Run air conditioners off solar/batteries

[Meatball]

Will a 2025 Solitude run the Air Conditioners off the batteries with the inverter running or is shore power or a generator the only way?

 

[Second Chance]

This is a simple question with a very complicated answer (and has been discussed in other threads). The simple, quick answer is, "no." A couple of lead-acid batteries will not run an AC - at least not for very long. You would need a hefty bank of LiFePO4 batteries (and enough solar to recharge them) to run an AC. You would also need to upgrade the stock inverter and do some rewiring - the ACs are not on the subpanel that distributes the power from the inverter. If you're not on shore power, a generator is likely the least expensive option... and it would have to be big enough to handle the starting current of the AC. Also keep in mind that most campgrounds have quiet hours during the evening and nighttime hours when generators cannot be run.

Perhaps @SolarPoweredRV will chime in here with a more technical look at things for you.

Rob

 

[Meatball]

Rob,

Thank you for responding and for the good information.

I will be installing a generator. It seems like a propane generator makes the most sense since gas power would be a real pain to deal with and fill. Your thoughts?

Thanks,
Paul

 

[jkwilson]

Rob,

Thank you for responding and for the good information.

I will be installing a generator. It seems like a propane generator makes the most sense since gas power would be a real pain to deal with and fill. Your thoughts?

Thanks,
Paul

The other way around IMO. A generator running an air conditioner will likely use more than a 30lb bottle of propane every day. It would be much more difficult to take a bottle out and have it refilled every day than it would to go get a can of gasoline. If you are using your stove and water heater, you could potentially go through two tanks of propane in a day.

 

[Second Chance]

Rob,

Thank you for responding and for the good information.

I will be installing a generator. It seems like a propane generator makes the most sense since gas power would be a real pain to deal with and fill. Your thoughts?

Thanks,
Paul

As @jkwilson said, a gasonline generator might be a better choice, but there's no practical way I can think of to install a gasoline generator and a gas tank in a Solitude (the Momentums already have fuel tanks built in under the chassis). A oportable generator big enough to run one AC may be the best compromise - though many people have factory-installed propane generators in Solitudes. You might see if one of those folks with chime in about their experience.

Rob

 

[Hoopy Frood]

Rob,

Thank you for responding and for the good information.

I will be installing a generator. It seems like a propane generator makes the most sense since gas power would be a real pain to deal with and fill. Your thoughts?

Thanks,
Paul

While a propane generator definitely has its merits, if you're using it more than just occasionally, then gas would be the way to go. Propane's main benefits, IMO, is that the engine parts stay cleaner, the carb doesn't gum up when stored without draining first, and exhaust is cleaner. You lose power with propane, and consumption is higher than gasoline. So, I think if you're going to be using it frequently, gas is the way to go.

 

[Riverbug]

Propane's main benefits, IMO, is that the engine parts stay cleaner, the carb doesn't gum up when stored without draining first, and exhaust is cleaner.

Not sure if all states carry non-oxygenated fuel, but that's the way to go for all small engines or engines that sit idle for periods of time (snowmobiles, ATVs, etc) if you want to avoid carburetor issues. We have it readily available where we are. Just note that non-oxygenated is different than Premium (higher octane) fuel. Some people confuse the two. It's ethanol that you don't want in your fuel if you can help it. But it's illegal to put non-oxygenated fuel in motor vehicles...

 

[jkwilson]

Not sure if all states carry non-oxygenated fuel, but that's the way to go for all small engines or engines that sit idle for periods of time (snowmobiles, ATVs, etc) if you want to avoid carburetor issues. We have it readily available where we are. Just note that non-oxygenated is different than Premium (higher octane) fuel. Some people confuse the two. It's ethanol that you don't want in your fuel if you can help it. But it's illegal to put non-oxygenated fuel in motor vehicles...

Generally "recreational gas" is the good stuff for storage.

Learned my lesson many years ago when the kids outgrew their go kart. Just used it less and less and the next thing you know it had been sitting for two years. Tried to get it running to sell, but the carburetor was a nightmare. Being cheap, I spent 3 days cleaning and rebuilding it. Tecumseh and ethanol are both four letter words in my vocabulary.

That's when I figured out just spending $15 on a replacement carb didn't make me less of a man!

On the open frame generator we keep for power outages at home, I have a box sitting on top with a spare carb, spare spark plug and cheap versions of tools to change both.

When I have to run it, I drain it dry after use, take the bowl off the carburetor and flush it with Seafoam.

I wish the fuel systems of small engine tools had an easy mechanism to flush and drain the carb.

 

[Hoopy Frood]

FWIW, the Onan generator that comes with our Momentum is easily drained. That's one of the things I like about it, since we don't use it very often.

 

[JKellerJr]

Will a 2025 Solitude run the Air Conditioners off the batteries with the inverter running or is shore power or a generator the only way?

It seems like a propane generator makes the most sense since gas power would be a real pain to deal with and fill. Your thoughts?

Thanks,
Paul

Oh, the memories of going down this road!

