Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Lithium + Victron + Solar Install and questions

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Originally posted by bellis View Post

    That does help. Will look for the vent...the kitchen sink is right there.

    I had also thought about trying to fish through the front cap. I know it is insulated, assume I would have to drill down just behind the front cap. I plan on removing the wall in the pass through towards the front cap anyway to re-wire the solar input on the side. I do not plan on using it, but I would like to wire that in and eliminate the wiring it has now (if nothing else take a look). While I have no intent to use it now, would like to do it as part of the project in case we want to add a portable panel and additional solar charge controller.

    Do you have a picture of your roof where the vent stack and combiner box are?

    Thanks for the advice!
    Sorry - no picture, but give me a few weeks and I will have some. From below you can see they drilled an oversize hole for the pipe. That's where they slipped the wires by.
    2018 Reflection 150 Series 220RK 5th whee, Star White 2022 F350 King Ranch CC Long bed (HAL) (CCC 4062lbs), B&W 25K OEM Companion,. SteadyFast system, Trailer reverse lights, rear receiver spare tire holder, storage tube, sumo springs, Victron MultiPlus 12/120/3000, Solar, Custom 6K axles upgrade, and other modifications.

    Comment


    • Originally posted by Yoda View Post

      Sorry - no picture, but give me a few weeks and I will have some. From below you can see they drilled an oversize hole for the pipe. That's where they slipped the wires by.
      Sounds good - whenever you can the pic is much appreciated.

      Wouldn't it be better to have a 2nd hole with only the wires in it and sealed up? Or do you think it is better to have an oversized hole with pipe, wires, and seal?
      2020 Imagine 2400BH
      2017 Ford F350 Platinum FX4/4x4 SuperCrew 6.7L V8 Diesel 9' Bed SRW, Leveled + Airbags

      Our Mods

      Comment


      • Originally posted by bellis View Post

        Sounds good - whenever you can the pic is much appreciated.

        Wouldn't it be better to have a 2nd hole with only the wires in it and sealed up? Or do you think it is better to have an oversized hole with pipe, wires, and seal?
        The problem is it is very difficult to drill a second hole, unless you have a very long big bit and a way to see if your hitting the top plate center. From the roof there is about 6" to 10"to the wall top plate, so you would need to line up to hit both. You also need to miss any roof truss. Then from the bottom you would need to drill through the floor and the wall bottom plate. Again tough to do depending on room. From what I remember I have about a half inch gap in the hole to the vent stack. It still going to be tough to get everything to line up. Luckily I can pull my solar controller and gain access about mid point between the top and bottom plate. GD also ran a bunch of other wires in the wall, so there is some extra room at the bottom from what I remember - also a mess to get wires through.

        Hope this helps
        Keith
        2018 Reflection 150 Series 220RK 5th whee, Star White 2022 F350 King Ranch CC Long bed (HAL) (CCC 4062lbs), B&W 25K OEM Companion,. SteadyFast system, Trailer reverse lights, rear receiver spare tire holder, storage tube, sumo springs, Victron MultiPlus 12/120/3000, Solar, Custom 6K axles upgrade, and other modifications.

        Comment


        • howson, O.K. I purchased and read Will's book Very informative, thank you. But it doesn't answer a few questions to help me setup my solar. Q. I took a meter reading from the roof where the "Solar Prep" RC4's are at the conduit flange. From there they go down into the storage area and into the 30A fuse, then into the Battery bank. I get -12.6Vdc. Reverse polarity. Is this done from the factory on purpose? Should I correct this? know one has touched this from the factory 2021 Imagine 22RBE.
          Q. Replacing the two Flooded LA batteries with (2)SOK 206Ah Li, Do I need to change the stock 30A fuse under the storage attached to the frame currently in use? With what size? Or should I bypass this fuse, go to the other side of the frame and use a 60A fuse.
          52.5A from three Panels., (2)SOK 206Ah Li, EPEver MPPT 50A, everything else is stock.

          Comment


          • Originally posted by TheGoletaLemon View Post
            I took a meter reading from the roof where the "Solar Prep" RC4's are at the conduit flange. From there they go down into the storage area and into the 30A fuse, then into the Battery bank. I get -12.6Vdc. Reverse polarity. Is this done from the factory on purpose? Should I correct this?
            You're probably not going to like my answer: ignore how it is wired from the factory. Wire it as shown in Will's book and in every authoritative reference you'll find online. A reference from AMSolar is shown below.

            Short version: The wires coming down from the connector on the roof go to the input of the solar controller. Substitute your roof's RC4 connectors for AMSolar's "Combiner Box" (same but different). Never ever will the solar panel's wires be directly hooked to your battery bank. (Someone will point out that there may be an exception and a panel may have a built-in controller--and they are right--but every roof mounted panel I'm personally familiar with must be connected to a solar charge controller. Period.)


