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  1. #31
    Long Hauler DaveMatthewsBand's Avatar
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    I was originally looking at GoPower and AIMS for a 3kw pure sine wave inverter/charger but they don't make one with load-balancing.
    My installer, with 17 years experience recommended the Victron or the Magnum so that's what I bought. I wish the AIMS had LB, it was about $900 cheaper!

    If you're not familiar with that feature, it allows you to driveway surf and use the 15a receptacle from someone's garage to (help) run your roof air.
    Because it pulls power from that 15a and from your battery bank at the same time.

    Another example, let's say you're staying at an RV park and your shore power is barely able to keep up with your roof air.
    Then you go to cook something with the microwave, the load balancing will get that extra power needed from your battery bank.

    You could also run your roof air off a small 2000 watt or even believe it or not a 1000 watt generator. Because it will balance the load between the generator and your batteries.

    If I didn't have lithium I wouldn't even try this because I'd always be worried about pulling too many amps too quickly from non-lithiums.
    Last edited by DaveMatthewsBand; 01-25-2019 at 10:39 PM.
    Resistance is Not Futile, It's Voltage Divided by Current.


  2. #32
    Long Hauler DaveMatthewsBand's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gbkims View Post
    Doing the same, relocating to the passthru. Several days into the project.
    Attachment 17365
    If I could offer one piece of advice, it would be to go ahead and wire your electric water heater through your inverter.

    If you're boondocking and run low on propane you can still get a hot shower.
    I hardly ever do this, normally run the water heater on propane, but one time we ran low (out) of LP and it was a Sunday and pouring down raining and no one selling LP for miles.
    So having the ability to have hot water that night was awesome.
    Hey, you can always fire up the generator if you have to. Beats driving to get LP in the middle of the night and changing tanks in the rain.
    Resistance is Not Futile, It's Voltage Divided by Current.


  3. #33
    Long Hauler howson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DaveMatthewsBand View Post
    I was originally looking at GoPower and AIMS for a 3kw pure sine wave inverter/charger but they don't make one with load-balancing.
    My installer, with 17 years experience recommended the Victron or the Magnum so that's what I bought. I wish the AIMS had LB, it was about $900 cheaper!

    If you're not familiar with that feature, it allows you to driveway surf and use the 15a receptacle from someone's garage to (help) run your roof air.
    Because it pulls power from that 15a and from your battery bank at the same time.
    I didn't know about that feature--thanks, DMB.
    2017 Ford F-350 DRW 6.7L Platinum
    2019 315RLTS (purchased 16 Jul 18 from Campers Inn RV in Byron, GA)

  4. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by DaveMatthewsBand View Post
    I was originally looking at GoPower and AIMS for a 3kw pure sine wave inverter/charger but they don't make one with load-balancing.
    My installer, with 17 years experience recommended the Victron or the Magnum so that's what I bought. I wish the AIMS had LB, it was about $900 cheaper!

    If you're not familiar with that feature, it allows you to driveway surf and use the 15a receptacle from someone's garage to (help) run your roof air.
    Because it pulls power from that 15a and from your battery bank at the same time.

    Another example, let's say you're staying at an RV park and your shore power is barely able to keep up with your roof air.
    Then you go to cook something with the microwave, the load balancing will get that extra power needed from your battery bank.

    You could also run your roof air off a small 2000 watt or even believe it or not a 1000 watt generator. Because it will balance the load between the generator and your batteries.

    If I didn't have lithium I wouldn't even try this because I'd always be worried about pulling too many amps too quickly from non-lithiums.
    This type of "load balancing" is new to me. Thanks for the info.
    I installed my inverter 4 years ago, Xantrex 2000. There are no parts availble anymore so if it goes I'm switching to the Magnum brand.

    Who was your installer?

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  5. #35
    Big Traveler SouthTX's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DaveMatthewsBand View Post
    I was originally looking at GoPower and AIMS for a 3kw pure sine wave inverter/charger but they don't make one with load-balancing.
    My installer, with 17 years experience recommended the Victron or the Magnum so that's what I bought. I wish the AIMS had LB, it was about $900 cheaper!

    If you're not familiar with that feature, it allows you to driveway surf and use the 15a receptacle from someone's garage to (help) run your roof air.
    Because it pulls power from that 15a and from your battery bank at the same time.

