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Old 09-25-2019, 05:34 AM   #61
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Thank you Tin and John. Your detailed responses have helped tremendously. John, I imagine our power A/C needs would be a fan, charging laptops/phones, small T/V, maybe a coffee maker, wifes occasional use of curling iron. Weight is a concern for me. Our tow vechical is limited and the single axel trailer itself is small. That was the primary driver for the lithium. I'll get 100Ah at 28lbs. I looked at the Victron units you mentioned. I'm not sure which one your friend may have, but they are VERY expensive. I cant realistically spend over 1000 on a inverter/charger. I guess in my mind I Invisioned a scenario of 2-3 days dry camping, using appliances mentioned above and keeping the batteries going with a 100-200w solar panel. I was considering putting the new battery in the rear instead of the toungue since the lithium doesn't have any venting requirements. Do you think perhaps a better and more cost effective setup for me may be a progression dynamics converter, a stand alone inverter and a 2000w quiet gen? I guess what I was looking to do here is a bit out of the norm, that being the case there must be a reason why. Either cost prohibitive, or not really a setup that would be used often enough to warrant it? Everything to this point has been pretty clear and straight forward to me, but with so many different paths/options on power, I'm uncertain which direction to go...
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Old 09-25-2019, 11:12 AM   #62
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Please forgive me in advance for my indecisiveness and lack of understanding on choosing an electrical system for the camper. I would like to propose a configuration that, if it would work well; I think I will go with. The cost would be reasonable and I believe it would meet my needs. I just don't know if this would be the appropriate devices and/or installation method.

Products I am considering using:

1.Progressive Dynamics PD9145ALV 12 Volt 45 Amp Lithium Power Center
https://www.progressivedyn.com/speci...um-converters/

Progressive Dynamics mentions that it is not wise to replace your existing convertor to one with a higher Amp rating, due to the fact that the campers D/C wiring may not be rated for the additional current. The converter I will be replacing is 30Amps, but I will not be using the campers existing wiring from the battery to the converter. I will be relocating the battery close to the converter and use 4 or 6 gauge wire to connect the progressive dynamics converter. The campers 12v wiring to the onboard devices will remain the same. Since the feed cable to the converter will be changed, is there any issue with using the 45A converter? The battery I am purchasing has a max charge rate of 50Amps.

2.Blue Sea Systems ST Blade ATO/ATC Fuse Block
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001P6FTHC...v_ov_lig_dp_it

There are 12 D/C connections available on this block. I have 4 connections on the current fuse panel. If this setup will work, I would add some USB outlets and 12v car style outlets and use 12v portable fans and a 12v television.

3.BESTEK 500W Power Inverter DC 12V to 110V AC Converter
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJSW48V...v_ov_lig_dp_it
I would use this to power the one off A/C devices such as laptop charging, or wife hair straightener. Don't plan to exceed 200 watts

Below is a diagram of how this might be setup? Am I way off with this, or is this something reasonable and feasible? Again, greatly appreciate all the help and support.
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File Type: jpg Power.jpg (40.3 KB, 114 views)
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Old 09-25-2019, 05:35 PM   #63
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Yellowjacket View Post
I imagine our power A/C needs would be a fan, charging laptops/phones, small T/V, maybe a coffee maker, wifes occasional use of curling iron.

Weight is a concern for me. Our tow vechical is limited and the single axel trailer itself is small. That was the primary driver for the lithium. I'll get 100Ah at 28lbs.

I guess in my mind I Invisioned a scenario of 2-3 days dry camping, using appliances mentioned above and keeping the batteries going with a 100-200w solar panel. I was considering putting the new battery in the rear instead of the toungue since the lithium doesn't have any venting requirements.

Do you think perhaps a better and more cost effective setup for me may be a progression dynamics converter, a stand alone inverter and a 2000w quiet gen?

I guess what I was looking to do here is a bit out of the norm, that being the case there must be a reason why. Either cost prohibitive, or not really a setup that would be used often enough to warrant it? Everything to this point has been pretty clear and straight forward to me, but with so many different paths/options on power, I'm uncertain which direction to go...
Hi Yellowjacket,

I see you have come to the cost conclusion I was referring to earlier. For some they can justify it the way they go camping. And they have the cargo capacity and more so, the space to all all the hardware. The cost of the higher end large capacity lithium systems is very high. Multiple thousands. My friend has over $5K in just his 3 batteries and converter/charger. And that does not include the solar, generator and all the interconnection equipment. In time, these systems will hopefully come down in cost as mass production ramps up.

That said, you have options and your needs may not require such a large system. You have 1, 100 ah lithium battery and that's a start. As you said, for your smaller camper the weight savings is real. And the room to add them. That would be 2, lead acid batteries to create that much usable power.

On your list is power users, here are some comments to help shift some of the 120 VAC to other sources to lower your inverter loads and then recarger loads.

When we boondock, I use an older perk coffee pot. I put it on the stove and heat it. When we have shore power, I use a small electric drip coffee maker.

Generation hours at certain parks where we go only allow run time during certain times of the day. Some are 9:00am to 11:00 am and then 4:00pm to 7:00 PM for 5 hours a day. Other parks have been 8:00am to 10:00 am and then 4:00 pm to 6:00pm. Only 4 hours a day. We have altered our 120 VAC needs to work with this. In the morning, is the wife needs to blow dry her hair, then she does it when we are on a generator. And in the later afternoon, if she needs to microwave for supper, she does that during generator time. Our Honda 2000I works well in this case.

Charging our cell phones, tablets or kindles, I have a 12 volt DC cigarette lighter socket in the camper, we use 2 outlet USB to 12 volt DC adapter and charge these anytime during the day off the camper batteries. The loads are small that I do not even find in in my battery power usage.

