Going Solar with an RV for a week!

Using my 350 watts of solar panels along with my two 6volts batteries had given me good results the few times I have gone dry camping since we had kept the outings to short ones, less than two days.


A real challenge is when you plan on going on extended stays without any hookups, and this is what we set out to do when we identified in January 2016 that Assateague Island, where wild ponies roam free, would be our next summer destination.

In anticipation of that trip, I had replace my modified sine wave inverter with a Pure sine wave one, hoping that this would allow me to run all of my stuff safely and without hiccups (except for the AC!)


I also had gotten two brand new CRown CR-240 6 Volts batteries, which afforded me plenty of power storage (around 240 amps hours, or 3000 watt-hour)


Assateague Island is a great place for solar since your solar panels are getting no shadow all day long.


Upon getting there, I noted that my batteries where totally charged since the ride there allowed the solar panels and the truck alternator to keep them fully charged.

I hooked up the shore power directly to my inverter and voilà, we had AC and DC, and plenty of it.


For the 7 days we stayed there, we averaged over around 2000 watts of solar power going back to the batteries, which is not bad considering that my panels are mounted on the roof of the trailer and therefore not pointing fully toward the sun.


We did get one day where it rained and where I only netted around 300 watts of solar power, and a quick one hour run of my Honda 2000watt generator gave enough juice back into the batteries to get them over a 50% discharge state that everyone tells you to stay away from.


All of that went well, this only thing that did not go as well as I would have like is when I would try and use the microwave, for say 4-5 minutes. This amount of draw (1300watts) @ 12v meant I was drawing close to 120 amps. The gauge of the wiring between the inverter and the batteries got really hot a few times. That tells me I will have to increase the size of the wiring.


Ideally, I would also decrease the length of the wire but that really is not an option for me given the location of the inverter.


All in all, I was able to go a week on solar power for the most part, and we ran many fans and lights in the trailer without any issues.


Having said that, most people around me would run generators for hours on end to charge their batteries back every night. A guy in an old Allegro motorhome beside us drove us crazy with running his generators for hours!!

Adding an automated transfer switch

One of the most popular upgrades/mods that is done is the dual six volt batteries, instead of the regular one 12 v battery. The reasons to go with that mod are numerous but in a nutshell, for those that enjoy dry camping, or boon docking, an extended reserve capacity is the numero uno reason to go with such an upgrade.




The other upgrade that can then follow is the addition of an inverter, which basically hooks directly to your batteries, and transforms the DC 12v into AC 120v. This allows you to run different AC items, and it also allows you to plug your RV shore power  plug directly into the inverter.  The only thing you don't want to forget to do, if you do this, is to turn the converter circuit breaker off, so that you are not trying to charge back the batteries using power from the batteries. Given the losses, this would eventually drain your batteries without you realizing what is going on.




Now based on the location of your inverter, it may not always be an easy thing to bring out the shore power cable so to hook it to the inverter. In fact, based on where you are, and for how long you need AC power, sometimes it gets downright unpleasant.


That is when you think of an easier option. One that may include something a bit more permanent, easier, automated, in a nutshell, something that is called an "automated transfer switch".


These switches allow you to "switch from between shore power, when available, and inverter/generator power.




What a smart thing to do right?! Sure, but nothing is simple and easy, and you always need to do proper research. In carpenter terms, we'd say, measure twice, cut once. Same applies to just about everything, let me tell you.


The appealing idea of getting a transfer switch got me to score one on Kijiji, for a mere 100$ CAN, for a Surgeguard 41260 50 amps.




Before I hooked it, I thought I would make sure that the inverter and the automated transfer switch (ATS) would play nice with one another.




Indeed, there is this thing we call electricity, that does weird things at times, and for which you better have a plan B for when things go wrong. In this case, plan B means the bond between neutral and ground wire, that is usually found in our home electrical panels. I spare you the details of why we do have this bond there, but  the electrical code calls for only one place where such a bond with the neutral and ground wire will happen.




Could this mean there is no such bond in an RV electrical panel? Exactly! In fact, once connected to shore power, the RV electrical circuit basically uses the bond found in the home electrical panel.


Now I am saying this because some inverter have what is called a floating neutral, where there won't be a bond between the neutral and the ground wire. Knowing this, using an inverter that does not have such bonded neutral and ground wires with an automated switch to which shore power is hooked (with a bonded neutral-ground) may create a situation where some electricity is back fed from the inverter to the battery terminals, possibly energizing them, which is no good.




So what to do? Well, for starters, inquiring with the company that manufactures the ATS is a good idea. In my case, I have reached out to them and am still waiting for an answer.


I do not want to hook my inverter through the ATS to then hook up shore power and to then see my inverter go up in smoke...




I will post here as I am getting answer from the manufacturer. When I am ready to install the ATS, I will post the details of the installation here as well.




Stay tuned!




