Living in 30amp rv

[wepuckett]

I am hoping to chat with others that live in thier 30 amp travel trailer full time and use little or no shore or generator power. I want to learn from the good and bad of your systems, how much solar you have, how big of a battery bank? Is it worth going to 24 or 48 with a 12 v system and 12 v fridge, what would you do differently or have already changed.
I have a 2024 Wildwood X light platinum with one 200w solar panel and no inverter looking to get it set up to be self sufficient
Thanks
William
Oh BTW am in NC, if anyone is close would love to see what you built

 

[Rednecktek]

I'm planning out doing something similar in my dad's camper. The biggest limitation I've run into so far is location of the batteries as I don't think the door to the cabinet is large enough to get a 48v battery inside. I'll be keeping the house batteries and just replacing the converter with a LFP capable one and building the 24v (or 48v if it fits) to drop in line between the shore power connection and the power distribution, basically tricking the trailer into thinking it's always plugged into shore power, even at 60mph down the highway.

On my camper I did weird things because I didn't have a lot of space but did have a welder. All my 12v circuits ended up getting replaced and I stuck with a 12v inverter. I mounted 800w of panels on the roof because of price (the 250's would be a tighter fit and cost 60% more than the 200's at the time) and built a pair of 280ah batteries with heaters.

When I did my first run with it, winter meant that I wasn't getting jack for charging and I had to fire up a generator after a few days. The second trip last spring was 6 days before I had to fire up the little generator for a day.

The biggest issues I always run into are physics. Where to stick things and how to get wires from Point-A to Point-B.

 

[0truck0]

Not full time but does a 6 week trip count? I spent every night in the camper. Boondocking every night. Never hooked up to power. Left generator at home since I was in desert states, though it did get in the high 90's many days, so dry that it was tolerable and nights were usually cool.
If I took that trip over I would maybe bring the little generator and that would allowed me to stay in the hot places longer and not run to the cooler areas. But maybe, maybe not.

Mine is all 12 volt. Is just easier to keep it that way than have to drop voltage for everything that is 12v.
The fridge is 12/24 volt, or runs on 120 which is converted to 24v. I run it on 12 just fine.

400 amp hours of battery. 400 watts of solar (at 24 volts) and another 200 watts of solar that is on slides on roof that can slide out. I needed the extra 200 only when parked in the shade for a week, but I really did not need it other than to keep batts near 100%, I could have gone a week and been fine before it got anywhere near depleted.

I really dont do much that I need power for. The fridge is about half. The roof vent fan ran all the time, though it is on a control so I can dial it back to 0.5 amps vs the 3 amps it usually draws. Hot nights I run a clip fan inside too. Charge devices and run LED lights and kitchen exhaust fan a few mins. Interestingly the fridge draws less than everything else combined. I have a tv that I did not use, rather used the laptop and movies downloaded onto a usb drive, so that was not much power either. Also, water pump, which is not a big overall draw on batts. So, the fridge and the fans are my big uses of power.

I have a roof AC unit, like I said, did not use it. It needs the 2,200 watt generator to run. I can get about 10-12 hours per gallon running it, and I keep the camper on batteries so only the AC unit uses gen power - no battery charging either from generator, is all solar.
Is a 9200 BTU AC, and has a soft-start.

My plan is to sell the AC unit, remove all roof vents and fill roof with solar, then add another 200 amp hr battery so I can run a mini-split off of the battery/solar, enough to run all night. Probably 1200 watts of solar will fit up there. I might get a 100 a/hr batt dedicated just for fridge so if I run down the 600 on AC cooling then at least food is safe.

I rarely use AC, part of the reason is the trouble getting out and cranking the generator, filling with gas, or disturbing nearby friends with the noise. If it was on battery then all the issues go away.
Slightly used Coleman Mach 8 CUB AC for sale...

Your one 200 watt solar panel is not going to cut it. Start with 400 watts at least. You need to do a power audit to figure out how much power you need, and need to account for rainy, cloudy, shady days where the sun isnt doing much to charge.

A really big killer of battery is a propane furnace. Their fan draws a huge amt of power, way too much. That is usually the batt killer in winter. Get a small diesel heater. They sip fuel and sip battery and get very hot, so much that everyone has to crack the windows. I have the smallest one made and run it on low and it is still too hot. They run constantly bc once the diesel is burning and the chamber is hot you dont want it to get cold again - startup is the only hard part, so this is why it get so hot, it just always running.

