Solar Power on 2020 GDRV Imagine 2400BH

[Oshndoc]

Hello, I am facing a challenge of installing a solar system with a 2000W inverter hooked to a 200Ah LiFePO4 battery in our 2020 2400BH.

I am not an electrician, so I have a couple of questions in regard to isolation of the charge circuit from the converter.

We are preparing for a trip to the Northwest this summer. The campgrounds we chose do not have shore power. Generator times are out of reach for us, as we will be spending those hours hiking, so my thoughts were 600W solar --> LiFePO4 battery --> 2000W inverter --> shore power cable directly into inverter.

My question is, how do I isolate the charge circuit from the converter back to the batteries? I do not want the trailer to charge my Li batteries.
However, I want the trailer to have normal 12V battery power to the lights, furnace etc without the inverter running.

I will have an 60A breaker installed to disconnect the solar array from the batteries when on actual 120V power supply / generator.

When solar disconnected I will charge the batteries through a separate 40A 120V charger hooked straight into shore power/generator.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[ncitro]

Hello, I am facing a challenge of installing a solar system with a 2000W inverter hooked to a 200Ah LiFePO4 battery in our 2020 2400BH.

I am not an electrician, so I have a couple of questions in regard to isolation of the charge circuit from the converter.

We are preparing for a trip to the Northwest this summer. The campgrounds we chose do not have shore power. Generator times are out of reach for us, as we will be spending those hours hiking, so my thoughts were 600W solar --> LiFePO4 battery --> 2000W inverter --> shore power cable directly into inverter.

My question is, how do I isolate the charge circuit from the converter back to the batteries? I do not want the trailer to charge my Li batteries.
However, I want the trailer to have normal 12V battery power to the lights, furnace etc without the inverter running.

I will have an 60A breaker installed to disconnect the solar array from the batteries when on actual 120V power supply / generator.

When solar disconnected I will charge the batteries through a separate 40A 120V charger hooked straight into shore power/generator.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Your factory converter should either be on a dedicated circuit breaker, or simply plug into an outlet. It is usually physically located behind a divider that comes down in the pass through storage. The converter supplies 12v power when connected to shore power to charge the batteries and run your 12v loads. Given the setup you are describing you should be able to safely disconnect it (the breaker is the easiest). This will prevent the inverter from attempting to run the charger. I believe TucsonJim runs his inverter in this way.

[Country Campers]

I am not sure where the converter is in an Imagine, StephenO could you let us know where the converter is and if it is a plug in unit or built in?

As Neil has said above , I just unplug the converter when not needed.

Brian

[StephenO]

Welcome to the forum Oshndoc and thanks for the tag Brian.

In our trailer, the converter is built into the WFCO power center. It's in the lower portion of the unit, just under the DC and AC wiring. I believe the converter connects to the DC bus built-in into the power center, which then gets you back to the batteries.

Fortunately that's a widely used setup, so lots of additional information online.

When solar disconnected I will charge the batteries through a separate 40A 120V charger hooked straight into shore power/generator.

If you are comfortable with AC power systems, and want to ensure the factory converter doesn't come on ever, you could disconnect the converter input from the breaker. But please, don't do that work if you are not comfortable with it. It's much easier to just turn off the breaker like ncitro and Country Campers has indicated.

Hope that helps, but if you need anything else, just ask!

[Yoda]

Hello, I am facing a challenge of installing a solar system with a 2000W inverter hooked to a 200Ah LiFePO4 battery in our 2020 2400BH.

I am not an electrician, so I have a couple of questions in regard to isolation of the charge circuit from the converter.

We are preparing for a trip to the Northwest this summer. The campgrounds we chose do not have shore power. Generator times are out of reach for us, as we will be spending those hours hiking, so my thoughts were 600W solar --> LiFePO4 battery --> 2000W inverter --> shore power cable directly into inverter.

My question is, how do I isolate the charge circuit from the converter back to the batteries? I do not want the trailer to charge my Li batteries.
However, I want the trailer to have normal 12V battery power to the lights, furnace etc without the inverter running.

I will have an 60A breaker installed to disconnect the solar array from the batteries when on actual 120V power supply / generator.

When solar disconnected I will charge the batteries through a separate 40A 120V charger hooked straight into shore power/generator.

Any help would be much appreciated.

With your 50A shore power service (GD shows your unit as 50A) how were you planning to wire in your 2000w Inverter? Every one I have seen uses 120v plugs on the device, so it cant be wired into the distribution panel with out some serious effort.