            Click image for larger version  Name:	AMSolar MPPT Connection Diagram - AMSolar.jpg Views:	0 Size:	69.1 KB ID:	49785


            Originally posted by TheGoletaLemon View Post
            Q. Replacing the two Flooded LA batteries with (2)SOK 206Ah Li, Do I need to change the stock 30A fuse under the storage attached to the frame currently in use?
            No change in the trailer's self-resetting circuit breaker (not fuse) if everything is staying OEM except you're adding solar. The DC load through the trailer's original OEM wiring should be the same. The exception is if you change out the stock WFCO converter for a higher-amperage charger. In that latter case you'd want to put the new charger close to the batteries to minimize the power loss due to the high amperage over a long wire run.

            Think of it this way: you're replacing a relatively small water tank (your current battery) for a large water tank (new battery bank). Just because you have a larger water tank will the faucets in the camper draw water faster? Nope--water flow will be the same. The difference is the water will flow for a longer period of time.

            The analogy could be continued with refilling ("charging") the small vs large tank (and why you'd need "larger pipes") to fill the large tank in the same amount of time it takes to currently fill the small tank (or even faster) but hopefully you get the idea.

            It is critical (IMHO) to understand what an owner expects a system to do (implementation purpose) and the configuration required to achieve that purpose before attempting any modification to a trailer. My advice is to keep researching, reading, and watching videos. (It took me quite awhile to understand--almost felt like I took a college course.)

            Howard
            Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

            2017 Ford F-350 DRW, '19 315RLTSPlus

            Comment


            • @Howson: Very good Howard. Much appreciated. Thank you!

              Comment


              • Random note/test based off a Facebook reply I received.

                I wanted to test max 12DC load on my unit. Not entirely possible by myself, but in theory max load would not be easily achieved. If combined with AC information, might be helpful. To test, everything I could turn on was on, including:

                jack light
                both pass through lights
                front cap light
                both front cap bedroom lights
                bedroom light
                cabin light
                entrance light
                stove light
                kitchen light
                dinette light
                exterior light
                bathroom light
                bathroom and kitchen fans
                cerbo gx
                touch 50
                water pump
                multiplus on
                propane detector?
                Refrigerator control board?
                Hot water control board?

                missing items:
                bunk light
                jack operation
                awning operation
                slide operation
                solar charger
                USB ports (nothing plugged in to them)
                Refrigerator propane ignition
                Hot water tank propane ignition

                214 DC watts consumed fairly steadily. Bunk light is no more than 13 watts combined. Bringing new total to: 227 watts.
                Last edited by bellis; 04-09-2021, 11:10 PM.
                2020 Imagine 2400BH
                2017 Ford F350 Platinum FX4/4x4 SuperCrew 6.7L V8 Diesel 9' Bed SRW, Leveled + Airbags

                Our Mods

                Comment


                • bellis

                  There will be minor loads from the refrigerator and water heater control boards, too, if they were on. The big amperage draw items are momentary so I guess they really shouldn't "count" so I don't think they are "missing" (slide, awning, front jack, etc)
                  Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

                  2017 Ford F-350 DRW, '19 315RLTSPlus

                  Comment


                  • Originally posted by howson View Post
                    bellis

                    There will be minor loads from the refrigerator and water heater control boards, too, if they were on. The big amperage draw items are momentary so I guess they really shouldn't "count" so I don't think they are "missing" (slide, awning, front jack, etc)
                    Refrigerator was on, but on AC. Will control board still draw a little DC load in that instance?

                    Water heater was on too, again AC.

                    I failed to include USB (nothing was using at time of test) and DVD/inside/outside speakers (never really use them).

                    Propane ignition for hot water and refrigerator also probably have some draw, but this is probably even less than USB.

                    I may revise the above post with this info. Not perfect, but it still gives a good number. In reality with normal use, even with missing items...we would never have all that on at the same time. This was a first. Mainly did this to see what max dc draw without max AC draw from inverter could be. I think I can calculate AC without testing. Just need to see if the multiples 3k is capable of peaking higher than 3k watts. Than calculating at that # or at 3k watts.
                    2020 Imagine 2400BH
                    2017 Ford F350 Platinum FX4/4x4 SuperCrew 6.7L V8 Diesel 9' Bed SRW, Leveled + Airbags

                    Our Mods

                    Comment


                    • I cannot remember if I posted in the past 10 pages about my saga with the Cerbo GX and Touch 50. I purchased a long HDMI cable (braided, high quality), long USB male to female cables, and female to female HDMI adapters. When I hooked it all up in the pass through it worked fine. When I ran the cables, the HDMI cable came up a hair short, forcing me to use another female to female adapter and a short HDMI cable in addition to the purchased. The resolution and touch features of the Touch 50 GX did not work. Resolution was blown out to big so you couldn't see properly on the screen. So, I contacted support, updated firmware, they even sent me another and it worked in the pass through and sometimes would work with the extended cables. I ended up buying a new, longer HDMI cable that is still a high quality braided cable, with a female end and a male end (no need for an adapter) and a bit longer. Touch 50 works great!

