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Questions about VAN solar build 800Watts, 8 LIFEPO4 280Amps 12V - reliability and modular configurations

G

geolboy

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Joined
Feb 24, 2021
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Hello Folks,

A new user here, looking for a bit of advice on electrical components to build a solar power system for my Ford Transit Van convert. I’ll describe what I would like to achieve and the components I already have, and then I’ll ask my questions. If I am missing anything, please feel free to add your opinion, I will be most grateful.

I am in the process of converting at home a 250 Ford Transit Van into a camper it comes with a single alternator. The camper will serve for short and extended trips in North and, hopefully, South Americas ;), 4-season use, but not intended for a full-time living. I am looking to build a reliable system for the various road conditions, including mild off-roading. I also hope to rent out the van to some friends during summer times to recoup part of the costs. Therefore it would be nice that the system I put-in would be end-user friendly and allow for remote diagnostics or at least simple(r) in operation.

I intend to build with four 200 Wats Mono Renogy Solar panels for a total of 800 watts (ordered). The caveat here, because of the physical space limit, the panels will be placed in pairs, on top of each other. Only two panels will face the open sky, and another two panels will slide out during stationary position. The idea similar to Everlanders camper builds
, except they are using eight panels, and I’ll be using only four.

I also already ordered 8 of LifePO 280Amps cells and Victron 150/100 MPPT (150V/70Amps) controller. I am trying to re-balance my budget using a less expensive battery configuration with better quality charging and connecting components.

What I’d like to build is a system that could:
  • Reliably charge ~500 Amps battery bank(s) from either - solar, shore AC, car alternator, or a 2000W portable gas generator
  • Can deliver around 300-350Amps daily (approx. calculated usage)
  • Allow for a direct supply of power from solar panels to a (as an example, a small (8K btu) portable air conditioner) or any AC 500-600Watts draw device (connected/turned on manually, upon arising needs)
  • Be safe to operate and do not require a degree in electrical engineering to troubleshoot. I rather add/setup/configure additional safeguards, monitors, larger gauge wires or load distributions components ahead of time than trying to solve electrical issues in the middle of nowhere.
  • Be a modular system allowing for upgrades, add-ons, or replacements of the components. For example, I may carry a couple extra 100 Watt flex solar panels to add to the config on a very hot sunny day to make an AC work; if the panels I will mount to the roof may not be sufficient.
  • Be cost-efficient with some reliability buffer. It acceptable to me to pass a learning curve ahead of the build and have some components as configured spares, but at the half-cost, comparing to using a single component from a top brand but a hugely over-priced and no easy access to a spare.
Given the setup and requirement info above and while researching, I still have questions that I don’t clearly understand benefits or caveats (i.e what are the limitations my desired setup may trigger). These are my questions:

  • Solar panels wiring for my configuration (2 open, 2 open on demand, with the ability to add another 1-2) – Serial, Parallel, or S/P? Btw, I live and travel mostly in a shady and cloudy region (BC, Canada). I understand how power is calculated, but I can’t predict how it will practically vary with panel pairs added or removed.
  • The battery cell connection for eight LIFEPO4 cells – S/P/4s2P/4P2s? One bank or two banks with a single MPPT? Once again, accounting for the solar panel positions (open/close in pairs). I want those batteries setup to last longer, given the fact sun is not always shining around us. 12V or 24V? Even so I like the benefits of 24v system, I am concern that my single 12V alternator will have to work hard to charge up the house batteries even with a proper DC-to-DC converter. Ford Transit comes with two batteries already. Therefore, I would like solar panels to be used for charging as the first option while driving and as a second option, alternator, manually engaged for charging.
  • I have a 3000W Modified Sine Inverter with a remote shutdown port, which has been sitting on a shelf for a year now. Would this work, or a pure sine is a requirement?
  • Additional (to MPPT controller components)– BMS, DC-to-DC charger, battery balancer or isolator. Which components under this setup will be a must-have and which ones will be nice to have (if this will make the management easier). Is there a company besides Victron that provides reasonably reliable components? I am not a fan on the idea of using an all-in-one charging inverter/controller simply because of lack of redundancy. In case of one charging component failure, I would like to have at least one other working option to charge the batteries, like from a generator or alternator or both.
  • What about BMS? What size would I need for my 8 cells 280Amps? Should I go with Electrodacus SBMS0 or is there a sufficient Victron BMS or one from Overkill Solar? I am still confused because most BMS listing on specs 4 cells for 12V systems or 8 cells but 24V. Also, trying to grasp the AMP capacity my BMS must have. Unfortunately, I find almost no builds or documented examples with LifePO4 with 8 cells and 12V for Van builds.

