Wanting to use solar instead of generator staging plan

[spiketkr0]

I'm wanting to try over time reduce the dependency of a generator to run my 02 Coachmen Aurora. Talking to AI I get this general power requirement for equipment.
AC x2 - 1,450 W (≈12.6 A @ 115V) - unsure if softstart is installed
Microwave - ~1,500 W (≈12.5 A) - rarely used
Fridge - ~440 W AC draw (≈2.7 A) - use on LP till able
TVs and general 120v plug usage - ~100–300 W
Lights/fans low power users on 12v - ~50–100 W

Now I know it's a huge undertaking to get to use everything all the time but wanting to get it to where I can get the 120v plugs + 1 AC usable for a while on solar. Since winter is coming the AC usage won't matter and the furnace, range/oven, and fridge use LP I figured it's a good time to get the base system in place. There's nothing solar in the rig and under the steps are 2 everstart 24dc marine batteries. My thought was to get the base hardware and a panel or 2 installed to a mid sized inverter then upgrade the battery bank when funds are available so when it starts warming up I can bridge another inverter [or replace with a larger one] to get an AC going.

Has anyone staged out something like this or just hit it all at once? I know Renogy and Victron makes great products based on research but what is everyone using here? Research puts you in a deep rabbit hole and hoping talking it out with folks will help wrap my mind around things. Thank you all for any help!

 

[TheBar]

Are you planning on living full time in the trailer this winter?

 

[Brad Buchanan]

I'm wanting to try over time reduce the dependency of a generator to run my 02 Coachmen Aurora. Talking to AI I get this general power requirement for equipment.
AC x2 - 1,450 W (≈12.6 A @ 115V) - unsure if softstart is installed
Microwave - ~1,500 W (≈12.5 A) - rarely used
Fridge - ~440 W AC draw (≈2.7 A) - use on LP till able
TVs and general 120v plug usage - ~100–300 W
Lights/fans low power users on 12v - ~50–100 W

Now I know it's a huge undertaking to get to use everything all the time but wanting to get it to where I can get the 120v plugs + 1 AC usable for a while on solar. Since winter is coming the AC usage won't matter and the furnace, range/oven, and fridge use LP I figured it's a good time to get the base system in place. There's nothing solar in the rig and under the steps are 2 everstart 24dc marine batteries. My thought was to get the base hardware and a panel or 2 installed to a mid sized inverter then upgrade the battery bank when funds are available so when it starts warming up I can bridge another inverter [or replace with a larger one] to get an AC going.

Has anyone staged out something like this or just hit it all at once? I know Renogy and Victron makes great products based on research but what is everyone using here? Research puts you in a deep rabbit hole and hoping talking it out with folks will help wrap my mind around things. Thank you all for any help!

Sounds like you are not figuring the wattage for the a/cs correctly. unless you have smaller ones than are common. Also these devices draw at least x2 when starting.

You will need at least 3000 if not 5000 watts of output to run what you have listed.

Your run time will be in minutes not hours with group 24 batteries.

Personally I would upgrade your batteries when it is time to change them. If you like the everstart batteries they make a group 29 with a 2 year replacement warranty (I use them) and if you put them wired in parallel you would have a start on the amount of amp/hrs you need.

I just replaced the inverter in our bus and if I can help you don't hesitate to ask.

Brad Buchanan 518-521-4322

 

[spiketkr0]

Are you planning on living full time in the trailer this winter?

Yes sir planning on full time, hoping to move over to solar bit by bit when possible.

 

[spiketkr0]

Sounds like you are not figuring the wattage for the a/cs correctly. unless you have smaller ones than are common. Also these devices draw at least x2 when starting.

You will need at least 3000 if not 5000 watts of output to run what you have listed.

Your run time will be in minutes not hours with group 24 batteries.

Personally I would upgrade your batteries when it is time to change them. If you like the everstart batteries they make a group 29 with a 2 year replacement warranty (I use them) and if you put them wired in parallel you would have a start on the amount of amp/hrs you need.

I just replaced the inverter in our bus and if I can help you don't hesitate to ask.

Brad Buchanan 518-521-4322

I'm trying to figure out that part. So I'm not sold on the batteries they're just what I have right now. Really I'm not focusing on the AC usage because the weather is cooling off and I have a storm generator to run that when needed. When I was researching things softstart AC things would be something I need to invest in before things warm up.

Mainly, I was thinking my first stage would be getting the key parts like battery shunt, charge controller, etc. The thought is to keep the 120v plugs hot to run TVs, laptops, ice machine, charge phones, etc. while increasing panels and batteries. I have a spare slot under the steps that I think was for the emergency start.

