400A lithium + 500W solar + 3000W inverter - 1st trip how it worked

[PlanetExcellent]

Made our first trip in the travel trailer with the finished battery/solar system. I'm really happy with how it turned out because I wanted to be able to dry-camp for 5 days straight, which is our practical limit for water and holding tanks anyway. Here's what I installed:

• 2x Chins 200Ah lithium batteries in parallel = 400Ah / 12v (mine are the ones with 200A BMS)
• 2x 210W Newpowa solar panels on the roof (wired in parallel because we will often be in partial shade)
• 1x Epever Tracer 40A MPPT charge controller
• 1x 80W GoPower solar panel on the roof & GoPower PWM controller (factory installed)
• 1x Xantrex XC3000 3000W inverter/charger/transfer switch
• 1x Lynx PowerIn buss bar
• Pre-made 4/0 battery cables from www.batterycablesusa.com
• 1x battery monitor I bought on Amazon for $40

We went up to Door County Wisconsin for a few days. Weather was very cloudy, temperatures in the 50's, and we were in a heavily shaded campsite.

On average, we used approximately 15% of our battery power per day according to the battery monitor. Left the driveway at noon on Sunday at 99%, left campsite at noon on Thursday at 32%. The 12v compressor refrigerator (Norcold N10DC) was on all the time; we used the microwave and TV whenever we wanted; as well as typical LED lights, water pump, phone chargers, etc. We also ran the propane furnace for about 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours at night, but we turned it off overnight.

I think we got almost no output from the solar panels (about 1 amp on the charge controller display when I checked) due to the shade and cloud cover. If we'd been in the sun even part of the time, I'm sure it would've made up for a good portion of our daily consumption. When I checked at a fuel stop after a couple of hours of driving home in full sun we had already gained about 10% I think.

I also did a driveway test running the roof air conditioner, which I outfitted with a MicroAir EasyStart. While running the refrigerator, I was able to run the AC for 2 hours and the battery level dropped from 99% to 30%. It was only about 80 degrees, so not a very big load on the AC, but at least I know it works.

Notes:

• For my money, the Chins or similar 'budget' batteries work just fine. For typical camping use, 400Ah seems like plenty of power without taking up too much room or costing too much money. If you don't use the microwave or you only need 2-3 days of boondocking, 200A might be fine.
• I have room for one more 210W solar panel, but I'm going to add a Renogy DC-DC charger instead so we can recharge while driving in cloudy weather. Since we like to camp in the woods, more solar wouldn't help us much.
• The Xantrex 'smart' inverter/charger/ATS was not cheap, but all I have to do is push one button and I like that. It's also a lot lighter than a comparable Victron unit.
• The most valuable piece of gear is the battery monitor. If you only buy one thing, buy that. Knowing exactly how much power you actually have left means you can stay out longer.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Nice write up.

Consider getting some additional panels for use as a deployable array. Flexible panels in PVC frames can be easily and rapidly placed in parallel with your existing array:

Cheap Dual Flex Panel Mobile/Tilting Stand

Here’s a super lightweight and cheap adjustable stand design that I use for 100w flex panel pairs. Each unit costs

diysolarforum.com

 

[PlanetExcellent]

Yes that's a good idea. There is often some sun at the end of the campsite near the road, so a panel there would help and a flexible one would be lightweight and easy to store.

 

[fratermus]

In summer I try to park on the edge of the forest line where the mounted panels catch sun until ~noon and the van is shaded in the hot afternoon. I do carry 200w of portables in case it gets too hot and I need to hide under the canopy.

If you winter camp you might welcome the sun on the rig all day. And a warming pad for the Chins unless they are the self-heating ones.

 

[JBennettBus]

Made our first trip in the travel trailer with the finished battery/solar system. I'm really happy with how it turned out because I wanted to be able to dry-camp for 5 days straight, which is our practical limit for water and holding tanks anyway.

I always like to hear about actual experiences. I've got a different situation (full-time boondocking out west, 10-14 day stays) but more information never hurts.

One thing I noticed is that you're considering alternator charging, which is something I've been looking at. I like my "pure solar" vibe, but there's a lot to be said for being able to charge any time.

 

[JBennettBus]

In summer I try to park on the edge of the forest line where the mounted panels catch sun until ~noon and the van is shaded in the hot afternoon.

Hey, Fratermus. I know you from Twitter, but I've been locked out of there since February. [Insert angry string of dirty words here.]

I like the morning sun/afternoon shade strategy. I've mostly stayed on high-altitude BLM land in summer, but I'd like to start visiting more forests, and smart parking seems key for those kind of places. Currently thinking of bumping my 400W setup to 600W which might also help in the shady situations.

 

[rdhood]

I am building something similar right now.... good to know I am on the right path.

 

[PlanetExcellent]

I always like to hear about actual experiences. I've got a different situation (full-time boondocking out west, 10-14 day stays) but more information never hurts.

One thing I noticed is that you're considering alternator charging, which is something I've been looking at. I like my "pure solar" vibe, but there's a lot to be said for being able to charge any time.

Yes. For us, the appeal would be to get some extra charge when moving from one campground to the next. I'm hoping that 3-4 hours of alternator plus some solar while driving would avoid the need to alternate between campgrounds with electric and without.