The "Meg" Build

[Lt.Dan]

Hmm ... now you have me curious about their 150A model (my slides and jacks use 120-130 amps) so I can ditch my 12v "buffer" battery.
Edit: though it appears to be fixed at 12v (I'd like 13-13.5).

They make a 150a 13.8v model. $450 though ?

 

[GSXR1000]

Right on, crank up the blender for some margaritas and lmk if it starts to smell funny.

Since I'm heavy in the Victron camp, I have 2 of the 48v to 12 rated at 30A on order to run in parallel. This should cover the steps and slides and generator starter motor etc with room to spare.

4k onan takes 250a surge
even a slide motor with a 30a fuse can draw 100a for a split second

Thread 'Starting my Onan 4k with my LIfepo' https://diysolarforum.com/threads/starting-my-onan-4k-with-my-lifepo.15367/

 

[Boondock Saint]

I'm not splitting seconds with you. They'll work.

 

[cinergi]

They make a 150a 13.8v model. $450 though ?

Just found that .. better than 4+ Victron Orion's though ... tempting! Anyway, thanks for the link! I might play with it ...

 

[Boondock Saint]

I was going to keep a single SLA in the RV side compartment as is, but removed it from the schematic too. I'm putting that weight towards a 50A corded electric reel. We have enough LifeP04 to not worry about them for 12v resources.

 

[Lt.Dan]

Took a plasma cutter to the floor of the generator compartment... no going back now!!

Just gotta clean it up, paint some spots and its ready for the new floor im designing...

 

[Lt.Dan]

Slowly but surely making progress. I received my 100a 48v to 12v Converter, 4 days early from China! This thing feels like its solid lead, its so heavy and feels very well built. I did a quick model of it on the right side for mounting purposes, as all the RV's factory 12v wiring is on the left side there. You can also see the drop floor I'm making (6.5" Lower than factory), and how the 2 inverters will sit, with the PV disconnects mounted to the face of them, and then the Class T Fuse holder and the Bus bars in the center. The small box on the lower left hand corner was the factory box that the generator wires went through, to go to the transfer switch, so I will wire the inverters through the existing wires in there, and both inverters will power the transfer switch like the generator would have, with Inverters having priority over the Grid power. Then if the inverters shut off, grid power will switch on. I hope it all works out!





P.S. Does 13kW of Inverter power put me towards the top of the list for most powerful trailer? Everybody I tell thinks I'm absolutely insane for putting that much inverter power in there.

 

[Boondock Saint]

I got my DHL number today from Daygreen for the two I ordered.

 

[jwelter99]

Slowly but surely making progress. I received my 100a 48v to 12v Converter, 4 days early from China! This thing feels like its solid lead, its so heavy and feels very well built. I did a quick model of it on the right side for mounting purposes, as all the RV's factory 12v wiring is on the left side there. You can also see the drop floor I'm making (6.5" Lower than factory), and how the 2 inverters will sit, with the PV disconnects mounted to the face of them, and then the Class T Fuse holder and the Bus bars in the center. The small box on the lower left hand corner was the factory box that the generator wires went through, to go to the transfer switch, so I will wire the inverters through the existing wires in there, and both inverters will power the transfer switch like the generator would have, with Inverters having priority over the Grid power. Then if the inverters shut off, grid power will switch on. I hope it all works out!


View attachment 53262


P.S. Does 13kW of Inverter power put me towards the top of the list for most powerful trailer? Everybody I tell thinks I'm absolutely insane for putting that much inverter power in there.

Have you thought about dropping the battery box concept and building in shelves for the cells in your overall assembly? I think you could build a partition wall, and a LV6048 on either side of that (which also means your active cooling is only cooling that partition - and therefore more effective), and then next to that some shelves for cells. This would make cell maintenance, adding, etc, much easier over time? It looks like you could get 3 or 4 levels of cells in that space.

 

[Lt.Dan]

Have you thought about dropping the battery box concept and building in shelves for the cells in your overall assembly? I think you could build a partition wall, and a LV6048 on either side of that (which also means your active cooling is only cooling that partition - and therefore more effective), and then next to that some shelves for cells. This would make cell maintenance, adding, etc, much easier over time? It looks like you could get 3 or 4 levels of cells in that space.

I did think about that, but the level of complexity it adds outweighed the rewards in my mind. Its not off the table, but I think the only feasible way to do it, with the space that i have, would be to lay the cells on their side, which im hesitant to do after the whole Big Battery incident... I still have to fit my little portable generator in there too. It showed up yesterday.



I stumbled across it on accident, and when you plug in a regular 18v Ryobi battery, it makes it capable of remote starting it with your phone! Absolutely genius. And with this generator, I should be able to charge the battery at 30a. I ran it for a short time yesterday to sort of break it in, and its a little louder than I expected, but its nothing to really complain about.

