Can Solar Be Added To A Food Truck To Minimize The Need For A Generator
Updated 02/03/2026 | Published 06/27/2024
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Question:
I own a mobile food truck business and wanted to add solar to help cut down the amount of gas I have to use for the generator to power everything. Is there a system that can power my food truck? thanks Javier
asked by: Javier
Expert Reply:
Hi Javier,
While solar can help recharge the battery(ies) it's not quite at a point where it would it would be able to run kitchen equipment in a food truck without a massive battery bank and large enough output inverter. I'm assuming the trailer batteries are powering the lights , water pump, and maybe a few other smaller accessories so going with a smaller roof mounted system like the etrailer Solar Charging System with Digital Solar Controller - 195 Watt Solar Panel # e49FV or 390 watt # e99FV is likely going to be the best route.
The 195 watt # e49FV is going to replenish about 5 amps per hour when in peak conditions. The 390 watt # e99FV would do about 10 amps per hour. Determining which of the two would be best is going to depend on your energy demand and just the actual amount of room you have on the roof to mount the panel(s).
To figure out your energy demand you can check which appliances run off of 12v DC power and then look up what their amperage (or wattage if you can't find amperage and we can convert it to amps) draw per hour is and then add up the total draw for each appliance multiplied by the amount of hours they'll be working.
These systems come with a charge controller so once installed you won't have to do anything and the panels can keep a maintenance charge going for the battery(ies) even while in storage. I've attached a short video below where Brad will go over the features as well as the installation process.
Product Page this Question was Asked From
etrailer RV Solar Panel Kit w/ Digital PWM Controller - Roof Mount - 2 Panels - 390W - 12V
- RV Solar Panels
- Roof Mounted Solar Kit
- Rigid Panels
- 201 - 400 Watts
- 10.1 Amps or More
- AGM
- Gel
- Lead Acid
- Lithium
- Expandable
- PWM
- 2 Panels
- etrailer
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Lazer S.
2/3/2026
Hey Javier, how did things go with adding solar power to your food truck? Did the 195-watt or 390-watt system end up giving you the battery support you needed? Your update could make it easier for others running similar setups.