Cargo Trailer Camping Converting

[UrbanElite]

Here is an alternative drawing showing the BLUE SEA Distribution Block pictured above.

There we go that one makes more sense to me, i like keeping the inverter wired straight to the batteries, as you can use any old fuse block then.

Yes, I do see it. That does sound like a smart device. I will look at installing one. I would see this on a Motorhome where the batteries are running the motorhome and the power for the rv motor home off of the alternator, but how does this work on a trailer?

[Sunking]

Yes, but I'm confused.. Do i look at the bottom one because I want to include a fuse block?

Yes the Bottom Drawing. The top drawing is with a Inverter only.

Where the Inverter gets connected depends on the Distribution Block current capabilities.

Here is an alternative drawing showing the BLUE SEA Distribution Block pictured above.

You keep mentioning an isolator? Im unfamiliar with these how do they work?

They are a device that gets installed in the engine compartment that allows your engine alternator to charge your house solar batteries. They have circuitry Isolates your Starter and House Solar Battery. They are sized per your RV Alternator size from 60 to 200 amps. So when you drive, your Hose batteries get a real nice Bulk Charge like they would using a large AC Powered Battery Charger at home. That is the redundancy I am speaking of. If you get cloudy spell and the batteries get drained, start your engine and recharge quickly. If you only park for say 2 days at one site, then drive to another site, the batteries will be recharged while you drive. Size the batteries correctly for say 5 days, and if you only park for 3 or 4 days, you do not need the solar as the battery charging is done by the Isolator. Your engine alternator can generate more energy in an hour than a solar system can generate in a day or two. Best $50 to $75 investment you can make, It wil do what a $1000 of solar will do. It is just smart money.


See the Isolator connection in all the drawings?

[sensij]

So I was doing some looking around on Amazon, and my good old china sites. I found 2 60A MPPT charge controls, pretty beefy, looking the specs I need they seem to work? Take a look and see what you guys think of each and get back to me:

https://www.amazon.ca/SRNE-SOLAR-CHA...GMSVQSRJQ4SWZG
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/high...8-de3fd73b42c1

I was also linked this one on another forum, 50a with a display: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Y-SOLAR-150V-...oAAOSw5cNYQnX9

Of the three, I'd only consider the trying first one (from SRNE). The third one is clearly a Victron knock-off, which is already a mid-tier controller, while the first one appears to be modeled on the Morningstar. Only the first one seems to have the basic mppt functionality of recognizing when the rated current is reached and moving off the maximum power point to compensate. It isn't very likely that conditions will ever allow your 640 W array to exceed 60 charging amps, but the combination of snow, cloud reflections, and cold temps in winter can do some crazy things, and the 50 A limit of the third one is definitely within reach. I wouldn't buy a controller that can't protect itself.

[UrbanElite]

300 AH is all you need for 1.2Kwh/day. If all you do is 2 days, no solar required. Your batteries would be recharged by the time you get home.At 450 AH you can go about 4 days without a recharge.

Great to know, so the s550 would be little overkill then... I could get the s290s for $215 each, would that be a better choice? I like that 2 day camping no worries, the system could be able to do 4 days no problem with good weather and the solar recharging the the 3rd and 4 day.

Does this mean a person can go back to a 40a traccer charge controller again?

[UrbanElite]

Have you looked at the drawings I showed you? This is how it is done.

Yes, but I'm confused.. Do i look at the bottom one because I want to include a fuse block?

I see the fuse block is connected to the positive off the battery, but the inverter is going through the block? Don't you usually put the inverter straight to the batteries?

You keep mentioning an isolator? Im unfamiliar with these how do they work?

[Sunking]

I used a off grid website: https://www.altestore.com/store/calc...id_calculator/ I still am measuring with the kill-a-watt meter, so far I'm at 1 day 17 hours with 2.018 kWh

Like i said before the most part Im camping is 2 days and sometimes up to 4 or more, but thats rare. So for the most part I want to size the system so I can camp with power for 2 days without worry about weather, but if weather is good my batteries over the 2 day trip will be topped right up and not draining them.

