RV Off-Grid (Solar) Power System Review and Fixes! (Full Time RV Life)
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- ⚠️⚠️ THIS SPLICE is a MUCH BETTER OPTION for the wiring of L1 and L2: amzn.to/3DXemK6
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RV Power System has been working GREAT! But, what would we do differently and what needed to be fixed??
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⚠⚠ THIS SPLICE is a MUCH BETTER OPTION for the wiring of L1 and L2: amzn.to/3DXemK6
Came here to tell you about these splice connectors. I picked some up at a local commercial electrical supply store when I was needing to splice 4Ga multi-strand wires. They work great.
Polaris lugs are awesome, just make sure they are torqued correctly!
Thanks for the feedback! 👍🏼
I wound up buying this as well.
Hey Chad, I planned a similar system, most likely around the same time you did. I did not think that the 10 100Ah batteries was the best route. Watched you crimping all those cables and said "Too many points of failures, too large of a cable, no expansion (or limited expansion)". I went with a 48v system. Three 100Ah batteries. I say such as you mention looking at 24v or 48v system next. After doing 48v I learned the cons. 1. The invertors that are available are limited in the 48v range. 2. You will obviously need a buck convertor, same with a 24v system, but the selection for 48v is low (I am running two of the Victrons), and the price is higher. 3. MPPT chargers, same limits and higher cost. 4. (a big one for me) 12v to 48v chargers are rare. I only found one reasonability priced that I use to charge the 5th wheel from the truck. Great to know that your batteries are fully charged after a long travel day. Hint the latter would make a great episode for a techie like you. :)
Your timing on this was impeccable. I'm looking into solar for our 5th wheel, and I take your reviews as 100% reliable and I'm looking to build a system similar to what you've built. Thanks for coming back around and showing what you'd do again and what you'd do differently.
This type of info is great! There are tons of how to videos but rarely do authors take the time to identify what they would change after using it in various conditions. Thank you Chad for sharing. Thanks to Tara and Daisy for sharing Chad 😉
I love that you figured out what was happening. I don't think I'd have figured that out. But then to actually figure out a solution like that...genius. I understand electronics and electricity, but I don't get the whole 30 amp vs 50 amp in RV's. Anyway, great video.
I don’t know if you’ll ever get a chance to read this but in the oilfield we used to use lean twos attached to the top of the roof to put up extra shade to protect to get rain and the elements but we would use Steelz underneath to hold up the lien to and would have outside pipe to hold the Steelz from moving around Pinned in at top and bottom if people are looking to add more power to solar setup they could use this same setup, to put solar panels to rear of camper therefore not compromising roof a/c units and relocation of ladder is all that would change ,,therefore giving you more solar power and shade for your rear porch
Hope you get this ,, maybe it would bless traveling RV enthusiast like yourself who would love to have more solar power for their units thanks have a blessed day
My installation is roughly based on your system. I talked to you about your batteries over your genny, etc. etc. On our first trip out, the genny kept tripping the 20 amp breaker and I had to run my AC input limit down to 20 and only run one ac. I went to your channel and, as I knew I would, I found your solution. I installed your recommended splice and it works perfectly! Thank you for your great channel!!
Hey Chad. I have a similar setup. L1 and L2 coming from the generator are jumpered inside the ATS...just a short wire connecting the two 30A outputs in the ATS terminal block. Same work around with just one wire 🙂. Glad to hear you've got it up and running. 👍Cheers!
Hey!!! I thought about trying that but it didn't look like the ATS inputs had enough room for the jumper. But maybe I should have tried that... LOL. Thanks for watching! 😊
@@ChangingLanes Luckily for me they were bridged in the original transfer switch. I recently installed a new ATS and kept the jumper from the old. BTW I was an AT in the Navy back in the day....way back (A-7s). You?
Bridging the lines with one wire was my first thought. Thanks for confirming my idea. My worry was using a large enough wire might not fit into the ATS connections that were in place. Chad was that your concern or just the ability to fit the jumper into the closed box?
No way! You worked on the plane I hated the most! LOL. Luckily they were phasing the A-7 out and I only worked around it a little when I was in the rag squadron. That thing was a PITA to navigate on the flight deck. Drop and roll under the tail seemed to work out ok. LOL! I worked on the E2-C Hawkeye. Cool plane to work on but VERY heavy parts to haul down to the I level guys.
