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  1. #11
    Site Team Soundsailor's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Baja Fog View Post
    The front compartment is amply sized for 600 AH or more of lithium batteries and all the other goodies to give you a robust solar setup; might not need a generator.
    Yes, we have a robust solar and battery system set up using the front storage, currently 800 Ah of lithium.
    Stephen and Judy
    2022 Reflection 150 Series 260RD (Stella)
    2017 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD (Blue)
    Traded - 2018 Forest River Rockwood Minilite 2104S

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Soundsailor View Post
    Yes, we have a robust solar and battery system set up using the front storage, currently 800 Ah of lithium.
    Was it pre-wired for Solar or did you have to set it up?

    How many batteries is that?

    How many panels do you have on top of the trailer, and did you install them, if so, was it difficult?

    Thank you!

  3. #13
    Site Team Soundsailor's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GuidoTheGuide View Post
    Was it pre-wired for Solar or did you have to set it up?

    How many batteries is that?

    How many panels do you have on top of the trailer, and did you install them, if so, was it difficult?

    Thank you!
    Ours came with a 160-watt panel and a 50 amp MPPT charge controller with a 100 Ah lead-acid battery. With the 12-volt refrigerator using about 96 Ah per day, it was pretty clear the 100 Ah battery wasn't going to keep up. We camp off-grid often, so we needed something that would support a long time without shore power. I chose to go with 4 200 Ah LiFePo4 batteries (see the discussion here).

    So far we're only using the one stock panel. Since we often camp in the shade, we wanted panels that could be moved around. My next project is getting two mobile 100-watt setups wired in, in June we'll be at a site with good solar. I'm looking forward to seeing how 360 watts hold up. On our recent trip, the system performed well. We had very little to no solar but after 4 full days of running the frig and a 3,000-watt inverter, we still had over 50 Ah left.

    Was it easy? I don't know how to answer that. The knowledge I gained from many generous people on this forum made it possible. After my first TT, I learned that if you don't enjoy working on your own coach, you'd better be rich and have a lot of patience. You'll pay a lot to have the dealer service you and you can expect your coach to spend more time on their lot than camping, dealers aren't generally up for service, they just want to sell you the trailer.
    Stephen and Judy
    2022 Reflection 150 Series 260RD (Stella)
    2017 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD (Blue)
    Traded - 2018 Forest River Rockwood Minilite 2104S

  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Soundsailor View Post
    Ours came with a 160-watt panel and a 50 amp MPPT charge controller with a 100 Ah lead-acid battery. With the 12-volt refrigerator using about 96 Ah per day, it was pretty clear the 100 Ah battery wasn't going to keep up. We camp off-grid often, so we needed something that would support a long time without shore power. I chose to go with 4 200 Ah LiFePo4 batteries (see the discussion here).

    So far we're only using the one stock panel. Since we often camp in the shade, we wanted panels that could be moved around. My next project is getting two mobile 100-watt setups wired in, in June we'll be at a site with good solar. I'm looking forward to seeing how 360 watts hold up. On our recent trip, the system performed well. We had very little to no solar but after 4 full days of running the frig and a 3,000-watt inverter, we still had over 50 Ah left.

    Was it easy? I don't know how to answer that. The knowledge I gained from many generous people on this forum made it possible. After my first TT, I learned that if you don't enjoy working on your own coach, you'd better be rich and have a lot of patience. You'll pay a lot to have the dealer service you and you can expect your coach to spend more time on their lot than camping, dealers aren't generally up for service, they just want to sell you the trailer.
    Had a look at the other thread discussion, very impressive, although It's more than I'm qualified to do at the moment. I don't have my 5th wheel yet, but it gives me something to mull over.

    Thanks for the input.

  5. #15
    Site Team Soundsailor's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by GuidoTheGuide View Post
    Had a look at the other thread discussion, very impressive, although It's more than I'm qualified to do at the moment. I don't have my 5th wheel yet, but it gives me something to mull over.

    Thanks for the input.
    You're welcome, actually, I didn't know all that much when I started the project. One source I found to be very helpful is Will Prowse's videos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRRKHYwB3Uo). His book (see here) is also very helpful. You might be able to do very well with the 400-watt system Will describes in his video, not that challenging to build. Add in a single 330 Ah LiFePo4 battery and you'd have a very versatile system.
    Stephen and Judy
    2022 Reflection 150 Series 260RD (Stella)
    2017 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD (Blue)
    Traded - 2018 Forest River Rockwood Minilite 2104S

  6. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Soundsailor View Post
    You're welcome, actually, I didn't know all that much when I started the project. One source I found to be very helpful is Will Prowse's videos (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRRKHYwB3Uo). His book (see here) is also very helpful. You might be able to do very well with the 400-watt system Will describes in his video, not that challenging to build. Add in a single 330 Ah LiFePo4 battery and you'd have a very versatile system.
    Well, the good thing is that I have plenty of time to study all of the info. I don't recall seeing it, but what did this setup cost you?

    Thanks.

  7. #17
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    Deformed front bay

    We bought a used 2018 Solitude early in 2022.

    The used trailer dealer was not forthcoming with what had been in the front bay (of course) but there was some wiring for what I assumed was a battery bank.
    A lot smaller gauge wire than I would have used but if you don't mind voltage drop, go for it.

    Anyway, the center latch (the keyed one) would not lock the front compartment. The two latches on the sides of the front compartment worked fine.
    So I measured the height of the front opening of the bay. 1/4" MORE than the edges.
    So whomever owned the trailer previously had put heavy stuff (batteries? generator? ...?) in the compartment and bent the bottom over time.

    Morale to the story: if you are putting in a bank of lead acid batteries for off-gridding, be careful. A bank of lithium batteries would be a lot lighter of course but $$$$$.
    2018 Ram 3500 with AS69RC Aisin transmission and Companion RVK3670 sliding hitch
    2018 Grand Design Solitude 310GK

  8. #18
    Big Traveler
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    Quote Originally Posted by jcschultz01 View Post
    ....
    Morale to the story: if you are putting in a bank of lead acid batteries for off-gridding, be careful. A bank of lithium batteries would be a lot lighter of course but $$$$$.
    When addiing our JT Stabilizer arms to our front landing gear, I placed a piece of angle steel under the storage area from left to right frame rails of the RV and bolted the arms thru the steel to the bottom of the storage compartment. Not only did it give us plenty of strength for the stabilizers, but it also allowed us more support to install our 16k RV watersoftner inside the storage compartment.

    Might work for others who want to load up on weighted batteries in that front compartment on their 5ers.
    Jim and Annette
    2019 Reflection 150 295RL
    US Army Veteran
    Missouri (AKA Misery)

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