I was thinking get a decent LifePo battery. Put 1 in the spare slot and use the 2 marine batteries for testing/use. Then get another LifePo battery and switch out the 2 marine batteries and keep building. I know I won't have much money per stage but thinking if I can get a plan to have the infrastructure in place upgrading the panel/battery banks over time I can get to using 1 AC before it gets too hot next year.

If I can't get it to where I can run one then I can look into something else like a split unit which people with skoolies seem to lean towards. Right now I'm hoping to get it to where I don't need an extension cord going from a house to run 2 laptops and a TV. If I can figure out the issue with the exhaust fans then I don't think I'll need an AC for the rest of the year!

 

[zulutron]

What RV do you have?

 

[Utclmjmpr]

The cabl;es you are using to tie the batteries together weren't well thought out,, they should be as short as possible.. I can see trouble brewing with the ground strap laying on a hot post and so forth.. the hot strap laying on the battery hold down is also a Christmas tree waiting to happen..>>>Dan

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Where are you going to put the panels? Because to do what you are proposing, your roof isn't big enough. It *is* possible to be autonomously powered by solar. But it will take a lot of planning, equipment and dollars. I would offer that it's a losing proposition even on a small scale but sometimes autonomy has value. Think carefully what problem you're trying to solve, as the cost and complexity grow exponentially as you add capability.

Mark B.
New Holland, PA

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Yes you can start small and grow your capability, but I suspect you will end up replacing all the early phase gear as you try to step up to greater & greater amp-hour (watt-hour) capacity. When you reach for your AC operation goal, you are going to need a LOT of battery capacity, more & larger solar panels, a bigger charge controller and a BIG inverter. You can buy the high capacity controller & inverter up front, but then you have increased the start-up cost too.

Think carefully through the planned phases and the capacity & equipment needed for each. I suspect you will find you lack the space for the ultimate goal - just not enough room for batteries and panels.

 

[Ohiosnowbird]

We only had 1 battery originally. We have 1 solar panel and the refrigerator caused the old battery to die overnight. The only place we use propane is for the furnace and the stovetop and exterior grill. We now have no problem with two golf cart batteries. The brand is Trojan. Hubby says it was expensive but worth it. Two 6 volt batteries. Though we recent had a huge surprise with corrosion on those batteries which when we have photos, we’ll start a new thread. That repair is currently underway.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

We only had 1 battery originally. We have 1 solar panel and the refrigerator caused the old battery to die overnight. The only place we use propane is for the furnace and the stovetop and exterior grill. We now have no problem with two golf cart batteries. The brand is Trojan. Hubby says it was expensive but worth it. Two 6 volt batteries. Though we recent had a huge surprise with corrosion on those batteries which when we have photos, we’ll start a new thread. That repair is currently underway.

You probably tripled your battery capacity when you upgraded the battery type and number, so ought not to be surprising you got much better results.
Flooded lead acid batteries are prone to excessive out-gassing, which is what causes corrosion on and near the batteries. Lack of corrosion is one of the advantages of using a sealed type, e.g. AGM lead-acid or even LiFePO4 lithium.

 

[tlaffourtit]

i presently have solar installed. i have 1240watts of solar, 4 280ah batteries a 5000 watt inverter/charger. i can produce 98 amps per hour on my best day. i can run everything however with fully charged batteries i can run the a/c for maybe 11 or 12 hours. but it takes 2 or more days to recharge them. i would need at least 3000 watts of solar to go completely off grid and be able to charge my batteries full the same day. you will still need a generator for the cloudy or rainy days. good luck. best way i can figure out how to do it is if you have an enclosed trailer for your car( if you have a mh) then put 6 more 300 plus panels on the enclosed trailer. that should do it.

 

[spiketkr0]

Where are you going to put the panels? Because to do what you are proposing, your roof isn't big enough. It *is* possible to be autonomously powered by solar. But it will take a lot of planning, equipment and dollars. I would offer that it's a losing proposition even on a small scale but sometimes autonomy has value. Think carefully what problem you're trying to solve, as the cost and complexity grow exponentially as you add capability.

Mark B.
New Holland, PA

I was thinking loading the top of the RV in panels. honestly, if I could get the plugs hot to run TVs, a couple laptops, charge phones, and run a small ice maker I'd be happy for the winter. I was watching this YouTuber and his video below it seems like this kind of setup is possible. Once I get to a point of needing more battery bank storage I was going to convert one of the plastic underbelly storage compartments into a battery bank/controller storage. I was wanting to use the winter months to slowly build a system since furnace/stove/fridge runs on propane.

 

[spiketkr0]

What RV do you have?

