Rv instalation 48v vs 12v batteries

[sraorsash]

Hey everyone newbie here needing some advise. I will be full time rving off grid mainly for 1-2 years. Looking for a good amount of solar power for my 39ft class A rv. I had posted on a bunch of sites and trying to read as much info as possible. I found a guy/website that basically constructs packages for you then send you specific instructions for DIY setup. This seemed very helpful to me being as new as I am but I want to make sure I am doing my diligence and knowing as much as possible before moving forward. My partner works full time and will be running a 3 monitor computer system as well as I worry about our animals and wanted more power incase I needed to power Ac/furnace more. After rving we also plan on geting a tiny/ mod house so the thought of switching our system back to a sticks and bricks was inviting as well. Here is what the email quote and set up the guy gave me and I would appreciate any feedback.

Lifep04 48v 108ah battery
8x 300w solar panels
48v 3500w inverter/charger/Mppt solar charge controller
wire/solar panel mounts/switches and etc...

the rough estimate price he gave me for all of this is $6250 before tax and shipping.

 

[strugglebus]

Are you planning to use the 48 volt LifePower4 100AH server battery? I didn't see a 108ah version on their site. If so the manual states no vibration but there was a rep from the company who said that they weld all the terminals so vibration is ok. That leaves me a bit confused.

 

[sraorsash]

Are you planning to use the 48 volt LifePower4 100AH server battery? I didn't see a 108ah version on their site. If so the manual states no vibration but there was a rep from the company who said that they weld all the terminals so vibration is ok. That leaves me a bit confused.

www.getlitbatteries.com

 

[kenryan]

Are you planning to use the 48 volt LifePower4 100AH server battery? I didn't see a 108ah version on their site. If so the manual states no vibration but there was a rep from the company who said that they weld all the terminals so vibration is ok. That leaves me a bit confused.

Yes, the terminals are welded and yes, the User Manual states NO VIBRATION.

 

[Bobert]

Hey everyone newbie here needing some advise. I will be full time rving off grid mainly for 1-2 years. Looking for a good amount of solar power for my 39ft class A rv. I had posted on a bunch of sites and trying to read as much info as possible. I found a guy/website that basically constructs packages for you then send you specific instructions for DIY setup. This seemed very helpful to me being as new as I am but I want to make sure I am doing my diligence and knowing as much as possible before moving forward. My partner works full time and will be running a 3 monitor computer system as well as I worry about our animals and wanted more power incase I needed to power Ac/furnace more. After rving we also plan on geting a tiny/ mod house so the thought of switching our system back to a sticks and bricks was inviting as well. Here is what the email quote and set up the guy gave me and I would appreciate any feedback.

Lifep04 48v 108ah battery
8x 300w solar panels
48v 3500w inverter/charger/Mppt solar charge controller
wire/solar panel mounts/switches and etc...

the rough estimate price he gave me for all of this is $6250 before tax and shipping.

I have a couple of questions. First I would like to explain my situation first so my questions will make the most sense possible. I have a travel trailer that I have outfitted with a 48v 3500w all in one solar inverter charger it is connected to 4 100ah 12 volt batteries wired in series. I use 2100 watts of solar.
1. Do you have enough battery power? My battery bank is only slightly less than the one you mentioned. That’s just over 5000w of energy available. Without sun I cam run my AC for only about 3 hours. I figured that in order to comfortably run AC after dark I would need 3 to 4 times my present battery power.
2. Have you figured out how you are going to work around the split phase electrical system that class a motor homes usually have?

 

[sraorsash]

I have a couple of questions. First I would like to explain my situation first so my questions will make the most sense possible. I have a travel trailer that I have outfitted with a 48v 3500w all in one solar inverter charger it is connected to 4 100ah 12 volt batteries wired in series. I use 2100 watts of solar.
1. Do you have enough battery power? My battery bank is only slightly less than the one you mentioned. That’s just over 5000w of energy available. Without sun I cam run my AC for only about 3 hours. I figured that in order to comfortably run AC after dark I would need 3 to 4 times my present battery power.
2. Have you figured out how you are going to work around the split phase electrical system that class a motor homes usually have?

