed properly.
Review: How Our BougeRV Solar Panels Perform
At this point, we have been very happy with the BougeRV solar kit. We would not hesitate to purchase any of their solar panels, solar kits, or other products because of how our experience has gone using the BougeRV solar kit.
We can now do so many things without being hooked into shore power. For instance, we can run our TV and DVD player. We can cook a camping crockpot meal while we are out exploring. We can charge our electronics and use an extra monitor while we are working remotely.
Plus, we don’t have to worry about having enough battery power to keep the lights on after a week of boondocking.
Are the BougeRV Solar Panels Worth Buying?
Yes, the BougeRV solar panels and solar kits are definitely worth buying. They have been a great product for use, and we are excited to use their products in the future. If you are thinking about purchasing solar panels or a solar kit, we would recommend you use BougeRV.
200 Watt 12 Volt Solar Panel Starter Kit
One of the most affordable solar panels with great output. They are a great option if you’re looking to add solar to your RV or van. If you just need solar panels, these are a great option.
– Enter coupon code CS12OFF for 12% off at Bougerv.com
– Enter coupon code BJ15 for 15% off the 200-watt solar panel at Bougerv.com
▶ SHOP Solar Panels on BougeRV.com
Conclusion: BougeRV Solar Panel
From our experience, BougeRV is a great way to get started with a solar system for your RV. The product quality is excellent.
If you are an outdoor enthusiast looking for solar outdoor equipment, someone who is going on an extended road trip, or just someone who wants to keep your batteries charged, a solar kit from BougeRV is going to be one of the best ways to make it happen for your next camping trip.
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