To watch movies on CD's, we have a lap top that we charge when on the generator and watch them off the PC screen later at night. We have not used the TV set when boondocking. Most times we are so far out in the boonies, we can't get a over the air signal to watch many times.

There are 2 items on your list, the coffee pot and the curling iron at the bigger power users. Check what wattage each are. Anything that makes heat, is on the bigger power use list. My coffee maker in the house is 1,300 watts. The hair dryer is 1,800 watts. I don't have a curling iron to check that.

The solar recharge, the 100 to 200 watt solar is a good number but it needs its own review. We have several members with solar on their campers and there are a few ways to do it. Roof mount or portable ground mounts. There are pro's and con's to both. Another is where you camp. Here on the east coast, we camp on purpose under tree cover. A roof mount system may not be very efficient with shaded cover. And a portable one may not have a long enough cord to get out of the problem either. I like the solar idea, just so far it does not fit our way of camping. When we head out west, more sun exposure can be there and we may add solar when that time comes.

On the costs, and how to do all this and keep the costs down. Your now on the good track of thinking for lower cost and how to fit it into your small camper. The combo inverter,charger and ATS switch needs room and often more cost. By breaking up the parts individually, you can size them to your needs and have potentially more room to mount them.

There is an upside to going individual, the failure modes. When the inverter/charger/ATS unit goes out, you can lose the entire camper power short of all battery power. My friend asked this of Victron that if their unit fails is there system modular or you have to replace the entire inverter charger? They at least sell the modules to replace verses needing an all new one. All brands may not be that way.

Many of us here go off grid with the individual component approach. It works and we can size the system to be affordable on a much lower budget. The key is first, you need to be a power mizer and lower all your loads where you can. LED lights are a must. The cost is now a lot cheaper then it use it be and makes the entire off grid thing not hard to do.
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Old 09-25-2019, 05:47 PM   #64
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Awesome, thank you John! After reading your last post and thinking on it a bit, I came to alot of the conclusions you just outlined. I think I can get by with little A/C use and for those few times higher watts are needed, fire up the generator. Did you have a chance to read my last post? I'm very interested in your thoughts and if you think the setup I am proposing there will work.

It's been great being able to consult with someone with the extensive experience you have.
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Old 09-25-2019, 06:02 PM   #65
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As always, John has great input. He's been at this a while.

Only two things I would suggest you might want to re-think, both of which would cost more (of course):

The inverter you linked provides a modified sine wave rather than pure. Good enough for most usage, but some sensitive electronic devices get upset over that. Pure sine wave, though more expensive, is more bulletproof.

Whichever type you buy, I suspect you'd quickly be disappointed you didn't go with something more than 500 watts. That sounds like plenty while sitting in your living room itemizing must-haves, but it's really pretty paltry. I recommend at least 1000W continuous capability. I've had a couple of those, and even then kicked myself for not going a bit higher.

Tough call, with the unexpected expense you already have.
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Old 09-25-2019, 06:54 PM   #66
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Yellowjacket View Post
Please forgive me in advance for my indecisiveness and lack of understanding on choosing an electrical system for the camper. I would like to propose a configuration that, if it would work well; I think I will go with. The cost would be reasonable and I believe it would meet my needs. I just don't know if this would be the appropriate devices and/or installation method.

Below is a diagram of how this might be setup? Am I way off with this, or is this something reasonable and feasible? Again, greatly appreciate all the help and support.


Hi Yellowjacket,

No need to apologize for trying to sort this out in your head. This is the place to ask questions and get feedback to help you. We too learn from you learning. You are our first lithium battery user or at least the first posting about it.

A few comments.

To put it in context the Progressive Dynamics (PD) comments on not to oversize the inverter from what is in the camper, they may not of explained why. The key is to have the proper wire feed size and fusing to prevent overloading. In your case, you are overhauling your entire system. It's a different case.

You mentioned something that I was going to ask, you stated your max battery charge rate is 50 amps. That is a key need to know. The next jump is 60 amps in the offerings from PD. I'm not sure how to easily detune down the 60 amp unit so only 50 would be allowed to go to the battery. A fuse can be put in as a limiter, but if the converter senses the battery as being low in charge, it may try and put all 60 amps available into the battery and trip the fuse from the start. You would need to call them on how that charging algorithm works if you go 60 amp. Does the battery internal controller limit the incoming charge or will PD converter sense it and lower it?

By going with the 45 amp unit, it can't over amp charge the battery if you have a 50 amp max charge rate. You would need to check with them on the known wire size and length to be able to pass the entire 45 amps. The convertor measures the resistance of the battery to determine state of charge. Or at least on the lead acid technology. I'm not sure if lithium converters use the same method. Point being, they may need extra low resistance in the wire by over sizing it's capacity to allow a full 45 amp charge rate. I know my 60 amp unit will not push over 25 amps with no. 6 wire on the length I have. The wire is too small for the length even though the wire can handle more amperage.

All the PD products I have ever bought have been very good. They are one of the few left making them here in the US. I would not hesitate to use them.

The Blue sea fuse block looks good, just it is missing an inline main fuse. I would assume you would add a 30 amp fuse to feed the block. Your 12 volt running fuse loads need to be lower than the converter anyway. If not, then you will have an issue charging the battery while using the camper. 30 amp running DC loads and then 15 amps to the battery charge is a good split. Odds are favorable you may not draw all 30 amps on your DC loads anyway. You really should not be turning on all DC things all at the same time. And if you do, you need to power optimize the loads down. Especially when you want to recharge the battery.

The inverter you picked, for laptop charging I can see that working. The curling iron, I'm not sure it can handle it. You mentioned 200 watts power, is that on the label? That seems low for a heating device that can get to 400F, but it maybe.

