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Buying like 30kw of panels and thinking it'll be simple to put on roof myself and get free energy. Then remembering I live in the woods surrounded by trees.

And this my friends is why my wife and I have separate bank accounts. The real problem comes when you buy more solar and equipment than you know what to do with. I say this as I'm sitting with 20kw of solar panels piled up in my yard realizing I didn't even measure my roof and have zero idea...

One of my companies is an IT company and we have a 80/20 rule where 20% of people cause 80% of the problems. Some people are just cursed and no matter what we do we just know they'll continue to have issues. Also to the same point just because something's top tier doesn't mean it'll last...

Invested in a hydraulic crimper and label maker . Wish I knew specs are more limitations and not recommendations. Over build and design for redundancy

Looks like my system is fixed. I'm betting I had the voltage restart too high and just assumed SoC overrides it as there's a checkbox. I wish I read the settings before updating veconfig but oh well. It dipped down twice to 5% and came back on

I just tell the wife all the blue stuff is free. And that the generator kills kittens.

I once made the mistake of showing my inverter bay on here :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:

Seems I might have been wrong. After pulling the 12v converters I found out the screwdriver didn't fit right so voltage adjuster was only half or so and go figure didn't find out until I swapped one out for the smart one. After turning it up it seems to be charging. Actually one 12v 70a...

I'm hoping Victron releases an Orion XS 48/12 as it's very efficient and has current limiting plus vedirect so you can automate. Even better if they do a 12/48 also. I could then have both setup so can go both ways and keep battery banks at even levels. Just think, we could have solar...

Victron vs the rest isn't a Ford vs Chevy it's comparing getting a car from a real company or buying one off temu. Everyone uses Victron because they're cost effective, reliable, and last forever. Check out real idle consumption of any AIO or anything else vs a Victron. I believe some...

I do a lot of Disaster recovery/Business Continuity when it comes to IT so this is 2nd nature Just to repeat for those in the back label, label label. Spare wire, crimper tools and lugs. In an emergency this can replace fuses and other problems in the system. Checklists with A/B/C/D...

If it is not 100% solely used for solar it doesn't count against the addiction.

let me know if any questions and I can explain further. The coach has a 270a dedicated 50DN alternator, it comes in 12v and 24v models, the converter took a 24v model, put a 12v regulator on it and scratched off where it says the voltage on the alternator plate. When I setup the system I...

Well thats not nearly as fun. Here's mine after like an hour

Technically a genset is an engine and a generator. A generator is just the part that creates energy, so larger systems are called genset as usually they're 2 separate pieces just combined.

The trailer inverter is just for things like drill battery chargers or maybe jump packs or something that doesn't really matter. I have a few laying around so figured since they're free it'll be nice to always have batteries fully charged. Trailer battery can only handle 30a/12v charge so I...

I used half height superstruts. Drilled right through the roof into the frame on the ceiling and used lag bolts with washers. Put lap sealant on the holes and along the bottom of the struts. It holds the roof down better and makes the panels almost impossible to see from the ground. You...

Yupp. This is why there aren't returns in bathrooms

I use Kasa wifi smart switches and power strips on all the TVs and basically all 120V devices. My coach has wifi setup with starlink always on so I can control it all from anywhere. It removes all that phantom power. https://a.co/d/bMNV3WK I have a few of these, the smaller strips and...

You want 1 or more Victron Orion DC to DC converters 12/48. You should have large enough alternators to have 100a+ (1200w) 48 volt alternators don't really exist. Balmar makes a 70a and 100a but they're a few grand. Newer jeeps and such have 48v alt but regardless you need to make it fit...

Sounds like your 7pin wiring on the truck side isn't nearly strong enough. When the Orion starts to pull 30a it drops the voltage then shuts off. 30a is the limit for the 7pin plug but most trucks only send 10amps or something and thin wiring.

Yes you can install their Venusos on a PI or other hardware and interact with Victron gear. But their cerbogx or even the CerboGX-S is well worth the price as you get everything right out of the box. It's like $200 for the S ($157 on ebay apparently) it has all the ports plus a bunch of...