Yes.. I didn't see that there was room for a 6 ga jumper.. I am going to be swapping in this: amzn.to/3LZxQQX. Much cleaner (and proper) than the ground bar.
Getting ready to retire from the Air Force. Wife and I are buying our first Fifth Wheel and going to see the country. Your videos are extremely helpful. Keep up the hard work!
Thank you for your service! 🇺🇸
Chad, this might just be the BEST video you have ever done! Very informative. Thanks!!
That’s a great system for you. You have more invested in your solar system and all the neat gadgets than I have in my entire RV.
Videos like this make your channel the best RVing channel on RUclips. This was a drop the keyboard moment...
As Chuck my Naval Electrical and Electronics instructor would say "Some Bears are smarter than other Bears" good job Chad. BTW he was Navy I was not, I just needed to learn it for what I did as contractor for DOD and others. The problem (not yours) will be someone that thinks they know what you did and do something like not have a stand off for the 4 lug bar or insulate it some way. Stay safe and healthy guys.
Thanks for the info. I just subscribed. I might be tying both legs of my 5,500w generator's output together too. The only difference is that I have a 20a breaker on one leg and a 30 amp on the other, but I don't think this will be an issue. I will make sure they are in phase before connecting them. My motorhome is a 1999 National Tropical that came from the factory with a 30-amp electrical system. The previous owner had an RV dealer convert it to 50 amps, but they must have reused the original breaker box as it only has one side. They just wired one wire to the top of the box and the other wire to the bottom. It seems to work fine for our limited power demands, so you know what they say, don't fix it if it ain't broke.
We're retired FT RVers who boondock most of the time, so we decided to build our solar system in 2 phases, a 12v basic phase to run all our 12v appliances and a 48v system for our AC high power needs. The main issue we faced is we are retired and living on social security and a small pension so have to do everything on a tight budget forgoing name brand components like Battleborn and Victron for lesser-known brands and must do all the work ourselves - which keeps getting harder as we age.
We just completed the first phase in January, with the addition of a custom built 560ah of LiFePo-4 battery, roughly equivalent of 5 1/2 100ah Battleborns, made with 8, 280ah prismatic cells. We used a Heltec 330amp BMS and a 5a active balancer, to start our generator. We built our 12v battery with grade "A" LiFePo-4 prismatic cells having a 6,000 cycle manufacturer projected life at 100% DOD. This means that if we cycled them 100% every single day, 365 days a year, they would last over 16 years! It only cost us $1,500 to build this 560ah battery, including the high amp BMS. The main reason we chose these cells (other than their price and quality) is that they fit perfectly under the steps of our motorhome where our old pair of GC-2 golf cart batteries used to reside. We insulated the battery compartment, cut a small 1" hole in our step risers and installed a tiny computer CPU fan to keep this space at close to room temperature.
We started our build 4 years ago with a 620-watt liftable array mounted on the side of our motorhome that practically lifts itself to the correct angle with a couple gas struts. Lifting an array to the correct angle produces 25-30% more than a flat mounted array - even more in winter when the sun is low on the horizon. This first phase, including the liftable array, wiring, breakers, a new Progressive Dynamics 80a Li compatible converter/charger, 600w PSW inverter (to run our TV and PC), an Epever 50a MPPT controller, battery monitor/shunt, and a Renogy battery to battery charger (to protect the alternator) cost us around $3,600.
We'll be starting our 48v phase soon, which will give us total off grid electrical independence. Mounting our current solar array on the side of our MH left the roof free to rack 8 BlueSun 460W bifacial solar panels 13" off the roof of our 35ft Class A, to clear our front AC shroud and vents. The front side of these panels are rated at 460 watts with up to 25% additional output from reflected light on the back side, for a total of up to 575 watts, depending on how they are mounted. In our application, this should produce another 10% output off the back of these bifacial panels, from sunlight reflected off our white roof - more during off-peak hours and in the winter, when the sun is lower in the sky. It will give us a good bit of shade too, reducing the heat load on our air conditioners. Our MH is only 11' 9" tall, so we will be able to keep the RV height to 12'.