    Another example, let's say you're staying at an RV park and your shore power is barely able to keep up with your roof air.
    Then you go to cook something with the microwave, the load balancing will get that extra power needed from your battery bank.

    You could also run your roof air off a small 2000 watt or even believe it or not a 1000 watt generator. Because it will balance the load between the generator and your batteries.

    If I didn't have lithium I wouldn't even try this because I'd always be worried about pulling too many amps too quickly from non-lithiums.
    That's an interesting feature. Something I never would have even thought of.

    I think our rigs are at the extreme ends of the spectrum in that you are set up for long term dry camping. You obviously did your homework. OTOH, I rarely dry camp more than an overnight along the way or a few days at the beach. My upgrades were kind of a spur of the moment thing that I've researched as I went along. I'm courious to determine exactly what the cost difference is between FLA and Lithium.

    FWIW, I'm only installing 100 amps of lithium, initially. As 100 amps (usable) is roughly what our RV's come from the dealer with. My rack will handle up to three 100 amp batteries and I'm sure I'll end up adding them, but I want to see exactly how usable a single battery is.

    Another FWIW that I'm sure you're aware of, but I'll add for anyone new to RV electrical systems who may not be. Check and recheck your battery connections. I'm pretty religious about tightening all my connections before making the final connection on the negative side, but I either missed one or it worked lose in just a couple of weeks. I had just installed an inverter, battery meter and made all new 2/0 cables. Over a couple of weeks, I had been slowly exploring the limits of the system and had loaded it to 67 amps and it melted one of the terminals off my T105 battery in about 20 minutes under load. The nut was just finger tight and that was all it took to get hot. Gave me a good excuse to do another (unexpected) upgrade, but I'm still kicking myself.
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  6. #36
    Site Sponsor gbkims's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SouthTX View Post
    The nut was just finger tight and that was all it took to get hot. Gave me a good excuse to do another (unexpected) upgrade, but I'm still kicking myself.
    I like using Belleville Disc Spring washers on all my electrical connections as they don't bite into the lug's metal as split lock washers do.
    I picked up the habit at work as they were used for tight electrical connections in switchgear and large transformers.
    - Gene

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  7. #37
    Seasoned Camper Devinh2's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ditchdigger View Post
    I am going to Lithium batteries because I can then install all of the solar/wind equipment, in the same compartment with batteries.
    I must have done something wrong then. There is no reason these components can’t be in the same compartment.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Devin & Roberta & Bizee (Border Collie)
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  8. #38
    Long Hauler howson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Devinh2 View Post
    I must have done something wrong then. There is no reason these components can’t be in the same compartment.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Devin--does your Magnum inverter have the load-balancing feature DMB mentioned? I can't quite figure out which (if any) of the Magnums have this feature. (The Victron's are e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e!)
    2017 Ford F-350 DRW 6.7L Platinum
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  9. #39
    Long Hauler DaveMatthewsBand's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by howson View Post
    Devin--does your Magnum inverter have the load-balancing feature DMB mentioned? I can't quite figure out which (if any) of the Magnums have this feature. (The Victron's are e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e!)
    Magnum inverters with this feature are called “Hybrid”. I saw Devin’s setup at the rally and don’t think his is a Hybrid.
    The Larger Victrons have LB too.



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    Resistance is Not Futile, It's Voltage Divided by Current.


  10. #40
    Long Hauler DaveMatthewsBand's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SouthTX View Post

    Another FWIW that I'm sure you're aware of, but I'll add for anyone new to RV electrical systems who may not be. Check and recheck your battery connections. I'm pretty religious about tightening all my connections before making the final connection on the negative side, but I either missed one or it worked lose in just a couple of weeks. I had just installed an inverter, battery meter and made all new 2/0 cables. Over a couple of weeks, I had been slowly exploring the limits of the system and had loaded it to 67 amps and it melted one of the terminals off my T105 battery in about 20 minutes under load. The nut was just finger tight and that was all it took to get hot. Gave me a good excuse to do another (unexpected) upgrade, but I'm still kicking myself.
    Good point about using thick cables.
    Mine are as big as my thumb and I routinely use the microwave and several other appliances simultaneously pulling around 250 to 300 amps at a time through the inverter!

    : )





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    Resistance is Not Futile, It's Voltage Divided by Current.


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