I can't seem to find a manual on the Bestek online. It shows both battery clips and then a cigarette lighter. 500 watts is 40 to 42 amps pending the voltage and I have never seen a car cigarette light ever handle that kind of load. For sure, if you go this way, hard wire it in and have a breaker/fuse, etc to protect the wire. The battery can easily overpower the inverter and the wire feeding it. I cannot comment on the brand as I have never used that brand.

A few thoughts, where are you going to mount the inverter? Since you have all the siding off and the walls open, you could run a new 120 VAC wall outlet that will be inverter dedicated. Then plug the outlet run into the inverter. Granted that outlet will only work when the inverter is on, but it may be more handy to plug in at the new outlet then running extension cords inside the camper to where you are using the 120 VAC. The inverter ideally is close to the battery to keep the DC feed wire short and large in capacity. That location may not be convenient to actually plug in a device to use it.

I didn't see what you are doing with the 120 VAC breaker panel? Are you going to reuse the old breaker box? It may be OK and some can accept twin breakers if you need an extra circuit.

A question on the lithium battery, how will you know the state of charge of the battery? Do you have a smart meter or something? This is a need to know when boondocking so you know how good or bad your state of charge is and when to recharge. It seems on lithium phosphate batteries the voltage decay is so flat line until you are drained pretty good, that using voltage as a check is not very accurate. I found this on the topic https://www.powertechsystems.eu/home...c-measurement/

Hope this helps

John
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Old 09-26-2019, 06:39 AM   #67
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Wow! Thank you Tin and John. Lots of great information! Based on your feedback, I'll be going with the progressive dynamics charger and the 12 slot D/C panel. I'm going to reevaluate the inverter selection though and go for something a bit bigger and pure sinewave. John, I hadn't thought about the battery meter and a great point you made regarding the ineffective of measuring a LiPo battery with a volt meter. I found a couple of options for a smart meter and shunt and will add one to my shopping list. I plan to mount the converter, inverter and battery in the rear of the camper under the bench seat where the original converter and wiring is. Unfortunately, I already have the siding in on the sides and paneling in on the front and back. I should be able to route some D/C and A/C wiring in some easier to reach spots through the existing chase ways in the camper though. Regarding the existing A/C panel. I haven't looked into it too much, but I believe it only contains two breakers. I wasn't planning on changing it out. Do you think this will be an issue?

Also, on a separate topic, the camper had the absorption refrigerator removed when I bought it. Any thoughts around this and a unit to replace it with? It seems D/C A/C 2 way refrigerators are as much money or more as a 3 way absorption fridge with a propane option. However, I have read quite a bit about 3 way fridge inefficiency and battery drain while powering them when driving off of battery. Also, many are saying that they take a very long time to get to temp and don't cool well in hot weather. I'm seeing prices ranging from $450.00 for units with poor reviews all the way to 1500.00 for name brand units. A/C only dorm fridges can be found for under $100 but I'm not sure how that will affect a small electrical system with only 100Ah available. I suppose if the lithium battery I get is of good quality, a second one could be purchased along with a dorm fridge and still be under the cost of a 3 way propane fridge. I'm also wondering if I can just get by with a cooler and ice. Most trips will probably be under 3 days and if I'm gone longer, I suppose more ice can be easily purchased from the campground or local markets. Anybody have any thoughts, or personal experiences to share on the topic?

Adam
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Old 09-26-2019, 08:04 PM   #68
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Hi Adam,

Your plan on the converter and inverter sounds good. Just make sure you fuse the components to protect the wiring. The battery has a lot of power and a short in the system can melt the wire fast without the right fuse protection.

To your other questions.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Yellowjacket View Post
Regarding the existing A/C panel. I haven't looked into it too much, but I believe it only contains two breakers. I wasn't planning on changing it out. Do you think this will be an issue?
I do not know exactly what your AC panel looks like. Odds are favorable it looks like Thomascine's 87 T1550 panel. See this link to pics of her's.

http://www.sunlineclub.com/forums/f6...tml#post147219

If yours looks in as good a condition as hers is, (not all rusted out and corroded being) then the breaker box itself is very usable. If your existing breakers are questionable, you can replace them. You can rewire it if wanted to upgrade and have a main 30 amp breaker in the camper and add an additional circuit if needed. That box I would think accepts twin breakers. A 30 and 20 amp twin breaker is often used on the new campers in the first slot. The 30 amp is wired as your main breaker, and the 20 amp is for an air conditioner or whatever else you want using 20 amp wire.

It is not mandated you add the 30 amp main, but a upgraded feature. The main power post being 30 amp does protect the wiring to the camper. But, if you ever had to use a 50 amp to 30 amp adapter at the power post due to a campground issue, then there is an issue with no 30 amp main in the camper. Years ago in 1987 most campgrounds never had 50 amp anything or was even thought of. Many CG's only gave you 20 amps. As campers got bigger, the 50 amp system came to be.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Yellowjacket View Post
Also, on a separate topic, the camper had the absorption refrigerator removed when I bought it. Any thoughts around this and a unit to replace it with?

It seems D/C A/C 2 way refrigerators are as much money or more as a 3 way absorption fridge with a propane option. However, I have read quite a bit about 3 way fridge inefficiency and battery drain while powering them when driving off of battery. Also, many are saying that they take a very long time to get to temp and don't cool well in hot weather. I'm seeing prices ranging from $450.00 for units with poor reviews all the way to 1500.00 for name brand units.