In my mind, there is a large difference in selecting electric components for a stationary location versus mobile Van systems with off-roading capabilities that are constantly under earthquake-like stress conditions, altitude, and temperature changes. I know there are tons of example YouTube videos; most don’t cover a setup similar to mine or provide reliability updates on the components used.

Finally, with panels, MPPT, and batteries, I am already down in $3K. I can probably add another $2K to the electrical part, but that’s would be a stretch. So I can’t simply choose the best-of-best on all components, somewhere I have to compromise. Therefore, I am looking for real-life experiences to share about different brands and your suggestions regarding reliability, support, and costs.

Thank you for taking your time reading all this. Of course, I don't expect someone is spending a lot of time answering all the questions or offering complete design plans for free. But if you have a piece of advice, suggestion, or want to share your experience relative to this setup, please post it, I appreciate every bit of advice I can get, and I am sure it will help other self-builders like me as well. Thank you very much again!
 
Sounds like a fun project...

This is a thread with another guy that is doing much of the same stuff you are thinking about

diysolarforum.com

Component Review for Cabinet Design

I'm focussing primarily on the floor plan/design of my Sprinter build so, this is a fairly crude look at my electrical cabinet design so far. While I've put some thought into the current placement of components, this review is not so much for that. I'm primarily concerned with the dimensions...
diysolarforum.com diysolarforum.com

Until you define exactly what you want to run in watts per day and amps - surge, you can’t get good recommendations. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART! Everything else flows from this.

I put all Victron equipment in my MotorHome, along with a CCGX. I think the integration is great! It is more expensive, but I think worth it.

BMS - this depends on your current needs. Correctly answer those questions and lots of other stuff falls into place.
 
For remote travel dead reliable neophyte safe... I would focus my dollars on wire size, with the most flexible wire, and the absolute best connections and wire routing and wire securing possible.

The system needs to protect the equipment. Since uneducated renters will be using it, be sure the batteries are secure, and the settings protect running out of power from destroying the investment...

Have the system under lock and key. You don’t want them adjusting things when it shuts off from overuse... because it will be overused.

Modified sine wave use depends on what is being powered... but pure sine wave is universally accepted... so I would go that route.
 
Also, your confusion is from mixing amps use versus amp hours storage.

one is a demand, one is a calculation of storage potential.
 
Very cool project. If you happen through Central America, I'd love to see the completed build in-person. I'm a PV installer working in Belize.

A few notes/my 2 cents:

1. Victron makes super equipment. That's said, I don't feel like the 150/100 or any single MPPT is ideal for this situation. The reason is that you want to have each panel on its own MPPT if possible. Or 2 panels with the same mounting/approximately the same conditions at the same time.

Variances in shading plus having some panels stored at various times are going to cause a single MPPT to not be able to produce 100% of the available power. The optimum curve for one panel will not be optimum for another panel based on the amount of light each panel is getting. And in this application, you need every watt.

A suggestion would be to use multiple smaller controllers such as the BlueSolar 75/15. They are around $89 ea at some vendors like PKYS. You would then connect each controller to a single panel. I suspect you'll come out cheaper than what you paid for your 150/100 (or 150/70, both are mentioned). If you choose to go this route hopefully you can return or sell it.

