High end custom trailer build

[FlyLow]

updated equipment list

Panels Kyocera KD250GX-LFB2 QTY 3 (750w total)
charge controller Morningstar MPPT tristar 60a
inverter charger MS4024PAE 120v and 240v
control for inverter magnum ARC-50
automatic gen start magnum AGS-N
Batteries TBD 24V
Refrigerator Vitrifrigo dp2600I 24v
Microwave sharp R930 convection
Furnace Espar diesel Airtronic D5 18,000 btu 24v
Lighting Rigid industries LED 24v
Generator #1 Onan SD 10000w
Generator #2 Honda EU2000I
Breaker and control panel BlueSea

This is going to be a serious set up. I cant wait for construction to begin. I will see drawings this week and the ball will be rolling.

[Mustang65]

I am in the process of having a trailer built for us and would like the help of some experts to put together a package that is safe and reliable.

I like the idea of using solar to keep the batteries topped off and to keep the generator from running as much. I don't need the panels to support big loads just small consistent loads like the DC fridge. I have a Onan SD10000 diesel generator to charge batteries when needed. I would like to run a microwave and small tools without having to start the generator every time.

Consistent known loads
Vitrifrigo fridge 4.4 A, 56.89 watts running

Temporary loads are all over the place with interior and exterior led Lights.
work lights 150w
living lights 30w
Espar Airtronic furnace model D5 80W running on high

With my very limited knowledge in this field, I have came up with this.

Magnum Energy inverter charger MS-2012 or MS-2812
system control ME-ARC
auto gen start ME-AGS-N
Sharp panels 250w NDQ250F7 Qty 2
Blue Sky charge controller SB-3024il
I can get wholesale on Deka batteries so i would like to find a good fit from them. I know two 8D batteries would be small on a system that relied on solar only, would it be sufficient for me? What will it take to run overnight with furnace running nonstop and refrigerator cold and have batteries still in the safe zone?

Thanks for the help
Jordan

Flylow,
I looked up the Deca 8D batteries that you mentioned and they are listed as marine type batteries. I think you should be looking at a TRUE deep cycle battery for your trailer, they do not list CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) on the deep cycle batteries that are used for solar.... I have 2 Trojan T-145's (6 volt) that I have on my trailer and a single 250Watt solar panel, after traveling 4 months out west this summer it met all our (current) needs, but I do not believe that your choice of battery will meet your needs. My batteries were usually at 12.4 Volts in the morning after an evening of TV and LED lights, radio and laptops. If you want to run the microwave, you will need to do that only at MAX sunshine time of the day, as that will kill your batteries in no time at all. I tried it and watched the voltage of my 2 batteries clicking down to 12 volts in about 5 minutes (solar not connected for test). Only did that once as a trial. Motors are also a BIG drain on batteries. I can run the furnace (propane) and the fan on low, using the thermostat and I can make it through the night, running the fan on high is not an option.

As we traveled this summer, we parked in partial shade areas, and sunny areas, either way the batteries went from around 12.4 Volts in the morning to FLOAT (13.2 Volts) by 2 or 3PM the latest, depending on full sun or shade. The single panel is sufficient for my current use, but I will be upgrading to the next level to meet my future additional needs for next summer. I will be adding 2 more T-145 batteries and an additional 250Watt panel. Take a look at my trailer setup in my album below.

Don

2013 Jayco Eagle 284BHS
250Watt Grape Solar Panel, MorningStar MPPT 60 Charge Controller
1500 Watt Ramsond PSI, 2 Trojan T145 Batteries
2 - AirSight Wireless IP Cameras (used as rear view cameras)
EnGenius WI-FI extender, Netgear wireless modem (n)
MagicJack Internet Phone
2012 Ford F150XLT, EcoBoost w/3.73
157" Wheel base, HD Towing Package

Our Solar RV Album http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/album.php?albumid=145

[Mustang65]

How could I have missed this!!!! Everything in the trailer can run 24VDC. The only part that I need to change in the inverter charger.