 

[HarryN]

Ultimately, the big challenge for trailers like that is the suspension.

They are largely maxed out weight wise with just minimal additional items.

Consider if it will be used mostly stationary where it sits, or moved regularly.

Any battery pack of significant size will go over the capabilities of the suspension, but if you could potentially build an external battery pack that sits in the truck that you pull it with or in a box next to the trailer.

 

[Ckole]

Not full time but in theory my setup will run everything just fine.

Current Setup:

• 150 watts solar on the trailer roof (trailer came this way)
• 400 watts of portable solar
• 200 ah LifePo4 battery
• 2000 watt inverter
• 2 solar controllers to keep roof and portable setups separate
• Shunt and monitor
• BlueSea fuse block for 12 volt items see below
• Added some higher power USB ports with on/off switch
• Added two 110 outlets in our dining area. Plugged into the inverter

What it does:
Runs everything with the exception of the AC unit. Technically the inverter can handle it but will kill my battery in a couple of hours. I have a short extension cord plugged into the inverter. My shore power cord plugs into that. Then my trailer has “shore” power. I can use the outlets and microwave. The rooftop AC fan still pulls a bit too much power (300-500 watts). My battery gets down to 80-85% in the AM if I don’t run anything that is high draw after sunset other than the fridge. Charges to 100% by 10am. If I was full time I would probably add another 200ah battery and more portable solar. I am out in the desert with few obstructions. I would also install a mini split vs the loud power hungry roof top AC. I don’t have a tv. I do run a Verizon hotspot as required.

I am sure others with fancier setups will chime in. This works for us. At least for now.

 

[Pappion]

Arctic Fox 25Y, well insulated.
Have a 200AH and 280AH DIY LiFePO4 batteries.
3ea 230W Panels on the roof. Bought used from SanTan Solar.
Roof is arched, No tilting hardware, so 1 panel will not be fully effective. Roof panels suffer from lower sun in the winter. So I put out the original 2ea 170W panels on the ground tilted.
Loads: GE 12v compressor frig, Lights, Charge ports, 12v TV. Victron 250W inverter for HEPA room filter
Battery levels typically drop to 13.15v at night.

 

[wepuckett]

I appreciate the replies, I know an energy audit is needed and once I have it hooked up to the house or at least the house 30 amp plug wired up I can get the info off my watchdog surge protector from the 3 day trip to Cooperstown this summer, now that had the AC on a lot so it will be high, and I have bought a 280 ah life poe4 battery and will be swapping in the vitron 100/20 scc i bought also, is every one using victron or some other brands for scc and inverter

 

[JRH]

really big killer of battery is a propane furnace. Their fan draws a huge amt of power, way too much

What kind of furnace are you using… ? my RV 25000 btu Atwood/ Dometic furnace draws 7 amps@12 volts.. approx 80 watts hrs + /-
That’s if it ran all the time… in all but the coldest weather it runs about a 60% duty cycle…

I am switching this year to a Rennai vented ….120 AC…. 22,000 btu . About 40-50 watts at full time run on high.

 

[wepuckett]

Coleman Mach 3, believe it is heat and air

 

[JRH]

Coleman Mach 3, believe it is heat and air

My air condition unit fan is 270 watts low and 320 watts high… but it’s a seperate Dometic unit… ac only no heat… and I never use it at night… it’s generally too cool anyway here at night to need it…

 

[Sparks-n-Splinters]

Been full timing since May in our 2016 Grand Design 33' on our own property in southern Tennessee. It's actually 50 amp- only because of the 2nd A/C ( which we don't use either one) We shore powered to get a baseline of 8kwh a day for the way we live including systems such as the converter which I could not shut down w/o dismantling the system, then stepped off only using our 12v portable homemade system. 200W pv- Victron 100/20- 100ah Li Time lifepo4.

Running straight DC w/o inverter we have zero issues and stay in the top 50% SOC thus far.

I'd say it all depends on your power needs/ wants. We dropped the use of a microwave, swapped out the Mr Coffee for a vintage glass Pyrex stove top pot (Best coffee ever made BTW), traded in the toaster for a flat iron skillet and my wife found a rechargeable curling iron! I love this woman!!

I'm planning on installing a diesel heater to replace the awful propane furnace for the winter.

We do have the grid right beside the camper at the moment as it was there when we bought the land, so if we need to resort to using it as we dial in our usage and map out the system it is there. She loves the idea of a safety net for now.