2. If you want to make sure your batteries last, I would recommend a BMS that is designed to communicate with Victron system and your alternator regulator over CAN bus. This allows the BMS to have fine-tuned control over the charging/discharging making your batteries last longer than with a generic BMS without CAN bus.

For cell configuration, I recommend reading this document from Orion BMS (also a very good unit, is compatible with Victron):

Strings, Parallel Cells, and Parallel Strings

As you'll see in the document, you'll want to configure them in a 4 series, 2 parallel (4S2P) configuration whereby we take 2 paralleled cells and put them in series with the next 2 paralleled cells etc. Here is a diagram from page 4.

1614323813717.png

3. This is an expansion on my previous point but you'll want to use a good alternator regulator, ideally one that your BMS can control. I recommend this article from Marine How To. They have some interesting notes on how lithium banks have been ruined due to the alternator not being set up to charge lithium properly. I hear Wakespeed has a good module but I believe there are others as well.

4. If you switch to 24V, the inverter will be slightly more efficient and you can use the cheaper BlueSolar 75/10 controllers. They are around $79 at PKYS. There are pros and cons both ways between 12V and 24V in this application but overall I feel you'll have more cost and more losses with the 12/24 DC-DC than you will lose in a 12V inverter. Especially one from Victron. Yes, your cables will need to be larger and if you are going quite a distance between your alternator/batteries/inverter 24V might be more of a cost consideration but I doubt it. I could be wrong though! You'll have to see.

One of the advantages of sticking with 12V is you can use the 4S Active BMS from REC. It's a super little unit and cheaper than going with one of the larger units. Plus they have one specifically designed for use with Victron these types of applications. The built-in 2A active balancer will both save power and be much more effective at keeping your cells balanced than the passive balancers in most BMS units.

Some have had a hard time reaching REC at times for purchasing so if you need help reaching out/getting a quote let me know.

5. A Victron Multiplus 12/2000/80-50 or 12/3000/120-50 would likely be ideal for this application based on the loads you've mentioned so far.. The 2000VA would be close to its max with an 8K A/C and 600W of loads but the 3000VA would handle all of that with ease and be more efficient in the process. They are pricey though at most vendors. If you can find a dealer/installer such as myself or someone else who is willing to give you a discount that will help.

6. To coordinate charging between the controllers/inverters (shore power) and the BMS, you'll want one of Victron's central controllers such as the Cerbo GX. It will also allow you to monitor the system from anywhere at any time, particularly if you add a GlobalLink 520. Otherwise, you could set up a permanent hotspot from a wireless carrier etc.

There are a few other points I could cover and I'll try to do that later if I get time.
 
Thank you very much, folks. You provided a lot of good info to research and think about. I'll dive into those details and come back to this thread later with any additional questions I may have. A couple of comments I'd like to post for clarification right away.
@Rocketman - another thread has a lot of info to digest, thank you! For the electrical usage, since my van use is more for travel than living-in style, I tend to look at usage from a different angle. More like: 8cellsx280Amp - this is what I can afford now to max my physical space and budget; therefore, my power usage will treat their capacity like "available firewood" - burn it slow to last it longer. I have run energy audit numbers, and when energy access is plenty, I may go as high as 400amp hours a day. But I can go a low as bare min running power only to a small 12v fridge and led light at evening time. No high draw appliances planned to be used with the battery bank, only when the system connects to the AC shore or direct from solar panels. For now, I am trying to figure out all the components I need to connect everything reliably. In such a way where my battery stored capacity will last longer and give me most of the available options to recharge from different sources. As well as the technical ability to draw directly from solar panels on a good day.