Rather than buying all the individual components, we will be using an all-in-one 48V, 5,000W, 120V PSW Inverter, 80a MPPT 500V controller and 40a ac battery charger by Sungold Power for the bulk of our 120v needs. It's sort of like a budget Quattro, but with less features. This unit will allow 63 amps throughput from an RV park power pole, but won't allow the inverter to add to this power like your sweet Victron Multiplus does. The reason we chose this all-in-one is because the idle power consumption is only 25 watts - and it's only $800. Most this size have an idle power consumption over 70 watts and cost at least $1,200 (a 5kw Quattro sells for over $2,500 these days). Our 48v battery bank will use 16, 305ah prismatic cells (15.6Kwh.) So together with our 560ah (7.1 Kwh)12v bank, we will have a total of 22.7Kwh of batteries onboard which a little less than 18, 100ah Battleborns! We will be replacing our old rear 13.5k btu rooftop Dometic AC with a super high-efficiency 48v DC mini-split heat pump from Cold and Colder.com that only draws 750 watts (16a at 48v) at peak air conditioner output and less than 500 watts when it's cooling normally. Both phases together will only cost around $13,600. Our 2nd phase will provide 24/7 off-grid air conditioning and supplemental heat from the heat pump and allow occasional usage of our 14.5k Btu Furrion front rooftop AC to cool things down for peak afternoon demand, as well as give us whole house 120v ac power. It will allow us to keep our generator in reserve for emergency use only.
I am a retired AECS (P-3 flight engineer)....loved your explanation. If you ever sell that 5th wheel your gonna need a week to explain all that to the new buyers..LOL!!!
we have 24 volt 5000 watt Victron inverter with 2100 watts of solar ,with 1000 amps of battle born batteries. love it love it. we can run two A/C's no problem.
Very nice! 👍🏼
anything electrical, or similar subjects, confuses the heck out of me, so I'm lost by what you're saying. I will say, you do a very thorough explanation of things and your perfect in your delivery. I really enjoy watching your videos (no matter the subject), even though I'm not an RVer. I live vicariously through you. so thank you for your great content. 😊
Thanks for watching! 😊
Combining the generating legs is next on my list....thx! Then auto start relay.
You are one smart feller. I enjoy your tech stuff even if I don't have it.
Although with Florida blocking residents of other states for an extra month in the state parks I am looking at boondocking when I need to.
I like the idea of the portable power stations over a more expensive on board solar set up.
Fantastic video. My husband feels completely vindicated!! He's been talking about doing a 48 volt system since he started looking into it and I kept saying "there must be something negative about it that we're missing because if it's so much better Chad would have done it". The smile on his face after you said you would have done higher volt was HUGE! 😁 😁 😁
The only drawback is needing a DC-DC converter to serve the 12V side.. Side note on that, make sure the DC-DC can handle the inrush current of the hydraulic pump. I've heard there can be issues there.
I would set up a single 12 volt battery for the 12 volt needs withe the dc to dc converter. The single battery can act as a capacitor for the hydrolic pump.
@@ChangingLanes Chad is correct. Victron makes the Orion series DC to DC series but they all will have a amp limit so know your DC loads and spec accordingly. Doing after the fact - you would also have to upgrade the Inverter/Charger and a host of other items that would now need to be optimized. Best to design upfront and spec accordingly. If you went with 24v you could go with Tesla modules which pack a ton of power in a small space but need a custom BMS and are a little more dangerous chemistry.
@@atcgeek21 FYI If not aware, you can parallel the Orion converters I ran two on my 48v system. Upside is you have redundancy.
@@MrThisIsMeToo Absolutely! I should have been more clear. They work great for this application.
Great news at the end. - I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for something horrible to happen with the tied-in generator outputs.
Again... Very educational and clearly presented in a way that almost anyone can understand.
After seeing few videos where you did different internet or electrical installations and after listening to this video, I would certainly recommand to all those "so called" certified RV technicians to take a course from you!!!
It would cost us less and be better done...
Great video. I'd suggest looking into MOCA adapters. It allows you to send ethernet through your coax, but at tull speed, unlike powerline connectors.
That’s exactly what I had to do to get the generator going after my solar install two years ago. I ran a jumper in between the legs on the ATS. All is still good two years later.
That's great to hear! 👍🏼
If you're running network cable through ducting or outdoors, make sure you're using plenum cable. it's all weather and doesn't burn. if the cables get overpowered and fry for any reason the PVC will release toxic gas into your ventilation system.