Update May 3rd 2016




Well the manufacturer was not so sure about what I was trying to do, so I ended up looking for a solution that might be a little simpler than having to hook an Auto transfer switch to an inverter, which means an inverter with an ATS built in! I have to admit that I have been keeping an eye out on classifieds so that I could eventually score a used Pure Sine Wave inverter. Why Pure Sine wave? Well, if you wanted to be able to run your microwave properly, and also to protect all of your precious electronics, pure sine wave is the way to go. It essentially produces power that is like the one you buy from the grid, oscillating in a pure sine wave form, as opposed to the modified sine wave that cheaper inverter (most are sold like that anyway) will produce.




If you have ever shopped around for a 2000 watts pure sine wave inverter, you know how expensive they can get, hence me hoping to find one on classifieds. Over the last 18 months, I have come close to getting the 2000w Go Power Pure sine wave inverter, but was never able to finalize the transaction.


To cut to the chase, I located a used Outback Inverter FX2012MT, producing a constant 2000w of pure sine wave electricity, BUT with a built in Auto transfer switch!




YES! The Nirvana of inverter with built in features. It also boosts a battery charger, so I was in heaven when I got it off Kijiji for around 400$ Canadians, when they sell for well over 2000$ new. Best of all, it works great in tandem with my Solar Charger, the Outback Flexmax 80. Can you ask for anything better? I think not!






But that thing is heavy, at 62 lbs, and is certainly built like a tank. In fact, I have the sealed version, which is meant to go on marine applications as well as mobile (RV) applications. Finding a proper spot for it won't be easy since it has to be as close as possible to the batteries (given the DC losses at high current). Design wise, you also have to take into account the fact that the two runs of AC wires from and to the RV electrical panel need to be properly sized to avoid wire heating up under heavy load. This is where things stand for now. I have located an area close to the battery but inside the trailer, so that it stays out of the elements. I am still hoping to find 8 AWG wire so that to limit the AC losses over two runs of about 22 ft (so 44ft) that will be added up to my already existing shore power cord, which is already over 20 ft in length. Even though AC losses are far lesser than DC ones, they still add up quickly when under heavy load.




The link below quickly became my new best friend in trying to identify a proper wire size to keep losses under 2 %




Voltage drop calculator




For instance, by adding the 44ft of  10 awg wire to the existing 20 ft of 10 AWG of the shore power cord, under a load of 1 amp, (120 watts) , would only generate an acceptable loss of 0.1 % where a 30 amp load would increase it to 3%. If I was able to find a bigger size wire, say 8 awg for the extra 44 ft, it would bring the loss down to 2.48%, which is much closer to the goal of 2%. Knowing I would probably never be maxed out at 30 amps for long periods of time anyway, I would be fine.


So that is the objective for now, find some good 8 AWG wire that I can use, that won't cost me 7 $ per foot.



I will update when I do.


Update May 6th 2016


I may have found the perfect wire for the job, a stranded 7 AWG 7/3 wire rated for outdoor use on Kijiji, for around a dollar a foot. This size of a wire would bring down the losses to around 2.12% under a heavy 25 amps load, or 1.27% under a 15 amps load, which is more likely.


If I am successful is buying it on Kijiji (I am still waiting to hear back from the seller) I will then proceed on to installing everything, and will provide photos and videos of the install.


In the meantime, I have been able to get confirmation from Outback that their FX2012MT inverter does have an internal auto transfer switch rated at 30 amps, in spite of the inverter itself producing only 2000 watts or 16.6 amps. I wanted to have the assurance that hooking my shore power cord through the Outback Inverter switch would not diminish the current that can pass through which I do need from time to time when hooked at a campground, for instance, where I may want to use the full 30 amps.

Daddy, what happens if I pull on that handle??!!

I wish my soon to be five year old son would have asked me this but he didn't.

How I found out is not a pleasant story to tell, at least not from my perpesctive. I still have nightmares about it! Nnnnooo! Don't pull that handle!!!!

We were about to leave the Cardinal KOA we were at, which required us to empty our tanks on our way out since we only had electricity and water. No big deal, I was thinking to myself, especially since I was pleasantly surprised to see they had a sewer hose already hooked, ready to use. Great! I thought to myself, that will save me some time!

What happened next cannot be exaggerated as it was a catastrophy by all means. The second I removed the cap, something went very wrong! Wait a second I though, there shouldn't be anything coming out just yet, the valves are still closed, or so I thought!

When disaster strikes like this, you instantly react the best you can. In hindsight, it wasn't the best of idea to try and catch the waste with my two hands (wearing leather gloves!!) It was not really efficient and I could tell from the way it was falling on my brand new sneakers that I'd have to find another way to deal with this. By the time I put the cap back on and closed the valve, there was ample evidence on the ground that a black water tank holds way more than I thought.

What splashed on the ground forced me to try and clean the best I could with my hands as yes, there were solid residues that needed a little push to move towards the sewer hole.

I can honestly say I had my hands full!

The 90 minute ride back home was echoed by many complaints from my kids who apparently thought I emitted a foul odor, still.

We drove with the windows wide open and enjoyed the fresh air way more than we usually would in spite of the cooler weather!

P. S. I am looking for a way to put on a lock to that dreaded valve. That's my next MOD!!

This week-end outing: Cardinal KOA

We have been busy with work around the house lately but we are looking forward to this week-end as we will go to the Cardinal / Ottawa South Koa, close to Ogdensburg, NY.