A/C only dorm fridges can be found for under $100 but I'm not sure how that will affect a small electrical system with only 100Ah available. I suppose if the lithium battery I get is of good quality, a second one could be purchased along with a dorm fridge and still be under the cost of a 3 way propane fridge. I'm also wondering if I can just get by with a cooler and ice. Most trips will probably be under 3 days and if I'm gone longer, I suppose more ice can be easily purchased from the campground or local markets. Anybody have any thoughts, or personal experiences to share on the topic?
A few things on the fridge to clear up. Pop up campers often have a 3 way fridge, LP gas, 120 VAC and a 12 VDC heating option. We had one of these in our popup when we had it. The 12 volt heating feature "only" worked to "maintain" an already cold fridge. It was not powerful enough on DC to cool a full fridge of food down. It was sort of meant I "think" to have on when towing down the road. We never really used it on 12 VDC. Used ice blocks instead.

In travel trailers, the 12 volt option seems to disappear. Don't know what exactly, the boiler area has a sleeve to accept it, just it is not common to get it installed as an option. At least on the newer fridges do not have them. Some of the older Sunlines may have had them. What is common is the 2 way fridge, 120VAC and LP gas heating.

For road travel, some folks run it on propane and shut it off when going to a gas station. Then turn on after fueling. There is a long debate on the hazard of running LP when towing. That's another post.

Others, and we have too, use the ice blocks frozen before hand and put them in the fridge compartment when towing. And refreeze for the trip home. We have used them on an 8 hour tow in the summer and as long as the door is not opened, the fridge did not warm up too much to be an issue by the time we got to camp. A 4 hr tow was a non issue with the blocks. This eliminated the need to run LP gas or try and use an inverter etc trying to run the 120 VAC option. Many of the 120 VAC electric elements are 350 watts. That is a good amount of power to pull out of a battery, especially when heading to a boondocking setup. The freezer blocks take care of the issue.

Your thought on adding a 2nd battery just for the fridge, if it is truly just to run the fridge when towing, that may not be the best use of funds. Then you have to figure out how to charge 2 batteries, fuse all the power leads, and have the added cost. Ice blocks are real cheap compared to a 2nd battery and not that much inconvenience. If you need more camper power all the time and need a 2nd battery, then go for it and upgrade the whole system. But just for the fridge, there are options.

The absorption fridge is a great feature running on LP gas when we are boondocking. It uses little LP and not much 12 volts DC to run the controls. It just plain works. We run it on 120VAC when we have shore power. We also run it on LP when we have low incoming voltage in the campground during the hot summer when everyone is running their AC units and the voltage drops. Running the fridge on LP helps lower the voltage drop at the camper.

There are ways to help make them more efficient and not cost a lot. Many of the installations suffer from lack of sufficient air circulation to remove the heat from the back of the unit. There is an upgrade to add muffin fans to them that run on low power 12 VDC and it really helps make them work better. I did it on ours and added a T stat on the fan so it only runs when needed. We have no issue holding 32 to 34F in the fridge box on a hot summer day. Prior to the fan, it did not work as good.

Some campers, even brand new today have the venting done wrong from the factory. The consumer does not know this and blames the fridge for not cooling when the install was wrong. I just had a fellow SOC member have this on his new 2018 other brand camper when the factory mounted it in the slide. They missed a lot on how to do proper venting for a slide install.

The absorption fridge does require about an 8 hour (overnight) cool down period. You basically just turn it on the night before you load it. And ideally load it with mostly pre-cooled food from the home fridge or store if you load it just before you start towing. The fridge works really well for us. If ours dies, I will repair it or replace it with another one. We enjoy it too much to not have it, since we have had it. And the wife (me neither) will not put up with the ice chest again once we have had the absorption fridge.

I keep saying they heat to work, and that is the principal they run on. They use heat to change the cooling liquid to a gas that then pulls heat out of the fridge box. They actually remove the heat in the fridge compartment and what is left is cold. They do not pump cold in like a home compressor fridge does.

As you said, they do come with a good sized price tag. Especially if you have no old fridge at all. They can be repaired for considerably less then a new one if you have the old one. But then, if the cooling unit is shot, it can still be ~ $500 bill and you do the labor. The controls going bad are not as bad as the cooling unit in cost. There is some learning on how to use them so they last a good long time. Many absorption fridge die an early death of a cooling unit because they are run off level for a long time. And some are caught up in a quality problem of the electric element getting too hot years back. The electric element issue has been corrected as Dometic has recalls on this issue. Well not the element issue, but the overheating issue. They now realize the element issue and put the right one in from new. Running the fridge off level, is still an ever ongoing learning issue for camper folks. The damage accumulates over time and then just out of the blue, dies. They need to operate within acceptable level all the time when the camper is parked.

A few options to shift the cost of a new or large repair cost. In your case you are starting out camping. You do not have to have a working absorption fridge to start with. If wanted, it can come at a later time. For camping with shore power, a small dorm fridge can work well. Cool it down before towing to camp, use ice blocks in it when towing and then power it back up at camp. This gets you out camping and not spending a lot compared to a new absorption fridge. For sure come up with a good way to hold the door shut when towing and to hold the unit in place. A strap or something as they are not made to hold locked tight closed or ride in a bouncing trailer.

An option for boondocking OR the lowest cost to spend for any camping may be a good well insulated ice chest. Not the cheaper air wall insulation ones, but an actual foam filled wall and cover insulated chest. I have an Igloo brand marine cooler with insulating foam walls that can keep ice for several days. We use to use it all the time when tent camping. We have an air insulated Coleman one too and it does not work very good for days on end.

Yes, the down sides is water in the cooler as time goes on and getting more ice. And soggy cardboard containers when the ice melts. If you have the space, having a separation layer of sorts on the bottom to create a mini perforated shelf 1/2" to 1" off the bottom helps keep the food containers drier.

The new Yeti coolers are claimed to be great, but the cost is not cheap on them.

If you are buying a real good ice cooler, compare the cost to the dorm fridge. You may find the dorm fridge cheaper, just the dorm fridge does not boondock. Figure out which one you can use afterwards if you upgrade to an absorption fridge later. Maybe hold off boondocking until you know you love camping in the Sunny.

