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  1. #11
    Rolling Along RV Sailor's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rmcrowe View Post
    Sounds like you have a good plan that will work well. You can always upgrade at a later date if you feel the need.

    I will include a few shots of my install here, though I plan to do a more complete write-up of this (hopefully before I forget a lot of the details!) sometime soon.
    Since I can only attach 5 per post, I will start with the finished shots. As part of this install I also replaced the mount for the TV with one that has a lot more range. I'm very happy with it - it gets the TV much closer to square with the sofa whereas the original was always at an odd angle. I actually did the TV mount before I did the solar - in doing that I realized the entire area behind the TV was completely empty save a few wires.


    You can see the multiplus here - I made an access hole for it, it's usually covered with a screen for airflow. Sometimes you can hear it but generally speaking it's pretty quiet most of the time. It doesn't bother me or my wife.
    Attachment 33403


    This shows the TV swung out in front of the sofa
    Attachment 33402


    You can see that I replaced the paneling behind the tv - had I been smarter I would have carefully pulled out the original panel and re-used it. But it got sacrafically cut when I mounted the TV mount there before doing the solar - so it had a big hole in the middle of it and was scrapped. Getting the replacement panel would not have been expensive, but shipping it to California my dealer wanted like $300. Since its behind the TV most of the time anyhow, I wasn't worried about it and got something that was close enough at a big box store.


    Attachment 33404

    From the other side. You can see another access panel (doesn't need airflow so no screen) the battery and some other stuff is behind that. With both open its tight in there but I can get to everything needed. If I have to pull the entire panel it takes maybe an hour or so.

    I added additional 120v since I was in there anyhow, and the electrodacus BMS, and more USB connections. I have a little router mounted permanently there and it runs off usb power too. There is also a battery cutt-off and a 120 main breaker.

    Attachment 33405

    I will follow with one more reply and a few more pics.
    Great job. Well thought out

    Where are the batteries?
    Do you have a battery monitor? Or do you BT everything. Do you use the Dongel? Do you have control panel for Multiplex?

    Our new 2500Rl did away with the big cabinet. Tv is on a great arm to see from theater chairs.

  2. #12
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    The battery is enclosed in the plywood box on the left side of the enclosure. I have a slightly better picture since you cant see the cells at all in the prior photo:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    The threaded rod with the springs is designed to keep the cells under constant pressure - something the manufacturer recommends doing. I'm not sure how well I executed that but I think its in the ballpark. You can see the slots cut into the plywood side and thats where the terminals (copper) came out of the battery. (can see them in prior photo I think)

    For the BMS I am using the Electrodacus - it manages the Victron equipment for LVD/HVD and low temp protection. You can see it in one of the pictures in the upper left corner of the facia.

    I chose not to go with a panel for this - I just use my phone and I do have a battery monitor (bmv712 I think) that is mounted right above the control center. (conveniently also very close to the rest of the equipment)
    2020 imagine 2500rl; 2021 F250 Tremor 7.3
    youtube: @bobanddangsjourney

  3. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by RV Sailor View Post
    Great job. Well thought out


    Our new 2500Rl did away with the big cabinet. Tv is on a great arm to see from theater chairs.
    Yeah, I like that new design - I would have traded that rather than have a place for the batteries, but I was a year too soon
    2020 imagine 2500rl; 2021 F250 Tremor 7.3
    youtube: @bobanddangsjourney

  4. #14
    Rolling Along RV Sailor's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rmcrowe View Post
    Yeah, I like that new design - I would have traded that rather than have a place for the batteries, but I was a year too soon
    How were you able to get the 8 gauge solar cables into the Victron controller. It is a poor design for this
    Otherwise a top notch piece of equipment

  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by RV Sailor View Post
    How were you able to get the 8 gauge solar cables into the Victron controller. It is a poor design for this
    Otherwise a top notch piece of equipment
    Honestly I don't remember having much of a problem with the connectors. I think I heard somewhere on the web that people were having issues, but I wonder if they did a redesign of that. Mine were just fine.
    2020 imagine 2500rl; 2021 F250 Tremor 7.3
    youtube: @bobanddangsjourney

