MASSIVE RV SOLAR - RUN 3 AC's AT THE SAME TIME
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- Опубликовано: 27 фев 2024
- Our neighbor at Quartzsite had the LARGEST RV SOLAR system I have ever seen.
Reach out to Kenson here:
www.monument-solar.com/?aff=5
Like us, they are a family business in the RV space, looking to help people gear up for their adventures. Solar power is one of the neatest ways to give us super flexibility while out on the road, so when I see a system that does it like no one else, I take note!
Join us as we talk to Monument Solar (monument-solar.com) about their MASSIVE RV solar setup and if you're interested, get on his list so you can get a SWEET DEAL on this solar setup.
#rvsolar #diysolar #boondocking #travelhacks
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Hey, Nick here! This channel started with us traveling across the southern United States during winter of 2018, and has evolved into a new adventure in and of itself.
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That sure is a sweet, professionally done system. I like that the panels are liftable, but at my age I won't be climbing on my roof to lift panels. I like the redundancy factor too. I guess great minds think alike as we have a redundant system too. It looks like the main weakness of this system is only 10.2 kwh of batteries, though that can always be expanded. The warranty sounds great too. I'm sure Kenson will have a long line of clients and wish him the best of luck with his new venture.
Our motorhome is only 35 ft long, but we were still able to fit 5,020 watts of solar onboard. Five years ago, we retired, sold everything, bought an older motorhome and hit the road. We discovered we love to boondock but are retirees on a tight budget so designed and built our system ourselves as we could afford it. We built our solar/battery system in 2 phases, a 12v system for our basic 12v DC needs and a 48v system for our 110v A/C needs. We started by building a 620-watt liftable solar array on the side of our motorhome. It makes a nice bedroom window awning too, practically lifting itself with a couple gas struts, and it's easy to clean, standing safely on the ground.
We finished the 12v part of our build a year ago, with the addition of a LiFePo-4 battery that we built with 8, 280ah prismatic cells. We use a Heltec 330amp BMS with a 5a active balancer to keep the cells synched up. It cost us less than $1,500 to build this 560ah 12v, 7.1 kwh battery, including the high amp BMS. We chose these cells rather than a pre-built battery because they fit perfectly under the steps of our MH where our old pair of golf cart batteries used to reside. We insulated the battery compartment, cut a 1" hole in our step risers and installed a tiny computer CPU fan to keep this space at close to room temperature, so we don't have to worry about the BMS shutting down charging if they get too cold - or their life reduced from getting too hot. Our 12v system uses an 80A Progressive Dynamics LFP converter/charger, a 1,000w Renogy inverter, an Epever 50a MPPT charge controller and a Lnex battery monitor.
By mounting the solar array on the side of our coach, we left the roof free to rack 8, 550w solar panels (4,400 watts) down the length of our 35ft Class A, 15" off our roof, above our AC, vents, etc. This huge array covers our entire roof too, providing some nice shade with plenty of cooling air underneath, increasing solar output and reducing the heat load on the air conditioners too, though our overall height is still under 12 ft. We mounted our Sungold Power all-in-one 48V, 5,000W Inverter/100A charge controller/battery charger, breakers and a Lnex battery monitor on the wall in our bedroom, saving us space as well as money. The 48v battery that resides under our bed uses 16, 320ah prismatic cells and a 200amp Heltec BMS to keep it safe and happy.
Together with our 560ah 12v bank, we have a total of 23.5 kwh of batteries onboard (the equivalent of about 18, 100ah Battleborn batteries) - kept charged by 5,020 watts of solar. We removed the 13.5k btu rooftop Dometic AC we had in the bedroom and replaced it with an EG4 28.5 seer-2, 12k btu mini-split heat pump on the upper rear of our motorhome. It's super quiet and cools as well as our 14.5k btu soft start equipped Furrion we have up front. This second phase provides 24/7 off-grid air conditioning and heat from the heat pump. We can run both A/Cs and charge our batteries at the same time. We have a total of 6,000 watts of 120v inverted ac power on hand giving us off-grid electrical self-sufficiency for a total budget of around $11,500, (including the high-efficiency heat pump.) This fit our budget and is only a tiny fraction of a similar sized professionally designed and built system would be. This allows us to keep our aging 5,500w generator in reserve, for back-up use only. We are in Yuma now but will be traveling to the East Coast to visit family in a couple weeks. If anyone would like to see some pictures or is building your own system and has any questions, you can e-mail me at sushidog@earthlink.net.