Correct but the rating being higher is based on temps, that one is actually rated at 378a at 105c. The 445a is open air ambient temps like outside on a welder. Running that cable at 105c vs 75c (230a) introduces a ton more issues I'd assume. I'm correct in assuming that a cable running at...

I have a 40ft Prevost XL2 dual slide and is the perfect vehicle ever. Anything over 40 gets complicated to find spots. Ohio state parks are basically only 40ft limits and others seem to be similar. Also with 40 I get a tag so over 10k cargo capacity and very easy to maneuver in small towns...

Push in the little orange area to unsprung the clasp that holds the wire

They've been top tier since they started in the 70s. Companies become top tier by offering the BEST products in the market. They gain market share by selling those products. Again I've yet to see a single one with a paid promo from Victron itself. Please send a video link of one

The new OrionXS is like 98% efficient. If they only make a 48/12 you'd be all set. That makes it as efficient as voltage drop on 12v cables over 48v

You're right it can handle 200a it seems. The problem is somehow my voltage gets low and when I get below like 11v my entire firefly system restarts which causes my ACs to restart since the thermostats use 12v and are fused on the firefly. I noticed one of my lugs wasn't super tight so after...

Finally a cloudy day and didn't rain so spent an hour getting into the combiners. Turns out there was a blown fuse on both of them so it was 2/3 on each side. Swapped the fuse with a spare port and back to 100%. Ordering some spare fuses and will place in the combiner boxes. Was a lot...

3000w is still 250a vs 62a. There's no disadvantage for OP, he still needs DC to DC converters although he could get the new ORION XS 50a ones. I'd kinda suggest going 24v if under 5000w as the Orion 12/24 are 70 and boost to 85a for like the same price of a 30a 12/12 or 12/48.

I'm rebuilding my power plugs and trying to find info on how the EV L2 chargers work and if there's a possibility to add a pair of J1772 plugs for charging my Lithium banks as well as a J1772 outlet for charging EV vehicle from my RV. I believe the J1772 requires some handshake and isn't...

That's a great idea. I can limit the 12v input amperage.

Built batteries have dropped to a point where DIY isn't much cheaper.

Im not calculating my cost but it's well over that. Couple differences for me. When I'm in my RV I don't want to have to fix things. Multiple redundancies and separate systems so if something breaks I can fix later and not ruin a trip. I also plan on emergency response and such so having a...

Low voltage disconnect when the battery is under 13v? I have one of these but haven't installed it yet, not sure how high it goes tho. https://www.bluesea.com/products/7635/m-LVD_Low_Voltage_Disconnect

For new years my daughter took her tesla from where she lives in Lexington, KY charging it up at a supercharger in Cincinnati then up to us in Columbus to pickup her boyfriend then stopped in Toledo to charge and finally to Kalamazoo/Portage MI where we spent new years...then back to drop off...

A Victron 12/24v DC DC converter would pull power from your alternator and you just use the on/off connected to accessory. They even have smart ones that'll detect voltage. We do mainly day trips and I've found that having 3k watts from the alternator allows us to run 2 ACs or heaters while...

I wouldn't change unless you're planning 3000w inverter or something. 100a is easy to manage. Trailer brakes and genny ideally would have separate batteries. A little sla battery for brakes works fine and it'll suck if house is dead and can't start genny

All victron inverters retain settings if power is lost. Actually, when you update settings using VEconfig or update the device I think it fully resets itself. VA isn't W for inductive loads like AC its 80% other things are higher percentage. Nothing compares to Victron, sure they're more...

Huh, there's nothing to forget it operates the exact same as the 2x120. The switch as group option is just a 1 time setting you pick when you configure split phase. If you plug in 120v to both legs the inverter will reject it and won't use it. Same if voltage is too high/low or not 60hz...