@Supervstech – for sure on cables, I will be getting marine grade cables and running through conduits. And yes, I am often confused on usage vs storage parameters in the electrical parameters, learning my way through this :)

@the_colorist - Thank you so much, it’s all good info I need to digest. I also feel that 12V setup will be easier to manage after all? I am, however, still confused on MPPT controller. I thought getting an oversized model to my needs would help deal with panels' partial inefficiency, no? But I think it best to hold on with few more questions; I want to prep them adequately worded, I want to minimize the confusion on my part. Btw I am hopeful to visit Belize one day, a trip to your country is on my list for a while now. I truly hope I’ll have that chance and be able to thank you personally!
 
geolboy said:
Hello Folks,

A new user here, looking for a bit of advice on electrical components to build a solar power system for my Ford Transit Van convert. I’ll describe what I would like to achieve and the components I already have, and then I’ll ask my questions. If I am missing anything, please feel free to add your opinion, I will be most grateful.

I am in the process of converting at home a 250 Ford Transit Van into a camper it comes with a single alternator. The camper will serve for short and extended trips in North and, hopefully, South Americas ;), 4-season use, but not intended for a full-time living. I am looking to build a reliable system for the various road conditions, including mild off-roading. I also hope to rent out the van to some friends during summer times to recoup part of the costs. Therefore it would be nice that the system I put-in would be end-user friendly and allow for remote diagnostics or at least simple(r) in operation.

I intend to build with four 200 Wats Mono Renogy Solar panels for a total of 800 watts (ordered). The caveat here, because of the physical space limit, the panels will be placed in pairs, on top of each other. Only two panels will face the open sky, and another two panels will slide out during stationary position. The idea similar to Everlanders camper builds
, except they are using eight panels, and I’ll be using only four.

I also already ordered 8 of LifePO 280Amps cells and Victron 150/100 MPPT (150V/70Amps) controller. I am trying to re-balance my budget using a less expensive battery configuration with better quality charging and connecting components.

What I’d like to build is a system that could:
  • Reliably charge ~500 Amps battery bank(s) from either - solar, shore AC, car alternator, or a 2000W portable gas generator
  • Can deliver around 300-350Amps daily (approx. calculated usage)
  • Allow for a direct supply of power from solar panels to a (as an example, a small (8K btu) portable air conditioner) or any AC 500-600Watts draw device (connected/turned on manually, upon arising needs)
  • Be safe to operate and do not require a degree in electrical engineering to troubleshoot. I rather add/setup/configure additional safeguards, monitors, larger gauge wires or load distributions components ahead of time than trying to solve electrical issues in the middle of nowhere.
  • Be a modular system allowing for upgrades, add-ons, or replacements of the components. For example, I may carry a couple extra 100 Watt flex solar panels to add to the config on a very hot sunny day to make an AC work; if the panels I will mount to the roof may not be sufficient.
  • Be cost-efficient with some reliability buffer. It acceptable to me to pass a learning curve ahead of the build and have some components as configured spares, but at the half-cost, comparing to using a single component from a top brand but a hugely over-priced and no easy access to a spare.
Given the setup and requirement info above and while researching, I still have questions that I don’t clearly understand benefits or caveats (i.e what are the limitations my desired setup may trigger). These are my questions:

  • Solar panels wiring for my configuration (2 open, 2 open on demand, with the ability to add another 1-2) – Serial, Parallel, or S/P? Btw, I live and travel mostly in a shady and cloudy region (BC, Canada). I understand how power is calculated, but I can’t predict how it will practically vary with panel pairs added or removed.
  • The battery cell connection for eight LIFEPO4 cells – S/P/4s2P/4P2s? One bank or two banks with a single MPPT? Once again, accounting for the solar panel positions (open/close in pairs). I want those batteries setup to last longer, given the fact sun is not always shining around us. 12V or 24V? Even so I like the benefits of 24v system, I am concern that my single 12V alternator will have to work hard to charge up the house batteries even with a proper DC-to-DC converter. Ford Transit comes with two batteries already. Therefore, I would like solar panels to be used for charging as the first option while driving and as a second option, alternator, manually engaged for charging.
  • I have a 3000W Modified Sine Inverter with a remote shutdown port, which has been sitting on a shelf for a year now. Would this work, or a pure sine is a requirement?
  • Additional (to MPPT controller components)– BMS, DC-to-DC charger, battery balancer or isolator. Which components under this setup will be a must-have and which ones will be nice to have (if this will make the management easier). Is there a company besides Victron that provides reasonably reliable components? I am not a fan on the idea of using an all-in-one charging inverter/controller simply because of lack of redundancy. In case of one charging component failure, I would like to have at least one other working option to charge the batteries, like from a generator or alternator or both.
  • What about BMS? What size would I need for my 8 cells 280Amps? Should I go with Electrodacus SBMS0 or is there a sufficient Victron BMS or one from Overkill Solar? I am still confused because most BMS listing on specs 4 cells for 12V systems or 8 cells but 24V. Also, trying to grasp the AMP capacity my BMS must have. Unfortunately, I find almost no builds or documented examples with LifePO4 with 8 cells and 12V for Van builds.