Your system sounds amazing! Can you send some pics to nick@instyconnect.com? Thanks!
I am Working on my solar set up. I purchased panels, ran wires, then thought about what I was actually doing. I ran my wires through the RV then thought… Hmmm. Is high voltage DC safe? Turns out… The answer is no… It’s not safe… If you run high voltage DC inside a residence, it needs to be run in metal conduit. So, I pulled the wire out and ran it in metal conduit. Which was not easy.
I do wish that I had watched this video before I mounted my solar! That is an awesome mounting system! Next rig!!!
Very nice Nick! - Thanks! - Cheers!
Thank you Garry! Hope you're doing well!
I meant to stop and check out their Setup when I stop by and bought my Insty connect from you. I’m glad you made this video!
I'm glad you got to see it! Thanks for the comment!
1-Not adding height to an already high trailer. 2-Good luck with all that extra battery weight in one of the worst possible spots. Asking for Frame Failure. Still need to do better for Full-Time Boondocking options. We aren't there yet.
Thanks for your comment! I'm interested, just got a fifth wheel (vid coming on that fiasco :) - in the front of mine is the generator spot, those things are heavy. What are your thoughts on gens in the front??
@@WeCanExploreIt That's the first item that should be deleted. The entire industry(owners, of course) is paying for the poor design consideration. Frame "Flex" aka. "Failure" is rampant and destroying peoples dreams of full-time RVing. It is a scandal that is soon to turn Class-Action.
8 of those Battle Borns are just under 250lbs total. Do you really think thats enough to cause frame failure? I know modern trailers are very flimsy, but It doesnt seem like that would be much more than the typical load of camping gear.
Taj-Ma-Haul is a 8.5 x 20 Toy Hauler, and I have 6.99kWhrs mounted with 0 holes in the roof.
I gotta see this!
@@WeCanExploreIt Welp, I'm about 35% complete with my build. Solar is complete, the 6.9kWatt/hrs is all I can install without some major origami. What is also missing is I only have 12kWatt/hrs of Inverter which will eventually be increased to 36-48kWatts depending on how large of an electric charger my CyberTruck can take/find.
Battery storage is currently 2 of 8 total batteries, with each battery storing 14kWatt/hrs. Currently I can store 28kWatt/hrs and after the additional 6 batteries are installed, 112kWatt/hrs.
~7kWatt/hrs Solar Generation
36-48kWatts of Inverter Power or 300-400amps
112kWatt/hrs of Battery
The design is to support both my living needs and CyberTruck charging for total energy independence
Battleborn are way overpriced for 2024. 2019 they were unique but not anymore.
Thanks for your comment. Do you think they are still a good battery for those that don't want to worry about their battery? I don't have them but sometimes I wonder.
will all this added weight not exceed the cargo capacity, and be a danger on the road.
This is one of the things I mention in the video where the intro call with him is important. Weight is one of the factors in how much solar a certain rig can handle. You definitely don't want to do more than the rig can handle.
The added weight with a poor designed frame might be a disaster waiting to happen. Goodluck with the business.
Correct, a strong frame is a must in my opinion, which is why I was impressed with what he engineered.
What is the weight of all that framing added....yikes... most rigs today don't even have a 2k CCC that's why we're seeing all these frame failures as of late....cheaper thinner under-engineered constructed frames=more $ in manufacturers pockets.....very bad for us RVer's....I mean yes cool set up but I'm very very skeptical of the weight issues and yeah BB is so 2017...there are soooo many better options for the $ now.
Ok, I've been in the Rv community less than a year. what is the advantages of solar Compare to just spending $700 on a generator?
That is depending on how you are going to be camping/living in your RV are you going to be in campground mostly or are you wanting to do more off grid?
The cost of adding a generator versus the cost of installing solar, by starting small with an offgrade system, will be more beneficial and quieter Plus you will not have the cost of gas to run the generator.