Hope this helps

John
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Old 09-27-2019, 01:05 PM   #69
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Thank you for the great reply! Yes, my panel is the same a Thomascine's. It is also in good condition. Thanks for providing the link and confirming it can accept additional breakers. I will definitely go with an additional dual breaker.
Great background, feedback and personal experience with the LP fridge. It seems there is a big disparity on the Interwebs regarding propane refrigerators. People who love them and people who say they are a outdated solution compared to today's compressor efficiency. I've come to the conclusion after more research and your reading experiences that a propane fridge will be best for my setup. I think that will be the last item I purchase though. Perhaps a quality used one will appear on my local Craigslist or something. I can get by with a cooler for our first trip or two. Again, thanks for all the information. It's been extremely helpful in navigating these decisions throughout the rebuild process. I think I'll have some time to work on the camper tomorrow. Hopeful to get the rest of the siding and windows in this weekend!
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Old 10-30-2019, 12:55 PM   #70
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Quick update and electrical question.

The camper has been completely buttoned up and sealed with the siding, windows, door ect all back in place. I haven't posted pictures yet as there's not much to see on that front (outside looks like the day I bought it again). I have picked up all the materials I need for for the cosmetic restorations of the interior and will be posting pictures as that takes shape. I did end up purchasing a new hot water heater. After reinstalling the original that I patched up, I ran it through a test. The gas shut off valve or thermostat was no good. The heater just kept heating the water for close to an hour. The pressure relief valve also never opened up. The water was at boiling temp. Rather than replacing these parts on a patched tank that I was also fearful of from a safety perspective after watching a hot water tank explosion on mythbusters, I opted to buy a new one. I got a customer return in new condition for $230 and it works as expected. I have also received all of the needed components for the electrical system, which brings me to these questions.

What I currently have in hand to install for electrical system:
02 Gauge wire and copper terminations
DC wiring panel and assorted ST fuses
100 AH LiPo battery
Progressive Dynamics 45A lithium charger/converter
2000W inverter

The below picture in the general approach as to how I plan to wire/install. Most of my questions revolve around fusing. John B mentioned I should install a 30A fuse at the D/C panel input as it doesn't native. What is the best style fuse to accomplish this?

Should the connection between the inverter and battery be fused as well? If so, what size and type of fuse would be recommended?

What size ST fuses should be placed in the DC panel for the DC circuits?

In the current wiring setup, the power input for the camper goes to the breaker box that houses two breakers, from there the wiring leaves the panel and goes to various outlets. That panel is on the street side of the camper. On the curb side a A/C wire comes from behind the kitchen cabinets and into the existing converter (see second picture). Would it be suitable to terminate this connection to a outlet where the new lithium converter will plug into?

Thank you in advance.
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Old 10-31-2019, 07:25 PM   #71
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Hi Yellowjacket, I'll add my thoughts to your questions.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Yellowjacket View Post

What I currently have in hand to install for electrical system:
02 Gauge wire and copper terminations
DC wiring panel and assorted ST fuses
100 AH LiPo battery
Progressive Dynamics 45A lithium charger/converter
2000W inverter

The below picture in the general approach as to how I plan to wire/install. Most of my questions revolve around fusing. John B mentioned I should install a 30A fuse at the D/C panel input as it doesn't native. What is the best style fuse to accomplish this?
First off let me make sure this is still the fuse panel you have. ST Blade Fuse Block - 12 Circuits with Negative Bus and Cover. This one https://www.bluesea.com/products/502..._Bus_and_Cover

Assuming that is the block, as that was the one you linked on Amazon earlier, that block is rated at 100 amps @32 volts. I doubt you need that much, and you may not want to buy the wire to feed it either. The question now comes down to, how much total power to the fuse block is adequate for you? We are talking the main fuse to protect this fuse block. Not the individual branch circuits.

To give you a point of reference, on my large camper T310SR and even my smallest T1950, Sunline installed a 30 amp self resetting circuit breaker at the battery area to feed fuse bank a good distance away. When on battery, I can only draw up to 30 amps total load. Since I have converted to LED lights, I never approach that 30 amp limit. I would say, for your camper, 30 amp fusing for the main line to the fuse block is adequate. In my case Sunline ran no. 6 awg wire for this run from the battery to the fuse block even though it was only allowed to pass 30 amps. The distance drove them to that wire size to keep the voltage drop down. As long as you use no 10 gage or larger wire from the battery, the 30 amp fuse will protect it from over current and a dead short. Up size the wire to reduce voltage drop based on your length needed.

You can use an ATC -30 amp automotive blade fuse (quick blow fuse) with a fuse holder, or a 30 amp self resetting circuit breaker.

Here is the breaker I'm talking about. Auto parts stores have these too. Since this has open lug studs, you need to put it in a box of sorts so the hot wires do not get crossed.
https://www.amazon.com/Bussmann-CBC-...g-goods&sr=8-3

That stud type you can use crimp ring eye terminals from larger wire without issue.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Yellowjacket View Post
Should the connection between the inverter and battery be fused as well? If so, what size and type of fuse would be recommended?
For sure, yes. You have to protect the wiring from the battery to the inverter for overcurrent by the inverter and a short on the wire. The fuse starts at the battery and then the wire lead runs to the inverter. You will have to read the manual on the inverter to tell what amp draw it has at full power then size the wire and the fuse to align with the wire. They may state the min size wire it needs. Ideal is to keep the run short from the battery to the inverter to keep the voltage loss low. A quick blow fuse/breaker should work but see if they talk about a slow blow for inductive AC loads.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Yellowjacket View Post
What size ST fuses should be placed in the DC panel for the DC circuits?
The individual branch circuits use the ATC automotive blade fuses (quick blow). The sizing mostly comes down to the wire size. Sunline ran 14 awg for most all circuits, Lighting, water pump, furnace, fridge and then put a 15 amp ATC fuse to protect that branch. On something real small, like a stove burner electronic ignition that may use a 5 amp fuse. A LP gas detector may have a 3 amp fuse. Again, the branch is sized to the wire size and what devices are on the circuit.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Yellowjacket View Post
In the current wiring setup, the power input for the camper goes to the breaker box that houses two breakers, from there the wiring leaves the panel and goes to various outlets. That panel is on the street side of the camper. On the curb side a A/C wire comes from behind the kitchen cabinets and into the existing converter (see second picture). Would it be suitable to terminate this connection to a outlet where the new lithium converter will plug into?
The 45 amp converter, PD number PD9145ALV 45-AMP
Input Voltage: 105-130 VAC 50/60 Hz 725 Watts

725 watts at 120 volts is 6 amps of power.