Are you sure that everything runs on 24VDC? The RV industry products are all 12Volts. I know the Fridge, Media center and the Trailer's internal charge controller will be fried at anything greater than 17VDC. The water pump, and motors (fans) life will be reduced by the excess voltage. Unless you plan on reducing the voltage, this could cost you a pretty penny to replace the items. Check into these items prior to wiring in. I believe your gas generator will only produce 12VDC and not 24VDC.
Just a thought
Don

2013 Jayco Eagle 284BHS
250Watt Grape Solar Panel, MorningStar MPPT 60 Charge Controller
1500 Watt Ramsond PSI, 2 Trojan T145 Batteries
2 - AirSight Wireless IP Cameras (used as rear view cameras)
EnGenius WI-FI extender, Netgear wireless modem (n)
MagicJack Internet Phone
2012 Ford F150XLT, EcoBoost w/3.73
157" Wheel base, HD Towing Package

Our Solar RV Album http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/album.php?albumid=145

[FlyLow]

Mustang, thanks for the comments and concerns.

This trailer is more like a expedition style trailer that is purpose built for our needs (cargo capacity is 8000lbs). Most of parts come from the marine industry that like to use 24v. Deka has a Solar line, I think the part number is 8AD (8d is the size.) I'm not quite sure what type and quantity of batteries I will use. The 12v charge circuit on the EU2000 is not going to be used.

[FlyLow]

Should I wire panels series or parallel knowing that I might add more panels down the road? I have to have all home runs pulled now (can't pull extra later.)

Voc 36.9v
Vmpp 29.8

[Mustang65]

Conduit run

Should I wire panels series or parallel knowing that I might add more panels down the road? I have to have all home runs pulled now (can't pull extra later.)

Voc 36.9v
Vmpp 29.8

Can you have them pull extra wires so that you can decide at a later date? That is what I did on my trailer. Better yet, have them make the run with conduit (3/4" or 1"), then you can pull more wires later as needed.
Just a thought
Don

2013 Jayco Eagle 284BHS
250Watt Grape Solar Panel, MorningStar MPPT 60 Charge Controller
1500 Watt Ramsond PSI, 2 Trojan T145 Batteries
2 - AirSight Wireless IP Cameras (used as rear view cameras)
EnGenius WI-FI extender, Netgear wireless modem (n)
MagicJack Internet Phone
2012 Ford F150XLT, EcoBoost w/3.73
157" Wheel base, HD Towing Package

Our Solar RV Album http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/album.php?albumid=145

[FlyLow]

Thanks Don, I'll have to check with them on wall thickness to see what will fit.

I have come up with one solution for batteries.

Sun Extender
PVX-4050HT
6V
405 AH
Qty-4

[FlyLow]

Well the construction of the trailer is finally done. I get to drive 1400 miles one way to go pick it up, then the real fun begins. Install all of this cool equipment.

I'm still on the fence about the Sun Extender batteries. My plan right now is to use four pvx-4050ht (L16 size) batteries for 405a/h at 24v. Any better choices for at least 400 a/h at 24v in one string?

On a side note the Magnum Energy controller and the auto generator start have so many cool features, it lets me customize exactly when i want the gen to start and stop. I think its going to be a great tool to keep the batteries topped off.

[reed cundiff]

405 amp-hours at 24 V is a very powerful battery suite. We had about 400 amp-hours of glass mat at 12V on previous rig (half your battery suite) and it was sufficient for almost any event and we were able to run the Dometic propane/electric on solar electric on sunny days. We now have just under 200 amp-hours 54V (48 V nominal or just about 10 kW-hours) LFP battery suite and that is far more than sufficient for anything we have encountered. Your suite has the same amount of usable energy as ours and should be sufficient to run a Dometic propane/electric on electric during the day and overnight if you know that you will have full solar the following day. This is what we do.
Reed and Elaine

[FlyLow]

Thanks for the reply Reed.

Its funny how a project idea starts as something small and grows to a complex system.

We camp in remote parts of the country where propane isn't always available so we have avoided all propane appliances and used diesel fuel instead. The refrigerator is a Virtrifrigo 24v DC model, it uses 65w running. They are a more commercial type refrigerator.
If the furnace (espar D5 airtronic) and fridge run non stop all night (8hrs) they will use 1.2 kwh. This should not happen and would be a worst case scenario.
I never really planned on running any big stuff off the inverter, its there just for convenience. Id hate to start the generator just to make some margaritas. In the end we will have a robust charging and storage of DC power, with 10kw of diesel generator back up with enough fuel for 250 hrs at half load. The funniest part to me is the main reason for the solar panels is to keep the batteries topped off when the trailer is parked not getting used. Total cost for solar charging system (panels, wiring, mounting panels, CC) was $4000 to protect $2600 in batteries.

