Be patient with the new/ignorant guy!

[Ziggy With It]

I've been aware of Will for quite some time and watch some of his videos. Alas, a lot of what he does is much too technical for me. I'm old and not good at studying, so I'm just looking for what to do in my situation.

My situation: I recently sold the house and am now living in my "nekkid" 7X14 cargo trailer. It has a vent in the roof. This trailer will be replaced by a 7X16 with insulation, windows, rooftop unit, etc. when the supply chain issues for some of the parts are resolved. I have a small refrigerator, microwave/convection oven, TV, computer, Keurig, heater, and will probably buy an induction burner for cooking and maybe a portable A/C if it starts getting warm before I can get the permanent trailer. I haven't decided whether I'm going to move the solar/battery(ies) to the permanent trailer or try to sell the current trailer as a camper.

So, from watching Will's videos I've decided that LiFePO4 is the way to go. I just don't know how much. And I don't know how much solar/how many panels I'll need. So far, I've got a standard plug-in that I use to get power from wherever I'm staying. When traveling I use my jump starter to power the fridge. But it only lasts 4 or 5 hours before needing a 24-hour recharge.

I'm in south Louisiana and so far the coldest night was 33 degrees F. My little heater worked fine and I woke up to 60 degrees (had it set for 66). So I'm guessing that's okay. After I got up and started moving around it made its way up to 66. Although I don't plan to go into colder places since I just HATE the cold, I am also embarking on my new career as a touring professional disc golfer. So I'm pretty sure I'll have to go to a place or two that's cold. And before you ask, no, I'm not that good of a disc golfer. But I'm retired with nothing better to do and I can tell all the ladies that I'm a professional disc golfer/athlete.

In one of Will's more recent videos he was showing where to hook up the solar and battery/ies in the panel. Sorry, I already forgot the terminology. And he pointed out the AC hookup, but didn't explain it. So, can I have solar and also connect to the grid through the same panel? It would be nice to not have to unplug/replug when changing power sources for the battery.

My nephew is good at putting stuff together and I'm sure he will be instrumental in setting everything up. But he's more of a mechanic than electrician so I'm depending on you guys!

So, please advise. I'm pretty sure you'll be able to determine my level of knowledge from my description. But I will answer any questions to help determine what I need.

 

[GLC]

First welcome, and yes you could do something like a manual transfer switch to feed both solar converted energy and grid power.
Next you have some decisions that you will need to make. Your Solar setup will be based either on your energy needs that you want to power or your budget you want/have to spend. Sometimes it is an either/or conditional statement.

 

[John Frum]

q: Are you building out the current trailer, new trailer or both?
a:

q: If both are you moving components from old to new?
a:

q: What is a "professional disc golfer"?
a:

q: Since you are just embarking on a new career "for the ladies", can we infer that you have a good supply of cash for the build?
a:

 

[Rednecktek]

Well, I'll start the default answer to these questions and we can work from there. Here's you To-Do list:

1: Power audit! This will give you some important information on how big your inverter needs to be as well as how much battery capacity you'll need. There is a link in the FAQ section (I think, or someone here will post it shortly) so fill in the blanks and see what it comes up with. You'll probably need some sort of Kill-A-Watt to get accurate measurements. Are you going to be running a 12v system? 24v system? 48v system? What are the specs on your solar panels? VoC? Vmp?

1a: Where do you live? Speccing out a system for Scotland is a LOT different numbers than Arizona due to the amount of light you actually get. Someone here can post the link to the Uber-Sun-Hours calculator site to help figure out how much you'll have to work with. That will be a box in the Power Audit form.

2: Parts list: You don't need a make & model list, just a parts list to start from for reference. You'll need an inverter, a MPPT charge controller, some sort of DC->dc charger to charge from your alternator without frying it, fuses, shunt, buck converter, batteries, wire, etc. Once you have a basic list it can be fine tuned to make & models after that.