To this pic,


I cannot tell from here what is feeding those 2 wires. Odds are high they go back to a 15 amp breaker which is one of the ones you have. Check and make sure it is 14 awg wire and a 15 amp breaker. The power converter will for sure work on the 15 amp circuit, BUT I do not know what else is on that circuit. Check what else is on it. Odds are high in your old camper it may be OK but you need to check and add up the amps used by what is also dedicated on it. On the newer campers, Sunline would put the power converter on the General Purpose circuit. The fridge 120 AC element (3 amps) was on this and the wall outlets. The wall outlet ended up being a wild card what someone plugged in them. In your case, if you have an electric option on your fridge, then 6 amps for the power converter, 3 amps for the fridge leaves 6 amps left on the 15 amp circuit for whatever you would plug into a wall outlet. This also assumes you are fully charging a battery at that time. The power converter will not pull all 6 amps if it is just maintaining. Just do not plug in a toaster or other 1,500 watt (high wattage) heat making something into that circuit. The new campers has a dedicated 15 amp breaker for a galley GFI outlet (toasters etc) and a 15 amp microwave only outlet.

Hope this helps

John
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Old 11-02-2019, 07:37 AM   #72
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Thank you John. Very helpful indeed! I also purchase this battery monitor, although looking at it now, I questioning if this one will work with my lithium battery. It came with a 100amp shunt.

https://www.amazon.com/Multifunction-Battery-Monitor-Multimeter-Voltmeter/dp/B07T8GN61Z/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref= ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Below is a diagram of the shunt wiring. Looks like it's inline on the negative side of the battery. Can both the converter and inverter be fed from this negative terminal of the shunt? If so, do you think the 100amp rating of the shunt will be too low in your opinion?

First off let me make sure this is still the fuse panel you have. ST Blade Fuse Block - 12 Circuits with Negative Bus and Cover. This one https://www.bluesea.com/products/502..._Bus_and_Cover

Yes this is the block I purchased. Based on you comments I believe 30amps will be enough. I will pickup an automotive fuse like you recommended for this. Thank you!!

For sure, yes. You have to protect the wiring from the battery to the inverter for overcurrent by the inverter and a short on the wire. The fuse starts at the battery and then the wire lead runs to the inverter. You will have to read the manual on the inverter to tell what amp draw it has at full power then size the wire and the fuse to align with the wire. They may state the min size wire it needs. Ideal is to keep the run short from the battery to the inverter to keep the voltage loss low. A quick blow fuse/breaker should work but see if they talk about a slow blow for inductive AC loads.

The manual mentions only wire size and not max amp draw. It will surge up to 4000w and run up to 2000w continuously. It says to use 2awg wire to the battery. Any thoughts on fuze size for this? I will never have the inverter peaked to 4000w. The max rated draw from the battery is rated at 50amps. Should I fused based on max battery draw to protect the battery?





The individual branch circuits use the ATC automotive blade fuses (quick blow). The sizing mostly comes down to the wire size. Sunline ran 14 awg for most all circuits, Lighting, water pump, furnace, fridge and then put a 15 amp ATC fuse to protect that branch. On something real small, like a stove burner electronic ignition that may use a 5 amp fuse. A LP gas detector may have a 3 amp fuse. Again, the branch is sized to the wire size and what devices are on the circuit.


Thank you this is very helpful. I will put 15amp fuses in this block.

The 45 amp converter, PD number PD9145ALV 45-AMP
Input Voltage: 105-130 VAC 50/60 Hz 725 Watts

725 watts at 120 volts is 6 amps of power.

To this pic,


I cannot tell from here what is feeding those 2 wires. Odds are high they go back to a 15 amp breaker which is one of the ones you have. Check and make sure it is 14 awg wire and a 15 amp breaker. The power converter will for sure work on the 15 amp circuit, BUT I do not know what else is on that circuit. Check what else is on it. Odds are high in your old camper it may be OK but you need to check and add up the amps used by what is also dedicated on it. On the newer campers, Sunline would put the power converter on the General Purpose circuit. The fridge 120 AC element (3 amps) was on this and the wall outlets. The wall outlet ended up being a wild card what someone plugged in them. In your case, if you have an electric option on your fridge, then 6 amps for the power converter, 3 amps for the fridge leaves 6 amps left on the 15 amp circuit for whatever you would plug into a wall outlet. This also assumes you are fully charging a battery at that time. The power converter will not pull all 6 amps if it is just maintaining. Just do not plug in a toaster or other 1,500 watt (high wattage) heat making something into that circuit. The new campers has a dedicated 15 amp breaker for a galley GFI outlet (toasters etc) and a 15 amp microwave only outlet.

Hope this helps

Yes it does. I will use that same wire to connect the new converter. In that picture there is only one wire feeding the converter, the other is the wire from the converter itself that ties into it.

