800 Watt RV Solar Kit Review: The Full Timer Build

Smart RV Hub Editorial Team

800 Watt RV Solar Kit Review: The Standard Full Timer Build

Verdict: paired with a 400Ah lithium bank, 800W is a widely recommended full timer configuration, and the daily numbers explain why.

Reviewed on published specs and user reviews, never first person testing.

Last updated: August 17, 2026

11 min read

Reviewed by Smart RV Hub Editorial TeamRV Technology Research and ReviewsReviewed August 17, 2026

Quick Answer: Who Is the 800W Kit For?

The 800W kit fits full timers and heavy boondockers who run inverter appliances daily and want to stop watching the battery monitor.

Part timers without daily inverter loads do fine one tier down at 600W.

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What Does an 800W Kit Actually Run?

Estimated at five peak sun hours after system losses, the 800W tier harvests roughly 2,800 watt hours a day, covering daily living loads plus real inverter use.

What Comes in an 800W RV Solar Kit?

Published kit listings typically bundle four 200W panels, a 50A to 60A MPPT controller, wiring, fusing, and mounts.

A complete kit bundles the panels, charge controller, wiring, and mounts already sized to match, so you skip the guesswork of pairing parts.Compare the whole kit price, not just the panel price, when you judge a deal.

Typical 800W kit configuration
Component	Typical spec	What to check
Panels	4× 200W monocrystalline	Roughly 44 square feet of clear roof needed, so measure the layout first
Controller	50A to 60A MPPT	Series capable input voltage keeps wire sizes manageable
Wiring	10 AWG runs, combiner or series harness	Check fusing and a battery cutoff are included
Mounts	Z brackets per panel	Every foot is a roof penetration, so plan the sealant check cadence
Not included	Battery bank and inverter	Budget 400Ah LiFePO4 and a 2,000W to 3,000W pure sine inverter

Adding this many roof penetrations makes the quarterly roof inspection checklist part of owning the system.

How Does the 800W Tier Hold Up?

✅ Strengths

Full timer capacity: daily living loads plus inverter use, with margin left over
The proven pairing: 800W with 400Ah lithium is a widely recommended full timer build in user forums
Cloudy day resilience: the oversized harvest leaves real margin on partly cloudy days
Kits remove guesswork: matched components are the recurring praise in user kit reviews

❌ Limits

Roof space is the constraint: smaller rigs cannot fit four panels cleanly
System cost is real: the complete build with storage sits around $3,000 to $3,500
Still not an AC solution: meaningful AC runtime starts at larger arrays yet

Best for:

Full timers, working travelers with daily inverter loads, and boondockers who stay out for a week at a time.

Check 800W Against Your Own Loads

The free solar sizing calculator turns your appliance list into a watt figure before you commit to a tier.

Calculate my solar needs

Is 800W More Than You Need?

The right kit follows your travel style, and one tier down saves real money for part timers.

Which kit size fits how you travel?

Pick your travel style to see the kit tier that fits and what it typically runs.

600W kit · ~2,100 Wh per day

The weekend stack plus a router, CPAP, and cloudy day margin.

Three 200W panels is the sweet spot for weeks long trips.

Estimates at 5 sun hours after typical system losses. Your location varies.

See RV solar kits at A1 SolarStore

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Part time traveler? Read the 600W kit review

The sweet spot tier, reviewed the same way.

Planning the full time move?

Power is one chapter of the full time living guide.

What Does a Complete 800W System Cost?

Published retail pricing puts complete 800W kits, panels plus controller and hardware, at $1,400 to $2,200, and a full system with a 400Ah lithium bank at roughly $2,800 to $3,500.

Prices fluctuate, so treat those bands as orientation rather than quotes.

For whether the spend pays back, our worth it analysis runs the honest break even math.

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RV Technology Research and Reviews

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800W Solar Kit Questions

Is an 800 watt solar kit enough to live in an RV full time?

For most full timers, yes. An 800W kit harvests roughly 2,800 watt hours on a typical day, covering daily living loads plus real inverter use.

It is a widely recommended tier in full timer builds across user forums and published system guides.

What comes in an 800 watt RV solar kit?

Published kit listings typically bundle four 200W monocrystalline panels, a 50A to 60A MPPT charge controller, wiring, fusing, and mounting hardware.

That is a complete kit rather than panels alone, and batteries and inverters are usually sold separately.

How much does an 800 watt RV solar kit cost?

Published retail pricing for complete 800W kits, meaning panels plus controller, wiring, and mounts, generally runs $1,400 to $2,200 without batteries.

A complete system with a 400Ah lithium bank commonly lands around $2,800 to $3,500. Prices fluctuate, so check current pricing.

How many batteries does an 800 watt kit need?

The standard published pairing is 400Ah of LiFePO4 lithium, storing well over a day of harvest.

That combination is a widely recommended full timer build for good reason: it rides out cloudy days.

Will 800 watts of solar run an RV air conditioner?

Only briefly, and only with a large battery bank and inverter, per published sizing analyses.

Owners who want real AC runtime plan 1,200W and up with substantial storage.

Does an 800 watt array fit on an RV roof?

Four 200W panels need roughly 44 square feet of clear roof, which fits most full size travel trailers, fifth wheels, and Class A rigs.

Measure around vents and the AC before ordering, since layout is the common constraint in user reviews.

What inverter pairs with an 800 watt system?

Published system guides typically pair this tier with a 2,000W to 3,000W pure sine inverter sized to the largest single appliance.

The inverter is a separate purchase from the kit.

Is 800W worth it over 600W?

If inverter appliances run daily, the roughly 700 extra watt hours per day is the difference between watching the battery monitor and ignoring it.

Part timers without daily inverter loads do fine at 600W.

Who sells 800 watt RV solar kits?

RV solar retailers including A1 SolarStore stock complete RV kits alongside panels, controllers, and lithium batteries.

Compare controller amperage and included wiring between listings, since both vary at this tier.