I know what you mean, and it's one of those things that you have to weigh when you figure out how you like/want to camp. So, for me, I am very LAST MINUTE in our planning. For instance, I'm writing this comment from the Florida Keys on a very last minute trip to do a meet up. Since we tend to run last minute, we may not always have hook ups or need to boondock to cover days we don't have reservations. Having a vast amount of solar lets us run whatever we need in the rig just like we're plugged in. There are limitations of course, but we have done many a night in state parks where generators were not allowed, but we still ran our AC overnight. It is a premium perk for sure. If I'm honest, sometimes I wonder if I need all the solar until one of those hot nights mentioned above :)
Well, ignoring the solar for a moment, the real question is batteries-v-generator and the primary advantage of having batteries is that (worst case) you don't have to run your generator more than once a day and then only for maybe 1-2 hours. Meaning... silence is golden and all the equipment, including the AC, can operate into the night.
The battery system is the biggest cost. Adding solar in addition is a much smaller cost. So decide based on whether the battery system makes economic / comfort sense for you first before worrying about solar.
Instead of putting tons of solar on your roof, why not use less electricity?? 12 volt refrigerator, 12 volt diesel air and water heater, 12 to 120 volt inverter, 12 volt diesel cooktop, 100 percent LED lighting, no televisions. Still using AGMs that don't refuse to work when it's too hot or too cold.
Different strokes for different folks.
I think the RV industry should go this route no matter what. I can tell you that I am impressed with the new 12v refrigerators, and I think that is a GREAT step in the right direction. Now, if RV's can mass produce something like a great mini split AC, that will be huge. Running the AC is a goal that a lot of people have (me included), so having a much more efficient cooling system on an RV would be great for solar, now that I think of it, it would be great for the GRID as a whole, with all those RV's plugged into the local campground.
Poor communication by Monument Solar. First says I can't DIY install, then ignores me, then calls back month later saying I can do DIY. Then I tell him I want a certain size system and he disagrees and then he ignores us again. Not a good way to do business. FWIW, he quoted about $18k for labor to install the roof rack and panels. HIs pricing is outrageous at MSRP but an ok value if you were able to get in on it early on with a price savings. I would skip Monument Solar and save thousands by doing it yourself.
Yowzer.... well. I dunno. I do a lot of solar myself, and I am a professional electrical engineer by education and trade, and that setup is rather a mess. Battleborn? Really? 12V batteries and a 24V system voltage with 5kWp of solar on the roof? Plus the cabling looks like 2/0 or 3/0. And 2/0 from the charge controllers? Those are horrible choices all around! Typical DIY. Better than using a 12V system voltage, but not by much. Also those cables look like they have pure-copper terminals interfacing with the battery's nickel/tin-plated bolts and they are already oxidizing.
If you don't want to read through the wall of words that follows then my one big piece of advise: Don't be afraid of 48V. People put 48V systems with solar on their GOLF CARTS for heaven's sake! Don't be afraid of it, its fine and it stays in the equipment compartment.
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Lets see... he said 400Ah @ 24V? Roughly 10kWh of storage. This is how you put together a larger system like this:
* 4 x 50Ah 48V (51.2V LiFePO4) (10kWh), in parallel. 10kW full load capability. do not use 12V or 24V batteries. Use 48V batteries (51.2V 16s LiFePO4). Expandable indefinitely.
* 2 AWG cabling (100A @ low losses = 5kW @ 51.2V nominal). NOT 2/0. 2 AWG. No single battery or inverter cable in this setup will ever exceed 100A.
* The Lynx stuff is fine, keep it. Parallel the batteries THROUGH THE LYNX. Do not use end-to-end cabling like he did or if you do then limit it to 2 batteries per. Using end-to-end cabling requires using thicker cables, it is totally unnecessary. Use a bus configuration... each battery (or battery-pair) separately to the lynx, each battery gets its own fuse in the lynx.
* No main battery fuse needed, the lynx provides that in the above configuration. No T-class fuse is needed either, the worst-case I.R. is very low in this configuration. Just use fused Lynx components (don't use unfused lynx components). Yes, for everything. Batteries, inverters, everything. Give absolutely everything hanging off that bus an in-lynx fuse.