Between watching your videos on solar and also RV with Tito's videos it has greatly increased my interest and knowledge of RV solar package possibility's. Thanks for sharing such great info.
Very Clever! I have been in electricity for 50 years and would not have thought of this idea. I didn't connect the dots until the very end. Great Video!
Chad, Very smart fix for the generator. I looked at the wiring diagram that you showed and the generator is paralleled on L1 and L2 just ahead of the two breakers and the L0’s were also connected together. So, I learned something! Thanks for the vide. If you want to get your solar to put out the full 2000 watts or more, go to a mountain top in New Mexico in the summer near solstice time and at noon. Respectfully, Kevin
I had the same problem with our 5500 Gen LP; installed a Victron 32A Autotransformer - wiring L2 through the autotransformer and by passing L1 creating a 180 split phase so the two Victron Muliplus Inverter / Chargers (3000W Each) work in split phase as I had programmed. I can now use all available 45 amps from the generator. I also spoke to Todd at NRVTA and he stated he has seen a Victron Autotransformer installed, but he has never installed one. This was an easy solution to the generator single phase problem.
There was an ~ 4 - 6 volt drop on L2, so increased the generator voltage output to ~ 125 Volts on the remote console, so any voltage drop on L2 would keep the output voltage ~ 119 Volts. We will be discussing this in detail during NRVTA Solar School in May 2022.
The only drawback to that method is the power share will only be for L1 and not the whole RV.
@@ChangingLanes The entire RV has power to both legs since each inverter ./ charger is programmed for split phase where as before installing the autotransformer, the inverter (L1) AC was powered and the second inverter (L2) inverted only since L2 was out of phase. Before adding the autotransformer, both L1 & L2 were single phase.
The autotransformer is an option I offer for RV solar system installs for RV's with onboard gen sets.
Oh.. Yea.. if you have 2 inverters, no problem.. 👍🏼
@@ChangingLanes Hope we can catch up one day to visit about all the various configurations for RV power systems.
I had the gopower ic3000 before my victron mppt solar controller and like you, I knew instantly I should have bought the victron multiplus, the gopower and mppt sometimes fight over who is going to be the battery "floater" so to speak. The voltage readings from both are different enough so one that "reads" below float voltage always takes command of floating duties. Sometimes that gopower just goes bonkers and can float anywhere from .4 higher or .4 lower that its setting. Weak firmware if you ask me. The victron communication between the mppt and multiplus would solve all that.
I am right now doing my electric system now... 800 litho and 1290w solar with victron goodies..... omg the learning curve :)
Great Video Chad, Just want to mention, that inverter (same as mine) is about 2400 watts, the 3000 is VA not watts
I shouldn’t be drinking captain and Coke listening to this. In all seriousness, you should do your own online courses. Great info and explained at a pace that can be understood
Chad, My wife and I follow you guys all the time. I am a planner. I research and prepare before I buy. I try to educate as much as possible but some things are beyond my abilities or expertise. Electricity is one of those areas. I respect your experience, especially in the service. I was Army but not in the same field. So I am asking your opinion because I have no real idea and surfing the internet and especially RUclips, you just get so many different opinions and some are skewed by trying to sell a product. I trust your opinion so here it is....finally. If you were buying a brand new RV Toyhauler that has the factory prep or even some small amount of solar and you want to be able to boon dock for long periods of time and run everything as if you were on shore power, what would your system look like? You don't need to mention brands if you don't want to but what is truly needed? Solar and generator I'm sure but what else? If you were someone like me who doesn't have the expertise to do a self install who would you recommend to provide the full set up? I've seen some total kits for like 2400 watts but does it really cost 25k+? Thank you sir in advance.
Wonder why L1/L2 aren't always wired together in the transfer switch (or coming out of the genny). What you did makes perfect sense, I'm just not sure why it's not always done that way, Victron or not, because they you wouldn't have any issues where you overload one line on the genny without going over the total load allowable. Seems like this should be done this way all the time.
Still love your traveles.
Well. it looks like our kids are on the
TV as they travel!
Terrific video and explanation! I only wish I knew what you were talking about! Lol I know it's not so difficult to understand (electrical stuff) but it's as if your speaking a different language. I just tilt my head a little like a dog that doesn't get what you are saying. Keep these coming, some day I'll get it...