How bout an exit sign wired up to the shore cable? When shore is lost it'll turn on the spot lights

Yupp they gotta do something special to justify the 2mil new price tag. It's basically couches and TVs in there so can seat 20+ people. Friend suggested a stripper pole errr i mean support beam in the middle ;)

I think winging it is the only real way to control current from an alternator. Yes it's a pain to program but there's a windows app from 3rd party that makes it easier. I think it's 600 vs this Zeus which is 800 or so. Balmar I believe has another that supports lithium. Definitely agree...

Signal K is for boats but node is pretty easy to use as it's all web interface. Basically allows you to have it do anything. Victron made a 3 part video on YouTube on how to setup. Really cool and once I get some time I'll play around with it.

Pdf, xls, doc files should be banned as attachments. Threat actors can embed urls in the files then when people open to help they can get the malware. Word/excel has protections against links but Adobe and other Pdf readers don't.

Eggo is saying the inverter will use 50w additional constantly so when calculating your solar there's a few hundred watts that are eaten up. If your solar produces 3kw per day then you have 2.5kw max usable because the extra is feeding the inverters consumption. Probably closer to 2kw.

Keep your start and house battery systems separate. Also I wouldn't mix lithium with SLA. Hook up the mppt to the house lithium then make sure you don't have anything pulling from your start battery when off

No, if connected to 240v (like 50a rv) it passes that split phase thru but if connected to 120v (like 30a rv) or inverter it powers both legs on same phase so its 120v. Yes it's for RVs where there isn't really 240v appliances and variable power input since not all CGs have 50amp. I'm...

Exactly. I'm all for emerging technology but sometimes common sense and actual proof of concept is required before ppl start shelling out cash. I'm sure it's possible to heat and absorb that heat later just not sure how to store something that hot efficiently over months.

Export the excel file in vrm and note the time of the alarms then check all the DC voltages with a minute or so of that time. Work backwards from the inverter/vebus. I've noticed some voltages can be a few seconds or so off. I just hide all columns that aren't voltage, current, time then...

Order new ones off Amazon and the return the bad ones. Invertersrus sells them on amazon. You probably got my bad ones 😂

4 24v 100w panels should be around 100v, well above 63v. I have the renogy 100w and had to switch from 6 to 5 in series in winter because it was pushing 150v. But they do make boost MPPT controllers that'll allow lower voltage

$7500 to learn how electricity, solar and all components work then be able to build a system that actually works is money well spent. That saying money comes and goes but knowledge lasts forever is so true. I've spent a good 50k+ on various solar/inverter items over the past 1-2 years...

This is my plan just waiting on Prevost to finish developing and they say they'll offer retrofit even. I'm assuming .5 miles per KW so 500KW bank gets me 250miles. 50a/240 CG shore power gets me 10kwh so I could fillup over a 48hr weekend and drive another 250ish miles all for basically free...

Completely get this but you're missing the elephant in the equation, heat loss. Whats the R value of the insulation, how thick is it and what's the temp of the surface area on the other side? Your calculation is off 10x10x10' is 10cuft so 900lbs. 90,000lbs would be 1000x1000x1000' which...

Couple things. In an RV Absorption fridges are pretty loud if not perfectly installed and designed. They're only rated for like a difference of 30deg of OUTSIDE temps and aren't great AR consistent temps. Most manufacturers have roof fans to help with the heat dissipation which can be...

Biggest question is what size panel? If 100w max then you pretty much need to be 12V.

I firmly believe you shouldn't cheap out on devices that you're relying on. Sure Victron is a bit more but if you're wanting a coach that just works and does everything without tinkering its 100% worth spending more. My main system is 2x Quattro 48v 5000w in split phase. My entire coach is...

Is your starter battery voltage actually going down to 7v?

Yes I'll use orange which I use on various other things and will remove under torque. The 4/0 lugs just vibrate too much it seems. I also don't have the wires and lynx permanently mounted yet, still trying to find the best spot. Once I do that I'll also put rubber mounting things to hold the...