300 AH is all you need for 1.2Kwh/day. If all you do is 2 days, no solar required. Your batteries would be recharged by the time you get home. At 450 AH you can go about 4 days without a recharge.

Think of solar a different way in an RV. It just extends the time you can stay out. It can stretch a 3 day reserve to 6 or 7 days. You do not need a system designed like a home system where you want the batteries fully saturated every day. Do that and you will save a ton of money, and get exactly what you want with redundancy with an Isolator.

[UrbanElite]

Where did you come up with 1200 wh/day? I thought you were measuring how many you really needed with a Kill-A-Watt Meter?
I am trying to keep it real and inexpensive for you. My best advice is if 1200 wh per day is real, use a 300 AH battery, 40 amp CC, and take some of that $500 you just saved and buy a good $75 battery Isolator. If not me, listen to Sensij, that is also what he is telling you.

I used an off grid website: https://www.altestore.com/store/calc...id_calculator/ I still am measuring with the kill-a-watt meter, so far I'm at 1 day 17 hours with 2.018 kWh

Like I said before the most part I'm camping is 2 days and sometimes up to 4 or more, but that's rare. So, for the most part, I want to size the system so I can camp with power for 2 days without worry about the weather, but if the weather is good my batteries over the 2-day trip will be topped right up and not draining them.

I know you are and you have been great with replying and keeping up with the topic, thank you a lot.

[Sunking]

Some questions I'm still wondering about:

I'm going to be mounting a small fuse board that will take the bigger blade fuses to put outside lights, inside lights and such. Would this be wired straight from the battery?

Off that estimate of Battery Bank of 479 amp hours is that in total without 50% battery or after? With 2x s550 that would be 1100 AH in total but only 550 is usable correct?

I Was thinking of putting a main power master switch off the positive battery to shut all power off to the system, or is that not needed?

Have you looked at the drawings I showed you? This is how it is done.



You will need a Fuse Block like below available from Blue Seas Marine. They have all the battery fuse blocks, distribution blocks, and even pre-made cables made to order.

[Sunking]

I already did answer that question in a pervious post already..... So from a really good site I figured out: 1200 watt-hours give or take with using 50 watts. Running withothe sun for 2 days.

5741 watt hours = Battery Bank of 479 amp hours, 390 watt in panels needed, running 2x 320 watt panels = 54 amp controller....

Where did you come up with 1200 wh/day? I thought you were measuring how many you really needed with a Kill-A-Watt Meter?

But lets go with 1200 wh a day. Your numbers are off. For a part time system like an RV you can get away with discharging down to 70% DOD or if you prefer 30% SOC. 50% is for every day use like a home. So to have 2 usable days without sun requires a 3 days x 1200 / 12 = 300 AH battery. At 5741 wh battery [456 AH] using 1200 wh a day is 5471/1200 = 4.5 days with roughly 3.5 days usable.

Either is OK, your wallet will might scream, but requires completely different charge current minimums. With a 300 AH battery you can get buy with a 30 or 40 amp charge current. A 450 AM battery you are going to need 50 to 60 amps of charge current. Si I hope you know what you are asking for, and using real numbers and not from some website. You are talking some $eriou$ money difference between a 300 and 450 AH battery, and a 40 vs 60 amp controller.

I am trying to keep it real and inexpensive for you. My best advice is if 1200 wh per day is real, use a 300 AH battery, 40 amp CC, and take some of that $500 you just saved and buy a good $75 battery Isolator. If not me, listen to Sensij, that is also what he is telling you.

[SunEagle]

Great points and I have done that in the past with other stuff, bought 3 instead of the pricey expensive one, ill look at them, but is the 600watt going to be enough, or is a guy going to do the 1000 watt?