                      Now that I have fixed the Cerbo GX / Touch 50 (it displays at the correct resolution) and is completely usable....I have run into another issue. The HDMI signal and the wifi signal are interfering with each other. In other words, while HDMI is plugged in, wifi on the unit does not work. The ethernet port works with HDMI plugged in, but not the wifi. I have not gotten or put much thought into networking the camper. I am using a mifi from netgear (AT&T) when I want to be online and it does have an ethernet port as well.

                      Details of the issue can be found here:
                      https://community.victronenergy.com/...fi-issues.html
                      top link in the above link:
                      https://community.victronenergy.com/...ouch-conn.html

                      I have not yet contacted support to see if repairing myself per the video at the bottom voids any type of warranty. It looks like the wifi antenna's just need relocated.

                      Just discovered over the past few days. It's not killing me, but it is less convenient. At some point I will get it fixed.

                      Despite the challenges I have had with it. I still highly recommend both the Cerbo GX and the Touch 50. At first I thought them luxuries, and they are....but they are not that expensive....and the centralized data and monitoring are huge. If you have Victron gear and don't have the Cerbo GX I would at least get the Cerbo GX even if you don't get the Touch 50. I also like how it does not require all connections to the screen.
                      2020 Imagine 2400BH
                      2017 Ford F350 Platinum FX4/4x4 SuperCrew 6.7L V8 Diesel 9' Bed SRW, Leveled + Airbags

                      Our Mods

                      Comment


                      • Originally posted by bellis View Post
                        I cannot remember if I posted in the past 10 pages about my saga with the Cerbo GX and Touch 50. I purchased a long HDMI cable (braided, high quality), long USB male to female cables, and female to female HDMI adapters. When I hooked it all up in the pass through it worked fine. When I ran the cables, the HDMI cable came up a hair short, forcing me to use another female to female adapter and a short HDMI cable in addition to the purchased. The resolution and touch features of the Touch 50 GX did not work. Resolution was blown out to big so you couldn't see properly on the screen. So, I contacted support, updated firmware, they even sent me another and it worked in the pass through and sometimes would work with the extended cables. I ended up buying a new, longer HDMI cable that is still a high quality braided cable, with a female end and a male end (no need for an adapter) and a bit longer. Touch 50 works great!

                        Now that I have fixed the Cerbo GX / Touch 50 (it displays at the correct resolution) and is completely usable....I have run into another issue. The HDMI signal and the wifi signal are interfering with each other. In other words, while HDMI is plugged in, wifi on the unit does not work. The ethernet port works with HDMI plugged in, but not the wifi. I have not gotten or put much thought into networking the camper. I am using a mifi from netgear (AT&T) when I want to be online and it does have an ethernet port as well.

                        Details of the issue can be found here:
                        https://community.victronenergy.com/...fi-issues.html
                        top link in the above link:
                        https://community.victronenergy.com/...ouch-conn.html

                        I have not yet contacted support to see if repairing myself per the video at the bottom voids any type of warranty. It looks like the wifi antenna's just need relocated.

                        Just discovered over the past few days. It's not killing me, but it is less convenient. At some point I will get it fixed.

                        Despite the challenges I have had with it. I still highly recommend both the Cerbo GX and the Touch 50. At first I thought them luxuries, and they are....but they are not that expensive....and the centralized data and monitoring are huge. If you have Victron gear and don't have the Cerbo GX I would at least get the Cerbo GX even if you don't get the Touch 50. I also like how it does not require all connections to the screen.
                        Wow that WiFi bug would be a pain in the neck. It’sa bit convoluted, but my first thought I’d the Ethernet port works would be a WiFi bridge. Maybe even something 12v would exist, but you could setup the bridge to be connected to your mifi network wirelessly, then plug it’s Ethernet cable into your Cerbo and you should be fine. I realize you shouldn’t have to do this, but if it’s not practical to run Ethernet to you Cerbo and you don’t want to crack it apart it might be your best option.