Over the winter I will be building the power shed and getting our systems installed then build the 600 sq ft house in the spring and say good bye to the inconsistent grid.

is every one using victron or some other brands for scc and inverter

After hours of research, color me blue. It'll be Victron all the way (except batteris that is)

 

[JRH]

Arctic Fox 25Y, well insulated.
Have a 200AH and 280AH DIY LiFePO4 batteries.
3ea 230W Panels on the roof. Bought used from SanTan Solar.
Roof is arched, No tilting hardware, so 1 panel will not be fully effective. Roof panels suffer from lower sun in the winter. So I put out the original 2ea 170W panels on the ground tilted.
Loads: GE 12v compressor frig, Lights, Charge ports, 12v TV. Victron 250W inverter for HEPA room filter
Battery levels typically drop to 13.15v at night.

Arctic Fox….damn nice unit…

 

[JRH]

After hours of research, color me blue. It'll be Victron all the way (except batteris that is)

Shhhh ….don’t say that …it upsets the boat guy..

 

[wepuckett]

So you went from using 8kw a day to DC only? No inverter or AC at this time?

 

[Sparks-n-Splinters]

Correct. I don't have the numbers from my SCC handy to know what we have used on it as we are traveling and not home at the moment. We both felt the quality of life did not decreased at all though.

That is except long hot showers which is not the fault of the electrical change over but rather the laughable 7 gal propane water heater on the RV.

 

[mysery]

I built my solar generator 2 years ago for a 2 month trip. I was going to mount everything in/on our TT but decided to go portable. We used it on that trip and a few other times and it has met our needs without fail. The only thing is I would like to clean up the wiring but that isn't high on my list of things to do at this time. It consists of Jita 12 volt 300 amp hour LiFePO4 battery with a 200A BMS, Renogy 50 amp DC to DC charger with a MPPT SCC, Giandel 2200 watt inverter, PV combiner box, 4 100 watt panels, fuses, switches and associated wiring. I built it so you can just plug it in like hooking up to shore power. The only thing we don't run is the AC unit. I have run the AC just to see if it would and it does. With the wife who makes no effort to conserve power beside not running the AC, it will last about 18 hours without charging, long enough to make it thru night and then some. If it's just me and the solar panels are hooked up and I get a few hours a day of sun, water and waste are my limiting factors for the length of my stay. I'm 68 and can move it around by myself but will accept help if offered.

 

[wepuckett]

I had been looking at the solar generators also, and still could do the diy solar generator, I am hoping to put enough solar to last 2 or 3 days, any idea on your usage over that 18 hour span?

 

[0truck0]

What kind of furnace are you using… ? my RV 25000 btu Atwood/ Dometic furnace draws 7 amps@12 volts.. approx 80 watts hrs + /-
That’s if it ran all the time… in all but the coldest weather it runs about a 60% duty cycle…

I am switching this year to a Rennai vented ….120 AC…. 22,000 btu . About 40-50 watts at full time run on high.

I Think all furnaces are about the same. I have not measured the amp draw of mine. Your 7 amps is not a lot, but is still bigger than anything else I run in mine. For most RVs the furnace kills the battery mosre than anything else and leaves a lot of RVers in the cold half way through the night, keep in mind, in winter people prob not starting the night with 100% battery either.

 

[0truck0]

Been full timing since May in our 2016 Grand Design 33' on our own property in southern Tennessee. It's actually 50 amp- only because of the 2nd A/C ( which we don't use either one) We shore powered to get a baseline of 8kwh a day for the way we live including systems such as the converter which I could not shut down w/o dismantling the system, then stepped off only using our 12v portable homemade system. 200W pv- Victron 100/20- 100ah Li Time lifepo4.

Running straight DC w/o inverter we have zero issues and stay in the top 50% SOC thus far.

I'd say it all depends on your power needs/ wants. We dropped the use of a microwave, swapped out the Mr Coffee for a vintage glass Pyrex stove top pot (Best coffee ever made BTW), traded in the toaster for a flat iron skillet and my wife found a rechargeable curling iron! I love this woman!!

I'm planning on installing a diesel heater to replace the awful propane furnace for the winter.