First, yes you can can an air conditioner off an inverter (a big enough one) and batteries. However as @Second Chance alluded to its just not very practical for an extended period of time. You need lots battery capacity and a large amount of solar. And you'll probably need a generator anyway to supplement the charging when you don't have enough sun. I've run one of my AC's for a couple of hours off a 3000w Multiplus and 400AH of lithium. But 1 AC in a solitude doesn't do very well if its hot

As far as generators go (permanently installed ones) if you are going be a heavy user and your going through the trouble of installing a fuel tank then you may as well go with a QD diesel generator. They are an inverter style with pure sine wave output and are way more efficient than either gas or propane. Plus a diesel rated tank is easier/cheaper than a gas rated tank.

I went down this road when I bought our 375. I had every intention of going with a QD and figuring out a way to install a tank. But then I really sat down and did the math. The cost difference, not even accounting for the extra work, would buy a whole bunch of propane.

While the gas version of the QG5500 (factory installed units) is a bit more efficient, the biggest difference in how much fuel a factory installed unit will hold. I believe momentums have a 30 gallon tank which works out to be slightly more than 4-30lb propane tanks. Using the half load specs you'll get 50 hours out of a gas unit on 30 gallons vs 35 hours off 4 30lb LP tanks (28 gallons). (31 vs 25 at full load). A QD6000 will run 75 hours at half load off 30 gallons of diesel or 42 hours at full load. But you'll still need to find away to mount a tank/lines etc. in your solitude.

I stuck with the propane and bought 2 extra 40lb LP tanks to carry along for when I know I'll have heavy usage. 40lb tanks will fit but their not as easy to install as you need to put them in the compartment top first and they are heavy. That along with our 400AH hours of Lithium battery work very well. I only need to run the generator full time if we need the AC, with the Multiplus everything in the trailer will run of the batteries. The generator will run 2 AC's at a time. Otherwise the Multiplus will charge at 100+ amps per hour so 3/4 hours max is all I need to run to fully recharge. Usually once every couple of days.

 

[BoredWeasel]

When overnighting in rest areas or cracker barrels while traveling, I can run our AC overnight on Battery, temperature dependent. We have 800 amp hours in the trailer and another 200 in the truck.

The ac takes about 115 amp 12 volts to run the compressor, when fan is running it only takes 15 amps. So it cycles on an off through the night. lowest power remaining I have seen has been 48 amp hours with the 800 amp hour pack.

Getting that battery recharged off grid is problematic, It would take 100 amps for 8 hours assuming no other loads to bring it back to full capacity. I can recover it from 250 to 400 amp hours in a normal day of travel, charging from the truck and solar.

 

[Soundsailor]

When overnighting in rest areas or cracker barrels while traveling, I can run our AC overnight on Battery, temperature dependent. We have 800 amp hours in the trailer and another 200 in the truck.

The ac takes about 115 amp 12 volts to run the compressor, when fan is running it only takes 15 amps. So it cycles on an off through the night. lowest power remaining I have seen has been 48 amp hours with the 800 amp hour pack.

Getting that battery recharged off grid is problematic, It would take 100 amps for 8 hours assuming no other loads to bring it back to full capacity. I can recover it from 250 to 400 amp hours in a normal day of travel, charging from the truck and solar.

That makes sense. I also have 800 AH, and since the AC uses about 100 AH per hour, in theory, that would give 8 hours (assuming all of my capacity was available to the AC, which it isn't). But as you say, recharging off-grid is an issue. We have 900 watts of solar on the roof, with another 200 in a portable panel. With good sun, I can get 50+ amps each hour. So I would need more than a day to get recharged.

 

[Conner58]

We can run our AC off our batteries.
Normally we run bedroom ac with doors shut and will have 70% batteries left in the morning.
It can be done but not cheap to do .
We have about 12k in solar and it's not top of the line .

 

[MurphyIRE-KEY]

I Have a 310 RLS and I use a Champion gas generator 4500/3800. I installed soft starts on both AC units. I usually run one AC Unit. With the soft starts, I have done both, but only for a short period. When we go to Bed, I switch to the unit in the bedroom. Quiet hours are a problem, my generator throws 68 decibles. Usually. I'm boondocking.

 

[Oldcow]

We can run our AC off our batteries.
Normally we run bedroom ac with doors shut and will have 70% batteries left in the morning.
It can be done but not cheap to do .
We have about 12k in solar and it's not top of the line .

Interesting. How much solar on the roof and how big of a battery bank do you have. I am installing 1920 W panels and will have a bank of 840 amps. I am hoping I can run the bedroom AC for a few hours during the night.

Oldcow

 

[Soundsailor]

Interesting. How much solar on the roof and how big of a battery bank do you have. I am installing 1920 W panels and will have a bank of 840 amps. I am hoping I can run the bedroom AC for a few hours during the night.

Oldcow

You should be fine. With 840 AH, you could probably manage 4 hours or more without being too low in the morning. And with 1,920 watts of solar, recharging should happen in a few hours, given good sun.

 

[Oldcow]

You should be fine. With 840 AH, you could probably manage 4 hours or more without being too low in the morning. And with 1,920 watts of solar, recharging should happen in a few hours, given good sun.

That is what I am hoping for. I do have a Onan geny as well to help recharge if there is a lack of sun.

Oldcow