3: Budget!: Steak is great but doesn't mean anything if your wallet says hamburger. Figure out what you're able to spend now vs what you'll have to cheap out on now and upgrade later.

4: Tape measure! Figure out where you're going to stick all the stuff you'll need. A dozen 3000AH batteries sounds great until you're sleeping on the floor because there's no room left for a bed. Is there a compartment that can house all this stuff? Will the server rack batteries fit? Are you going to have to make space? Physics can be pretty unforgiving.

5: Pencil out what you think you need and throw it at us so we can tell you what you've missed (because we ALL miss stuff the first go-round ) and help figure out which parts and pieces you're going to want to get.

 

[Ziggy With It]

q: Are you building out the current trailer, new trailer or both?
a:

q: If both are you moving components from old to new?
a:

q: What is a "professional disc golfer"?
a:

q: Since you are just embarking on a new career "for the ladies", can we infer that you have a good supply of cash for the build?
a:

1. Ummmmmm, remember the "ignorant" part? I don't understand "building out."

2. From OP: I haven't decided whether I'm going to move the solar/battery(ies) to the permanent trailer or try to sell the current trailer as a camper.

3.

4. I was being facetious. I have absolutely on testosterone left. I have probably $3000-$4000 for the system.

First welcome, and yes you could do something like a manual transfer switch to feed both solar converted energy and grid power.
Next you have some decisions that you will need to make. Your Solar setup will be based either on your energy needs that you want to power or your budget you want/have to spend. Sometimes it is an either/or conditional statement.

Thanks for the warm welcome! So, with the information I've provided what kind of budget am I looking at?

 

[rmaddy]

I have a small refrigerator, microwave/convection oven, TV, computer, Keurig, heater, and will probably buy an induction burner for cooking and maybe a portable A/C if it starts getting warm before I can get the permanent trailer.

I've decided that LiFePO4 is the way to go. I just don't know how much. And I don't know how much solar/how many panels I'll need.

You are going to need a lot with that list of power hungry items. Before you buy a single thing, do an energy audit. Work out every detail of the electrical system. Post it up for feedback. Once it all looks good and will meet your needs, then start buying stuff.

System Energy Audit and Sizing Spread Sheet

To get the spreadsheet, click on the orange button at the top of this page. This sheet is intended to help you plan your system. Fill it out down to the last decimal place, look at the results..... and then make your best guess;) Notes...

diysolarforum.com

 

[Rednecktek]

small refrigerator, microwave/convection oven, TV, computer, Keurig, heater, and will probably buy an induction burner for cooking and maybe a portable A/C if it starts getting warm before I can get the permanent trailer.

What kind of heater? Those are notorious for eating your battery alive. Same goes with the A/C and computer (surprisingly!) The general answer to "How do I get heat with solar power" is usually "Any other way possible" because they will eat a 100Ah battery in less than an hour. Diesel heaters are a really good alternative if you're willing to mount one and deal with having another fuel tank.

 

[Rednecktek]

1. Ummmmmm, remember the "ignorant" part? I don't understand "building out."

Are you starting with a big empty box and putting in your own walls and such, or do you have an already built travel trailer that you'll have to work with existing furniture?

 

[Ziggy With It]

Well, I'll start the default answer to these questions and we can work from there. Here's you To-Do list:

1: Power audit! This will give you some important information on how big your inverter needs to be as well as how much battery capacity you'll need. There is a link in the FAQ section (I think, or someone here will post it shortly) so fill in the blanks and see what it comes up with. You'll probably need some sort of Kill-A-Watt to get accurate measurements. Are you going to be running a 12v system? 24v system? 48v system? What are the specs on your solar panels? VoC? Vmp?

1a: Where do you live? Speccing out a system for Scotland is a LOT different numbers than Arizona due to the amount of light you actually get. Someone here can post the link to the Uber-Sun-Hours calculator site to help figure out how much you'll have to work with. That will be a box in the Power Audit form.