Love this, but my time in the Navy (20 years, submarines) was as a box kicker. I never run out of stuff in the camper and my stock is always rotated, but tech stuff is scary to me.
Kick it is always step #1! LOL.
Thanks for the great video. I have a GD Solitude with a generator. My problem was that when installed my solar system and 6 batteries in the pass through, I positioned the transfer switch behind everything, and I cannot now get at it unless I remove all the batteries and the board holding all the Victron equipment. So I then thought I would try to jump the lines at the generator. This was also a no-go unless I pulled the entire generator out--too much for me to do! So followed the generator output wiring out of the generator and noticed, for the first time, a square electrical box in the front compartment, and saw that the output from the generator went into it. I opened the box, and low and behold, the wiring from the generator was joined to the wiring going into the transfer box, and all I have to do is strip off the electrical tape from the factory and join L1 and L2!. Of course, there are a bunch of what looks like 16 gauge wires also connected there to the generator output wires, and I have not yet figured out what they do. I'll let you know how it works when I get finished with it.
Thank you for sharing your lack of experience I really appreciate you both!
that was funny
Sounded greek to me but my husband was mesmerized!! Thanks for the info. Bob and Sherrie
You mentioned the word that I want someone to talk about but no one really does concerning the electrical systems. HEAT. I am converting to lithium ion and have heard it mentioned many times that you can put those batteries inside along with the converter/inverter/charger but I’m still concerned about the heat generated and no one is giving any real data on it. If you have an opportunity can you do that in a video? I have a toy hauler so my storage is very limited and wanted to put my new electric system under my bed area so I need to know what kind of heat could be potential coming off of these components. Thank you and I love your channel.
Excellent video and perfect timing. You could not have explained the generator issue better!
Another awesome video Chad! These are so helpful for those of us just starting to dip our toes into solar. Also want to thank both of you for all your videos. Over the last year with all the Covid crap your content has been entertaining, informative and helped us make the right decision on an RV and all the things we need to enjoy it. Thanks so much for that! You helped us get through Covid!
FINALLY!!!!! Too bad I sold the rig I needed this for, but if I ever get a generator added to the new rig I will keep this in mind. Thanks!
Another excellent video. From your previous video, two things I thought I might prefer would be fewer larger batteries, and possibly going 24v.
You make all of this solar make sense in the Rv. we are waiting for our 381m and F350. Hopefully both sometime by the end of the year. This helps with our plans for solar ! Thank you
Just watched this - I envy your electrical knowledge. When I saw those 10 batteries I was thinking, 'what kind of weight does this add to your coach"? I have a similar Genset in our Fuzion.. Now I'll have to check out the discharge wiring to see if ours is split into twin 30s also...
Trying to follow the 'stuff' you all have in your power management system I'm reminded of an old "Laugh-In" reply when Dan was giving Dick instructions to follow..... Dick would reply, "You lost me at the bakery".....when there was never any mention of a bakery.
What you've done, and installed IMHO, is way above what the majority of campers can ever afford to obtain unless they're as trained as you are.. It's beautifully done and I can't commend you enough.. Many thanks for this video.. Safe travels, Chad.
Can sure use this tech info.!!!! Thanks again for ALL you guys do for the RV world.
Wow! Great video Chad. You always explain it so well. Thanks.
I had the exact same problem with the generator that you did in this video. I had not realized what the fix for it was yet. Thank you, this clears the generator throwing only one breaker up. By the way I pretty much watched your videos on installing the Victron Multiplus, Cerbo, etc... and used your links to buy all of it. Hopefully by using your links I at least bought you guys a cheese burger. We have the exact same system except I bought 3 large form AmpereTime 400 AH batteries for a total of 1200AH. I also wish I would have thought it through better and went with a 24 or 48 volt system. I have dual sets of 4/0 wire running to from the batteries to the inverter to avoid the heat.
Lots of good scary info for a novice like me with two batteries hooked in parrelell. See ya next week.
do you have a video that shows your work on the ATS bringing the lines together? thank you
Great info!!! I look forward to your videos because I always learn something new.
Chad, these are the videos I like the most from you guys. Yes, it's nice to see the different spots you guys go and the adventures you take but these are great so I know what to look for when we get our toy hauler. (Still a few years away though 😔)
I appreciate your time making these.