So I was doing some looking around on Amazon, and my good old china sites. I found 2 60A MPPT charge controls, pretty beefy, looking the specs I need they seem to work? Take a look and see what you guys think of each and get back to me:



I was also linked this one on another forum, 50a with a display:

IMO the 2nd and 3rd are fake MPPT CC so I would stay away from them.

Hard to tell about the first one but I would also be wary that it may not be quality hardware

[UrbanElite]

Some questions I'm still wondering about:

I'm going to be mounting a small fuse board that will take the bigger blade fuses to put outside lights, inside lights and such. Would this be wired straight from the battery?

Off that estimate of Battery Bank of 479 amp hours is that in total without 50% battery or after? With 2x s550 that would be 1100 AH in total but only 550 is usable correct?

I Was thinking of putting a main power master switch off the positive battery to shut all power off to the system, or is that not needed?

[UrbanElite]

So even if it's 1/3 the price, pretty soon you've bought 3 of them, so it equals out... [/B]

+1. I agree with your choice of the xantrex.

Great points and I have done that in the past with other stuff, bought 3 instead of the pricey expensive one, ill look at them, but is the 600watt going to be enough, or is a guy going to do the 1000 watt?

What about this guy? https://www.costco.ca/Sunforce-1%2c0...100353065.html

So I was doing some looking around on Amazon, and my good old china sites. I found 2 60A MPPT charge controls, pretty beefy, looking the specs I need they seem to work? Take a look and see what you guys think of each and get back to me:

https://www.amazon.ca/SRNE-SOLAR-CHA...GMSVQSRJQ4SWZG
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/high...8-de3fd73b42c1

I was also linked this one on another forum, 50a with a display: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Y-SOLAR-150V-...oAAOSw5cNYQnX9

[Sunking]

Sunking, it's one thing to disagree with people's equipment recommendations and approaches, but you're simply lying when you say this:



As I've explained a bunch of times, I've never run out of power in the year that I've had my current system.

No lie my friend, I do not lie. It is gospel fact, Even Sensij and SunEagle are agreeing with me. You just do not want to hear it, that you really do not know what you are doing or talking about.

You are just lucky up to this point you have not have not suffered several cloudy days in a row to run your batteries down. Got news for you, ask any off-grid person on here, cloudy spells happen, and batteries get discharged and exhausted. That is a fact jack. . That is what you cannot get through the meat between your ears.

By the way I have an Isolator

Now you admit you have an Isolator. Who is the liar and pretender now? It is a passive devices that works automatically every time you start the engine. An Isolator can provide more charge in a hour than your system can generate in a day. When you drive to camp, the Isolator fully tops off and saturates your batteries. When you leave it completely recharges and saturates the battery, and it does it fast like it is suppose to do. It is the best $50 to $75 spent by any RV user. It does a whole lot more than a thousand dollars worth of panels and controllers will ever do.

You have been lucky up to this point. Your batteries are large enough to last you 3 to 6 days without any solar. the panels just keep you topped up. But one day your luck will run out. You will be on that extended stay with a 3 or 4 day cloudy spell, and run your batteries down. I guarantee you will start the engine to save and charge your batteries with that Isolator you tell everyone they do not need or want. Do you know what that makes you?

[SunEagle]

In the bad old days of rv solar before TSW inverters existed I powered tons of stuff from non sine wave inverters, and it works, but works much worse than TSW inverters. And they die at least 3
times more often. So even if it's 1/3 the price, pretty soon you've bought 3 of them, so it equals out...

Just my experience of course, but I'd definitely go for the TSW inverter (the xantrex prowatt 600).

+1. I agree with your choice of the xantrex.

[Wrybread]

In the bad old days of rv solar before TSW inverters existed I powered tons of stuff from non sine wave inverters, and it works, but works much worse than TSW inverters. And they die at least 3
times more often. So even if it's 1/3 the price, pretty soon you've bought 3 of them, so it equals out...

Just my experience of course, but I'd definitely go for the TSW inverter (the xantrex prowatt 600).