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    Site Sponsor FirstAscent's Avatar
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    Level up hydraulic system max amps?

    Hey all,

    I’m waiting on my 381 to be built and I believe they come with the hydraulic (level-up?) leveling system.

    Can someone let me know the max amps these systems pull?

    Thanks!
    2021 Momentum 381M (Ordered 3/6/2020, Delivered 8/27/2020)
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  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by FirstAscent View Post
    Hey all,

    I’m waiting on my 381 to be built and I believe they come with the hydraulic (level-up?) leveling system.

    Can someone let me know the max amps these systems pull?

    Thanks!
    On my Solitude, the most I have seen is 98 Amps for a short period of time (a couple of seconds). Generally I see around 60 Amps. The jacks draw more current then the hydraulic slides (until the slides lock - fully in or out). Cold weather (thicker hydraulic fluid) has higher current draw. Remember, this is only while the pump is active, usually only a few 10's of seconds (less than a minute as a guess).

    Just curious why you are asking?

    Chris
    Last edited by CoChris; 05-14-2020 at 10:15 PM.
    Chris & Karen
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    2017 F-350 SRW 6.7 Lariat Value CC LB 4x4
    2018 Solitude 310GK - Sold 7/2023

  3. #3
    Site Sponsor FirstAscent's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CoChris View Post
    On my Solitude, the most I have seen is 98 Amps for a short period of time (a couple of seconds). Generally I see around 60 Amps. The jacks draw more current then the hydraulic slides (until the slides lock - fully in or out). Cold weather (thicker hydraulic fluid) has higher current draw. Remember, this is only while the pump is active, usually only a few 10's of seconds (less than a minute as a guess).

    Just curious why you are asking?

    Chris
    Thanks Chris, that’s very helpful!

    Reason for asking is I’m planning out part of my solar build, as much as possible. I’m still debating on my battery bank config, but I’m not doing a 12v bank,most likely 24v system. Which means I’ll need a dc-dc converter (24 to 12v) and would need to make sure it can handle whatever my highest 12v load is.
    2021 Momentum 381M (Ordered 3/6/2020, Delivered 8/27/2020)
    -- Full Body Paint, MORryde IS 7k w/ disc brakes, Gen-Y Gooseneck conversion, 3 AC, Heat Pump, Dual Pane Windows, Slide Toppers, Residential Fridge

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    I'm certainly not a solar expert, in fact I know very little about them. When you are running the hydraulic pump to move slides or landing/leveling gear on the trailer, the battery system would be what is supplying power to the pump circuit....not the solar system. Isn't the solar panels just for charging the batteries?
    2016 F350 CrewCab Dually
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  5. #5
    Site Sponsor FirstAscent's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by xrated View Post
    I'm certainly not a solar expert, in fact I know very little about them. When you are running the hydraulic pump to move slides or landing/leveling gear on the trailer, the battery system would be what is supplying power to the pump circuit....not the solar system. Isn't the solar panels just for charging the batteries?
    That’s correct. The batteries supply the power, the solar panels charge the batteries.

    Typically, just like in your vehicle, you have a 12v DC battery or batteries.

    Basically all of your electrical components are either 12vdc or 120vac. For any 12vdc device (LED lights, leveling system etc) they can essentially run directly off of the battery. For any 120vac (all your wall outlets, fridge, etc) they run off your battery as well but through an inverter. The inverter simply changes the 12vdc power from the battery to 120vac.

    Ideally you’d want enough batteries to cover your general electrical usage for a few days and enough solar panels to keep them charged.

    But since I’m building a 24vdc battery bank, the 12vdc device can’t connect directly to it. So I’d install a 24vdc to 12vdc converter that the device can connect to. Converters come with different amp ratings. Cold be only 30 amps max or 50, 100, 300... a lot of options. So I need to know which 12vdc device has the highest amp rating so I get the appropriate size converter.

    That’s the high level gist of it [emoji3526]
    2021 Momentum 381M (Ordered 3/6/2020, Delivered 8/27/2020)
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    Rolling Along vonzoog's Avatar
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    This is done on golf carts lights and accessories all of the time. 36 to 48 volt converter to 12 volt. If not you would be burning the lights out. Especially LED lights.
    2018 Momentum 376TH
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    Site Team xrated's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FirstAscent View Post
    That’s correct. The batteries supply the power, the solar panels charge the batteries.

    Typically, just like in your vehicle, you have a 12v DC battery or batteries.

    Basically all of your electrical components are either 12vdc or 120vac. For any 12vdc device (LED lights, leveling system etc) they can essentially run directly off of the battery. For any 120vac (all your wall outlets, fridge, etc) they run off your battery as well but through an inverter. The inverter simply changes the 12vdc power from the battery to 120vac.

    Ideally you’d want enough batteries to cover your general electrical usage for a few days and enough solar panels to keep them charged.