Finally got the ecoworthy panels I needed and just finished installing the panels..... Should have the last wiring tomorrow or Tuesday then will get the rest finished up. Still need to make final adjustments then screw each row down to make certain they're secured. Then clean the panels and...

Over the weekend I tested it with an hour drive from home (full) to an auction, sat for a few hours then from auction (80% both banks) 2 hours to Cedar point for the day then 2 hours home. It was a rainy/very cloudy day so only got 1.1kwh of solar on 48v and maybe 200w on 12V. While driving...

This is definitely an ideal use case for an ecoflow or any other power stations. Simple and easy to bring into a hotel room if wanting to recharge.

Found you can check here. I also realized I changed the logging to 1min from 15min so likely 15x the log files. Added SD card to both but only 1 had that pop-up like @Adam De Lay mentioned. The other isn't showing here so likely has to be formatted to fat32 or something. Nice part is...

Much better. Got 1694w of 1920w today and not even noon yet. Also panels are very dirty. Once I get the fuses and put the panels all back and secured ill take the coach to the truck wash down the street

The point of case ground is so you can blow a fuse if something happens. It should only be there for a split second. Id put as big as possible but 6g should be ok. I bolted my Quattros right to the frame... Problem solved

2 SOK 48v rack batteries a Victron multiplus 3000w or 5000w inverter and cerbogx all from currentconnected.com. Get a BMScan cable and you have all the data and everything you need. Can add 1-2 or more batteries if you want. Also with Victron you could keep your Honda generators and run 1...

That's only 120v so you'd only get 1 leg of the 50a shore. Also need to look into your genny and if it's 240 or 120v. Likely if 10k it's 240v so you'd only get half. I'm not seeing any benefits of a 10kw over 2x 5kw. Dual 5k allows you to use 120v or 240v, and the 5k allows you to go as...

Can uses 2 ports to create a loop. So it goes from cerbo to bat1 then each side has a terminator. The batteries connect together using their own ports and have dip switches to set the order. So 2 ports are needed for each type

Dexter messaged you on here and he's the US distributor for SOK. He's AWESOME and is willing to help out. Chinese companies suck and junky distirbutors like invertersrus suck too but good companies like CurrentConnected are great and will take care of you.

dc dc converters provide a charge and batteries receive that charge, right? As long as the voltage is above the batteries charging rate it should be absorbed by the batteries. DC-DC converters are hooked up from the alternator to the Lynx distibution bar which is all connected to the...

Like this? I used 2x100w panels and run it on its own mppt to charge my 12v system. Works great. I get a bit of a squeak but I think it's the panels, plus I haven't made something to finish covering it. Btw this is a Prevost class A coach which is flat in the front so wind goes straight up...

Tesla superchargers solved this issue. They not only tell you how many spots are available but how many will be available when you get there. The level of EV charger and prepares your car to charge the fastest. I believe even suggests chargers based on availability instead of distance so will...

Just found out there's a whole new GUI for the cerboGX coming out and the beta is available now. Anyone using it? For some reason the instructions to install were deleted from the page. Anyone know how to install before i dig into the github?? https://github.com/victronenergy/gui-v2...

Yeah I think DVCC does that, and IIRC you set the smartshunt as the default voltage. I only have 1 mppt on each cerbo but also have inverters and I just noticed over the weekend when I had my genset running it shut off my solar because must have been running max charge.

OP wants 1200ah of batteries so 3 rack batteries (300ah at 48v). 3ft seems crazy, you're likely going to need at least 10ft to connect the batteries together then to a distribution buss then to the inverter. But thats not really the point. You're always going to have a limitation and with...

Thats exactly what I needed to do, hot glue gun the connectors on both ends then strain relief using cable clamps like these https://a.co/d/avB5z39 and they still can come out from the vibration. I HATE ve.direct. My 2 smaller MPPTs are vedirect and if the cable disconnects they turn off...