2: Parts list: You don't need a make & model list, just a parts list to start from for reference. You'll need an inverter, a MPPT charge controller, some sort of DC->dc charger to charge from your alternator without frying it, fuses, shunt, buck converter, batteries, wire, etc. Once you have a basic list it can be fine tuned to make & models after that.

3: Budget!: Steak is great but doesn't mean anything if your wallet says hamburger. Figure out what you're able to spend now vs what you'll have to cheap out on now and upgrade later.

4: Tape measure! Figure out where you're going to stick all the stuff you'll need. A dozen 3000AH batteries sounds great until you're sleeping on the floor because there's no room left for a bed. Is there a compartment that can house all this stuff? Will the server rack batteries fit? Are you going to have to make space? Physics can be pretty unforgiving.

5: Pencil out what you think you need and throw it at us so we can tell you what you've missed (because we ALL miss stuff the first go-round ) and help figure out which parts and pieces you're going to want to get.

1. Thanks! Makes sense that I would need to know rate of consumption in order to spec a system. I don't know what kind of volts I'll be running which is why I'm here asking. I also don't have any solar panels yet. I've been on other forums where people buy the completely wrong thing for what they're trying to accomplish and only then begin asking questions. So I'm asking questions FIRST so that I can buy the correct stuff.

2. Thanks! Alternator won't be in the equation, so no worries there. At least I'm guessing you're talking about charging from the pigtail from trailer to truck? I'll begin making my list.

3. So, list first then figure out a budget is what I'm getting out of this.

4. You, too, seem to have misunderestimated the depth of my ignorance. I don't know how many batteries I'll need nor do I have any clue as to their dimensions. No compartment, just a box made out of sheet metal with plywood inner walls. I don't exactly know what server rack batteries are, so I can't know if they fit. This is why I'm asking.

5. I'm here to find out what I need. I have no idea. At all.

 

[rmaddy]

Are you starting with a big empty box and putting in your own walls and such, or do you have an already built travel trailer that you'll have to work with existing furniture?

Since the OP states "nekkid cargo trailer" then it's the former. That's what I did. I bought an empty cargo trailer. It's like an empty canvas where you can paint anything you want. The only existing electrical is for the trailer brakes and the exterior lights. Maybe one or two interior ceiling lights. When I did my conversion I left all of that stuff as-is (other than removing the two interior ceiling lights. Everything I added was completely separate. I did not want to mess with the brakes or the exterior lights.

 

[Ziggy With It]

Are you starting with a big empty box and putting in your own walls and such, or do you have an already built travel trailer that you'll have to work with existing furniture?

What kind of heater? Those are notorious for eating your battery alive. Same goes with the A/C and computer (surprisingly!) The general answer to "How do I get heat with solar power" is usually "Any other way possible" because they will eat a 100Ah battery in less than an hour. Diesel heaters are a really good alternative if you're willing to mount one and deal with having another fuel tank.

It's a big empty box but has plywood walls. It is NOT a travel trailer. The permanent one will have some travel trailer amenities, but will also be a big empty box.

The heater is a $40 electric unit I got from Costco. I don't know if I'll go with a diesel heater eventually as the rooftop unit I'm looking at has a "heat strip." I'm thinking that most of the time I'll be in state parks or some other place where I'll have electricity available. For the NEAR future, I'll just need to keep the fridge powered while in transit. But I can see that in the future--mainly after getting the permanent trailer which is several months away--I'll want to do some boondocking and hit some BLM areas.

 

[rmaddy]

What kind of heater? Those are notorious for eating your battery alive. The general answer to "How do I get heat with solar power" is usually "Any other way possible" because they will eat a 100Ah battery in less than an hour. Diesel heaters are a really good alternative if you're willing to mount one and deal with having another fuel tank.

