Electrical Configuration

[MRaponi]

Hello -
We are in the configuration process and plan to order the following for a new 21C: One solar panel (190w); Solar port for additional panel if needed; One lithium battery; 1500w inverter.

We live in Western Nevada and typically camp w/o hook-ups. The areas where we usually camp get plenty of sun. We plan to camp three seasons.

Would appreciate comments from those with a similar configuration.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by MRaponi

Hello -
We are in the configuration process and plan to order the following for a new 21C: One solar panel (190w); Solar port for additional panel if needed; One lithium battery; 1500w inverter.

We live in Western Nevada and typically camp w/o hook-ups. The areas where we usually camp get plenty of sun. We plan to camp three seasons.

Would appreciate comments from those with a similar configuration.

I have a pair of 160 watt panels, the GoPower 1500 watt inverter (rewired with #0 wire) & 3 Battleborn lithium 100 amp hour batteries.

I spent the winter of 2019 in Quartzsite with 2 lithium batteries, and managed to get through 3 cloudy days with them, but decided to add the third battery so I could go a week without sun.

I do use more amp hours than most - make a pot of drip coffee each morning, ofter run a toaster, microwave & Instant pot. Lots of camera & other electronics charging & a very power hungry laptop. I average 40 - 50 amp hours per day.

[MRaponi]

Thanks for responding with some very useful information. Something I didn't add - we won't be using many appliances.

[NEWYORKHILLBILLY]

Originally Posted by MRaponi

Hello -
We are in the configuration process and plan to order the following for a new 21C: One solar panel (190w); Solar port for additional panel if needed; One lithium battery; 1500w inverter.

We live in Western Nevada and typically camp w/o hook-ups. The areas where we usually camp get plenty of sun. We plan to camp three seasons.

Would appreciate comments from those with a similar configuration.

I would add the second lithium battery . I know the go power batteries ETI is using are rated for 100A (continuous); 120A (30 minutes); 150A (5 seconds). You inverter will be much happier with a pair of them. IMO 100 amp battery is not enough for a 1500 watt inverter . Plus if you camp with out hookups you will welcome the extra capacity.

[dfandrews]

We camp extensively in the east side of CA (the US-395 corridor generally) from about April through November. We have a group 31 12V battery, and a 150W solar panel flat on the roof.
Our electricity use is: propane furnace - so, fan and controller, frig controller (frig is in propane mode), Maxx fan running frequently (even at night) for ventilation, LED lights, USB charging for phones and 2 way radios, occasional charging of a laptop computer through a small 300W inverter.
Solar is entirely adequate for our needs unless we get 3 or more solid stormy/heavily overcast days, but then we're moving somewhere else anyway, and the battery is charged while we're under tow.

[John in Santa Cruz]

We use no 120V appliances, don't have a built in inverter, and are perfectly happy. Have the 160W solar they offered in 2014.

I do have a small '300W' (really more like 150-200 watt max sustained) inverter that we use for charging a few things that don't have 12VDC chargers (wife's laptop, ebike batteries). we make coffee by boiling water and using a hand grinder and either filter or aeropress. we bake quite a bit with the propane oven in our 21, hot sandwiches, reheated frozen home made meals.

My 2014 has the dual golf cart flooded batts. I just added a SmartShunt so next camping trip I can better monitor the battery state and see what our daily usage really is.

[MRaponi]

Great information. Thanks.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

I have a pair of 160 watt panels, the GoPower 1500 watt inverter (rewired with #0 wire) & 3 Battleborn lithium 100 amp hour batteries.

I spent the winter of 2019 in Quartzsite with 2 lithium batteries, and managed to get through 3 cloudy days with them, but decided to add the third battery so I could go a week without sun.

Jon- When you added your third lithium battery did you connect it in the same way as the first two, or did you rearrange the connections by using bus bars, daisy-chaining the batteries, etc?

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

Jon- When you added your third lithium battery did you connect it in the same way as the first two, or did you rearrange the connections by using bus bars, daisy-chaining the batteries, etc?

Rather than buss bars, I used #0 wiring between batteries, with the negative coming off one end of the chain & the positive the other.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

Rather than buss bars, I used #0 wiring between batteries, with the negative coming off one end of the chain & the positive the other.

My finished installation won't look that neat. What material did you use for the partition in the front of the compartment?

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

My finished installation won't look that neat. What material did you use for the partition in the front of the compartment?

1/8" Styrene bent 90° at the end of the batteries. As to neat, I ordered the #0 cables from Genuine DealZ with a note to make them eye center to eye center for a length of 7-3/8" (the spacing between the terminal centers). They made them exactly to size. I'd hate to need to get at any of the negative bolts. I ordered an insulated 1/2" open end wrench - things got a little closer than I liked tightening them.

[Mike Lewis]

I just realized that I can daisy-chain my batteries together and still fuse them individually with MRBF fuses. Then I can avoid using the busbars and excessive cabling. Looks like I'm going to do it over. Grrrr.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

1/8" Styrene bent 90° at the end of the batteries.

What is the blue strip you have screwed down at the front of the compartment?