In my mind, there is a large difference in selecting electric components for a stationary location versus mobile Van systems with off-roading capabilities that are constantly under earthquake-like stress conditions, altitude, and temperature changes. I know there are tons of example YouTube videos; most don’t cover a setup similar to mine or provide reliability updates on the components used.

Finally, with panels, MPPT, and batteries, I am already down in $3K. I can probably add another $2K to the electrical part, but that’s would be a stretch. So I can’t simply choose the best-of-best on all components, somewhere I have to compromise. Therefore, I am looking for real-life experiences to share about different brands and your suggestions regarding reliability, support, and costs.

Thank you for taking your time reading all this. Of course, I don't expect someone is spending a lot of time answering all the questions or offering complete design plans for free. But if you have a piece of advice, suggestion, or want to share your experience relative to this setup, please post it, I appreciate every bit of advice I can get, and I am sure it will help other self-builders like me as well. Thank you very much again!
Click to expand...

Exciting project! I'm just finishing a similar conversion myself - I just did a post on my 2P4S 12V 560AH battery install. Let me know if you have any questions!

diysolarforum.com

Van Conversion DIY 560AH LIFEPO4 (EVE 280AH cells and Chargery BMS)

I recently completed my 560AH 12V battery (2P4S) using 8x Eve 280AH cells (purchased through Alex at Basen) and 300A Chargery BMS8T and 300A DCC. You can see it installed in my electrical compartment of my 2020 Ford Transit van conversion. After top balancing to 3.64V, and then leaving sitting...
diysolarforum.com diysolarforum.com
 
Folks, thanks a lot for all who replied, gives me a lot to think about. However, I am still confused on actually required parts I may need for my build to meet my goals, mostly due to a variety of sources.. I should break down each category, I guess asking specifically what do I need from the equipment to achieve the goal:

1. Solar charging - due to physical space I am laying out two-on-two four 200 Watt panels. All four will be connected to a single SmartSolar MPPT Tr 150-Volt 70 amp Victron MPPT and to 8 cells 280Amps Lifepo4. I really would like to make it work as a 24V config.
Q1: Solar wiring - Should I go all four panel parallel or two-ontop-two serial/parallel, providing my environment conditions may often limit to one side sunlight accessibility, where only one vertical stack expanded may be active, like parking next to the tree, rv or partial shade exposure.
Q2: Should I still get a BMS for each cell monitoring/charge controlling or should I just use Victron stunt for the battery bank. If the BMS is a way to go, would you folks say Overkill solar 24V BMS would work fine with Victron MPPT or Electrodacus SBMS0 without DSSRs would be more advantageous?

2. Power generator charging - in my research came across info when people saying the small generator and large bank battery charging is inefficient unless using 110V output and a battery charger. But Victron Blue Smart seems does not to make those above 30 Amps. Using a power generator would be my most realistic way of charging batteries during fall or winter since I live in BC, where the sun may be a rare appearance for weeks.
Q: What other good options out there? What equipment do I need to make it work?