John[/QUOTE]
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Old 11-03-2019, 11:10 PM   #73
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Yellowjacket View Post
Thank you John. Very helpful indeed! I also purchase this battery monitor, although looking at it now, I questioning if this one will work with my lithium battery. It came with a 100amp shunt.

https://www.amazon.com/Multifunction...b_b_asin_title

Below is a diagram of the shunt wiring. Looks like it's inline on the negative side of the battery. Can both the converter and inverter be fed from this negative terminal of the shunt? If so, do you think the 100amp rating of the shunt will be too low in your opinion?
I tried to find some kind of manual on that meter, and did not find one. This is their website I believe. https://www.morning-group.com/produc...eter-voltmeter

I cannot tell how they are declaring the state of charge (SOC) on the battery. If it is using a lead acid battery voltage decay to determine it, I doubt it will work on you lithium battery. I am not yet up on lithium technology as I am lead acid. I am thinking a meter for your lithium battery would need to be doing some form of coulomb counting to determine how much energy was removed from the battery.

I am not a shunt expert but from what I know, if you do not exceed the ratings on the shut, it does not matter where the current came from. Just do not exceed 100 amps across the shunt.

At your battery, I am assuming you are not trying to draw or charge over 100 amps at a time, is this correct or not? Assuming it is, then the 100 amp shut should cover you.

If you fuse the ATC fuse block with a 30 amp main fuse and the inverter has a 50 amp fuse feeding it, that is 80 amps draw from the battery if both happened to be maxed out.

Now add the converter. It is 45 amps. When you are charging the battery, if all 45 amps was able to go into the battery as there is no other DC loads going on, then you are still under the 100 amp shut limit. If you happen to be on shore power and the converter is running providing power, and say you are pulling 10 amps from the fuse block circuits, there is only 35 amps available from the converter to charge the battery. I'm not seeing a conflict on this, are you?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Yellowjacket View Post
The manual mentions only wire size and not max amp draw. It will surge up to 4000w and run up to 2000w continuously. It says to use 2awg wire to the battery. Any thoughts on fuze size for this? I will never have the inverter peaked to 4000w. The max rated draw from the battery is rated at 50amps. Should I fused based on max battery draw to protect the battery?

snip..

Yes it does. I will use that same wire to connect the new converter. In that picture there is only one wire feeding the converter, the other is the wire from the converter itself that ties into it.
By you having an inverter that large and you have a battery need of only allowing 50 amps max discharge rate, I would say, yes you want to protect the battery and install a 50 amp fuse at the battery before anything else.

In your case, your fuse block is using battery power and then so can your inverter to create a combined battery load. If the battery has to be protected, then that 50 amp fuse will limit your combined draw from both areas.

This then gets a little tricky when you add the inverter to be careful your combined loading does not trip that 50 amp fuse.

You are going to have to watch what you plug into the 120 VAC side of the inverter as you have the ability to trip the 50 amp fuse with only the inverter but also when the combined fuse block loads and the inverter are running.

You may want to consider fusing the AC side to limit your max load on your inverter. Do you know what your 120 VAC loads will be, and then what DC loads will be on at the same time? Think about this. Your off the grid camping and you are using LED lights on in the camper. (a small load, call it 2 amps ), But then the water pump turns on? The pump pending max draw can be maybe 7 amps. So now you have 7 + 2 = 9 amps. You only have 41 amps left before the 50 amp draw fuse is limited. Granted, the pump is not going to run a long time, but the 9 amp draw can be long enough to trip a combined loads fuse if the inverter is up and going and drawing a lot.

Now at the inverter, in pure watts of electricity, 50 amps x 12 volt is 600 watts. If we only have 41 amps available that is 492 watts. I'm sure the inverter has some kind of overhead, which I was hoping your manual would tell you. But on the 120 VAC side, 492 watts is 4.1 amps. 600 watts is 5 amps. Point being, you may need to limit the 120 VAC side with 3 to 4 amps of fusing assuming your inverter is not using much power as overheard to run it.

How many watts are you planning on using the 120 VAC side? Phone chargers and a lap top can fit under 3 to 4 amps pending the lap top charger.

Your 100 amp hr battery can last 2 hrs at a 50 amp discharge rate. You will have enough to run the camper without issue if you are a power mizer, just watch what you are plugging into the inverter and for how long.

Our 2, grp 27 lead acid batteries have no problem fitting our boondocking needs. Your lithium 100 amp hr battery is about equal to what we have to not take our battery below 50% SOC. And we can go 4 days or some more and not need a recharge. But we have no inverter

Hope this helps

John
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Old 11-07-2019, 08:26 AM   #74
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Thank you so much John. You really helped clarify things for me. I can't see using more than 100w on the inverter. That would be for a box fan 75w and TV 15w. I think for loads more than that, I would use the generator. I have a 1000w surge 800 running watt quiet gen that is small and lightweight. Given your excellent write up and advice, I will wire in a 50amp breaker at the inverter and 30amp at the dc panel. I'll let you know how that battery meter works out. Thanks again
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Old 11-07-2019, 12:16 PM   #75
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Hopefully this will be my last question related to the power. Below is a diagram of how I would wire this up with the circuit breakers, shunt and battery monitor. Does this look right? Anything stand out that I should be doing differently? Really appreciate all the help and support given so far!!
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Old 11-07-2019, 08:00 PM   #76
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Yellowjacket View Post
Hopefully this will be my last question related to the power. Below is a diagram of how I would wire this up with the circuit breakers, shunt and battery monitor. Does this look right? Anything stand out that I should be doing differently? Really appreciate all the help and support given so far!!
Your wiring diagram helps. I was going to point out your words in the previous reply did not match the intent of the 50 amp fuse starting at the battery, but your diagram does.

From your last reply,
'
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yellowjacket View Post
Snip...
I can't see using more than 100w on the inverter. That would be for a box fan 75w and TV 15w. I think for loads more than that, I would use the generator.