No idea. I am completely new at this and am not located in an area that even does solar on rv's so DIY is basically my only option. I was researching what i would need and looking at different things when this guy gave me his link. He is having a Q &A video on Friday at 8central time so i was hoping to just get as many questions from other people to be able to ask him when that goes up. he stats that he will do a free consultation to figure out what needs, gives clickable links in email for easy DIY, Complimentary video/phone support, and comes with a 10 year warranty. so sounds perfect for someone like me with not much experience with solar installation that he will be available for the installation process. He asks for all pictures of my rv and will send diagrams for installation specifically for my vehicle so i would assume he would be figuring out the split phase system.

 

[Bobert]

No idea. I am completely new at this and am not located in an area that even does solar on rv's so DIY is basically my only option. I was researching what i would need and looking at different things when this guy gave me his link. He is having a Q &A video on Friday at 8central time so i was hoping to just get as many questions from other people to be able to ask him when that goes up. he stats that he will do a free consultation to figure out what needs, gives clickable links in email for easy DIY, Complimentary video/phone support, and comes with a 10 year warranty. so sounds perfect for someone like me with not much experience with solar installation that he will be available for the installation process. He asks for all pictures of my rv and will send diagrams for installation specifically for my vehicle so i would assume he would be figuring out the split phase system.

Have you done much camping yet?
Does your rig have a functioning generator? What are its specs?
Do you have an actual real life example of what your daily useage of power will be?

 

[strugglebus]

30 amp or 50 amp system? I assume 50 with a 39 footer. The better charger/inverters handle the split phase. From my understanding a rooftop RV A/C will takes lots of watts and you'll only be able to run one at a time for maybe like 5-6 hours. Do you have a soft start installed on an A/C? That should help a little. My eventual plan is to install a mini split to cut down on the power usage and increase efficiency as well as reduce the noise.

 

[John Frum]

If I were to add solar to an RV.
I would hook one of these up to the RV's AC distribution panel.
Then I would camp in my own driveway living off shore power.
That would give a good idea how much power is required.

Sense.com – The Sense Home Energy Monitor

sense.com

 

[sraorsash]

I have done plenty of camping but never in a Class A rv and never off grid for longer periods. Our living situation took a crazy turn which is what is putting us in an rv for the time being. I also have 5 dogs. Not a fan of Rv parks and my dogs are 4 pits and a basset, so boondocking is what we will be doing. Our rig does have a functioning push start onan generator but I would prefer to use solar as much as possible. Our daily usage of power could be minimal if need be as long as my partner can function the computer set ups for work and my worry is if we need to leave for a few hours the ac/furnace with the dogs. We would never leave them long but I guess it is also more for reassurance. As well as if this 48V system can work in the rv in a year or two I would love to be able to repurpose it for our small modular house we will be getting. So I am looking at it from a dual purpose standpoint.

 

[sraorsash]

30 amp or 50 amp system? I assume 50 with a 39 footer. The better charger/inverters handle the split phase. From my understanding a rooftop RV A/C will takes lots of watts and you'll only be able to run one at a time for maybe like 5-6 hours. Do you have a soft start installed on an A/C? That should help a little. My eventual plan is to install a mini split to cut down on the power usage and increase efficiency as well as reduce the noise.

50 amp and we would never even need it to run longer then 5-6 hours. Not fully sure on the soft start installation as we don't get the rv until April and it is currently at an Rv inspector getting all spruced up.

 

[sraorsash]

If I were to add solar to an RV.
I would hook one of these up to the RV's AC distribution panel.
Then I would camp in my own driveway living off shore power.
That would give a good idea how much power is required.

Sense.com – The Sense Home Energy Monitor

sense.com

I have done plenty of camping but never in a Class A rv and never off grid for longer periods. Our living situation took a crazy turn which is what is putting us in an rv for the time being. I also have 5 dogs. Not a fan of Rv parks and my dogs are 4 pits and a basset, so boondocking is what we will be doing. Our rig does have a functioning push start onan generator but I would prefer to use solar as much as possible. Our daily usage of power could be minimal if need be as long as my partner can function the computer set ups for work and my worry is if we need to leave for a few hours the ac/furnace with the dogs. We would never leave them long but I guess it is also more for reassurance. As well as if this 48V system can work in the rv in a year or two I would love to be able to repurpose it for our small modular house we will be getting. So I am looking at it from a dual purpose standpoint.

