Mark has been very busy working on the camper this week, here is what he has been up to on the first couple days of his vacation.......
As I plan on retiring at the end of the year and along with my bride touring some of the USA in our newly acquired Beast (2008 Ford F-350 Dually) while pulling our 02 Montana 5th wheel (5er). Below are some of the things I have been doing in preparation for our trip of a lifetime. Although these are not in chronological order they may be of some interest to you and serve as a good fall back of information of what I did for my own recollection.
Ok here we go!
By the end of day two of my vacation I have the new solar powered electrical system in the 5er just about completed (it is charging). I Installed 4 HQST 100 watt 12 volt Monocrystalline solar panels on the high side of the 5er's roof attaching them with Z brackets. Daisy chained the 4 panels together using weatherproof Y branch MC4 parallel connectors (waterproof wire adapters). Then ran 2 10 gauge awg wires thru the roof, down the bedroom closet wall, thru the floor into the storage compartment, out thru the dividing wall into the front utility compartment and finally connected both + and - to the 40 amp HOST MTTP charge controller. Then sealing all cable hold downs and bracket screws on the roof using Dicor Self-Leveling lap sealant.
I previously built and installed a new battery bank system upgrading the single 150amh 12 volt battery to 4 6 volt 230amh batteries, first wiring them 2 by 2 in series to bring the voltage to 12 volt and then in parallel to bring the amh rating up to a total of 460amh. This not only increases the 5er's 12 volt system capacity substantially but also feeds the new 12V DC to 120V AC 3000 watt PowerTech PURE SINE WAVE Inverter that I installed. With the inverter along with the solar charging system used wisely will run all but my largest consuming 120 volt needs.
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Not to bore but I am including some of my calculation here more for my reference than your need to know. However you may find it interesting as it includes *my planned future expansions.
A/C run time required for Boondocking
Watts= 4x100 watt per panels (400 watts) *6x100=600 watt
Efficiency rating 80%= 4x80 watts (320 watts) *6x80=480 watts
320 Watts x 4.5hr daylite rating= 1440 watts *480 watts x 4.5 dl rate=2160 watts
1440 watts / volts (12v) = 120 amps *2160/12=180 amps
(13500 btu Roof A/C = 14.5 amps running (1740 watts)
120 amp dc / 14.5 amp ac (160 amp dc) = .75 hours *180 amps dc / 160 amp dc=1.125 hours)
If A/C ran for 5hr per day on battery (8700 watts) 800 amps dc you need 8 6 volt 230ah battery bank and at least 8 100 watt solar panels.
Battery Cap. 6 Volt Golf Cart Battery = 230ah @ 20amps 4x230= 920ah, *6x230= 1380ah *8x230= 1840ah
4 Battery Cap. 230Ah @ 50% would run roof A/C for 2.875hr adding the solar would run the A/C for 3.625hr
Ok here we go!
By the end of day two of my vacation I have the new solar powered electrical system in the 5er just about completed (it is charging). I Installed 4 HQST 100 watt 12 volt Monocrystalline solar panels on the high side of the 5er's roof attaching them with Z brackets. Daisy chained the 4 panels together using weatherproof Y branch MC4 parallel connectors (waterproof wire adapters). Then ran 2 10 gauge awg wires thru the roof, down the bedroom closet wall, thru the floor into the storage compartment, out thru the dividing wall into the front utility compartment and finally connected both + and - to the 40 amp HOST MTTP charge controller. Then sealing all cable hold downs and bracket screws on the roof using Dicor Self-Leveling lap sealant.
I previously built and installed a new battery bank system upgrading the single 150amh 12 volt battery to 4 6 volt 230amh batteries, first wiring them 2 by 2 in series to bring the voltage to 12 volt and then in parallel to bring the amh rating up to a total of 460amh. This not only increases the 5er's 12 volt system capacity substantially but also feeds the new 12V DC to 120V AC 3000 watt PowerTech PURE SINE WAVE Inverter that I installed. With the inverter along with the solar charging system used wisely will run all but my largest consuming 120 volt needs.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Not to bore but I am including some of my calculation here more for my reference than your need to know. However you may find it interesting as it includes *my planned future expansions.
A/C run time required for Boondocking
Watts= 4x100 watt per panels (400 watts) *6x100=600 watt
Efficiency rating 80%= 4x80 watts (320 watts) *6x80=480 watts
320 Watts x 4.5hr daylite rating= 1440 watts *480 watts x 4.5 dl rate=2160 watts
1440 watts / volts (12v) = 120 amps *2160/12=180 amps
(13500 btu Roof A/C = 14.5 amps running (1740 watts)
120 amp dc / 14.5 amp ac (160 amp dc) = .75 hours *180 amps dc / 160 amp dc=1.125 hours)
If A/C ran for 5hr per day on battery (8700 watts) 800 amps dc you need 8 6 volt 230ah battery bank and at least 8 100 watt solar panels.
Battery Cap. 6 Volt Golf Cart Battery = 230ah @ 20amps 4x230= 920ah, *6x230= 1380ah *8x230= 1840ah
4 Battery Cap. 230Ah @ 50% would run roof A/C for 2.875hr adding the solar would run the A/C for 3.625hr
Conclusion you would need to run a 3000 watt Generator if you are going to run roof A/C for any real amount of time.
Or Supplement the A/C with a window or portable unit of much less output.
Portable unit Hybrid Haier HPB08XCM Portable Air Conditioner, 8000 BTU draws 700 watts ac for a total of 5.8 amp ac (66 amp dc) so Solar 120 amp dc / 66 amp dc= 1.8hr off solar and with batteries @ half drain 460ah dc / 66 amp draw dc= 6.9hr so combined total max A/C usage no other draw 8.7hr.
Obviously this would not allow for any other draw and so is not feasible but for calculation purposes it gives you an idea of system output.
Now same scenario run 5hr per day 66 amp dc= 330 amp dc battery and solar = 580 amp dc leaving 250amp for other draw. Refrigerator avg. draw 30 amp per day dc.
Or Supplement the A/C with a window or portable unit of much less output.
Portable unit Hybrid Haier HPB08XCM Portable Air Conditioner, 8000 BTU draws 700 watts ac for a total of 5.8 amp ac (66 amp dc) so Solar 120 amp dc / 66 amp dc= 1.8hr off solar and with batteries @ half drain 460ah dc / 66 amp draw dc= 6.9hr so combined total max A/C usage no other draw 8.7hr.
Obviously this would not allow for any other draw and so is not feasible but for calculation purposes it gives you an idea of system output.
Now same scenario run 5hr per day 66 amp dc= 330 amp dc battery and solar = 580 amp dc leaving 250amp for other draw. Refrigerator avg. draw 30 amp per day dc.
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