Snip..
I will wire in a 50amp breaker at the inverter and 30amp at the dc panel.
Using the wording "at the inverter" I read as next to the inverter and that could of been separate from the 30 amp DC panel. That may not of been what you meant, but reading just the words, one can come to that conclusion.

Your diagram,


Shows the 50 amp fuse starting at the battery and then all loads are attached downstream of it. Yes, that is what you want. Just make sure the wiring is sized to handle a full 50 amps DC from battery to the 50 amp fuse.

The only other safety/practical add could be, to add a 120 VAC fuse downstream of the inverter to limit any AC loads. That inverter is capable of creating 600 watts (5 amps) of 120 VAC power with the 50 amp 12 VDC input. While you only plan on using 100 watts of AC power, if by accident you or someone your camping with, plugs something in larger than a 600 watt draw, or you have a short on the AC side, you would blow the 50 amp fuse on the DC side and leave the camper without DC power until you fix the problem. If your fridge needed 12 VDC to run the gas controls, the fridge would shut down. The plan is to never trip that 50 am fuse unless there is a large something that happens to protect the battery and the writing.

If you install a lower then 5 amp fuse, 4 amp fuse/breaker for example, on the AC side before any loads, that would still be 3 times larger than your needed 100 watt loads, but is cheaper and less dramatic tripping then tripping the 50 amp fuse on the 12 VDC side. Just passing the thoughts along.

Let us know how this comes out.

John
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Old 11-07-2019, 08:13 PM   #77
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Something I did notice on your lithium setup that is different then a lead acid battery setup.


Your diagram shows the only way to charge the lithium battery is by the PD lithium converter when you are plugged into 120 VAC shore power. That does work and there is no harm in that.

On a lead acid battery setup, there is a battery charge wire from the truck alternator/battery system to the back of the truck and then to the camper to be able to charge the camper battery when towing down the road. The truck charge system is compatible with the camper batteries so this is a nice feature. That battery charge wire is inside the 7 wire plug and cable. Sunline would of had a 30 amp charge fuse in that line to not hurt the truck, camper or the wiring.

In your case, I'm not sure if the truck alternator system can properly charge a lithium battery. Have to do some research and make sure that it is OK or not.

My buddy with his big lithium battery setup has solar on the roof of the camper and a solar lithium charger that charges the batteries when towing or stationary when there is no shore power. I never asked him if he abandoned the truck charge system. I'll ask him what he did. I never thought to ask him until seeing your diagram.
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Old 11-09-2019, 05:56 AM   #78
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That's great. Thanks for reviewing and validating John! Yes, I'd really interested to hear if you buddy kept the alternator charging wire in place. I dont think I'll have that option when I tow though. I am using a 4 pole trailer hookup to a 7 pin. I have to run a power wire to the tv battery for the brake controller. Not sure if that is the same power the 7 pin adapter will use to charge the battery as well?
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Old 11-09-2019, 08:21 PM   #79
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Yellowjacket View Post
That's great. Thanks for reviewing and validating John! Yes, I'd really interested to hear if you buddy kept the alternator charging wire in place. I dont think I'll have that option when I tow though. I am using a 4 pole trailer hookup to a 7 pin. I have to run a power wire to the tv battery for the brake controller. Not sure if that is the same power the 7 pin adapter will use to charge the battery as well?
Your welcome. Looking forward to seeing your handy work.

On the buddy with the big lithunm setup, and the truck charge line, I asked him and this just came in. Seems he didn't';t think about it, but I doubt his is hooked up as his solar will charge the battery better then the truck.
Quote:
Good question. Never saw a single youtube video regarding the truck charging. I will ask the battery mfg.
I'll let you know when he gets back to me, again.

If your only on a 4 flat setup on your truck, then yes there is some work to do.

The difference the 7 wire plug gives in addition to the 4 wire flat, they add:

(1 wire) A brake power wire from your brake controller in the truck.

(1 wire) A battery charge wire for the trailer battery. Some mfrs use a relay so this wire is only hot when the ignition is on (Ford), others like GM have this wire hot to the battery direct with a fuse in it. At least on the older GM's. I don't know if the new ones are the same.

(1 wire) known as an auxiliary but most are tied into reverse on the truck. This will turn on backup lights on a trailer if they exist or lock out a trailer master cylinder with surge brakes if it has one so you can back up a hill.

Here are 2 diagrams from Etrailer that shows this well. https://www.etrailer.com/faq-wiring.aspx

The truck


The camper


Make sure you are looking at the center one called "7 way RV standard". The general trailer industry changes wire colors different then the RV industry. I have no clue as to why, they just do and our Sunlines were made to the RV industry colors.
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Old 11-18-2019, 11:31 AM   #80
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Thanks so much for the detailed response. I got everything wired up this weekend with the help of your advice. At this time I have no charge capability wired into the 7 pole connector. I may do this in the future.
I picked up a chest style DC refrigerator and wired that up as well. It seems to be very efficient, pulling about 2amps for a couple of minutes, then nothing for 15 min until it cycles again. I tested the small generator and oddly enough, it put more amps through the converter into the battery than plugging into my house power. Not sure why that would be, but both methods worked fine and charged the lithium battery quickly. The gen I'm using is only 20lbs and easy to maneuver, so I think it will work well for boondocking. The meter isn't the greatest. It measures capacity by voltage, so I have to see how sensitive it can be and if it will work at all on the lithium. You manually set the high and low thresholds. It has a AH meter but it only ticks up, regardless is you are charging or drawing from the battery. Some clearing of the counters and napkin match would be required to accurately determine the ah remaining. It does seem good to get general info such as current draw. Below is some picks of the system wired in. Begining interior renovation next. Stay tuned for more updates. Thanks again for all the help.
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