RV Electrical System Overhaul - adding inverters!

[Dconstantine]

Wow I look at the cost and just cant justify it. I presently use 4 six AGM batteries with 600 watts of solar panels. I have two inverters. One 2000 watt pure sine an a 400 watt. I went this way because the inverters themselves will eat up your batteries. I looked at which 120 volt breaker in the OEM panel fed the plug ins that I needed to go hot when off line. Converting the entire unit 120 volt system to the inverter to run the a/c and hair dryer, fridges and the like will result in dead batteries in seconds. You can have the cake and eat it too but you are going to line the pull truck bed with batteries.

Thanks

Dale & Lorna

[carnolddsm]

The recommended fuse for a Level Up 3 50 amps.

Page 11 on this document https://lci-support-doc.s3.amazonaws...cd_0001498.pdf

[cookinwitdiesel]

Wow I look at the cost and just cant justify it. I presently use 4 six AGM batteries with 600 watts of solar panels. I have two inverters. One 2000 watt pure sine an a 400 watt. I went this way because the inverters themselves will eat up your batteries. I looked at which 120 volt breaker in the OEM panel fed the plug ins that I needed to go hot when off line. Converting the entire unit 120 volt system to the inverter to run the a/c and hair dryer, fridges and the like will result in dead batteries in seconds. You can have the cake and eat it too but you are going to line the pull truck bed with batteries.

Thanks

Dale & Lorna

It is a big set up I am looking at for sure. I am not prone to moderation haha. I also seem allergic to compromise. The inverters will not use terribly much battery themselves when idle (not zero though). These higher end units should be more efficient than the bottom of the line WFCO one that is currently installed for the fridge. If your batteries are dying that quickly, you may need to check on their health. Part of why I am looking at the lithiums is that they can take a beating and not degrade. They also are much cheaper over their lifetime than AGMs (AND WAYYYYYY lighter for the usable energy they provide). It is a long term investment.

[cookinwitdiesel]

The recommended fuse for a Level Up 3 50 amps.

Page 11 on this document https://lci-support-doc.s3.amazonaws...cd_0001498.pdf

As noted, I have the electric Ground Control 3.0 system, not the hydraulic Level Up system. Each jack has its own 35A fuse but multiple jacks can be operating at a time. The more I think on it, the more I feel like just having 2x converters for 140A continuous 12v current will be best. Each unit is only $140 plus wiring so not too much. Up to 5 of them can be paralleled

[carnolddsm]

As noted, I have the electric Ground Control 3.0 system, not the hydraulic Level Up system. Each jack has its own 35A fuse but multiple jacks can be operating at a time. The more I think on it, the more I feel like just having 2x converters for 140A continuous 12v current will be best. Each unit is only $140 plus wiring so not too much. Up to 5 of them can be paralleled

I wrote Level Up, meant Ground Control, the link is correct.

[Dconstantine]

All electrical systems come down to math. You do the math at 80% efficiency and anything above that is bonus. If you build an electrical system based on OEM marketing data there is a serious hiccup coming. Just sayin

[cookinwitdiesel]

Ya, I am now considering just doing a 12v system to keep things a little simpler. It will call for a little more wiring (2 runs to each inverter) but that is really not that burdensome as the inverters are already made for that with 2 posts for + and - and the Lynx makes it easy and clean to do as well. All this discussion is helping me to formalize the details of the design and save money now vs buying the wrong gear and having to buy something else again. Thanks guys!

[Dconstantine]

Great discussion. I have my inverters on an inside switch so I can turn it off and on as I need it. Like having a large and small one to manage the draw down of the batteries.

[DaveMatthewsBand]

A good high end inverter has very low draw at idle and is very efficient.
My Magnum Hybrid runs on only 30 watts which is only 2.6% of my total of 1155 watts and runs at 90% efficiency.
You get what you pay for with electronics.

Also, cookn is correct, lithium is far less expensive than lead acid as long as you look at cost per kilowatt hour, (long-term use and cycles) so if you’re full-timing and dry camping a lot it makes a lot of sense.
Going lithium was a convenience thing for us, as we wanted the system to be as hassle free as possible. Not having to constantly monitor the battery voltages and knowing they’ll last the entire 8 years we’re planning on traveling makes the cost worth it for us.
The weight savings and recharge speed are just bonuses.


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[cookinwitdiesel]

Quick update for you all. The design is getting pretty mature (and complicated!). Latest iteration is looking at a 24v setup with dual Quattros. I am looking at adding a 2nd Shore power inlet. I will have the original inlet and generator ran through an ATS and then Autotransformer to convert the single phase power to split-phase. This will make things cleaner for the Quattros configured for split-phase. Since the Autotransformer has a 30a limit on its neutral wiring, I will use the left over generator capacity through a converter for some auxiliary battery charging.

Let me know what you think! That 3rd battery may never happen but is wishful thinking

If you cannot read the image clearly, let me know and I will try to provide it at full resolution.