Solar Upgrade Experience with Avalon RV in Benicia, CA

I had the pleasure of working with Adam at Avalon RV in Benicia, CA to upgrade my Solar and Lithium Battery setup.

The original system was installed by AM Solar near Eugene OR, about 800 miles away! It was so nice to have a quality solar business within an hour of me. Even better, Adam learned from the owners at AM Solar and was able to fill me in on some of their new business ventures. They did a great job for me and I wish them the best.

Here’s my post on the initial installation:

Solar and Battery Installation (158-159)

Adam was great to work with. We talked briefly by phone, then we worked out the scope, schedule, and cost estimate by email. Here’s a photo from the Avalon RV website.

Before long, I drove my Bay Star to Benicia for the work. Avalon has several projects going at once, and they run a pretty tight schedule. My project started that Monday and I Picked up on Friday. I thought that was a long time for the scope, but Adam walked me through their process, which I liked, and it seemed reasonable. I was also worried about leaving my RV outside during the install, but there were no issues, just as Adam assured me.

Communication was great throughout the project. Adam texted two versions of the solar placement before he started work. I thought that was great. We had agreed to placing them on the edge while I was there, but then he came up with a better scheme that allowed easier access to all parts of the roof. I appreciated that. He also let me know the status of the project each day.

Here’s the finished product, adding two 200W solar panels to the roof, matching the two I already had. They got all the details right, matching the height of the originals, keeping them away from the cove, and keeping the wiring neat and clean. They also applied new lap sealant to all four panels. Very nice install!

The second part of the project was to move my two 85 pound batteries from the middle of the chassis to the compartment you see here. While they were fine where they were, I wanted them more accessible and easier to inspect or upgrade in the future.

That was no small task, as the batteries were heavy and placed above the chassis rail on the shelf in back of the inverter!

The project went smoothly and I picked up on Friday as Adam had estimated.

Everything went well, and I would recommend Avalon RV to anyone needing solar and battery work in Northern California.

And while you are in Benicia, its worth while to spend a little time enjoying the town. During the gold rush it was the State Capital, and you can still visit the old capital building.

There are many great places to eat. We chose One House Bakery and ate on their patio.

Then we walked down to the river and enjoyed a walk along the beach.

Many people live here all their lives and miss visiting here. I’m glad we took the time to enjoy the town and a little bit of California history.

Can’t wait to dry camp and put my new solar to good use!

Al & Deb