 

[Boondock Saint]

Louder than an Onan 4000 ?

Mine is well broken in by now and this is how my average phone call goes . . . what? What ? WHAT?

I wonder if this can be started with the Quattro or Multiplus II?


.

 

[Hedges]

I got an Airco welder with an Onan. I added an automobile muffler, made it much quieter.

 

[jwelter99]

I did think about that, but the level of complexity it adds outweighed the rewards in my mind. Its not off the table, but I think the only feasible way to do it, with the space that i have, would be to lay the cells on their side, which im hesitant to do after the whole Big Battery incident... I still have to fit my little portable generator in there too. It showed up yesterday.



I stumbled across it on accident, and when you plug in a regular 18v Ryobi battery, it makes it capable of remote starting it with your phone! Absolutely genius. And with this generator, I should be able to charge the battery at 30a. I ran it for a short time yesterday to sort of break it in, and its a little louder than I expected, but its nothing to really complain about.

I'd avoid laying the cells on a side - I think that is a recipe for disaster. But I was thinking to use some of those server sliding rails to build a couple levels that can slide out as needed.

I do think with 13kw of inverter you will want more battery then the 12kw you have (48V*250Ah to account for reserve) pretty quick, which will lead to more solar to charge it in the hours of sun you have.

 

[Hedges]

It can be OK to have relatively small battery.

My battery inverter wattage is 20% greater than battery gross Wh capacity, 2x usable capacity. With Peukert effect, would run 20 minutes.
I have enough PV to charge at about 0.5C or greater, but I limit it to 0.2C
The battery is sized for one night's load. Rest of the time it is just a buffer to start motors.
(this is grid-backup; if heavily overcast day and grid down I will just have to use less.)

This works fine for running large loads directly from PV production.

For Lt Dan's system, key questions would be no-load consumption of the big inverter and nighttime loads.
Simply having a big inverter for occasional heavy loads is OK, helps starting multiple A/C at once for instance.

 

[Lt.Dan]

Louder than an Onan 4000 ?

Mine is well broken in by now and this is how my average phone call goes . . . what? What ? WHAT?

I wonder if this can be started with the Quattro or Multiplus II?


.

I have an Onan 4000 in my 2014 Stealth trailer, and the Onan 5500 this trailer was considerably quieter. This Ryobi 2300 is quieter than the 5500, and you can still have a conversation next to it, but i think it's definitely louder than the Honda 2000s.

As for the battery size. I would like 20-24kwh, but the 12-13kwh i have will be at about 60% overnight, if you don't run any AC/heater units. Even if the battery depletes overnight, it just switches over the the grid for a couple hours until PV kicks back in.

 

[jwelter99]

I have an Onan 4000 in my 2014 Stealth trailer, and the Onan 5500 this trailer was considerably quieter. This Ryobi 2300 is quieter than the 5500, and you can still have a conversation next to it, but i think it's definitely louder than the Honda 2000s.

As for the battery size. I would like 20-24kwh, but the 12-13kwh i have will be at about 60% overnight, if you don't run any AC/heater units. Even if the battery depletes overnight, it just switches over the the grid for a couple hours until PV kicks back in.

Ah you never plan to go off grid?

 

[JoeHam]

Slowly but surely making progress. I received my 100a 48v to 12v Converter, 4 days early from China! This thing feels like its solid lead, its so heavy and feels very well built.

Any idea what the idle consumption is on those?

 

[Lt.Dan]

Ah you never plan to go off grid?

I do eventually. Sort of. Me and the family are currently living in the trailer until the time is right to buy a property somewhere outside of Commiefornia. Until then, we're just saving money. We are super interested in Barndominiums, and I'd like to park the trailer inside the metal building, then maybe remove the inverters/battery(ies) and install them in the barndominium to power it totally off grid. Expansion is taken into consideration.

Any idea what the idle consumption is on those?

65-80 watts each.

 

[Lt.Dan]

Just install the RV Airflow units, and I gotta admit, the vents do blow much harder, we'll see if I get less cycle time. But not sure how I'm going to measure it...

This will tide me over and keep me from wanting to install the 3 zone mini split for a while atleast. I was thinking, if I have enough solar to run the 3 ACs, then whats the point in getting the mini splits? Im not saving any money with the lower watt usage, and the noise on the 3 Coleman units i have is not bad like some people complain about. So in my situation,, are the only gains a quieter operation?

 

[Lt.Dan]

I got the new main board from MPP and installed it myself last night. Got it all back together, precharged the capacitors and hooked it up to the battery, and low and behold, it turned on!!! Can't believe I put it back together correctly! It is so confusing in there.

Then I installed the new mount for both LV6548 to sit next to each other. Hopefully tonight I can get it finished and hang the inverter on it, then I can put the floor in and start wiring. You can also see the vent on the right side for fresh air from the interior of the trailer. I've got upgraded AC Infinity fans that are going in.