I went with propane in my cargo trailer camper. Two 20lb tanks on the tongue. I have a propane stove/oven (Furrion), a propane furnace (Propex), and a propane tankless water heater (Excel). No microwave, no coffee maker (I'm weird, I don't drink coffee). I save my batteries for the A/C in the summer.

 

[Rednecktek]

Yup, that's what the power audit is for. It'll tell you quite a few things like inverter size needed, how much battery bank you'll need, how much solar you'll need to recharge the batteries in a decent amount of time, what voltage system will work best, etc. Start with doing a "I need this to survive" run. Then do it again with a "I'd really like these things", then do it a 3rd or 4th time with a "I have more money than sense and want ALL the things" and just see what kind of numbers you come up with.

Since it's almost impossible to overpanel, and you'll probably be mounting your panels flat on the roof, I'd also take a few minutes to figure out how many panels you could physically fit. Panels come in 2 average sizes (with a few weird/specialty exceptions) so if you get the measurements from a few of the 100w panels and some of the 400w house-sized panels, it'll give you rough numbers to work with. That's what part of Step 4 is all about.

 

[Ziggy With It]

Since the OP states "nekkid cargo trailer" then it's the former. That's what I did. I bought an empty cargo trailer. It's like an empty canvas where you can paint anything you want. The only existing electrical is for the trailer brakes and the exterior lights. Maybe one or two interior ceiling lights. When I did my conversion I left all of that stuff as-is (other than removing the two interior ceiling lights. Everything I added was completely separate. I did not want to mess with the brakes or the exterior lights.

Whew! You guys are replying while I'm typing out my replies. I really appreciate that you guys are here to help me. I have added an electrical outlet so that I can get power into the trailer without having to close the door on my extension cord. Other than that, it is as you described. There is ONE little light in the wall, but it only works while my truck is running. So it's pretty useless. I'm fixin' to head for Costco and get a lamp or two. And probably Lowes/Home Depot for a surge protector cord or two.

 

[Rednecktek]

no coffee maker (I'm weird, I don't drink coffee).

BLASPHEMY!!!

 

[Ziggy With It]

I went with propane in my cargo trailer camper. Two 20lb tanks on the tongue. I have a propane stove/oven (Furrion), a propane furnace (Propex), and a propane tankless water heater (Excel). No microwave, no coffee maker (I'm weird, I don't drink coffee). I save my batteries for the A/C in the summer.

Thanks! There is room to fabricate a mount on the trailer tongue for a couple of tanks. But for as little cooking as I do, I'm thinking that I'll just get an induction burner and use the electric. Don't need a water heater as I won't have tanks.

 

[Rednecktek]

There is ONE little light in the wall, but it only works while my truck is running. So it's pretty useless. I'm fixin' to head for Costco and get a lamp or two.

Go cheap, you'll probably be throwing those out once you start getting all the solar stuff going.

 

[Ziggy With It]

Yup, that's what the power audit is for. It'll tell you quite a few things like inverter size needed, how much battery bank you'll need, how much solar you'll need to recharge the batteries in a decent amount of time, what voltage system will work best, etc. Start with doing a "I need this to survive" run. Then do it again with a "I'd really like these things", then do it a 3rd or 4th time with a "I have more money than sense and want ALL the things" and just see what kind of numbers you come up with.

Since it's almost impossible to overpanel, and you'll probably be mounting your panels flat on the roof, I'd also take a few minutes to figure out how many panels you could physically fit. Panels come in 2 average sizes (with a few weird/specialty exceptions) so if you get the measurements from a few of the 100w panels and some of the 400w house-sized panels, it'll give you rough numbers to work with. That's what part of Step 4 is all about.

Thanks! I'll get on it. But for now, I have a few errands to run. Oh, and I'll have to get some exercise (disc golf).

 

[Ziggy With It]

BLASPHEMY!!!

IKR!

 

[Ziggy With It]

Go cheap, you'll probably be throwing those out once you start getting all the solar stuff going.

I'm not following. How will the solar stuff affect my need for lighting?