2002 Coachmen Aurora 3480DS it's 36ft long

 

[spiketkr0]

The cabl;es you are using to tie the batteries together weren't well thought out,, they should be as short as possible.. I can see trouble brewing with the ground strap laying on a hot post and so forth.. the hot strap laying on the battery hold down is also a Christmas tree waiting to happen..>>>Dan

I haven't worked on fixing the issues from the previous owner. I'm seeing more and more things that needs to be adjusted or properly run/installed

 

[spiketkr0]

Yes you can start small and grow your capability, but I suspect you will end up replacing all the early phase gear as you try to step up to greater & greater amp-hour (watt-hour) capacity. When you reach for your AC operation goal, you are going to need a LOT of battery capacity, more & larger solar panels, a bigger charge controller and a BIG inverter. You can buy the high capacity controller & inverter up front, but then you have increased the start-up cost too.

Think carefully through the planned phases and the capacity & equipment needed for each. I suspect you will find you lack the space for the ultimate goal - just not enough room for batteries and panels.

That's the thing I'm running into, I know I'll need to buy things to handle the end goal but by planning out the build I think I can get there. That's why I wanted to talk to people that's done solar builds to bounce ideas off of you all in the hopes I can avoid at least a handful of rookie mistakes. As for the inverter size needed, isn't it possible to bridge identical inverters into some power block to essentially push the required power without replacing the inverter?

 

[spiketkr0]

We only had 1 battery originally. We have 1 solar panel and the refrigerator caused the old battery to die overnight. The only place we use propane is for the furnace and the stovetop and exterior grill. We now have no problem with two golf cart batteries. The brand is Trojan. Hubby says it was expensive but worth it. Two 6 volt batteries. Though we recent had a huge surprise with corrosion on those batteries which when we have photos, we’ll start a new thread. That repair is currently underway.

This is part of the planning stage but my hopes is to go to 24v or 48v system to help with cost of parts [according to my dad they can end up being cheaper than 12v] and make charging faster. I know the marine lead acid batteries I have can only go to 50% discharge safely without damaging them permanently. I'll move to LifePO4 batteries as soon as I can to eliminate that 50% issue but the initial stage is just having power to run a TV, Laptop, USB travel router, and charge phones overnight. After that build out from there and if I can run a single AC unit by June that's a win but if not I'll keep using my generator

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I know the marine lead acid batteries I have can only go to 50% discharge safely without damaging them permanently.

That's a misunderstanding. A lead acid battery is rated for x number of full discharge cycles. A full cycle takes it down to about 10.5 volts (that's how they do the rating test in the lab). If you only discharge halfway (a half cycle), you get twice as many half cycles as you would full cycles. Makes sense, right? It's like always refilling your car's gas tank when it reaches half. The total miles per gallon doesn't change just because you fill the tank twice as often.

If you limit the discharging to about 11.0v, the battery will still recharge nicely. It's not "damaged".

 

[spiketkr0]

That's a misunderstanding. A lead acid battery is rated for x number of full discharge cycles. A full cycle takes it down to about 10.5 volts (that's how they do the rating test in the lab). If you only discharge halfway (a half cycle), you get twice as many half cycles as you would full cycles. Makes sense, right? It's like always refilling your car's gas tank when it reaches half. The total miles per gallon doesn't change just because you fill the tank twice as often.

If you limit the discharging to about 11.0v, the battery will still recharge nicely. It's not "damaged".

Thank you for clarifying, I don't remember where I got that from but assumed it was a general rule of thumb. I'll be mindful of not discharging them below 11v!

 

[DonTom]

I was thinking get a decent LifePo battery.

That looks like the same battery box in this Y2K RV. I no longer have a battery in it. But you probably don't want to do what I did, because I have cables running across this floor. I use large 175-amp Anderson connectors and have another just for my ham radio junk.

I replaced my two 100AH house L-A batteries with a single 300AH Lifep04 battery, which is located under the bench seat behind the driver's seat, along with the Victron SmartShunt. Next to the water heater.

I ran cables to the box where I have my Victon DC2DCC & Solar controller in the battery box that now has no batteries.

All my solar is external four panels in series going to the Victron control and monitor. I also have old HFT solar on the roof, but the output is now so low that I reconfigured it to keep my start battery charged up.

It's all very messy, but that is only because I am a big slob. I only care if it all works and is safe enough. Especially in this old RV that I will probably junk one of these days and replace with a smaller 4WD motorhome. This one is for unpaved roads and boondocking in places such as where I am now.

Here is what I have in this old junky Y2K motorhome (the small red wire is for the starter battery voltage to the Smartshunt.

The thin red wire across the Anderson connectors is for the starter battery voltage to the Victron.

I have yellow tags on some wires in the battery box to say where they go, in case I ever need to work on it again.

Maybe I will clean out this RV a bit later today, but for now, I have other things to do.

-Don- Cinder Hills, AZ