    But since I’m building a 24vdc battery bank, the 12vdc device can’t connect directly to it. So I’d install a 24vdc to 12vdc converter that the device can connect to. Converters come with different amp ratings. Cold be only 30 amps max or 50, 100, 300... a lot of options. So I need to know which 12vdc device has the highest amp rating so I get the appropriate size converter.

    That’s the high level gist of it [emoji3526]
    OK, fair enough....I totally missed the part about you going to a 24V battery system. Here is my experience with a DC amprobe on the line running to the hydraulic pump circuit while using the landing gear on the front of my Momentum 394M. Raising the trailer up (extending the legs) I saw a pretty steady 68 amps. Lowering the trailer (retracting the legs) it was running right at 72 amps. A good overall average would be around 70 amps. The newer trailers should come from the factory with a 80A auto-reset breaker installed. Mine is a 2018 and still had the 50A breaker and I switched it out with a new one from Grand Design and also increased the wire gauge size from OEM in order to facilitate the higher rated breaker and pump circuit......both the 12VDC positive lead as well as the ground lead.
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  8. #8
    Site Sponsor andrewssteve's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FirstAscent View Post
    But since I’m building a 24vdc battery bank...
    While you're explaining, are you going with a 24V bank to allow smaller gauge wire for the low voltage circuits?

    -Steve
    Steve and Renee
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  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by FirstAscent View Post
    Thanks Chris, that’s very helpful!

    Reason for asking is I’m planning out part of my solar build, as much as possible. I’m still debating on my battery bank config, but I’m not doing a 12v bank,most likely 24v system. Which means I’ll need a dc-dc converter (24 to 12v) and would need to make sure it can handle whatever my highest 12v load is.
    That makes sense. You will have to size you DC-DC converter to handle both the maximum peak load as max the sustained load. I assume you are going with the 24V battery bank for both lower current (smaller wires) for both the charging (solar panels) and the inverter and a little higher inverter efficiency?

    Good luck. Sounds like you are putting together a nice system.

    Chris
    Chris & Karen
    Fort Collins, CO
    2017 F-350 SRW 6.7 Lariat Value CC LB 4x4
    2018 Solitude 310GK - Sold 7/2023

  10. #10
    Site Sponsor FirstAscent's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by vonzoog View Post
    This is done on golf carts lights and accessories all of the time. 36 to 48 volt converter to 12 volt. If not you would be burning the lights out. Especially LED lights.
    Yeah very common on golf carts. Never a good idea to mix voltages. 12v is standard for automotive applications, at least in the U.S.

    Quote Originally Posted by xrated View Post
    OK, fair enough....I totally missed the part about you going to a 24V battery system. Here is my experience with a DC amprobe on the line running to the hydraulic pump circuit while using the landing gear on the front of my Momentum 394M. Raising the trailer up (extending the legs) I saw a pretty steady 68 amps. Lowering the trailer (retracting the legs) it was running right at 72 amps. A good overall average would be around 70 amps. The newer trailers should come from the factory with a 80A auto-reset breaker installed. Mine is a 2018 and still had the 50A breaker and I switched it out with a new one from Grand Design and also increased the wire gauge size from OEM in order to facilitate the higher rated breaker and pump circuit......both the 12VDC positive lead as well as the ground lead.
    Thanks, I'm thinking I'd need at least 150 amps to be safe then (for all 12v loads). although 100 amp would most likely be sufficient since you typically aren't running other applications when raising/lowering the legs.

    Quote Originally Posted by andrewssteve View Post
    While you're explaining, are you going with a 24V bank to allow smaller gauge wire for the low voltage circuits?

    -Steve
    Quote Originally Posted by CoChris View Post
    That makes sense. You will have to size you DC-DC converter to handle both the maximum peak load as max the sustained load. I assume you are going with the 24V battery bank for both lower current (smaller wires) for both the charging (solar panels) and the inverter and a little higher inverter efficiency?

    Good luck. Sounds like you are putting together a nice system.

    Chris
    @andrewssteve and @CoChris , as with anything, there are pros and cons. smaller gauge wires is a plus for 24v vs 12, which can save costs but also allow for easier and cleaner installs. It's much easier to route an 8 or 4 gauge wire than a 1/0 or larger! But to be honest, I think the cost savings will be pretty minimal installing this in a smaller space such as an RV. If you were running it all over a house or commercial building, definitely! but I don't expect to see large cost savings from wire gauge in this application.
    It will however make install easier/cleaner though, and I'm all for a clean layout

    Another PRO of the 24v system is efficiency as well as capability, when you start to get into larger systems (more and higher wattage solar panels) there is only so much you can add to charge the battery, eventually you get to a point to where it can't accept more charge. Not that I'm going to add a crazy amount of panels but I will be starting with close to 1500 watts panels. This will be much more suitable for a 24v system at minimum and allow me easy room to grow.

    Also, with a 24v system, since similar currents would be less, I would need smaller, less expensive individual components. Such as the charge controller for example.

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