3. Alternator charging ( only in absolute critical situations, when everything else fails). I know it's a load on the alternator, but once in the rare situation may be an absolute necessity. I am running ford transit 2020 with a single 12 alternator connected to two 12v car batteries.
Q1: What do I need to connect and charge a 24V battery bank on demand?
Q2: Is the safest way not to damage the alternator is to use DC to DC method from a car battery?

4. DC to DC and inventor. Basically just need to understand what would be most practical, dc-to-dc and inverter or inverter-charger, if I also want to get a charge from shore power? That would be again a rare case, but nevertheless, an option. Or is there a way to combine charging equipment that connects to either Power Generator and shore AC?

The brand is not so important here, I can do my research, just an advice for the actually required parts and possibly minimum Amp/Watt specs my setup will need to meet.
Thank you very much, folks!
 
Last edited:
geolboy said:
Folks, thanks a lot for all who replied, gives me a lot to think about. However, I am still confused on actually required parts I may need for my build to meet my goals, mostly due to a variety of sources.. I should break down each category, I guess asking specifically what do I need from the equipment to achieve the goal:

1. Solar charging - due to physical space I am laying out two-on-two four 200 Watt panels. All four will be connected to a single SmartSolar MPPT Tr 150-Volt 70 amp Victron MPPT and to 8 cells 280Amps Lifepo4. I really would like to make it work as a 24V config.
Q1: Solar wiring - Should I go all four panel parallel or two-ontop-two serial/parallel, providing my environment conditions may often limit to one side sunlight accessibility, where only one vertical stack expanded may be active, like parking next to the tree, rv or partial shade exposure.
Q2: Should I still get a BMS for each cell monitoring/charge controlling or should I just use Victron stunt for the battery bank. If the BMS is a way to go, would you folks say Overkill solar 24V BMS would work fine with Victron MPPT or Electrodacus SBMS0 without DSSRs would be more advantageous?

2. Power generator charging - in my research came across info when people saying the small generator and large bank battery charging is inefficient unless using 110V output and a battery charger. But Victron Blue Smart seems does not to make those above 30 Amps. Using a power generator would be my most realistic way of charging batteries during fall or winter since I live in BC, where the sun may be a rare appearance for weeks.
Q: What other good options out there? What equipment do I need to make it work?

3. Alternator charging ( only in absolute critical situations, when everything else fails). I know it's a load on the alternator, but once in the rare situation may be an absolute necessity. I am running ford transit 2020 with a single 12 alternator connected to two 12v car batteries.
Q1: What do I need to connect and charge a 24V battery bank on demand?
Q2: Is the safest way not to damage the alternator is to use DC to DC method from a car battery?

4. DC to DC and inventor. Basically just need to understand what would be most practical, dc-to-dc and inverter or inverter-charger, if I also want to get a charge from shore power? That would be again a rare case, but nevertheless, an option. Or is there a way to combine charging equipment that connects to either Power Generator and shore AC?

The brand is not so important here, I can do my research, just an advice for the actually required parts and possibly minimum Amp/Watt specs my setup will need to meet.
Thank you very much, folks!
Click to expand...
you always need a BMS.... it is part of the battery build

I would connect all my 12v loads into my transit battery.. then dc-dc from 24-12... it will never run down until your 24 dies but your inverter will be screaming way before that.
 
@the_colorist - Hi there, I pretty much settled on following your full recommendation and will be using a building diagram for building the system from Nate at https://www.explorist.life/3000w-inverter-400-600ah-400-to-1200w-solar-camper-solar-kit/. But I would like to add 4S Active BMS from REC you recommended, and as you said they are slow to respond. Any chance you can help with a quote? Also, would I need their PRE-CHARGE UNIT for this setup? And the second question, should I also use Victron Intelligent Battery Combiner Cyrix-ct for the extra protection of the car batteries? I decide to make it a 12v system, seems it's a more straightforward design with fewer losses as you said. Thanks again for your very detailed explanation and links, been a great deal of help.
 
