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Travel Trailer Solar Wiring with Multiple Fuses?

RV Steve

New Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2024
Messages
20
Location
Fairplay Colorado USA
I'm putting together a system for my travel trailer. I have 12 x 100 watt Renogy Compact panels (15 amp max series fuse rating 5.21 amp 24.3 volt open circuit ratings) that will be in two arrays consisting of 2S3P and will have a 10 amp inline MC4 fuse on each string. Each of those arrays will feed to one of my two Victron Smart Solar 150/60TR charge controllers which each require a 70-80 amp fuse. I'm not sure whether ANL, a circuit breaker, or some other type of fuse would work best for these. I'll be using positive and negative bus bars (rated for 250 amps) for all my hook ups so I'm planning on putting the charge controller fuses on the 2 AWG positive wire about 3 feet total length in between the controller and the bus bar. Is that OK? I also plan on purchasing a Victron MultiPlus 12/3000/120 which requires a 400 amp fuse but has a 250 amp current rating. I couldn't find any 400 amp circuit breakers so I'm planning on going with an ANL fuse. Once again planning on running the inverter wiring with a fuse on the 2 foot long 4/0 AWG positive wire to the busbar, and then connecting the busbars to the battery bank with a 1 foot long 4/0 AWG wire. Would I still need an additional fuse in between my positive busbar and the batteries? There will be a Victron Smart Shunt on the negative wire in between the negative busbar and negative battery bank connection. I am planning on doing 4 parallel 200 AH Plus Redodo LiFePO4 batteries for my battery bank but haven't purchased them yet. The existing 6 AWG 12 volt wiring from the batteries to the Progressive Dynamics power center has a 30 amp inline fuse which I plan on leaving in place. That wiring will be re-routed from the front triangle to the bus bars. The OEM battery location is on the front triangle. I'm moving it to the under bed storage in my bedroom at the front of the trailer. The wooden mounting board with fuses and bus bars will be in that under bed storage compartment. The solar charge controllers will be mounted to the front of the night stands on either side of the bed platform. The inverter will be on the floor on the left side of the bed platform below one of the charge controllers. There's an existing 12 volt disconnect in my pass through storage near the OEM battery location that will be impossible to move. Since my charge controllers are supposed to be hooked up to batteries first and at all times the sun is shining, I don't plan on doing a new 12 volt disconnect at the new battery bank location. How ever if I do use circuit breakers for the fuse on each of the positive wires of my charge controllers, then I could shut down all 12 volt charging sources, and then disconnect my battery bank safely if needed. My 30 amp 120 volt power enters the trailer through my bathroom's outside wall next to the bedroom with 10-2 Romex connecting 30 amp receptacle to my Progressive Dynamics power center 120 volt panel located in the next door living area. I plan on disconnecting the 10-2 Romex from my shore power receptacle, running new 10-2 Romex from the shore power receptacle to the MultiPlus, then running 10-2 Romex from the MultiPlus back to the original 10-2 Romex run in the bathroom and using a junction box for the Romex splice. Victron does recommend 6 AWG for AC in and AC out 1 and 10 AWG for AC out 2. The Furrion 30 amp power receptacle on my trailer accepts 10 AWG wire only. I plan on using 10-2 Romex as Outdoors RV used for the 30 amp service hook up for all inverter and power panel connections. I will unhook 120 volt power to the Progressive Dynamics 120 volt to 12 volt DC power converter at the fuse panel. There will be no sub panel for 120 volt service since the MultiPlus can run all loads.

Does this all sound right?
 
There is a lot of stuff in there and I didn’t read all of it. Why not simplify and use a Victron Lynx Distributor? With that amount of power, why stay 12v? I would absolutely go to 24v, maybe even 48v. I have 1400w of panel, a Multiplus, and 200ah of battery, at 24v. I used the lynx to keep it simple.
 

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