  6. #16
    Setting Up Camp
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    I don't have pictures with me, but I have a 2400BH and, to save space and weight in the pass-through, I placed my setup under the lower bunk at the very end of the trailer. I installed a Victron Multiplus 3000, Victron MPPT Solar controller and three Lion Energy UT 1300 batteries. I built a 1/2" plywood box that exactly fit the space and wrapped it in felt to make it snug and eliminate vibration noises. The outdoor kitchen gives (relatively) easy access to run the wiring out of the passenger side of the box and then down through the existing hole in the floor that the water heater feeds come through. From there you can run the shore power line into the box and the 120v and 12v lines up to the power panel under the tv. From there you can run the solar up to the nose where the roof entry gland solar wiring connects to the trailer power at the 7 pin connection junction box. I did not have to drop very much of the underbelly and after a few choice words, managed to get it all run through in an afternoon.

  7. #17
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    I have a 23BHE and I'm wondering if anyone has added an inverter and possibly solar to that smaller travel trailer. When I spoke to the dealer, they suggested installing the equipment under the dinette seat (where the shoe storage would be). I guess under the bed might work too.

    If anyone has done this work, please let me know and send pictures.

    Thanks
    2021 Grand Design Imagine XLS 23BHE
    2021 GMC Yukon Denali W/Duramax

  8. #18
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    We went wild with our installation of solar and lithium on our Grand Design Reflections 315 RLTS Travel Trailer. We put in six 100 Watt BattleBorn lithium batteries, four 320 Watt solar panels, Victron 3000 Watt Multiplus, 150/100 MPPT, VE Bus Bluetooth Dongle, 712BMV battery monitor and 2 MicroAir AC Easy Starts. We are backing this up with a Champion 3500 Dual Fuel Inverter Generator. I am a very handy guy, but I would not have been able to do the installation by myself. I hired a magician by the name of Mike Perdue with The Dry Campers. We scheduled installation at an RV Rally in north Florida last year. Mike hid all 6 batteries behind the 3 drawers in the bedroom and balance of electronics in the cabinet under the coffee station in the kitchen. Please review the Youtube videos (links attached) showing how he did it. If you can go big, I would whole heartedly recommend. We have boondocked several times in Florida while running AC for hours with just solar and stored batteries. Looking forward to touring the country for several months a year.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipZzXA9EmRI
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EEo2Svb96A

    Happy Trails,
    Jeff
    Last edited by traveldawg; 04-18-2021 at 12:22 PM. Reason: judgment call to allow in spite of driving views to his website decided there is value to out member here.

  9. #19
    Left The Driveway
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    Not perfect and still not complete but a few pictures of our 2000watt inverter/charger(100A), 200AH Lithium add.

    This works great for us. I do not have charging from my truck as the small solar setup has filled the gaps.. We do run the 15Kbtu AC off the inverter for 30 minutes or so during stops which did require a micro air easy start... I ended up over the 5' wire limit (per GO Power) for 2/0 AWG cable by 1' so I need to change the inverter cables to 4/0. The cable does start to get warm after 30 minutes of high current. I can still touch but plan to replace in the next week or so.

    This takes up 1/2 of the under bed floor storage. I did lose about 6" of under bed storage tray travel which hasn't been an issue.
    Tank heater controls were a quick add when needed during a winter trip.... Top right just below the shock mount is my Solar Charger BT Module.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    I put the displays for the inverter/charger, battery monitor, and EMS in the under TV storage area, behind the glass.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Intake I added at inverter inlet. End of bed.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Where I still need to add a grill at the inverter discharge. Side where you have a door.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    2 Solar panels.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    2021 Imagine 2400BH
    2019 F-150 4X2 CC Lariat 3.0L Power Stroke Diesel
    Payload 1846
    ProPride 3P Hitch

  10. #20
    Left The Driveway
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    A slight mess (just returned from 1200 mile round trip) but my solar charger is to the left of the towel rack about 5". Its only 20A so no heat during full load.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Power consumption with AC on. No other loads, fridge was on LP.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    2021 Imagine 2400BH
    2019 F-150 4X2 CC Lariat 3.0L Power Stroke Diesel
    Payload 1846
    ProPride 3P Hitch

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