 

[John Frum]

I have done plenty of camping but never in a Class A rv and never off grid for longer periods. Our living situation took a crazy turn which is what is putting us in an rv for the time being. I also have 5 dogs. Not a fan of Rv parks and my dogs are 4 pits and a basset, so boondocking is what we will be doing. Our rig does have a functioning push start onan generator but I would prefer to use solar as much as possible. Our daily usage of power could be minimal if need be as long as my partner can function the computer set ups for work and my worry is if we need to leave for a few hours the ac/furnace with the dogs. We would never leave them long but I guess it is also more for reassurance. As well as if this 48V system can work in the rv in a year or two I would love to be able to repurpose it for our small modular house we will be getting. So I am looking at it from a dual purpose standpoint.

I'm not sure if you missed my point.
I meant to measure your consumption in a fairly real world way so that you can size the system properly.

 

[sraorsash]

i understand we dont get the Rv until april and i

I'm not sure if you missed my point.
I meant to measure your consumption in a fairly real world way so that you can size the system properly.

plan on doing we wont have the rv until april and will have it a month before going fully mobile as the house is sold. as of right now i am just trying to do as much research and get as much knowledge. with the set up i posted do you think it is too much power or not enough? i was getting the impression that it would be a lot.

 

[John Frum]

i understand we dont get the Rv until april and i

plan on doing we wont have the rv until april and will have it a month before going fully mobile as the house is sold. as of right now i am just trying to do as much research and get as much knowledge. with the set up i posted do you think it is too much power or not enough? i was getting the impression that it would be a lot.

Power usage varies massively between people so I could not say.
That battery is pretty weird looking.
The all_in_one is probably cheap and possibly not well suited to its application.

 

[John Frum]

How about you get the rv and try an rv park and the sense monitor for the first season.
That will allow you to get a good sense of what you need.

 

[John Frum]

How much insulation does your RV have?
How is your rv heated?
How is it cooled?
What is the climate like where you will live?

 

[sunshine_eggo]

I have done plenty of camping but never in a Class A rv and never off grid for longer periods. Our living situation took a crazy turn which is what is putting us in an rv for the time being. I also have 5 dogs. Not a fan of Rv parks and my dogs are 4 pits and a basset, so boondocking is what we will be doing. Our rig does have a functioning push start onan generator

Plan on using this a lot.

but I would prefer to use solar as much as possible. Our daily usage of power could be minimal if need be as long as my partner can function the computer set ups for work

Trivial

and my worry is if we need to leave for a few hours the ac/furnace with the dogs.

This is the driving design criterion. This will require a lot of solar and a lot of batteries. Large Class A's tend to have TWO A/C units. Is that the case for you? If you have to run both, those batteries will last you about 1.5 hours. If you're doing it during peak solar, you can probably get 4-5 hours centered on noon... in summer with clear skies and nothing on your roof shading the panels.

We would never leave them long but I guess it is also more for reassurance. As well as if this 48V system can work in the rv in a year or two I would love to be able to repurpose it for our small modular house we will be getting. So I am looking at it from a dual purpose standpoint.

1) Is 8X 300W panels what you can fit on your roof? Can you fit more? Could you get more on there by "Tetris-ing" smaller 100W panels? Yes, I know they cost more, but more Watts is better.

2) Analyze your location. Pick where you're going to stay and model your system on https://pvwatts.nrel.gov/

3) Once parked, can you deploy a temporary ground array of lightweight flexible panels on PVC stands:

Portable Solar Suit Case PV wire

I am looking for REALLY flexible wire for my solar suitcase. I am currently using Rich Solar wire. And while it may be flexible enough for a permanent installation, it is not for a portable panel. I keep it coiled on the back of the suitcase when not in use. And it keeps that coil memory. It is...

diysolarforum.com

Cheap Dual Flex Panel Mobile/Tilting Stand

Here’s a super lightweight and cheap adjustable stand design that I use for 100w flex panel pairs. Each unit costs

diysolarforum.com

Ground panels you can tilt and orient optimally can dramatically improve your total harvest compared to what panels flat on a roof can yield.

Coupled with @smoothJoey 's recommendation to audit your usage, you would use that and the above to formulate your system capability,its limitations, and how you need to change your consumption habits.

I know you just wanted an simple answer to the $6520 question, but it's not simple. You could likely spend less for more, BUT you still might be disappointed.

 

[John Frum]

108 ah hours * 51.2 nominal volts * .9 depth of discharge = 4976.64 watt hours
That is not a whole lot of juice.
At this time of year I use ~13000 watt hours per day without any heating.
In the summer when the air conditioning is on most of the day the number approaches ~20000 watt hours per day.
Your numbers could differ significantly.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

How much insulation does your RV have?

All RVs have crap insulation.