Now just food for thought I too starting my planning withe a stand alone 3000w inverter for my 30a service and ended up with a Victron Multiplus wired into the 30A service - the inverter powers every circuit in my trailer and you can custom program the charger side for lithium. For you 50A service trailer you might consider the Multiplus II https://www.victronenergy.com/invert...lus-ii-2x-120v

It would be simpler to install (run shore power through it, and just disconnect you current converter). Your whole TT can then be powered by the inverter side.

Just something to consider.
Keith

howson I am tagging the Honorable Dr. Howard on this for his great wisdom too. He is not a real doctor, but knows a lot of good stuff on these projects,

[StephenO]

Yoda - Hey Keith, the 2400BH comes with 50amp service now!? I am surprised at that since it only has one AC unit and it is on the smaller scale of trailer footprint. Crazy. You are right that being 50amp certainly takes the inverter game to another level. You may have additional information than myself, but I can only see it listed with 30amp on the Grand Design website. Just curious, where did you see that?

[Oshndoc]

Yoda my 2020 2400BH is only a 30A unit. My control center does not show a dedicated breaker for the converter. That is what I am trying to find.

[Oshndoc]

ncitro , the devider you mention "...behind a divider that comes down in the pass through storage" is that the enclosure where the main 12V power switch is located in the pass through storage? or the front or rear wall?

[Oshndoc]

StephenO Thank you for the welcome. I am new to the Grand Design community. We had a Keystone Outback for many years. Sold that a few years ago and now are getting back into RV/TT camping from expedition style RTT.
I am fine with disconnecting AC from converter breaker. I just need to find the breaker.

[StephenO]

Yoda my 2020 2400BH is only a 30A unit. My control center does not show a dedicated breaker for the converter. That is what I am trying to find.

Interesting that you don't see a breaker for the converter in your power distribution center. Of course with all the supply chain issues, it's possible they have changed things up, but looking at the parts page for your year of 2400bh, it still shows a WFCO power center with built in converter

https://www.granddesignrv.com/owner-...s/detail/23357

To try and isolate which breaker it is, you could do the following:

1. Turn on several DC loads. Think along the lines of all the lights, equipment plugged into the USB ports, anything that needs DC
2. You should hear the converter fan inside the power distribution center spin up under the heavy load. You may have to open the cabinet door it's hiding behind to hear it
3. Start turning off and on breakers to see which one stops the fan from spinning, leaving the main 30amp till last

[Yoda]

Yoda - Hey Keith, the 2400BH comes with 50amp service now!? I am surprised at that since it only has one AC unit and it is on the smaller scale of trailer footprint. Crazy. You are right that being 50amp certainly takes the inverter game to another level. You may have additional information than myself, but I can only see it listed with 30amp on the Grand Design website. Just curious, where did you see that?

Shows the 50A service mandatory, but the OP says they have 30a.
https://www.granddesignrv.com/showro...orplans/2400bh I could be reading this wrong too.

• 50 Amp Service Wired and Framed for 2nd AC (2670MK, 2800BH, 2910BH, 2970RL, 3100RD, and 3250BH only) (M)

[Yoda]

Yoda my 2020 2400BH is only a 30A unit. My control center does not show a dedicated breaker for the converter. That is what I am trying to find.

with shore power off, take the cover off your distribution panel to see the wiring. If you converter is built in it will be the silver looking box at the base of the panel. Trace where the wiring goes.

Here is a picture of what mine looks like (30A service)



The converter is on the bottom and was wired into the bottom breaker with another wire (orange wire nut). I just traced the wires and disconnected the unit and left it in place.

Hopefully your is similar.

Keith

[ncitro]

Oshndoc The divider wall I'm referring to is in the fifth wheels, I'm not sure if the travel trailers have it too. It sounds like it'll be located in the actual power center. A different brand trailer I used to have was like that and the converter actually plugged into a small outlet in the bottom of the power center.

If it's all integrated and it's what I remember the silver part in the power center would be your converter.

Edit: Yodas pictures show it perfectly.

[Oshndoc]

Yoda I think that based on the link you sent, the 50A circuit is mandatory for the 2800BH.
Here is a picture of my power distribution center.
Its a WF-8955PEC.
I am thinking of replacing it with a WF-8955LIS-MAB to support direct LiFePO4 charging. But again, the breaker is not where it should be.

[StephenO]

Yoda I think the based on the link you sent, the 50A circuit is mandatory for the 2800BH.
Here is a picture of my power distribution center.
Its a WF-8955PEC.
I am thinking of replacing it with a WF-8955LIS-MAB to support direct LiFePO4 charging. But again, the breaker is not where it should be.

Your power center is configured the exact same way as mine, and the bottom breaker labelled 'conv' should be the converter. I could be wrong though, and with my advice you get what you pay for , but that has always been my assumption.