In December of 2021, Tesla installed my solar roof and powerwalls. One thing about them I was surprised to discover was this thing called the Cloud-Edge Effect. I only have an 8.5kW system over the whole roof, so on my best day so far with no clouds, I get a maximum peak of around 5.6kW. When there are clouds, I'll get peaks sometimes around 7.6kW due to this effect. I can tell it's happening using the app because of the "spikeyness" of my power generation. That's typically caused by the clouds blocking the sun and then when the edge of the cloud gets near, I'll get a high spike of power. Fortunately, due to the fact I have two inverters and each inverter can handle 7.5kW, this isn't much of an issue.
One thing I do like about my system is that I can run my house for about 5 days in cloudy weather without power from the grid. I know it's never going to pay for itself in the long run, but I found that given the other options, I liked going solar/battery for my house vs getting a generator. Not to mention on a "normal" day, my power use from the grid is negative, meaning I'm putting power back out to the grid vs using it.
Funny you mention that... We were traveling on a cloudy day and I had the VRM open on my phone to see how things were doing. As we broke in and out of the clouds, I would sometimes see the solar spike to over 1900W! First time I'd ever seen that.
Chad, you’re an RV God.
Oh. By the way I shared this on my Facebook page. I have told everyone I know to watch your videos on specific areas. You are a blessing.
Thank you Chad and Terra
Thanks! 😊
Great video! I didn’t know that about the multiplus 2 and a generator… not to mention Wi-Fi problems in concentrated areas!
How are the batteries configured? Parallel? busbar? Posts? I would love to see a battery diagram with wire sizes. I assume since your using a 12v multiplus that your batteries are wired Parallel. Do you have trouble keeping them balanced?
Id like to know this as well ...Ive heard of this being a problem ...Per Will Prouse
Great explanation of how you combined the generator output.
Great info! You explained this very well and I too find inspiration walking around the home improvement stores (Lowes, Home Depot, Menards, etc)! I just added the Micro-Air Easy Start to both my A/C's today as I know we will be camping at some places that only provide 30 amp connections. Got them wired up and watched my SurgeGuard display for what amps they drew as they started up. Only saw about 12-14 amps on the individual A/C's and 23-24 amps when they both started at the same time. Love Technology!
Thanks Chad for the generator "fix" I am in the process of installing the Victron Multiplus II 12V 2 x 120 inverter. I also have the Onan 5500 in my 50A Roadside Warrio 427 Toyhauler. Have already purchased the Morris Products Multi-Cable Connector. Thanks again. Love your channel!!
Great video - especially the section around the Onan and Victron MultiPlus 2x120. I made the connection in the junction box near the generator instead of the transfer switch but in the end it is exactly the same as what you recommended. Thank you for the tip!
I'm not electrion
Alot actually most of went over my head.
I'm glad it worked for you.
FYI: I always watch all your videos even though I don't RV yet. You and the Mrs are excellent at providing me with great knowledge for when I'm ready to make my move. I was hoping that this year would be our year to retire. Hopefully if the market just starts turning positive I can do it late this year or in 2023. Please keep posting.
Thanks for watching! 😊
"I'm a Tech Nut" - sounds like the perfect reason to me!!!
Chad-Love your videos- You have really inspired me on lots of mods. I have a 2019 40ft Montana. Definitely going to do the cross over on the genni feed--that makes so much sense. I have 12 x 100w Panels 600 Amps of Lithium. I have the same Go Power 3000 IC installed that you used to have. It all works great, but when I run my Air a high load (1 AC) The 4/0 wires feeding the inverter are getting warm (100-120f) The three batteries feed individually to a buss bar (via three 250amp T fuses) on 2/0 leads Did you experience any wire over heating issues? Any ideas
Nice work!! Always enjoy your knowledge transfers!
Love the content! Any worries with joining the two hot legs into one from an amp draw through 1 6ga wire, relay contact, inverter side?
Great information. Just because the wires can connect together, it doesn’t always mean it will work. You still need a good knowledge base and experienced friends to help optimize everything. Thank you for sharing and have a great day.