I have like 8 ruuvi sensors all around my rig, most are the 4in1 white ones but 2 of the black 2in1 heavy duty ones that I have on my generator radiator. I use this Bluetooth adapter in the Cerbo, just plug into the USB and it'll work. It has an external antenna port so if I needed to I could...

All 120v? Looks like about 2000w, the fridge/freezer will cycle so maybe 1500w is a better adjustment. How many hours would you want it to run? 10 hours is 15kwh. So I'd say you'd want at least 20kwh batteries. If you were able to fill the entire roof with solar you're looking at...

Typically only 1/3 cost of electricity is generation cost so its not really profitable. Most electric companies are non-profit from my understanding. Sure they pay their exec millions but most are non-profit. The ones that are for profit are usually limited to the amount of profit they're...

Stacking is actually very nice as it allows the cables to be the same size while also as short as possible. Plus since coming and going from same spots its much easier for cable management. They're actually a good distance apart between the pos and neg bars with a removable plastic thingy...

I disagree. If net metering was a federal law it would push much more innovation and things would be completely different. I also believe that utilities are one of the very few things the federal government should control. Right now utilities are monopolies and are so embedded with the...

Go with a MP 2000w. 1200w isn't much for an induction cook top. I have a dual burner 1800w and can't run both above med.

Which begs the question if the wire temp is 105c then what's the temp of lugs at the inverter there there isn't any insulation? The heat from the wire needs to dissipate somewhere and the inverter is a massive heatsink so it really depends on where the inverter temp sensors are.

Sla or agm batteries would likely be best. Use the trailers 7 pin 12V wire to charge, you'll be limited to whatever the fuse of the truck is up to 30amps. You don't need to worry about DC to DC chargers. Fast charge is relevant but small power use means small recharge.

I did 15amp. They're 40amp when boosting. If worry 10a would blow and 12a is ideal but not sure if hard to get.

I read the other article. They're claiming 150 range on batteries and the other 350 from a range extender (genset or engine on drive train) https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a62334974/thor-plug-in-hybrid-rv-range-extender-details/

Victron lynx power distribution fits 4 fuses in a small space. Lynx shunt has a anl fuse holder for +. Why not just remove the fuse when putting in storage?

Its not about Victron caring or not they just built a very successful model and are focused on providing the best products while utilizing distributors to handle the sales and support. The support I got from Current Connected was amazing. Dexter reached out to me on here with his desk number...

You're in the 1% of people where EV isn't optimal since you drive hundreds of miles a day. Ev isn't THE solution it's A solution. I don't see gas or diesel vehicles going away or at least anytime soon.

Most high end coaches have 240v appliances, residential dryers and electric cooktop. Lots of people are retrofitting 240v mini splits into RVs now too. They make a 48v 2x120. Or you can just get 2 inverters and program to split phase then you get the same features as a 2x120 but more...

The tr smart 30a is 6awg, the new XS might be 4awg but not sure. If you trim it down and still have enough space to separate the wires that's ideal. You still get all the benefits of the larger cable over distance because the long part is 4ga...

You have to be careful running LFP directly off an alternator and more so of dual alternators. 8kw at 12v is over 600amps. What wiring, fuses and shunts are you using that handles over 600a safely? I know my lynx shunt and distributor can handle 1000a but damn. In comparison the same...

Victrons worth well over twice the price of eg4 or other cheap inverter.

Completely agree but I only want to make something that is better and I feel the Lynx is a perfect product and actually cheap when you compare DIY costs. There's even ways to make the lights on the distributor work without the shunt. I do wish they made a lower amp one with ATO/ATC fuses...

Give the cables room to move and you'll be fine.

This is exactly my motto. Also to buy things like Dewalt drills and have like 10 batteries and chargers that work with everything.

This NEVER happens in any market. Top tier products are always a premium, they demand more because they can.

So far so good. I have some angle washer things from Amazon coming tomorrow so hopefully they'll work to adjust the angle of superstruts. Have to determine if and how much I want the panels to overhang the awnings. My roof is super curved so there's lots of room but worried about...