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Noob Boondock Travel Trailer + Backup Build Qs

JohnGalt

New Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2023
Messages
1
Location
US
After a year+ of lurking and some very heavy research over the past few months, I've finally joined! Firstly, this is a great community and I've learned so much. I research heavily before undertaking a project, and a long-term plan for the family has been exploring the country with a travel trailer and eventually developing off-grid property we intend to purchase. We're in the US, major city with close-by countryside and reasonable drive to Ocean with off-grid locations we love. We scaled our camping into a travel trailer recently, and the idea is that we will begin taking what works for us and also making it available to others to rent.

We have a lightweight SUV towable and off-road capable 30a TT, and have started to boondock where we can really escape. Having full amenities at night or in the hottest/coldest months throughout the day is important, but it is mostly a "basecamp" for setting up where we are at. We're a family of entrepreneurs, and everything is set up like a business when practical. With young kids under 10, this is the first family business we will have them learn by building. The primary use for us is long-weekend trips, with longer excursions planned as well, likely 3-5 days between full hookup/refills/dumps preferred. We have validated viability of the rental model, including making an extra-cost "off-grid" package available for people similarly inclined to what we looked for, and are in a very popular market for TT rentals.

We are preparing for full energy audit and have measured a maximum amount of solar with 840w flexible panels and another 600-800w in additional "hang-on" or suitcase when doing off-grid, paired with a 11.2kw - ~16kw battery bank. The idea is extended stays for shorter trips or between hookups, and not fully independent systems so battery capacity is most important. After researching a ton of the equipment and monitoring options, and helping with a friend's off-grid build, I've concluded that it will be better to make it Victron heavy from the start rather than frustration later. Multiplus 3000, configuration TBD will be the core driver for the power, and a small 2500w dual-fuel inverter generator will supplement when needed with the dual 30lb tanks we're adding.

This is where I am stuck on moving the design along further, because I have no idea what to look for to accomplish what I am hoping to do next. The trailer will sit when not booked next to our house, and I love the idea of a giant battery bank to tie-in as emergency backup for our house. We want to do a grid-tie solar build and heavy battery system for the house in the future, but it's at least a year out and "practicing" on the trailer build will help get hands on experience towards this goal. The Victron Multiplus II 2x 120v is especially interesting for its AC2-Out along with the PowerAssist from generator, but its 50a only. It is feasible to do a 50a conversion on the TT, but not desired at all, but if it's what is needed to accomplish a giant-bank backup as a "bonus" on the TT build we would do it if it could connect to the house in event of outage.

The first question is 1) whether a battery bank in a trailer could connect to the house in some way, and if so what would we need to research on the house-side to get wired? This would certainly be an electrician install, but I want to know what it is that we would be looking for and research first especially so we can plan for future house-sufficient system in the future. The second is 2) whether there is a Switch or something similar that can redirect the AC1-Out or regular AC-Out of a Multiplus II in 30a model that could instead redirect to the house.

If something like this is possible, I am ready to dig in researching because it would not only help for the house emergency backup, but also for rural development in the future to use the TT as basecamp when out working on the property, but it could also be used to supplement the tiny-house/cabin that would become the first stage of the property to have some more space when out working on it prior to building the main house a few years out.

Is what I am describing at all possible/practical, and if so what should I be researching and looking for? Specifically to the Multiplus, the PowerAssist setup is really attractive because with a good amount of propane already and a small generator, my understanding is that we could run the small generator to boost the Multiplus output to AC. Even if its convoluted, I still would want to explore how to use the TT batteries to act as emergency backup bank for our house, but unless it was also practical I don't think we would use the trailer to tie in or act as an interim bank while designing the house system, more likely idle use will be towards some power hungry devices that are useful to me even if just sitting next to the house between trips.

Thanks in advance to any tips or pointers for what I should be looking at next! This entire world is a rabbit hole but I have been enjoying the learnings and am still just fascinated that the things I envisioned when I was a kid being possible with batteries and solar actually are happening. My first foray was a cheap 500w solar generator and a fridge cooler along with a single no-name foldable panel. Just being on the beach for days with a fridge next to the Jeep was a gamechanger for our camping, and that was the impetus to take the next step from tent to camper and now I feel obsession forming :ROFLMAO:
 
Having full amenities at night or in the hottest/coldest months throughout the day is important, but it is mostly a "basecamp" for setting up where we are at. We're a family of entrepreneurs, and everything is set up like a business when practical. With young kids under 10, this is the first family business we will have them learn by building.
A few comments.

-Welcome to the forum!

-Nothing I'm about to say is meant to be negative so please don't take it that way.

-What an exciting project! I've been involved in my fair share or projects with homeschooled kids, I know you didn't say they were, but that reminds me about all the work that they did researching and comparing what electric cost from the grid, making 10 year charts, etc. vs using a solar pump or whatever other application are easily some the most satisfying moments I have had in my career. Oh yeah and they even helped with the install.

-When talking about solar one need to be careful about saying "full amenities in the hottest and coldest months", particularly in a mobile application in the same sentence.

-Your post deserves some more replies so you might break it up into smaller questions so us attention challenged people can tackle them one at a time.
 
I gave similar advice about splitting it up and simplifying in a private message.

Hopefully JohnGalt will update us regarding progress at all stages.
 
We have a JohnGalt on candlepowerforums but this is a different person with admiration for the character in the famous novel Atlas Shrugged. But you probably already knew that, given your skills here on diysolarforum.
 
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