geolboy said:
@the_colorist - Hi there, I pretty much settled on following your full recommendation and will be using a building diagram for building the system from Nate at https://www.explorist.life/3000w-inverter-400-600ah-400-to-1200w-solar-camper-solar-kit/. But I would like to add 4S Active BMS from REC you recommended, and as you said they are slow to respond. Any chance you can help with a quote? Also, would I need their PRE-CHARGE UNIT for this setup? And the second question, should I also use Victron Intelligent Battery Combiner Cyrix-ct for the extra protection of the car batteries? I decide to make it a 12v system, seems it's a more straightforward design with fewer losses as you said. Thanks again for your very detailed explanation and links, been a great deal of help.
Click to expand...
didn't you you say you're going 24v ? if so you need an 8S BMS
 
@GSXR1000 - wanted to, but with limited knowledge in this matter, I feel it's easier for me to assemble a more common scenario and less chance to get myself into trouble down the road. I want to charge options off-grid because that where I'll be spending most of my travel time, but seems many complications trying to get alternator or generator charging equipment or design that I could clearly understand or source parts if anything fails. Maybe I am mistaken, but nevertheless, it seems to be the path of least resistance for now.
 
geolboy said:
@GSXR1000 - wanted to, but with limited knowledge in this matter, I feel it's easier for me to assemble a more common scenario and less chance to get myself into trouble down the road. I want to charge options off-grid because that where I'll be spending most of my travel time, but seems many complications trying to get alternator or generator charging equipment or design that I could clearly understand or source parts if anything fails. Maybe I am mistaken, but nevertheless, it seems to be the path of least resistance for now.
Click to expand...
what size inverter are you going to use?
 
Victron Multiplus 3000. Pretty much everything as per this diagram, only with Lifepo cells and added BMS and GerboGX
1619493647784.png
 
Folks, also, if I want to use 4S2P for battery cels as this one, which the the_colorist suggested above
1619497337885.png

due to limited physical space limitation, I need to place the cells in two groups of 4s, on top of each other, placing 4 cells upside down. This will make "]" bracket shape for the parallel bus bar between cells #3 and #2. I am planning to place separating plexiglass or wooden board with support cushions between groups on supported rails inside the box and run the bus bar through. Should I make that bus bar slightly thicker? Would the bent distance be a problem and how much distance I can safely use? I am talking only about an inch or two of the difference between this connection and others. Thanks, folks.
 
Last edited:
OP- nice Writeup. Im at stage one of building a off grid cargo trailer that im going to convert into a camper (Stage one being I dont have anything not even a trailer yet) but Ive spent weeks lurking on this forum and countless tens of hours watching youtube videos on all this solar stuff (damn its alot to learn) but im getting to the point where im going to start buying product to start my build. Your post/needs are almost identical to what I need also so im very much looking forward to the replies from others.
Thanks to everyone else whos posting replies, I dont think im alone in standing in the shadows going down the solar vortex for hours trying to learn.
 
For what its worth, a 24 volt system is not more complex, save for one 24 to 12 volt converter to keep your 12 volt side powered. It is cheaper in terms of MPPT cost and BMS costs (half the amperage of 12 volt). With half the amperage, you use smaller wires, breakers, fuses and smaller a BMS as well.

But here is the kicker, in operation, 12 volt systems, when using high wattage appliances like microwaves, induction cook tops, etc draw huge amperage and with that, more possibilities for weaknesses to show up, such as less than perfect terminal crimps, less than perfectly clean and tight connections, higher voltage losses (resulting in heat and wasted energy).

Ive installed both 12 volt systems and 24 volt systems in boats and RV's. I will never go back to 12 volt systems. Just my 2 cents
 
@SteveCA - I agree with you 100%. The only drawback for me for 24V build - is the lack of efficient charging 24v from my vehicle alternator. I live and mostly travel in the geographical region where sun may not be there for weeks during the fall to spring for sufficient solar recharge. Boondocking mostly in remote areas without being able to recharge from a grid, leaves me not much choice. Anyway, I already obtain all the 12v equipment for my build, its already here. Thanks for the input anyway.
 
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