We will have a chance to see our beneficial our mods are, specifically the rear view camera one, which allows us to hook the trailer in a much easier way. Outside led lights will also be put to good use, along with my remote controlled slide-out!

Off course, my paper logs will once more be put to good use as it is still chilly in our neck of the wood this time of year!

I know, I have to get to these foldable shelves I mentioned in a previous post. I absolutely need to get them done prior to our holidays. We are leaving on July 17th, less than two months away, so time will be of the essence.

As for this week-end, I will report back later and will edit this post. Stay tuned!

Oh, and I almost forgot. It has nothing to do with mods (may get there eventually) but we will be bringing our dog Toby along with us for the first time on a camping outing. That certainly is going to force me to think "mods" over the week-end as we need to bring a sleeping mat for him, a crate and so on. So many things to mod, it never ends!

Cheers

JF
Master Modder

Success! Solar system did great!

Our first outing of the season was a success with my newly installed solar panels, charge controller and inverter. I am using a modified sine wave, but I was able to use the coffee machine, the toaster and even the microwave (although you could tell it had a hard time with the electricity produced by my inverter)

While there were some clouds over the week-end, my actual solar setup of 350 watts netted me 1200 watts on both days we were out there, providing for plenty of power for the furnace which never really stopped given the cold (it was close to 4 degrees Celsius on Friday night, and would dip to zero overnight)

Having said that, having enough power from the sun is one thing, but adjusting to no hookups is another. We ran out of water late Saturday evening, and I had to manually replenish our supplies with a 5 gallon water jug we had. Not pleasant!

The other thing that ended up being a problem was the one way check valve that is at the entry of the city water supply. The check valve was no longer working, allowing water to escape. I have to improvise using my hose to find a way to close the system, but still, water could trickle through, which forced the DC water pump to come on every five minutes or so, even without us using any water. Pretty annoying in the middle of the night if you ask me.

Last thing that went wrong is my estimation of propane usage, as I had not bothered getting my second 20 lbs. refilled, as the 1st one was full, and since I had a full one for the BBQ if need be. Well I woke up to a chilly 10C in the middle of the second night since the second tank went dry on me. Brrr, it was cold, but I made the switch and went back to bed, hearing the reassuring humming of the furnace as it went into overdrive trying to catch up.

All in all, my solar system worked fine. It even allowed the kids to watch TV, to my surprise, as my first attempt at getting the TV set to play using the inverter was not a success, and I thought the TV did not like the modified wave. It was great to be able to get everything to run on an inverter, using the power of the sun, but we still have to adjust to other things that come with not having any hookups.

I also have to add another two 170 watt panels that I have, that would bring me around 800 watts of solar power, plenty over what we need.

Stay tuned!

Time to try out the solar setup

I am not done detailing the installation of my solar system setup, as it is not completed. I still have to add some more panels.

However, I have completed the installation of my new Flexmax 80 charge controller, along with a 1500 watt inverter, to charge the 460 amp hours battery bank that I have using 350 watts of solar power coming from 5 Siemens SP75.

We are headed out to our first official camping outing of the 2015 season this week-end, and will put the system to use as there won't be any hookups where we are headed.

I reserved a site where I thought sun would be optimal but we will see. I will take notes of what happens, and will report our findings here so stay tuned!

I hope that the cold is not going to ruin the week-end, and drain my batteries from the constant running of the furnace's fan, which draws 3-4 amps when running. Cross your fingers!

Adding foldable shelves?

By definition, space is limited in any RV (mind you some of them are nicer than my own home!) and it stands to reason that everything needs to be optimized. While most manufacturers usually do a great job for most things, some things are left for us to do, us modder's, MacGiver's, DIY'ers, you know who you are!!

Our travel trailer has a huge queen size bed that extends out at the back of the trailer, revealing the dinette and couch area. Thinking of optimizing things, I have been toying with the ideas of putting up shelves up there high on the wall, where things could be stored temporarily when camping, allowing for the shelves to put folded back up close to the wall to allow the slide to safely come in.

That is one mod I have yet to since I am not decided yet on the final design.

My main concerns/challenges:

1. Shelves have to be securely attached to the trailer's walls, and we all know how thick and robust these are; could Velcro be used? Should many anchoring points be used to distribute the weight?

2. Material to use: wood, plastic, composite? Should I go for flexibility and easiness of working with wood, or go with lighter but less flexible materials like plastic, composite or even aluminum?

3. Support method: should the shelves be supported by a wire, so from the top, allowing them to be folded back up against the wall, or supported from the bottom, with a wooden support that could slide in place when needed?

4. Size and overhang: based on supporting method and material, how deep can I go for without risking structural damage to the walls should they fall?

5. Anchoring methods: how best to attach the whole thing? Screws into the wall, or into some sort of anchoring system for thin walls? Or find support behind the wall and screw in a long piece of wood to use as support and anchoring platform?

See how much fun there is in coming up with your own design and solution to best fit your needs?

Feel free to chime in in the comments!