Ill post pictures asap.

[reed cundiff]

Fly Low

As noted in earlier post, we are solar autonomous except for propane to cook and heat water, and to utilize the refrigerator when it is not sunny. 1.4 kW of solar and about 10 kW-hours of LFP make this possible. If someone only wants to keep the batteries charged when the unit is in storage, then some extremely cheap set of panels (or a single panel) and inexpensive controller would do the job. We use an Olympian 8 catalytic heater for 90% or more of our heating. If it is below freezing, we may turn on the forced air heater for a few minutes.

Our Open Range comes with 4 x 20# propane canisters and this is sufficient for a month or more in summer. We carry two more canisters in winter travel and let the rig get down to high 40s at night and we have gone for over a month in this configuration. We spent four winters in Mexico (one in Baja and the other three in Yucatan/Belize/Guatemala) and you only get butane down there. With our current solar (installed last June) we will not be using much propane at all. We had an Onan propane 2.5 kW and that ate up propane when running the a/c. We have enough solar/batteries to run a/c for 4 hours (have run 3.5 hours successfully and were only down to 60% of battery storage and we can go down to 20% for several thousand cycles (or so they say). We have downsized to a Honda 1.0 kW for recharging batteries if we ever have the requirement and may never need it. We are told that the Honda should be run for half an hour a month for some reason or another and so we do.

The Dometic is not designed as an electric model, it is either propane or AC and with AC it is a power hog. The electric models designed to run on DC only are far more efficient we are told and if yours runs on 65 W DC, then we may look into getting one. This power usage is only about 700 W for a long night. When we run the Dometic on AC (through inverter) we wake up with a -3 kW-hour deficit. This can be recharged in 3 hours of mid-day light. Even with the Lambertian disadvantage of low angle morning light, we are generally fully charged by 11 am using AC for refrigeration.

Not using a generator has meant that wildlife pretty much ignores us. We had two young bull Moose fighting for 45 minutes with 25 meters of the 5th wheel last summer (I slept late and missed most of it: wife, son, and daughter-in-law were to enthralled to wake me at 7 am). We have had Elk, Deer, Coyotes, birds etc come up and under the rig (OK, no Elk or Deer but Coyotes, rabbits, racoons).

The LFP batteries recharge almost linearly with no Peukart disadvantage. I really believe that folks will be going to them as the cost dereases and certainty of their capabilities increases. Our older son who is in Solar business (have posted that he is just finishing a 1.8 megawatt installation for a power company) believes the future of solar is off-grid and that LFP is where the future lies. A number of fixed site solar are looking at Edison Batteries but they are almost as expensive as LFP at this time (strange fora battery device that was invented in the 1890s).

Reed and Elaine

[FlyLow]

The long wait is over. I have been busy getting mounts and brackets made to install all of this cool equipment.



This shows battery, inverter and charge controller location in the storage area.








This is only picture of the PV I have


This shows the gen compartment door and the louvers to let hot air out. The second door is storage and the water, fuel and gas fillers are above the axle

[FlyLow]

I had a busy week so not much happend with the camper, I did have time to make a couple cables today.

[reed cundiff]

Flylow

Good lord, what size are those batteries? Are there any windows in the rig. It looks like a military barracks, nothing wrong with that now, I spent a few years in such, the last year in tents.

It really is impressive looking. Should love to know what you do with it (do see four bunks).

Reed

[FlyLow]

Flylow

Good lord, what size are those batteries? Are there any windows in the rig. It looks like a military barracks, nothing wrong with that now, I spent a few years in such, the last year in tents.

It really is impressive looking. Should love to know what you do with it (do see four bunks).

Reed

The batteries are L-16, and weigh 150lbs each. Heavy dudes to move around that's for sure.
There are two windows in the gooseneck area, it's a sad day when I'm more concerned about people breaking in than seeing out and with all the bunks, there isn't much room for windows. I might have one put in the door.

We are not luxury camping for sure but with 200 gal of water with endless hot shows it's sure feels luxurious in the middle of the desert.

This is our cargo