Great info. We don’t full time but I am considering Solar/batteries/inverter to up our off grid capabilities
Hey Chad, I'm a bit of a tech geek like youself. I did an install just over a year ago using most of the same Victron equipment that you have. We just bought a new RV with a 50amp service, and on your advice, will be changing out our MultiPlus to a MultiPlus II on the new rig. Looking forward to getting at it. Great informative videos. Thanks!
Solar for RV is incredible love it
Great job, Chad. Hey, quick question. I'm installing 1,600 watts on top. Two banks of 200w panels x 4 in series = 48 volts, right? What awg should I run into the coach? 8 or 6 awg? And what connector do I need under the gland to connect the PV to the 6 awg? Wire nuts?!? Thanks for all your work out here!
Fantastic video! Thanks for sharing and Tara did a fantastic job on the editing.
Well, it pays to procrastinate!, and clearly I must have been procrastinating for this video!
I've relied on solar/wind turbine/lithium and Victron for years living the good life on our cruising sailboat in Mexico. All was installed in 2016. Last year we bought a '21 Momentum 397TH and I started the work on the electrical design so we can "anchor out". Last fall I installed ten 200W Rich Solar 24V panels on the roof. After that the analysis paralysis and procrastination set in. I've gone back and forth several times on the 12/24/48V question. Before this video, I'd kind of settled back at 12V mostly due to all the 12V devices onboard. If I installed 24 or 48 volt, I would need a DC-DC step down to power the 12V devices. At first, I thought no big deal, they're all low current LED stuff. Then I ran into the hydraulic motor on the Lippert stabilizers. That motor is rated at 100amps. While it probably will never pull 100amps, any DC step down should be sized for it, and that means a big buck-boost converter and more $$.
But after your video, you have me thinking about 48V again. For the lithiums, I'm planning on the server-rack form factor from either SOK or Signature Solar. I already have a couple of 100ah Battle Borns, so I'm now thinking I'll handle the 12V requirement by keeping the Battle Borns and running a Vicrton Orion DC-DC charger from the 48V house bank. It will be a project for the summer. We're presently on the boat in Mexico dealing with other projects like bottom paint, sails and running rigging. Thanks for the video and the update on your thoughts.
And PS, thanks for your Navy service. I was a Marine radar tech. Our son was an Afghanistan combat Marine. And our daughter was a Navy COD pilot. My Marine Corps electronics training has led me down a similar path of a career in IT and "no tech shall go untested". :-)
Thank you BOTH for your service! 🇺🇸
@@ChangingLanes Chad, BOTH?? I thought sure you'd pick up on the "COD" (C2 Greyhound) reference with your Hawkeye experience. The E2 and C2 are sister ships! 8-) 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸
Great info, Chad. When I get to install solar, inverter, batteries, etc. on my rig, I'll look back at this video for advice. Thank you so much for sharing.
I’m using a twin ferrule from Panduit to combine my L1 and L2 from the genny to the ATS. It takes up minimal space and works perfect in the terminal! And they’re $2
Great video brother.... you lost me around the first minute, but I watched the entire video just because I like your informative videos. Thanks
Thanks for watching! 😊
Chad, Glad you and Tara enjoyed the Balloon Fiesta, Wife and I are Duke City born and raised. I am getting ready to install the system based on the connection diagram you posted previously. Can you please update that diagram with the ONAN joining of L1 and L2 . We have the same generator as well. Thanks for your wonderful videos!
Generator output L1/L2 tied together on busbar and a single wire from busbar to ATS T1 connection. Is this correct?
correct! However, another commenter recommend this to bridge them and I agree: amzn.to/376f5g5
Thx CL for excellent video production and informative video. I was waiting for the OS in your discription but sounds like you did your home work to verify with known experts congrats. FWIW gensets are an interesting challenge I worked on then on ships in USN and after service for Cat and Onan distributor before Cummins merged. Also with large So Cal Electrical Utility one area that often gets over looked is recirculating ground currents which will result in excessive load/loss of capacity from source rating and in extreme cases ground currents causing conductor movement and elecrical fires which we experience with portable 4 mw 12kv generator bank used to pickup a fire damaged system and isolated mtn town By your verification of generator capacity sounds like your conversion to single output didn't create any recirculating currents.