* Main battery disconnect(s) are a good idea. Depends on the bus amperage you want. Do NOT use cheap marine-style disconnects. Either use a properly wired DC MCB or use a proper spring-loaded DC disconnect, with at least a 250VDC rating (even though the battery voltage is only ~58V max).
-> If using DC MCsB (mini circuit breakers), be absolutely certain they are wired properly and are unpolarized. Also always use 2-pole MCBs in solar setups. Never use single-pole MCBs. NEVER use polarized DC MCBs except in the combiner box. Beyond that scary note, DC MCBs are great and make working on bits and pieces of the system easy. The removable lynx fuses are NOT a substitute for disconnects/MCBs.
* If you really want to use a multiplus II Victron does have a 48V version, but it's single-phase 120VAC only (not split-phase... Victron is a bit behind the times on 48V gear).
-> For the multiplus, 2 AWG cabling per 5kW (@ 100A max per unit). OR whatever inverter you want.
-> I recommend a third "junk" inverter that is routed to the kitchen with a remote switch at the kitchen, which along with the main AC circuitry lets you use ALL the kitchen's high-load appliances all at the same time without worry.
* Use ferrules for all wiring interfaces with clamp terminals, and use proper tinned lugs or crimp terminals for all battery and bolt/terminal interfacing. With washer and lock-washer for any bolt/terminal interfacing. Do NOT use pure-copper lugs or bus-bars.
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And then for the solar, there are a lot of choices. What I will say is that for an RV you don't really want to run high-voltage strings. That's more than a bit hazardous. I would limit the voltage to 150VOC which is approximately 3 residential panels in series. Call it 120V operating @ 10A = 1200W, roughly, x 4 to get you to 4800kWp (4800W nameplate for the panels). Run each one through a Victron SmartSolar 150/35. 10 AWG cabling is plenty good enough.
Alternative example: Someone using, say, 100W panels instead, the configuration would be 3x or 4x 100W panels in series @ (usually) 5A, so you could parallel three sets of those for 900W into a single charge controller pretty easily. And with 3x, in that case, a Victron 100/20 would be plenty. But Victron 150/35's are a bit more versatile so keep that in mind.
In terms of the configuration, you can parallel sets of two strings (for 20A into 2 x Victron 150/35's) instead of each string into its own 150/35 if you want. You need an intermediary box for your DC disconnects and fusing anyway (don't use inline solar fuses, use an actual combiner box with the fusing and disconnect). So two combiner boxes, one for each set of two (or three) paralleled strings.
(gives you some expansion capability in the future too)
You can stick with 10 AWG throughout the solar wiring, even for the (max 20A) portion after the combiner box for the short-run to the charge controllers. If you really want, you can use 8 AWG for that last little bit instead, and an appropriate AWG for the charge controller -> lynx distributor connection. (depends on amperage, but we're talking 35A max from a Victron 15/35 so 8 AWG will be fine for a short run like that. Use 6 AWG if you are scared).
Parallel the strings at the combiner box, do NOT use MC4 paralleling connectors, those are fire hazards. Do NOT use MC4 inline-cable fuse holders. Use fuses in the combiner box. Just buy two off the shelf combiner boxes, use the correct fuse amperage (usually 15A in this setup), and call it a day.
And clean up / button-down all the wiring(!)
That is what I would do for a setup like this.
-Matt
@junkerzn7312 Appreciate the feedback on this. Have a good one!
I’m sorry. This is far from a professional install. Cables dangling all over the place, exposed cable on crimped lugs, missing heat shrink and multiple batteries strapped down with a single ratchet strap. Ratchet is ready to short circuit against a battery terminal. Didn’t mention if there was a catastrophic overload failure prevention class T fuse on the battery cable. Failed code inspection if it was a house. Legal height of a trailer is 13’ 6” which is where manufacturers usually put the top of their AC units up to. He states this is “only” 1.5” above that limit because the solar panels are only 1.5” high. In most cases this is 1.5” above the legal limit. Solar cables left loose all over the roof which is unacceptable practice. This is the classic example of a RUclips family living in the road and thinking they are a professional solar installer.