Intro - Colorado Springs Airstream Basecamp - requesting help

[overisland]

Hello, my name is Tony and I picked up this Basecamp 20x a few weeks ago. Working on building out the solar to be a bit more robust so I can dry camp more often.

The basecamp 20X comes with:
300w (3x100) Merlin flexible solar panels
Victron MPPT solar charge controller lithium capable (not sure exact model)
Power converter

Stuff I have in the garage/on order:
Renogy 2000W inverter
Battle Born GC heated batteries x 3

Still need to order:
BMV-712 Victron smart shunt
cables to support battery connections and inverter connection

This will all be hooked up under the front dinette, where the current AGM batteries are. Plan to wire the 3 batteries in parallel.

I have a few questions:
1. I am unclear on how to wire the inverter to the converter. What I want is to be able to turn the inverter on while I am dry camping, and that power my converter, effectively letting me run everything besides the air conditioning and the microwave. The renogy 2000w inverter does have alternating current connections. I have read about some people having a circuit just for the inverter, but I am lost on this.
2. Battle Born recommended 1/0 or 2/0 wiring, any additional input on this recommendation? My batteries will all be mounted next to each other, and the inverter will be within a foot of them.
3. What size fuses / circuit breakers would I need and why would I want one or the other? Seems to reason to me that a circuit breaker would be desirable as I could reset it.


Here are a few pics:

 

[sunshine_eggo]

1. if you have a 12V system, why do you want to run the converter?

Battleborn to inverter to converter = 25% loss due to conversion inefficiencies.

2. 2000W/.85/12.8v = 183A = minimum ampacity of wiring.

3. 1.25X wire rated current.

 

[overisland]

1. if you have a 12V system, why do you want to run the converter?

Battleborn to inverter to converter = 25% loss due to conversion inefficiencies.

2. 2000W/.85/12.8v = 183A = minimum ampacity of wiring.

3. 1.25X wire rated current.

Thanks for the answers, I appreciate it.

1. In order to power the A/C outlets in the basecamp, won't I have to go through the converter? And the converter isn't normally powered unless hooked up to shore power. So I can wire the converter directly to the inverter if I wanted to power my A/C trailer outlets. Or just run A/C stuff directly from the inverter

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Thanks for the answers, I appreciate it.

1. In order to power the A/C outlets in the basecamp, won't I have to go through the converter? And the converter isn't normally powered unless hooked up to shore power. So I can wire the converter directly to the inverter if I wanted to power my A/C trailer outlets. Or just run A/C stuff directly from the inverter

A/C = air conditioner.

AC = alternating current.

Converter = convert 120VAC to 12VDC to provide 12V power and battery charging. Provides no AC power.

Inverter = invert 12VDC to 120VAC to provide AC power.

In addition to the battleborns, do you have another 12V battery for the trailer?

 

[overisland]

A/C = air conditioner.

AC = alternating current.

Converter = convert 120VAC to 12VDC to provide 12V power and battery charging. Provides no AC power.

Inverter = invert 12VDC to 120VAC to provide AC power.

In addition to the battleborns, do you have another 12V battery for the trailer?

Thanks, on the same sheet of music now. The trailer came with an AGM battery in it, in the battery compartment. I will be removing that and installing the 3 BB GC batts in its place

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Thanks, on the same sheet of music now. The trailer came with an AGM battery in it, in the battery compartment. I will be removing that and installing the 3 BB GC batts in its place

that complicates things as the inverter/converter in simultaneous operation would drain the batteries, i.e., batteries power inverter, inverter powers converter, converter charges batteries, loop until drained due to inefficiencies stacking up.

In that case you MUST disconnect the converter.

I would recommend the following for simplicity:

Leave trailer 100% intact.
Locate new batteries and inverter in a sensible location. Plug trailer into inverter.

 

[overisland]

that complicates things as the inverter/converter in simultaneous operation would drain the batteries, i.e., batteries power inverter, inverter powers converter, converter charges batteries, loop until drained due to inefficiencies stacking up.

In that case you MUST disconnect the converter.

I would recommend the following for simplicity:

Leave trailer 100% intact.
Locate new batteries and inverter in a sensible location. Plug trailer into inverter.

Thanks. That gives me a lot to think about. The trailer is only 20 feet and I don't think I really need any trailer mounted AC outlets powered, I imagine I can run it off of my inverter directly, when needed. I will do that for now and leave trailer intact. Thanks for the help.

I will definitely run a coffee maker, will be working remotely so charging my laptop and running a wifi puck and possibly running starlink. I can't think of much else while I am dry camping.