Fingers crossed! 😉
Chad, thank you 1000% I just installed the mp2 and discovered the same issue, I mistakenly assumed the genset was 120/240 and was chasing my tail for a bit. Being a long time viewer of yours I has a feeling you may have encountered the same issue. Glad I checked here first! Love the content guys, being like minded I get alot out of your videos. Hope all is well in your hood! Happy travels!
Thanks for the info. We are currently upgrading our batteries and installing solar on our Airstream. So much to learn!
I’m looking at getting to a 48v system. Thank you for confirmation that it isn’t such a crazy thought. I just need to get the details worked out.
👍👍
Not certain but that aluminum connector for the 2 wires (copper) from the 2 outputs of the generator. Please check periodically to make sure they do not loosen up. Aluminum & Copper expand and contract at different rates, this is what caused house fires; thats why they stopped wiring houses with Aluminum wires. Those houses that still have Aluminum wiring require special terminals and such. Good Luck and safe travels.
A couple q's....
With the 10-100ah lythium batteries and the 3000W inverter, how long could you run the AC/Heat Pump? I assume it's the 15K unit as well?
The wiring for the 45 amps....
NEC requires #8 awg for 50 or less amps but you were talking about the wiring heating up and, let's face it... That wire you were working with was a "bit larger" than #8!
What AWG size did you need to run for the system you've got going on here, able to run the AC?
Thanks again Chad. You're helping a lot of folk out here with some great information.
BTW....
Now, the photo showed you on a flight deck after stating your military past experience.
Were you a "fly boy" or "squid"???
EM3 Chapman asking here.....
Thanks, Chad. Although my setup is much smaller the principles are the same.
What kind of refrigerator, windows, wall and ceiling insulation do you have.?
Have you ever tried to set up the RV as "Grid Tied"? In other words, able to feed power back thru the grid when connected but stop the feed when the grid dies? I have the Victron Multiplus II 24/3000, Cerbo GX, smart Shunt, MPPT charge controller, 2x24v 200ah Lithium batteries, etc and 2900w solar on the roof. I'd like to be able to plug into the pole at my home and when the solar out-produces the battery draw, I'd like it to send the excess back into the grid. I also see that as a big bene4fit for RV parks but that is a side conversation I guess. I think it's possible but don't fully understand how to do it.
We're on the same level here.. I think it's possible but have no idea how that would work.. LOL I would ask around in the Victron community: community.victronenergy.com/index.html
Well done Video! How you got it all into 19 minutes is amazing! Watched every second! Thanks!
Great video! Thanks for the tip about going a higher voltage on the solar panels.
The solar panels are already around 100V... I was referring to the battery bank wiring. Hope that makes sense.. 👍🏼
@@ChangingLanes it does. I was hoping your panel voltage was higher. Watching your videos really helped me to get past my analysis paralysis for my inverter/charger setup. Thanks!!!
You two share the truth about your travel in your 5th Wheel!
Interesting. I am trying to set up my ATS for Shore Power & 240v Genset. I have two Victrons multiplus inverters. I will be wiring up the 1 inverter with L1 and the other with L2.
Installing the ATS near the main CB panel.
Any sugestion?
Make sure contractor on the ATS can handle the 45am per leg. Good job on the video!!
Mr. Chad, I never seen you pull out a Micro Borescope if you do not have you should get one it is an outstanding tool to have if you own a RV.......
Great Job & Video! After upgrading & installing 2 systems myself, I follow everything you discuss in your video & give you major kudos for the end result. For folks just starting out I'd suggest taking baby steps before doing a system like yours. Your system is a "sweet monster" of a system the beginner might want to get some help building out.
taking baby steps just makes you spend more money in the long term....... go big or go home..... do it right the first time.
I agree with our comment, but just attended Balloon Fiesta. Neighbor had a 1200 watts solar system and 600 amps of LiFePO4 batts and system crashed. He didn't have a multi meter nor did he know how to use it. I helped him fix it. @@beenthere2145
Great video and explanation of your system...love your DIY how to videos keep up the good work Chad 👍
Thanks for the killer explanation. Planning to add a second AC in the RV one of these days soon and that may turn out to really be a big help.
Thank you for making this video! I have been piecing my whole system together for my Grand RV 381M and this helped me feel much more confident with not only my decision to buy this system but also to install it myself.
Chad, as always, thank you for sharing. A whole lot of information was provided, and any time it helps understand systems better, it's a good thing!