You have learned the ways of RVing! Yes, yes, yes, change your lifestyle when in the RV, use RV items, not house items. Propane last a long long time (everything except furnace) and far better than using battery/inverter and running household items. Newbies to RVing can't learn this the easy way. I started a long long trip with half tank propane (20lb tank), cooked twice a day every single day and ended the trip with half tank of propane! I did not run the furnace either (have diesel heater). 50+ days and cooking 30 mins total burn time on stove every day....

 

[Pappion]

About my solar setup.
Added a AC breaker just for the Converter. I did it to prevent a breaker from tripping when using electric heaters. WFCO converter would do 15 minutes of Bulk charging about every 20 hours.
It also gives me an easy on/off switch for it allowing full use of battery charge. Otherwise it would drop to 13.2v storage which is about 80% battery charge level (LiFePO4).

 

[JRH]

I Think all furnaces are about the same. I have not measured the amp draw of mine. Your 7 amps is not a lot, but is still bigger than anything else I run in mine. For most RVs the furnace kills the battery mosre than anything else and leaves a lot of RVers in the cold half way through the night, keep in mind, in winter people prob not starting the night with 100% battery either.

Clarification: when I said the Rennai was 120 volt , I meant only the fan …NOT THE HEATER..
The heater is propane …

In reply to your reply , propane is great fuel for cooking , water heater, even refridge…and having them work off two fuels gives one great back up resource if one source stops or runs out…

but a furnace is a fuel hungry beast for sure… but I have lived for a very long time on boats , RVs, mountain houses in winter with all of the fuels Electric - Kerosene - propane - wood stoves - solar - ..and I have not found anything that Isnt a glutton for fuel…

As you have probably learned , like I did, changing one’s habits and expectations is the biggest power saver of all …most people could shave 75% of their needs very quickly if the ever tried , but todays society has never required them to try…
If a person wants to live large , then be prepared to spend large.
If a person learned how to adapt to conservative use of fuels , it solve most of the problems.

In your example it would seem to me the easiest and cheapest way to deal with a furnace fan that drains the batts overnight , is get more batts ( lifepo) ..with the sole purpose of having enough power to easily feed the furnace fan x2 and a few lights or micro or whatever else ya need at night that uses electrcity..
how you choose to recharge the next day may vary…. Maybe solar , or the main engine… or a generator or shorepower or a combination of all of these…

My best guess is get 2-3 100 amp 12v lifepo batts .you will easily get through the nights and have power left in the morn …

Best of luck , J.

 

[Sparks-n-Splinters]

You have learned the ways of RVing! Yes, yes, yes, change your lifestyle when in the RV, use RV items, not house items. Propane last a long long time (everything except furnace) and far better than using battery/inverter and running household items. Newbies to RVing can't learn this the easy way. I started a long long trip with half tank propane (20lb tank), cooked twice a day every single day and ended the trip with half tank of propane! I did not run the furnace either (have diesel heater). 50+ days and cooking 30 mins total burn time on stove every day....

I grew up with camping parents many years ago, and myself truly enjoyed tent camping in the middle o more. My wife has been on a 2 year quick course LOL.
We decided to "wipe the slate clean" if you will and start bare bones living to slowly evaluate and add back the electric items we miss. I am shocked at what we can very comfortably live without! I joked with the wife the other day about not needing more than a 12v system on the house expecting a horrified response. all she said "That's what I've been thinking." I almost fell over. LOL SHe's got a plan to keep the laundry at the barn where my work shop and 48v system will be.

 

[JRH]

I grew up with camping parents many years ago, and myself truly enjoyed tent camping in the middle o more. My wife has been on a 2 year quick course LOL.
We decided to "wipe the slate clean" if you will and start bare bones living to slowly evaluate and add back the electric items we miss. I am shocked at what we can very comfortably live without! I joked with the wife the other day about not needing more than a 12v system on the house expecting a horrified response. all she said "That's what I've been thinking." I almost fell over. LOL SHe's got a plan to keep the laundry at the barn where my work shop and 48v system will be.

She sounds like a keeper…..

 

[Sparks-n-Splinters]

but a furnace is a fuel hungry beast for sure… but I have lived for a very long time on boats , RVs, mountain houses in winter with all of the fuels Electric - Kerosene - propane - wood stoves - solar - ..and I have not found anything that Isnt a glutton for fuel…

I have many similar experiences and have found the cheap deisel heaters became my favorite heat source for small spaces. much dryer and warmer in my opinion

 

[mysery]

Just wondering when you say living full time in your travel trailer are you in a permanent spot or traveling?