                        IOGEAR Ethernet-2-WiFi Universal Wireless Adapter, GWU637,Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018YPWORE...QJHMEZQEYXHNK1

                        Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

                        Neil Citro
                        2018 Reflection 28BH Pepwave
                        2019 F350 6.7L Long Bed Crew Cab

                        Comment


                        • It looks like another option is to change the channel of your WiFi network to one that does not interfere with HDMI frequencies. Is that a thing your Mifi allows you to do?
                          Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

                          Neil Citro
                          2018 Reflection 28BH Pepwave
                          2019 F350 6.7L Long Bed Crew Cab

                          Comment


                          • Originally posted by bellis View Post
                            Refrigerator was on, but on AC. Will control board still draw a little DC load in that instance?
                            Yes. The AC (or propane) used by the refrigerator is for the cooling element. 12vDC is used by the control board, indicator lights, etc. Also true for the water heater.

                            For the maximum output of the inverter--according to Victron's specifications, the 12/3000/120 Multiplus I have can generate up to 6000W (120vAC/50A), but for only 1 second before it shuts down. Continuous output is obviously 3000W (120vAC/25A). There's different time lengths for different overloads between 3001W to 6000W, but I can't find it, dang it.

                            Note the hotter the inverter gets the maximum output potential drops.

                            Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

                            2017 Ford F-350 DRW, '19 315RLTSPlus

                            Comment


                            • Originally posted by ncitro View Post

                              Wow that WiFi bug would be a pain in the neck. It’sa bit convoluted, but my first thought I’d the Ethernet port works would be a WiFi bridge. Maybe even something 12v would exist, but you could setup the bridge to be connected to your mifi network wirelessly, then plug it’s Ethernet cable into your Cerbo and you should be fine. I realize you shouldn’t have to do this, but if it’s not practical to run Ethernet to you Cerbo and you don’t want to crack it apart it might be your best option.

                              IOGEAR Ethernet-2-WiFi Universal Wireless Adapter, GWU637,Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018YPWORE...QJHMEZQEYXHNK1
                              I thought about doing the same thing. I may just contact support to ensure it doesn't violate the warranty for me to repair or just to see what they say.....they may just send me a new one....it's a small pain to back it up and transfer....but I am going to have to remove the device from mounting location no matter what I do (short of wireless bridge). But, that's just one more device that eats power. Trying to streamline for off grid camping this September for 2 weeks.

                              Originally posted by ncitro View Post
                              It looks like another option is to change the channel of your WiFi network to one that does not interfere with HDMI frequencies. Is that a thing your Mifi allows you to do?
                              I saw that too. I tried to log in to the mifi last night and the password didn't work and I don't see it saved in my password manager. I don't see the admin password on the screen of the device (cannot change username) and google's results for netgear default passwords did not work. That would be a quick temporary fix though and save some work if I was willing to live with it.

                              Originally posted by howson View Post

                              Yes. The AC (or propane) used by the refrigerator is for the cooling element. 12vDC is used by the control board, indicator lights, etc. Also true for the water heater.

                              For the maximum output of the inverter--according to Victron's specifications, the 12/3000/120 Multiplus I have can generate up to 6000W (120vAC/50A), but for only 1 second before it shuts down. Continuous output is obviously 3000W (120vAC/25A). There's different time lengths for different overloads between 3001W to 6000W, but I can't find it, dang it.

                              Note the hotter the inverter gets the maximum output potential drops.
                              I found the same thing as it relates to 6000 watts. That would pop my 400 amp fuse (anything over 4,800 watts would at 12VDC). I may be light on the distribution bus bars - they can handle 250 amps per large connection. Good to know that the Refrigerator and Hot water (AC) still require DC. With my setup I could turn DC off to the trailer and the inverter on....but with those 2 devices, that won't do me any good. We often start the batteries + propane up the night before we leave (no power at our farm) to cool the refrigerator. Then I turn the propane off and inverter on while we drive down the road with the refrigerator full. Nice not to need a big cooler because the refrigerator takes some time to get cooled off. A little battery powered fan in the fridge seems to help it get colder too (circulate air around fins).
                              2020 Imagine 2400BH
                              2017 Ford F350 Platinum FX4/4x4 SuperCrew 6.7L V8 Diesel 9' Bed SRW, Leveled + Airbags

                              Our Mods

                              Comment


                              • bellis Yeah I would definitely reach out to them given it’sa known issue. Fair warning I had an issue with mine, the internal transfer switch was DOA, and they wouldn’t give me the time of day. All end user support has to come from the dealer you bought it from. I love their products, but that policy is their only negative in my book.
                                Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

                                Neil Citro
                                2018 Reflection 28BH Pepwave
                                2019 F350 6.7L Long Bed Crew Cab

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X